Brilliant Smart Plug Review: Is It Worth It?

Smart home devices have exploded in recent years, with smart plugs, lights and more offering new ways to add futuristic features to your home. The Brilliant Smart Plug is a AU$15 smart plug that allows you to turn your devices on and off from anywhere in the world with just your smartphone (or your favorite virtual assistant). With a budget-friendly pricetag and Australian certification, is the Brilliant Smart Plug worth it?

Brilliant Smart Plug Specifications

Working Voltage:240V AC
Max Power:10A, 2400W
USB Port:5V 1.5A
Wifi:802.11b/g/n (2.4Ghz)
Warranty:1 Year
View Full Specifications

What’s in the Box?

Inside the box, you get:

  • Brilliant Smart Plug
  • English User Manual

Brilliant Smart Plug Hardware

The Brilliant Smart Plug is a basic looking plug. It’s all-white glossy plastic shell looks cheap but the plug itself feels well made.

The front of the device has the Australian socket for plugging in your devices. There’s also a button lets you turn the plug on and off without needing the app, and a dual color power LED acts as a status indicator.

The Brilliant Smart Plug isn’t particularly exciting but its slim design is appreciated

There’s also a 1.5A USB port around the side for charging your USB devices. Just be aware that it’s always powered which is a shame as it would have been great to control it remotely.

It’s clear that Brilliant thought about how their plug would fit with other devices in a powerboard. Aside from a slimmer design compared to the popular (yet bulky) TP-Link HS100 or HS110, they also raised the plug’s body higher than normal to minimize interference with plugs next to it. This makes it easy to use in a crowded power board unlike TP-Link and Mirabella’s competing devices.

The Brilliant Smart Plug (center) is taller to minimize interference with other plugs, unlike the Mirabella Genio (left) or TP-Link HS100 (right)

It’s important to note that whatever you want to automate using the Brilliant Smart Plug needs to turn on whenever it gets power. Devices such as fans, lamps and more are perfect partners for a smart plug.

Alternatively, it’s also great to know something is definitely switched off – no more having to turn around to make sure the iron or hair straightener has been switched off.

Brilliant Smart Plug Software

The Brilliant Smart Plug is designed to be used with the Brilliant Smart app (Android/iOS) which handles everything from turning the plug on and off, setting schedules, updating firmware and connecting to services such as IFTTT, Google Home and Alexa.

However, the Brilliant Smart Plug runs on the Tuya platform, so you can also connect the plugs with the Tuya Smart app (Android/iOS). As I’ve already got a number of Tuya-powered devices, this is what I did. Whether you use the Brilliant Smart app or Tuya, the app experience is basically the same.

Pairing the smart plug to your Brilliant/Tuya account is simple. Just hold the power button down for a few seconds and follow the wizard in the app.

Once you’re paired, the app experience itself is solid. The home page provides a dashboard that shows all your connected devices, along with some other things such as the current weather.

Brilliant Smart Plug Review Tuya App
The Tuya App offers an impressive range of features – Brilliant’s own app mirrors it pretty much identically

Tapping on a device opens the smart plug’s controls. Here you can toggle the plug on or off, setting a countdown timer or creating custom schedules. Toggling the smart plug’s state is almost instant on the local network, with delay of a second or two when controlling it remotely as it’ll have to go via Tuya’s cloud.

If you’ve got multiple Tuya products, you can also create more complicated automations such as turning on a smart bulb when you turn your plug on, or turn on the plug when it gets to a certain temperature – perfect for those hot days!

Connection with Alexa, Google Home and IFTTT are all done via their respective apps. Just log into your account (or get the Brilliant Smart Alexa skill) to be able to turn your plug on and off with a simple voice command.

Of course, you can get even more creative with IFTTT, letting you link a whole range of triggers with your smart plug.

And those of you who use Home Assistant can easily access the smart plug via the native Tuya component (though be aware that there’s a second or two delay as everything is toggled via Tuya’s cloud).

Should You Buy The Brilliant Smart Plug?

Brilliant Smart Plug Review Featured Image

The Brilliant Smart Plug is excellent value and a great option for anyone wanting to add some smarts to their home.

For under AU$20, you’re getting a powerful set of features, thoughtful design, Australian electrical certification (a massive thing for us Aussies) and integration with a range of digital assistants and smart home platforms. This makes the Brilliant Smart Plug an obvious choice for anyone wanting to get into home automation.

Where to Buy the Brilliant Smart Plug

The Brilliant Smart Plug is available from:

Check Price at Bunnings
Brilliant Smart Plug Review Featured Image
Brilliant Smart Plug
The Brilliant Smart Plug is excellent value and a great option for anyone wanting to add some smarts to their home.
Pros
Amazing Value
Integration with Google Assistant, Alexa and IFTTT
Cons
Reliant on Tuya Cloud
USB port can't be controlled
9.2

Michael

Michael is a technology expert with over 15 years of experience in IT, Home Theatre and Automation. Feel free to send Michael a message here.

You May Also Like...

Previous

MECOOL KM3 Review: Is This Android TV Box Worth It?

BlitzWolf BW-SDB1 Soundbar Review: Is It Worth It?

Next

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.