Automating your home with the best smart plugs is an effective way to upgrade your home without a complete overhaul. By modernizing your ordinary lights and devices, you can add new levels of convenience and functionality to your daily routines. Smart plugs can bring peace of mind to your home by providing an easy way to check whether hair tools and heaters are turned off while you're out of the house.
Different smart plug models offer different features, but most of them allow you to connect with popular voice assistants like Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit. This means you can control your devices with your voice, making everything more seamless and convenient. Of course, the best smart speakers will also allow you to integrate your smart plugs into pre-existing routines and schedules, making it possible for your living room lamp to switch on just as the sun is setting and you're winding down from a long workday.
So, whether you're looking for an easy way to save energy or you want to make your home more efficient and convenient, a smart plug is a great place to start.
Quick picks
Best smart plug overall
For an affordable and user-friendly option, Philips Hue Smart Plug is recommended. Control home appliances and lighting from afar with smartphone/voice assistants. It also has surge protection and geofencing for energy saving.
Best smart plug with energy monitoring
The WeMo Smart Plug is pricier but offers thread connectivity and energy monitoring. Compatible with Google, Alexa and HomeKit assistants, it's standout feature is the sleek design and Away Mode.
Best smart power strip
The TP-Link Kasa Smart Power Strip has six smart outlets and three USB ports, control via the smart app or Alexa/Google Assistant, scheduling, surge protection, and compact size - making it great for smart homes.
Most affordable smart plug
The Meross Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini is compact and affordable and connects directly to Wi-Fi for control via app, and voice commands with Alexa/Google Assistant. It also comes with programming and IFTTT compatibility for a smart, energy-efficient home.
Best smart plug for Alexa
The Amazon Smart Plug allows voice control for non-smart devices, supporting schedules, easy setup, and working with fans, lamps, kettles, coffee makers, and more with no obstruction to adjacent sockets.
Best HomeKit smart plug
The Eve Energy Smart Plug is great for Apple users with Siri, but others may want to look elsewhere. It has scheduling, energy monitoring, and HomeKit integration but is limited for Google or Alexa-based smart homes.
The best smart plugs in 2023
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Upgrade your home with the best smart plugs for modernized lights and devices. Connect with popular voice assistants and integrate into routines for convenience, or use them to save energy and add efficiency to your home.
Best smart plug overall
If you're looking for an affordable and user-friendly smart plug, we highly recommend the Philips Hue Smart Plug. With this device, you can easily control home appliances and lighting from anywhere using a smartphone or voice assistant. The plug is compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit, making it easy to integrate with other smart home devices.
One great feature is surge protection technology, which helps to keep devices safe from electrical surges or spikes. Although it lacks energy monitoring features, it can still save energy by automatically switching off devices via the geofencing feature. It's also compatible with other Philips Hue products, like smart plugs, for a fully integrated smart home experience.
Livingetc rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Best smart plug with energy monitoring
The WeMo Smart Plug is a versatile device that is compatible with voice assistants from Google, Alexa, and HomeKit. A standout feature is the sleeker, smaller design that sets it apart from previous models. The Away Mode is also really smart, allowing you to set the switch to turn on and off in order to deter burglars when you might be away from home.
Of course, the WeMo Smart Plug is pricier than other options on the market, but its Thread connectivity and user-friendly app controls could make it worth the investment. It also has energy monitoring, which lets you monitor energy usage and save money over the long run by setting schedules and routines.
Best smart power strip
The TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip is a really convenient device that can automate almost any room in your household. With six smart outlets and three USB ports, it can accommodate a range of devices, and its compact design ensures it will fit easily into even small spaces. We love that you can control each outlet using the Kasa smart app or even with smart assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant.
You can set the power strip to operate on a schedule or time based on your needs, and it also has surge protection to keep your devices safe from power surges and spikes. For those who have a lot of devices they want to integrate into a smart home, the TP-Link Kasa Strip is a reliable and compact option.
Most affordable smart plug
The Meross Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini is a compact and lightweight devices that allows you to automate almost every electronic device in your home. It's one of the more affordable options on the market, and connects directly to your Wi-Fi network for control and monitoring through the mobile app, the manual controls, and voice commands via Alexa or Google Assistant.
The smart plug can be programmed to operate on a timer or schedule, and also has IFTTT compatibility for interactions with other smart devices. At a great price, this option from Meross is a way to make your home more efficient and save on energy costs without a big upfront cost.
Best smart plug for Alexa
Enabling you to control compatible devices using Alexa voice commands, the Amazon Smart Plug is a simple to use tool for linking previously non-smart electronics with your connected home. Once set-up on your Wi-Fi network, you can turn the plug on and off with your voice, create schedules, and more. It works with everything from fans and lamps to kettles and coffee makers.
The efficient and ergonomic design ensures it doesn't obstruct adjacent sockets, so you won't be limited, and the seamless Alexa integration means those using Echo speakers, Ring doorbells and other Amazon-branded products will find the process of using the smart plug super-simple.
Best HomeKit smart plug
The Eve Energy Smart Plug is great for Apple users who want to control their devices using Siri, but those who don't have HomeKit or Apple-branded speakers may want to look elsewhere. The device can be controlled through the Eve app on your smartphone, and the scheduling feature makes creating routines really easy.
This can also help with energy saving, and the Eve Smart Plug provides real-time energy consumption data for every device - ideal for cost-cutting and keeping an eye on what the rest of the household is using. As said, HomeKit integration is great, but those who want to build a Google or Alexa-based smart home aren't as well served.
About this guide
The entries on this list are all based on hands-on experience and independent reviews. For every one of our guides, we also use team Livingetc's breadth of knowledge, digging down into the specs and design elements of the most popular models across a range of price points.
We will return to this guide regularly to update the models included, whether due to new releases and moves in the industry or the opportunity to test the best smart plugs in person and judge them accordingly.
Models we have tested will be signposted within the article, so you can trust us to be transparent with our choices. You can head to our dedicated page to learn more about our review process.
How to choose the best smart plug for your home
How does a smart plug work?
Smart plugs like the ones in this guide serve as a WiFi-enabled bridge between an ordinary plug-in device and an ordinary wall outlet. While smart outlets require you to do some wiring and DIY and buying smart alternatives to your lamps, heaters, and kitchen appliances can get expensive, smart plugs are a budget-friendly way to modernize your home.
Setting up smart plugs is also very simple - all you need to do is plug them in, download the relevant app, and pair it with your smartphone. After this, you can incorporate the devices into your smart home set-up via Google Home, Alexa, or HomeKit.
Do smart plugs save energy?
Smart plugs themselves do not save energy, as they really just form a bridge between your device and ordinary outlet. What they can do, however, is make it easier to save on energy wastage, whether that's through an app's monitoring, or via routines and the ability to program your lights, heaters and more to turn off without your intervention. Very useful if you live with someone who always forgets to turn the lights off!
Do smart plugs slow down Wi-Fi?
An ordinary home with a few select smart devices such as plugs, bulbs and speakers shouldn't experience any issues with their WiFi speeds. However, on the flip side, a slow or patchy WiFi connection may interfere with how reliable your smart plug is.
Can you use a smart plug without Alexa (or Google Home/HomeKit)?
Most smart plugs are completely useable without Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple HomeKit at home, but you will need a smartphone. Ordinarily, smart plugs can be set up, used, and programmed via the brand's own app, while smart speakers only serve as add-ons if you want to sync your plugs with other smart devices around the home.
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