10 Of The Best Smart Plugs Worth Buying

Smart plugs are an excellent way to automate your existing gadgets and appliances. In fact, they're omnipresent in my house simply because they make my life so much easier. I have a smart plug for my AC, water heater, coffee maker, phone charger, table fan, and ambient lights in my living room. This is primarily because of two reasons — one, I'm too lazy to manually turn on each switch whenever I want to use an appliance. Two, I can automate every connected device based on a particular schedule. So, my water heater turns on every morning by itself at 6 a.m. and turns off 20 minutes later. Similarly, I connect my phone to the charger and go to bed, but it doesn't start charging at that moment. It turns on at 5 a.m. and turns off automatically at 6:30 a.m. This way, it's fully charged exactly by the time I wake up — while also helping maintain its battery health.

These are just a few examples of how you can simplify operating your gadgets and appliances with the help of smart plugs. Since I've used a plethora of them over the years, I decided to put together a list of some of the best smart plugs you can buy for various applications. There are smart plugs for charging phones, powering outdoor lights near the pool, or even plugging in multiple appliances like coffee makers, toasters, ovens, etc., in the same vicinity. You can pick the option that's best suited to your usage.

The Meross smart Wi-Fi plug supports up to 15A of current and doesn't take up much space on your wall outlet. All you have to do is plug it into a socket, connect it to your Wi-Fi network via the smartphone app, and start controlling all the appliances and gadgets connected to it. Once you link the plug to your network, the app lets you set timers and schedules, and manually control the plug. Another feature available in the app is the ability to link the plug to voice assistants like Google Assistant, Alexa, and Samsung SmartThings. If you're deep into the Apple ecosystem, you'll be pleased to know that the Meross smart plug is one of the few options that works with Apple HomeKit. 

Once you connect the plugs to the assistant of your choice, you can use your voice to control all of them. Name each plug based on its location or the device it's connected to, and you can use commands like "Hey Google, turn on the coffee maker plug," or "Hey Siri, turn on the plug in my living room." Notably, this pack of four smart plugs is rather affordable, especially considering the features it offers. You can use one in each room to begin with, and then add more if you still have devices that aren't connected. Reviews also mention how the Meross smart plug immediately responds to commands as opposed to some other options that have some latency.

This option is for those who have already invested in the Philips Hue ecosystem. If you have Philips lights around your house or office, you may already be using the Hue bridge and app to control all your lights. But you may also have a few older lights that aren't smart or part of the Hue lineup. In such cases, the Philips Hue smart plug comes in handy. It allows you to connect any existing light source — including those that don't use a Hue bulb — to the Philips Hue bridge and app. This way, you can control both your non-Philips and Philips lights seamlessly.

For instance, if you have four lamps in your bedroom, but only three are from Philips, you cannot control the fourth one in tandem with the other three by default. But with this smart plug, you can connect the fourth lamp to the Philips Hue app. Now, all four lamps are synced to your Hue hub, which means you can run schedules and use automation with any light at home. Moreover, it also lets you connect your lights to assistants, so you can use voice commands to control them. It's important to note, though, that the Philips Hue smart plug needs a Hue hub to connect to other Hue devices and run schedules. So, ensure you have the required hub, or you'll need to purchase one separately.

Smart plugs aren't just useful inside your home. You may also want to use them outdoors for specific purposes like turning on the lights outside your porch automatically or connecting outdoor speakers to play songs when you're swimming. Regardless of the use case, the TP-Link Kasa smart Wi-Fi outdoor plug offers an excellent solution with sufficient weatherproofing. For starters, the IP64 rating ensures dust doesn't cause any harm to the sockets. Moreover, it's also splash-resistant, so if it rains, there won't be any harm caused to the plug. Notably, the Kasa smart plug also extends one socket into two — so you can connect two devices simultaneously.

When no appliance is connected to the plug, there are flaps that cover the sockets so water or dust doesn't get inside. Even the construction of the Kasa smart plug is quite different compared to other options that are meant to be used indoors. It has a rugged exterior and connects via a cable instead of plugging directly into a wall socket. TP-Link includes long-range Wi-Fi support, ensuring a stable connection even if your router is indoors. It's also one of the few outdoor smart plugs to support Apple HomeKit, so you can use it with a HomePod or Siri on your iPhone/Apple Watch.

Most smart plugs are rectangular and take up a substantial amount of space on a wall socket. This isn't ideal if you're planning to use smart plugs on surfaces with multiple adjacent outlets or on a surge protector where outlets are placed closely together. The Govee smart plug addresses this issue with a circular design that optimizes space. It doesn't take up much room on a socket while ensuring it doesn't compromise functionality either. The on/off button is located on the side, making it convenient to operate the plug. However, you don't necessarily need to use the button since the plug can be controlled via Govee's smartphone app.

Apart from the compact design, the other USP of the Govee smart plug is that it comes in a pack of four and is rather affordable for what it offers. If you don't want to spend too much to make your gadgets and appliances smart, the Govee smart plug is the best way to do it. You can probably cover your entire home for under $50, making it a fantastic deal. Since it's compact, you can even include one in your travel backpack to charge your devices smartly when you're out and about. 

If you like the Govee smart plug but don't prefer the circular design, the Kasa Smart Plug HS103P4 is pretty much an exact replica but with a rectangular design. While it does occupy more horizontal space, some outlets with two vertically stacked sockets may play well with this design. You can stack multiple of them on top of each other. However, it's certainly not suitable for power strips since the shape may cover the adjacent socket. Apart from the design, most features are similar to other smart plugs.

There's Wi-Fi support to connect the plug to the Kasa app, a physical button on the side to control the plug without a smartphone, the ability to control the plug via your voice using Google Assistant or Alexa, as well as schedules and timers to turn the plug on and off at set intervals. Like most smart plugs on this list, it only works with 2.4GHz Wi-Fi. If you happen to have other smart home devices from TP-Link, like a mesh Wi-Fi system, the Kasa smart plugs integrate seamlessly.

The Amazon smart plug is ideal for those who have Alexa-powered speakers like the Amazon Echo Dot or Echo Show. While it can also be used without these devices, it's extremely simple to control with a smart display or voice commands via Alexa. You can add a dedicated toggle on a smart display to turn the plug on or off, in addition to scheduling and timer features. Thanks to this, you can turn on your coffee maker using your bedside smart display as soon as you wake up. By the time you get off your bed and head to the kitchen, your coffee will be ready. The same functionality can be used to turn off the appliances in your living room before bed.

Notably, among all the smart plug apps on this list, the Alexa app — used to connect the Amazon smart plug — is the most polished. This is an important factor since a well-designed app that functions without any issues can drastically improve the smart plug experience. You won't face any slowdowns or bugs in day-to-day usage. Another major advantage is the ability to link multiple Alexa-powered devices for automation. For instance, you can ask your Alexa speaker to read out the day's news as soon as your smart plug switches off, indicating that you have woken up in the morning. 

True to its name, the Tapo Smart Plug Mini occupies very little space on a wall outlet despite having a rectangular design. It does so by shaving off a few inches from either end of the plug. This makes it easy to plug into wall outlets that are placed one above the other. Apart from the size, the other advantage of the Tapo smart plug is its price point. A pack of four smart plugs for under $25 is an absolute steal, especially considering it can connect to both Alexa and Google Assistant. Unlike some other options on this list, the Tapo Mini Plug has a tiny LED on one corner to indicate the status of the plug. When switched on, it glows green and turns off when not in use.

Since TP-Link makes quite a few smart devices under the Tapo branding, the app has the ability to link multiple Tapo devices to control them together. For instance, you may have a Tapo smart bulb at home. You can link a smart plug with it and set routines like turning on the smart plug as soon as the light turns off or turning on both of them together at a set time. You get the idea. If you end up getting the Tapo smart plugs, ensure you invest in Tapo devices in the future for your other smart home needs. This way, you can sync all of them together for a cohesive experience.

All the smart plugs mentioned above essentially turn one wall outlet into one smart outlet (except for the Kasa outdoor plug, which converts one socket into two). But what if you need to connect and control multiple devices in one spot? That's where you would need a smart power strip, like the TP-Link's Kasa smart Wi-Fi power strip. It extends one socket into three — but it doesn't end just there. You also get two USB-A ports to charge devices like smartphones, headphones, tablets, etc. This helps free up sockets to plug in other devices and prevents multiple charging adapters from taking up space.

A good use case for this is in the kitchen. You can connect a coffee maker, a kettle, and an air fryer to the smart power strip, while the USB ports can be used to plug in your phone or tablet while you're cooking. Since each socket can be controlled individually, you can turn on just the kettle or both the kettle and coffee maker at the same time, depending on your requirements. If you have limited wall outlets in any area, this is an effective solution to connect multiple devices and control them remotely.

While the Kasa smart power strip is effective, it only has three sockets and USB ports. So, you can technically power up to five devices at once. If you have more appliances or devices you want to power in one spot, the Amazon Basics smart power strip is the one you need. It has double the number of outlets as the Kasa power strip, along with an extra USB-C port and two USB-A ports. This brings the total number of devices that can be powered at once to nine, making it highly versatile no matter where you decide to use it. For instance, you can use it at your work desk to connect multiple adapters for laptops, monitors, smartphones, etc. You can also use it in the kitchen if you have more than three appliances operating simultaneously.

Just like the Amazon smart plug, this power strip connects to the Alexa app, making it easy to operate and sync with other Amazon devices. You can set up routines, schedules, and timers using just your voice. If you have a smart display from Amazon, you can also add controls to the screen to operate each socket individually. Considering it can power nine devices simultaneously, it's a great value for the price.

This set of two smart plugs from Govee is quite similar to most other options on this list. However, there's one differentiating factor that can be important for many — energy monitoring. What this means is every time you connect a device or appliance to the Govee smart plug, you can keep track of the current and voltage consumption in real time. This helps users monitor how much power a gadget or appliance consumes and identify devices that are wasting energy. If you notice an appliance consuming too much power, you can keep it switched off when not needed. You can also use this data to estimate your electricity bills and assess whether switching to solar panels makes sense based on your monthly or yearly consumption.

The rest of the features remain largely similar to all the other smart plugs on this list. There's voice control with any assistant of your choice, schedules, timers for automation, and a physical switch on the side. Govee bundles two smart plugs in one pack, which costs slightly more than some options, as other brands offer a pack of four for the same price. However, the energy monitoring feature may be non-negotiable for several users, and for them, this is an excellent option.

As you can tell from this list, smart plugs cater to different use cases. There are some that are best suited to be used in the kitchen to run appliances like toasters or coffee makers, while others with weatherproofing or an IP rating can be used outdoors to connect pool lights or Christmas tree lights. If you have a bunch of devices to power simultaneously, we suggest getting a smart power strip with multiple sockets since you won't have to deal with connecting and controlling several individual plugs.

Since most of the smart plugs are rather affordable, you can get a few of them and convert most of your existing appliances or devices to smart ones. For instance, there are smart toasters out there that can automatically turn on and off to ensure your toast is ready exactly when you need it. Instead of splurging on a new toaster, though, you can simply get a smart plug and automate the process using your existing toaster. Now that would be a truly smart move!