I have two different makes of smart switches and plugs running in my home, KASA and Treatlife. I have wall switches, that you need to install in place of your manual switches, and the plug in switch blocks. I also have a Ring video doorbell and chime, and Ring security cameras. I also have Alexa echo devices throughout my home. I use Alexa exclusively for my home automation.
KASA:
Once you set up the KASA app and set up Alexa with the KASA skill, it is very simple to add a new device to the mix. Simply plug it in or wire it into your home power and then look for it in Alexa devices. Give it a name like "Basement Stairs Lights" and you are good to go. During device setup, there is no fiddling with turning off the 5Ghz band at your router or tinkering with my phone to make sure it is on the 2.4Ghz band. It is very simple to set these up.
Alexa remembers the KASA devices so if the power drops, everything comes back to normal when the power returns. I have numerous KASA smart plugs for our Christmas decorations and I simply unplug them and toss them into the decorations boxes to be used the the following year. When I go to use them in the following year I simply plug them in and check for updates and they are ready to go.
Most of my smart devices are KASA. For wall switches I have the standard on/off, on/off dimmer, three way, and three way dimmers. I do not have the built in wall plugs from KASA, I use the plug in blocks like the HS103s. I also have a couple of KP400 outdoor weather proof plugs.
Treatlife:
Setting up the Treatlife app and the Alexa Treatlife skill is a little tricky but once you manage to get it working it normally is not a problem. I say normally because there was a brief period at the beginning of December 2025 where the Treatlife developers needed to fix the Treatlife to Alexa app connection. Also, Treatlife is not as robust to power loss and I have had to reinstall the devices into the apps more than once.
Setting up a Treatlife device is a bit of a pain. You need to go into your router and turn off the 5Ghz band and only run the 2.4Ghz band and you need to make sure your phone is also running on the 2.4Ghz band on the same network. You could split the bands into two different SSIDs (two different networks) but I don't do that. Once you have killed the 5Ghz band you can install the switches and plugs into your Alexa devices. Once they are all up and running you can go back to your router and turn on the 5Ghz band.
Why do I use Treatlife devices? They have a few plugs and switches that no other smart device manufacturers have. I have a couple of dimmer plugs for our bedside lamps. I have 7 Fans with lights in my house and Treatlife has a combined light dimmer / fan speed controller wall switch. There is no one else that provides these Alexa compatible devices.
My current smart home consists of 47 switches and plugs, 7 echo devices (dot, studio, show), 3 Ring security cameras, and one Ring doorbell pro with a Ring chime pro. My next project is to update my workshop and my garden shed with smart switches and plugs, but first I need the snow to melt.
