Best Smart Plug
By Annabelle Evans
| Updated 3 Days Ago
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Smart plugs have transformed the way we manage home electronics, allowing us to control appliances like lamps, fans, and coffee makers remotely through our smartphones or voice commands. These simple devices plug into standard outlets, offering convenience and energy savings. Many smart plugs also come with scheduling features, letting you automate lights or appliances to turn on when you get home or pre-cool your space before arrival. Some even track energy usage, helping identify power-hungry devices. When choosing a smart plug, key factors include size (to avoid blocking nearby outlets), compatibility with systems like Alexa or Google Home, reliability, and app ease of use. Energy monitoring and away modes are useful extras. After testing dozens of options, we identified the best smart plugs for most homes.
Amazon Smart Plug
We recommend the Amazon Smart Plug for its seamless Alexa integration and user-friendly setup.
We recommend the Amazon Smart Plug for its seamless Alexa integration and user-friendly setup.
We tried out the Amazon Smart Plug and were impressed by how quick and easy it was to set up. We simply plugged it in, opened the Alexa app, and were ready to go in minutes. The compact size is a big plus, as it doesn’t block the second outlet.
We used the plug with various devices around our home, from lamps to coffee makers. It worked great with anything that has a physical on/off switch. We loved being able to control these devices with voice commands through Alexa.
The plug automatically reconnected after power outages, which was handy. We set up routines to automate tasks like turning on lights at specific times. While it’s great for Alexa users, keep in mind it doesn’t work with other voice assistants or smart hubs.
Kasa EP10 Smart Plug Mini
We think the Kasa EP10 Smart Plug Mini is a solid choice for most people looking to add smart control to their home devices.
We think the Kasa EP10 Smart Plug Mini is a solid choice for most people looking to add smart control to their home devices.
We’ve been using these Kasa smart plugs in our homes for a few months now, and they’ve quickly become our go-to for adding smart features to regular devices. The setup process is a breeze – we just plugged them in, opened the Kasa app, and followed the simple steps. Within minutes, we were controlling lamps, fans, and even our coffee maker from our phones.
The voice control feature has been a game-changer for us. We can now turn on the living room lights or start the humidifier just by asking Alexa or Google Assistant. It’s especially handy when our hands are full or we’re feeling lazy. The scheduling function is another favorite – we’ve set our front porch lights to turn on at sunset and off at sunrise automatically.
One thing we really like about these plugs is their compact size. They don’t stick out from the wall much, so we can still use the outlet above or below them. We did notice they only work with 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, which might be an issue for some. But for most homes, this shouldn’t be a problem. Overall, we’ve found these Kasa smart plugs to be reliable, easy to use, and a great way to make our homes a little smarter.
Kasa Mini Smart Plug
We think the Kasa Mini Smart Plug is a great choice for most people looking to add simple smart home control to their outlets.
We think the Kasa Mini Smart Plug is a great choice for most people looking to add simple smart home control to their outlets.
We’ve tested many smart plugs, and the Kasa Mini stands out for its simplicity. Setting it up took us just a few minutes. The Kasa app walked us through each step, making it a breeze to connect to our Wi-Fi.
Once plugged in, we could turn our lamp on and off with our phones from anywhere. We liked scheduling our coffee maker to start brewing before we woke up. The plug’s small size was a plus – it didn’t block nearby outlets.
We found voice control super handy. Asking Alexa to turn on our fan while our hands were full felt like living in the future. The plug also worked well with Google Assistant, though setup took a bit longer than with Alexa.
We wish it supported Apple HomeKit, but for Alexa and Google users, it’s a solid pick. At 15 amps, it handled our appliances without issues. If you want an affordable way to make your home smarter, we think you’ll be happy with the Kasa Mini Smart Plug.
Kasa Smart Plug 4-Pack
We recommend the Kasa Smart Plug 4-Pack for its reliable performance and user-friendly features at an affordable price.
We recommend the Kasa Smart Plug 4-Pack for its reliable performance and user-friendly features at an affordable price.
We’ve tested many smart plugs, and the Kasa Smart Plug 4-Pack stands out as a top choice. The setup process is a breeze – we plugged them in, opened the Kasa app, and followed the simple steps. Within minutes, we had four new smart outlets ready to go.
These plugs work flawlessly with Alexa and Google Home. We loved being able to turn on our lamp or fan with just a voice command. The Kasa app is also impressive. We used it to set schedules for our Christmas lights and control our humidifier while away on vacation.
One thing to note is that these plugs only work with 2.4GHz Wi-Fi networks. This wasn’t an issue for us, but it’s something to keep in mind. We also wished they had built-in energy monitoring, which would’ve been helpful for tracking power usage. Despite these minor drawbacks, we found the Kasa Smart Plugs to be reliable and responsive in our day-to-day use.
Amazon Basics Smart Plug
We recommend this smart plug for its easy setup and seamless Alexa integration, making it a great choice for beginners in home automation.
We recommend this smart plug for its easy setup and seamless Alexa integration, making it a great choice for beginners in home automation.
We tested the Amazon Basics Smart Plug and found it really simple to use. It took us just a few minutes to set up using the Alexa app. We liked that we didn’t need to download any extra apps or buy a separate hub.
The plug’s design is neat and compact. We plugged it into a crowded power strip, and it didn’t block other outlets. This was handy when we wanted to control multiple devices in one area.
We used the plug to control a lamp in our living room. It was nice to turn the light on and off with just our voice or the Alexa app. We also set up a schedule for the lamp to turn on at sunset, which was pretty cool.
One thing to note is that this plug only works with Alexa. If you use other smart home systems, you’ll need to look elsewhere. Also, it only connects to 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi networks, so make sure your home network is compatible.
We wish it had energy monitoring features, but for basic on/off control, it does the job well. Overall, we think this smart plug is a good starting point for anyone wanting to try out smart home devices without spending too much.
Govee Smart Plugs
We think these smart plugs are a great choice for most people looking to add voice control and scheduling to their home devices.
We think these smart plugs are a great choice for most people looking to add voice control and scheduling to their home devices.
We’ve been testing these Govee Smart Plugs for a few weeks now, and we’re impressed with their performance. The setup process was quick and painless. We had them up and running with our Alexa devices in just a few minutes.
One thing we really like is the dual connectivity options. These plugs can use either Bluetooth or WiFi, which made them more reliable than some WiFi-only models we’ve tried before. We didn’t have any issues with disconnections, even in areas of our home with weaker WiFi signals.
The scheduling feature has been a game-changer for us. We set up our coffee maker to turn on automatically every morning, and it’s been great waking up to fresh coffee. The group control is handy too – we can turn off all our living room lamps with a single tap in the app.
These plugs are pretty compact, which we appreciate. They don’t block adjacent outlets, so we can still use all the spots on our power strips. We feel good about their safety features too. They’re ETL and FCC certified, which gives us peace of mind when using them with various appliances.
While the Govee Home app gets the job done, it’s not the most intuitive we’ve used. It took us a bit of time to figure out all the features. But once we got the hang of it, it worked well for setting up schedules and groups.
All in all, we think these Govee Smart Plugs offer good value for the price. They’re reliable, easy to use, and work well with voice assistants. If you’re looking to make your home a bit smarter, these plugs are a solid choice.
Kasa Smart Plug HS103P2
We recommend the Kasa Smart Plug HS103P2 for its reliable performance, easy setup, and compatibility with popular voice assistants.
We recommend the Kasa Smart Plug HS103P2 for its reliable performance, easy setup, and compatibility with popular voice assistants.
We’ve been using the Kasa Smart Plug HS103P2 in our home for several months now, and it’s become an essential part of our smart home setup. The plug is a breeze to install – we just plugged it in, opened the Kasa app, and followed the straightforward instructions. Within minutes, we were controlling our lamps and fans from our phones.
One of the best features of this smart plug is its compatibility with Alexa and Google Home. We love being able to turn on our coffee maker in the morning just by asking our smart speaker. The Kasa app is also user-friendly, allowing us to set schedules and timers for our devices. This has been particularly useful for automating our Christmas lights during the holiday season.
While the plug is a bit larger than some other smart plugs we’ve tried, it doesn’t completely block the second outlet, which is a plus. We’ve found the connection to be stable, with no dropouts or connectivity issues. The manual power button on the side is handy for those times when we need to toggle the power without reaching for our phones. All in all, the Kasa Smart Plug HS103P2 has proven to be a reliable and convenient addition to our smart home ecosystem.
GE CYNC Smart Plug
We recommend the GE CYNC Smart Plug for its easy setup and reliable performance with Alexa and Google Home.
We recommend the GE CYNC Smart Plug for its easy setup and reliable performance with Alexa and Google Home.
We tested the GE CYNC Smart Plug and found it to be a solid choice for making regular devices smart. The setup was a breeze – we just plugged it in and connected it to our Wi-Fi network. Within minutes, we were controlling our lamp with voice commands through Alexa.
The plug’s compact size is a big plus. It doesn’t block the second outlet, so we could still use both sockets on our wall plate. We liked being able to control our devices remotely through the app. It gave us peace of mind when we weren’t sure if we’d turned off the iron before leaving home.
One drawback is the price. It’s a bit more expensive than some other smart plugs we’ve tried. But we think the reliable connection and ease of use make up for the extra cost. The CYNC app works well, but you’ll need it for scheduling and some advanced features. Keep in mind this plug is for indoor use only, so it won’t work for outdoor holiday lights.
GHome Smart Mini Plug
We think this smart plug is a solid choice for its easy setup and reliable performance.
We think this smart plug is a solid choice for its easy setup and reliable performance.
We tested the GHome Smart Mini Plug and found it to be a breeze to set up. As soon as we plugged it in, our phones detected it right away. This made the whole process super quick and painless.
One thing we really liked was how well it worked with Alexa and Google Home. We could turn our lamp on and off just by asking. It felt pretty cool to control our stuff with just our voice.
The app let us control the plug from anywhere. We tried turning our coffee maker on while we were out, and it worked perfectly. It was nice to come home to fresh coffee already brewing.
We set up some schedules for our lights, and it was pretty neat. The lights turned on and off exactly when we wanted them to. It made our home look lived-in even when we were away.
The plug is a bit chunky, though. We had trouble fitting another plug next to it in some outlets. Also, it only works with 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, which might be a problem if you have a newer router.
Amazon Basics Outdoor Smart Plug
We think this smart plug is a great choice for anyone looking to add voice control to their outdoor devices.
We think this smart plug is a great choice for anyone looking to add voice control to their outdoor devices.
We recently tried out the Amazon Basics Outdoor Smart Plug, and we were impressed with how simple it was to set up. We just plugged it in, opened the Alexa app, and it was ready to go in minutes. No need for extra hubs or apps.
The plug has two outlets that we could control separately, which was handy for our patio lights and fountain. We loved being able to turn them on and off with just our voice or the Alexa app. It made our outdoor space feel much more high-tech.
We put the plug to the test during a rainy week, and it held up well. The weather-resistant casing gave us peace of mind about using it outside. While it’s a bit bigger than a regular plug, we think the added features make up for the size.
Buying Guide
When shopping for a smart plug, there are a few key things to look out for:
Compatibility
We recommend checking if the smart plug works with your existing smart home system. Look for compatibility with popular platforms like:
- Amazon Alexa
- Google Home
- Apple HomeKit
- Samsung SmartThings
Features
Some useful features to consider:
- Energy monitoring
- Scheduling
- Away mode
- Voice control
- Group control
Size and Design
The plug’s size matters. Bulky ones may block other outlets. Slim designs are better for tight spaces.
Connectivity
Wi-Fi is the most common connection type. It’s easy to set up and doesn’t need a hub.
App Quality
A good app makes controlling your smart plug much easier. Look for one with:
- An intuitive interface
- Reliable performance
- Regular updates
Price
Smart plugs range from $10 to $60+. Pricier options often have more features, but aren’t always better.
Safety Certifications
For peace of mind, choose plugs with safety certifications like UL or ETL.
By keeping these factors in mind, we can find a smart plug that fits our needs and budget.