Best Alexa smart plugs: Set routines and add voice control to any socket

The best Alexa smart plugs are ideal for setting up ‘routines’ and giving you better control of the devices in your home. Imagine walking into your home office at 9am as your laptop and lights turn on, the coffee machine starts brewing and your favorite radio station starts playing on your Alexa smart speaker. Sounds appealing yep? It's a great way to start the day and with a little help from the best smart plugs the benefits don't stop there. 

With the best smart plugs you can start building an automated home and gain better control of the devices you own. An Alexa-compatible smart plug is easy to use and works with the Alexa app to control lighting, appliances and gadgets using your voice. ‘An Alexa smart plug lets you control your lights, coffee machines, fans and more using your voice,’ says Tim Freystedt, Amazon EU Head of Smart Home. ‘All you need is an Alexa-enabled device such as Echo, Fire TV, Fire tablet, or even just the Alexa App on your phone.’

Using an Alexa smart plug is convenient as you can switch devices on and off using your smartphone, and this remote control can give you peace of mind. It's particularly useful if you’ve left the house in a hurry and can’t remember if you turned off the iron or Dyson Airwrap, for example. Something we constantly do.

An Alexa smart plug can also help you to reduce your energy bills by remotely switching off lights and other energy-guzzling devices using the Alexa app. Some smart plugs even have the capability to monitor how much energy you're using. 

An Alexa smart plug works well to add an extra layer of security to your home too and make it look like you’re home when you’re not. You can use one with your home lighting to switch lights on and off remotely, for example.  

There’s a wide range of smart plugs to choose from online that work with Alexa and other voice assistants from the likes of Google and Apple. But if you’re keen to buy the best Alexa smart plug – perhaps to link up to your Alexa smart speaker and make use of ‘routines’ - we’ve highlighted our favorites below.

The best Alexa smart plugs in 2022

While the Amazon Smart Plug is quite large in design, it’s discreet and neutral enough to fit seamlessly into a socket without spoiling your décor.

As it is optimised for use with Alexa, the Amazon smart plug is very easy to set up. You will need to pair it with the Alexa app or your Alexa smart speaker to make use of voice control. To get started you need to do is plug it in and look on the Alexa app to find if the plug has been picked up. Click + to get started and pair the device. Once you’re set up you can make use of the app and say ‘Alexa, turn on first plug’, to make use of the electrical socket from anywhere.

You can add multiple Amazon smart plugs to the set up around your home. This means you can create ‘routines’ on the Alexa app to suit your schedule – your coffee machine can turn on first thing, or your lights will turn on at a certain time in the day - ideal for when it gets dark and you're out, for example.

Price: $32.72

In the box you get a four-pack of Tapo smart plugs that are each designed to perfectly fit a standard wall outlet and won’t block access to the switch. Each smart plug is compatible with Amazon Alexa but can also be controlled using Google Assistant too.   

The smart plugs work with your standard Wi-FI router and you won’t need to use a separate hub. You can access control for all of the smart plugs in one Tapo app, which is well designed so that you can easily access control for each plug. You can make use of the schedule and timer features to automatically turn the power of each smart plug on and off.

While there is no energy monitoring info in the app, you can share management permissions so other household members can share control over your devices. The smart plugs are frequently bought alongside TP-Link’s smart bulb range, for convenient control over your home’s lighting.   

Price: $43. 

A small and compact circular plug, this Alexa smart plug is great value and has an impressive offering. As well as being compatible with Alexa, it works with Google Home too. It has an app that is easy to pair so you can control the plug using your smartphone and voice assistant.

You can use the app to set timers to make sure the plug goes on and off at certain times of the day. There’s also a useful energy monitoring feature so you know exactly how much energy you’re using minute by minute.

You can also make use of group control, whereby you can add to the set up with multiple plugs that can be turned on and off together with one tap on the app.   

Price: From $15.70

The Innr Smart Plug is a ZigBee-enabled smart plug, which means you’ll need a ZigBee bridge system for it to work. The benefit of this is that it doesn’t put as much of a toll on your WiFi to work like a WiFi enabled smart plug can. While the Innr Smart Plug works with Amazon Alexa when combined with a Zigbee bridge like the Innr Bridge, Philips Hue Bridge or Samsung SmartThings, it can also be directly connected to the Amazon Echo Plus (2nd & 3rd Gen), Show (10 & 2nd Gen full-size), Studio and full-size 4th Gen Echo devices without an external bridge.

Offering great value on a Zigbee standard, the Innr Smart Plug is easy to connect to Alexa. You can connect all your devices and lights to the plugs and automatically start controlling them with Alexa as a group or individually. You can set routines and timers using the app and also make use of voice control by saying things such as ‘Alexa, turn off the living room plugs’.

Price: $52 for a pack of 2. 

An alternative to a single plug or group of plugs dotted around the house comes the  Meross WiFi Smart Plug, which has four AC outlets on one strip. The Meross is compatible with both Alexa and Google Assistant so you can control the sockets using your voice. 

The slimline, well-built design has a 6-foot extension lead. But the thing we like most about this power strip is that you can control each socket individually, which gives you convenient flexibility when you have a number of items plugged in. 

There’s an overload protection circuit built in for security on the power strip that has ABS fire-retardant housing for peace of mind. It also promises a reliable connection with any 2.4GHz or Dual Band WiFi router, which makes set up straightforward. 

Price: $30.

How to choose the best Alexa smart plug for your home

What are Alexa smart plugs?

A smart plug acts as a Wi-Fi enabled bridge between your plug-in device and the wall outlet. They are easy to plug in and there is no need for wiring it in. The biggest difference from a standard smart plug to an Alexa-compatible smart plug is how you control it and set it up, and an Alexa smart plug works alongside your Alexa smartphone app or smart speaker.  The Amazon Smart Plug, for example, is voice controlled by Alexa and when you plug it in and switch it on, your Alexa app recognises it so it’s very simple to set up. 

How can I use my Alexa smart plug?  

Alexa smart plugs can be controlled using your voice and are ideal for setting up ‘routines’. ‘As well as setting timers and playing music, Alexa can control your home with smart home devices like the Amazon Smart Plug,’ says Tim Freystedt, Amazon EU Head of Smart Home. ‘Using a smart plug, you can switch appliances on and off in your home with your voice via an Alexa-enabled device or the Alexa app.

‘Once you’ve set up your smart plug, you can create Alexa Routines to make life easier. For example, a morning routine can turn on the bedroom lamps and switches on your coffee machine, while Alexa reads the morning news headlines. You can also name your smart plugs and add them to groups for each room in the house, for even easier control.'

What Alexa devices can I find? 

'Gadgets such as the Amazon smart plug are a great way to start making your home smarter with voice control via Alexa,' continues Tim. 'To make your home even smarter, check out other Alexa-compatible smart home devices such as Ring doorbells, Philips Hue lighting and smart hoovers.' 

Keen to make more use of Alexa voice control around your home? We have lots of ideas for Alexa-compatible devices for the home and garden.

How much does an Alexa smart plug cost?

An Alexa smart plug is an excellent tool to use to help you save on energy costs. As well as coming in all shapes and sizes, an Alexa smart plus is relatively inexpensive to buy and you can pick one up from around $23 on Amazon.