iHome iSP5 vs Parce One

This is one of the few smart switches which are small enough to not block surrounding plugs. That means that you still have access to all of your plugs, which is very important especially in older homes where accessible wall plugs can be limited.

While the other smart switches clearly look like an internet-connected product (read: eyesore), the iHome iSP5 doesn't share the same ugliness. It is compact and sleek looking, without extra buttons and a bunch of flashing lights. It has a single small LED, a white front, and a grey band running around its sides.

HomeKit is Apple's smart home ecosystem, with deep integration with Siri. Controlling the switch is as easy as saying "Her Siri, turn the living room lamp on" as you're approaching your house. You can also group together different products which will all jump into action together: once configured, saying "Hey Siri, go to bed" can turn off all the lights, enable the security system, lock the doors, and turn down the thermostat with just the single command.

Wink is an ecosystem that has compatibility with many products. Buying a Wink-compatible device means you have a wide selection of other devices that it will work with.

Alexa is an always listening voice assistant baked into Amazon's Echo series of products. These devices were all very well received, and can pick up voice actions from surprising distances. They will also allow anybody to control the lights (or whatever else might be plugged into this switch) without the need to setup an app on their phone.

After being used for a while, the Parce One will eventually start learning your habits, and can start turning devices off automatically when you forget to turn them off yourself. It's fairly conservative, although if you stay up a few extra minutes than normal, the lights may turn off before you're done with them - however this is to expected from any self-taught schedule.

Parce One tracks the energy used by the device that is plugged into it. It displays the information it gathers into an easy to read graphs, and even can make suggestions over time that can help reduce the power bill.

HomeKit is deeply integrated with Siri, which makes turning connected devices on or off is as simple as asking Siri. You can also group devices into a 'scene' - for example, once configured saying "OK Siri, go to bed" can turn off all your lights, adjust your thermostat, and lock all your doors with just one action.