Every room in your house has them: power outlets, and they’re about as dumb as technology can be. To create a real smart home, you need to upgrade your wiring so it can be controlled, managed, and monitored from afar.
You could hire an electrician to rip out your existing outlets and replace them with smart in-wall models, but there’s an easier, less-expensive way: Stick a smart plug in those outlets. Using a smart plug means the outlet in the wall doesn’t have to change; instead, you just configure the add-on plug using an app, connect it to your network, and use it to control whatever’s plugged into it.
Smart plugs are handy in all kinds of ways. Some models have built-in dimmers, so you can adjust the brightness of the lamp that’s plugged into them; others can power small appliances, such as a fan or space heater. Others can be scheduled, so you can make your home look lived in while you’re away on vacation, or so that you can limit the hours your kids can play video games or watch TV.
Which smart plug is best for your home? Here are our top choices, plus a shopping guide that will help you decide which one is right for you if none of our picks fits your needs.
Updated August 25, 2023 to confirm our top picks and check for accuracy and timeliness.
Leviton Decora Smart Wi-Fi Plug-in Switch (2nd Gen) (model D215P) — Best smart plug for most people
Pros
- HomeKit, Alexa, and Google Assistant support
- Slim form factor
- Simple, intuitive app
Cons
- Some hiccups during initial HomeKit setup
Leviton continues to make our favorite smart plug, and its second-generation device—model D215P—adds HomeKit compatibility to its repertoire (although we encountered a little difficulty getting that feature to work right off the bat). Like its predecessor, this smart plug connects directly to your network over Wi-Fi, so you don’t need to invest in a hub. And its slim form factor means you can plug two of them into the same duplex outlet. This is an on/off device, not a dimmer. If you need dimming functions, consider Leviton’s second-gen Decora Smart Mini Plug-In Dimmer (model D23LP).
Wyze Plug (two-pack) — Best budget-priced smart plug
Pros
- Very affordable
- No operational problems to speak of
Cons
- Only tracks usage by time, not energy consumed
- On/off only; no dimming capability
Wyze Labs’ smart plug won’t report your energy consumption, and it’s limited to on/off functionality, not dimming—but it’s the least-expensive smart plug you’ll find, and it incorporates into the broader Wyze Labs’ smart home ecosystem, so it was an easy choice to be our top pick in the budget category.
Lutron Caséta Wireless Smart Lighting Lamp Dimmer Starter Kit (Model P-BDG-PKG2P) — Best smart plug for power users
Pros
- The included remote controls give this dimmer tons of extra usability
- Overall simple setup and operation
- Compatible with a variety of smart home hubs and gear
Cons
- Requires a wired bridge to integrate with your smart home
- Alexa configuration documentation could be much clearer
- Only works with lamps, not devices such as fans or space heaters
The hub in Lutron’s starter kit can control more than just the smart plugs that come with it. It also supports Lutron’s in-wall dimmer switches and you can use it to schedule and automate Lutron’s line of Serena powered window shades. What’s more, you can incorporate the kit into a broader smart home system, and it’s compatible with Apple’s HomeKit ecosystem, too.
Wemo Smart Plug with Thread (model WSP100) — Best smart plug for Apple HomeKit fans
Pros
- Extremely easy setup (after a firmware update)
- Seamless integration with Apple Home
- Very small, sleek hardware
Cons
- On/off control only, no dimming
- Supports the Apple HomeKit ecosystem only
- Lacks extra features such as energy-consumption tracking
There’s not a lot of competition in the Thread-supporting smart plug space right now, and Apple aficionados will enjoy the streamlined setup that Belkin delivers with its Wemo model.
TP-Link Tapo P125M Mini Smart Wi-Fi Plug — Best Matter-certified smart plug
Pros
- Matter certification guarantees broad compatibility and easy setup
- We experience zero operational hiccups
- Physically small and unobtrusive
Cons
- More expensive than non-Matter-certified smart plugs
- No Thread radio on board
- Extremely basic usage history and no energy-consumption monitoring
This is the first Matter-certified smart plug we’ve reviewed, but that’s not the only reason TP-Link’s Tapo P125M Mini Smart Wi-Fi Plug deserves its designation as the best Matter-certified smart plug. The Tapo P125M is a breeze to set up and use, and its compact form factor ensures that two of them can be plugged into the same duplex outlet. You can expect to pay a little more for Matter-certified smart home products in these early days of the standard, but given that it is the future of the smart home, that expectation is reasonable.
Wyze Plug Outdoor — Best outdoor smart plug
Pros
- Very affordable
- Individual socket control in hardware and app
- Energy consumption monitoring included
Cons
- Firmware update choked on installation
- Kilowatt-hour-scale usage meter won’t be useful for most users
The Wyze Plug Outdoor isn’t the $10 bargain it was when first announced in December 2020, but it’s still an incredible value. It not only beats the competition on price, it also delivers some features those devices don’t have. You can control its two outlets independently, for example, and thanks to its integrated photo cell, you can program the device to turn its outlets on at sunset and off at sunrise, even if the plug is out of range of your Wi-Fi network (just program while connected to your network and then move it to its final destination—the instructions will be stored in its memory). The plug will also monitor and report on your energy consumption. That’s a lot to offer for a $17 list price.
TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Outdoor Dimmer Plug (model KP405) — Best outdoor smart dimmer
Pros
- Offers the unusual feature of dimming
- Robust construction and IP64 weatherization
- Well priced considering the sparse competition
Cons
- Provides only one outlet
- Needless switching between screens to access dimmer function
- We occasionally experienced delays in state changes
While we’re hard-pressed to think of many scenarios that require smart outdoor dimming (as opposed to a simple on/off plug), the affordable TP-Link Kasa Smart KP405 certainly fits the bill. Arriving with a standard pigtail design, a rubber outlet cover, and a power button on top, the KP405 offers simple setup, sturdy construction, IP64 weatherization (making it ideal for use in rainy and snowy conditions), and an attractive price. On the minus side, you only get one outlet, and navigating to dimmer options in the Kasa Smart app can be a pain. Still, if outdoor dimming is a must, the Kasa Smart KP405 is your best option.
TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip (model HS300) — Best smart power strip
Pros
- Six switched AC outlets that can be programmed with complex schedules
- Includes an “away” mode for simulating someone present in a home or office
- Works with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Microsoft Cortana
- Outlets can be combined in scenes with other Kasa smart-home devices
Cons
- No manual in the box, not even a tiny one
- Power cord is slightly too short for versatile placement
- No Apple HomeKit or Siri support
There’s isn’t a lot of competition in this area, but TP-Link doesn’t just win by default. The Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip features six grounded outlets that can be independently controlled and scheduled, plus three fast USB charging ports. It of course offers protection from power surges as well. It might seem expensive at around $80, but it’s actually a pretty strong deal when you compare it to dual-outlet smart plugs that cost about $60.
What to look for when shopping
Smart plugs might seem like a commodity, but they cover a wide range of design styles, capabilities, and compatibilities. If you’re in the market for a smart plug, consider how your environment—and what you plan to connect to the smart plug—matches the following list of features.
As always, full reviews of all the smart plug hardware on the market follow at the end of the buyers’ guide.
Indoor vs. outdoor
Most smart plugs can only be used inside, since they aren’t weatherproof. (These are almost invariably white in color.) Weatherized switches (almost always black) are clearly denoted as safe for use outside.
This iDevices Outdoor Switch is one of the few smart plugs that are rated for outdoor use.
Hub requirements
If you need to control the switch through a third-party hub like SmartThings or Wink, that’s one more piece of gear you’ll need to budget for. In many cases, a switch vendor will also offer its own hub as an option, though these can be limited in flexibility and features. Using a hub will also make it easier to interconnect various devices, so if you want to press a single button to turn on both overhead lights and lamps at the same time, a hub’s a great way to get this done.
Wireless standard
As with all smart home gear, smart plugs support one of several wireless technologies, including Zigbee, Z-Wave, or Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi plugs typically don’t require a hub—your router serves that role—while Zigbee and Z-Wave models do.
You’ll also encounter two proprietary standards: Clear Connect, used in Lutron’s Caséta products; and Insteon, a hybrid of wireless and powerline home networking.
Zigbee is one of the more popular smart-home protocols on the market.
HomeKit support
If you’re looking for compatibility with Apple’s HomeKit devices (and want to tell Siri to turn lights on and off), you’ll need to look for this support, which should be well-labeled on a product’s website and packaging.
An alternative is to look for the Matter logo, as HomeKit is one of the smart home ecosystems (along with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings) that the new Matter standard supports.
Voice assistant compatibility
Many smart plugs work with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or both. Support for Apple’s Siri is less common, but not hard to find. If you have Amazon Echo, Google Home, or Apple HomePod smart speakers in your home, you’ll love being able to turn sockets on and off with voice commands.
Power limitations
You can’t just plug anything into a smart plug. Most are rated to handle just a few hundred watts of power consumption, which is fine for a lamp or a coffee maker, but you might encounter problems if you connect a hair dryer or a professional blender to one.
Power plug manufacturers tend to bury their maximum wattage ratings in the fine print, so check carefully beforehand if you expect the outlet to support high-draw appliances.
TP-Link’s Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip includes six grounded smart outlets in one.
Number of plugs
Designs vary widely here. Some smart plugs replace a single plug, some replace two. Some designs offer two plugs, but only one of them is smart; the other is an always-on pass-through plug. Whichever design you choose, be sure to consider the physical design of the device itself.
Many of these devices—even those with a single-plug design—cover up both wall sockets, which can greatly limit their utility. Smart power strips—which offer multiple, individually controlled smart plugs in a single device—are also entering the market. TechHive recently showered praise on a model from TP-Link.
Grounded or ungrounded
Some smart plugs offer only two-prong, ungrounded power. (This is done in part to dissuade you from attaching heavy machinery to the outlet.) If you need three-prong, fully grounded electricity, be sure to purchase one of the many smart plugs on the market that includes this feature.
Some smart plugs, such as this GE by Jasco model, accept only two-prong plugs and are not directly grounded.
Energy monitoring features
Curious as to how much power your connected device is sucking down? Energy monitoring features let you use the device’s mobile app to track power consumption over time, giving you a better argument to use against your wasteful, wasteful children who never turn off the TV.
Integrated dimming
If you’re hooking up a lamp to a smart plug, you can easily turn it into a dimmable lamp if the switch includes an onboard dimmer. These switches include hardware buttons to control dimming directly on the switch itself in addition to app-based control.
Author: Christopher Null, Freelance Contributor
Christopher Null is a veteran technology and business journalist. He contributes regularly to TechHive, PCWorld, and Wired, and operates the websites Drinkhacker and Film Racket.