Okay, so I finally got the BOND Bridge to connect my ancient ceiling fan and fireplace to Alexa – and wow, this little gadget is a game-changer!

First off, setup was shockingly easy. Plugged it in, pointed my fan remote at it, and boom – instant smart control from my phone. My Craftmade fan was in their database, but even my weirdo fireplace remote (not officially supported) worked after some frequency tweaking.

The Alexa integration? *Chef's kiss* Now I'm literally yelling 'Alexa, make it tropical' to set my porch fan to high speed while adjusting fireplace flames from the couch. Though fair warning – had to delete/re-add everything in the Alexa app once when things got glitchy.

Biggest win? Didn't have to rewire anything or climb ladders. For $99, this saved me from buying all new smart appliances. Only quirk – signal strength seems hit-or-miss for some users (mine works through brick walls but YMMV).

After 3 months of daily use: 4.5/5 stars (-0.5 for occasional Alexa tantrums). If you've got old remote-controlled stuff gathering dust, this bridge is pure magic.