Lutron takes HomeKit outdoors with its Caséta Outdoor Smart Plug

Lutron Caseta Wireless Outdoor Plug (Image credit: Lutron)

What you need to know

Lutron has announced a new smart plug designed for outdoor use that also supports HomeKit.

Lutron today announced a new HomeKit-compatible smart plug that's designed for use outdoors. Carrying the Caséta branding, the smart plug is IP65-rated which is apparently best-in-class. It's also "built to last and can withstand severe weather season after season," according to a press release.

Set to go on sale at some point towards the end of March, the new smart plug will be proved at $79.95. Alongside the HomeKit support users can also look forward to Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa compatibility as well.

Ideal for smart control of landscape and string lighting, holiday lights and inflatables, and some motors and pumps, the new Caséta Outdoor Smart Plug gives homeowners convenient control of their exterior lights via the free Lutron app. For example, a homeowner can set their patio string lights to come on 15 minutes before sunset, adding a touch of magic to the perfect summer evening with family or friends.

The addition of HomeKit support means users can control their new smart plug via the Home app on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac while also using Siri for voice control as well. There's a built-in smart timer for those who would rather not have to deal with Siri, too.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.