Best Smart Plugs (and What to Do With Them)
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The smart plug is the gateway drug of home automation: ten dollars, no wiring, thirty-second setup — and suddenly the dumb lamp in the corner is on a schedule. Almost every smart home starts here, and even seasoned enthusiasts keep buying them.
What to look for
- Ecosystem support. Anything labeled “Works with Alexa” and “Google Home” covers most homes. Home Assistant users: look for plugs with local control.
- App quality. The plug is only as good as its scheduling app — this is where cheap brands fall apart.
- Size. Some plugs block the second outlet; slim designs don’t.
- Energy monitoring. Some models report how much power the attached device uses — surprisingly addictive and genuinely useful for finding energy hogs.
Ten things worth plugging in
- Coffee maker (with a dumb switch kettle-style machine) — wake up to brewed coffee
- Lamps — sunset schedules, “away mode” randomization
- Christmas / holiday lights — the single most popular use every December
- Fans & space heaters — scheduled comfort without remembering
- Humidifier — run dry-safe schedules
- Slow cooker — “did I leave it on?” answered from your phone
- TV & entertainment center — cut vampire power with one scheduled off
- Grow lights — perfect plant schedules
- Charge devices — protect batteries by stopping overnight charging after a few hours
- Anything with a physical toggle left “on” — that’s the rule: if the device’s own switch stays on, the plug can control it
Our picks
1. Kasa Smart Plug 4-Pack — best overall
TP-Link’s Kasa line is the category standard: rock-solid Wi-Fi, a genuinely good app with reliable schedules, and 4-packs that bring the per-plug cost down hard. If you’re buying your first plugs, buy these.
- Dead-reliable scheduling app
- Works with Alexa & Google
- Great value in 4-packs
2. Kasa Smart Plug Mini with Energy Monitoring — best for energy nerds
Same trusted platform, plus real-time energy reporting. Find out exactly what that old freezer costs you, and prove which devices deserve the vampire-power unplug.
- Tracks real energy usage
- Daily/weekly/monthly reports
- Same great Kasa app
3. Wemo Smart Plug — best Apple HomeKit pick
Belkin’s Wemo works everywhere but shines with Apple HomeKit — the natural pick for iPhone households that want Siri control and Home app automations.
- Full HomeKit support
- Solid, established brand
- Compact housing
4. Govee Smart Plug 4-Pack — best budget multi-pack
Very affordable multi-packs with a surprisingly competent app. Great for holiday lights and batch projects where the per-plug price matters most.
- Lowest cost per plug
- Decent app and grouping
- Ideal for holiday displays
5. Outdoor Smart Plugs (Kasa/Govee) — best for yards
Weatherproof plugs run patio string lights, holiday displays, and pond pumps on schedules. The December hero product.
- Weather-resistant housing
- Long-range Wi-Fi options
- Perfect for string lights & inflatables
6. Power Strip Style (Kasa Smart Power Strip) — best for desks & media centers
Six individually-controlled outlets plus USB ports — one device that makes an entire entertainment center or desk schedulable outlet-by-outlet.
- Per-outlet control
- Built-in USB ports
- Surge protection included
FAQ
Do smart plugs need a hub?
No — modern plugs connect directly to your 2.4GHz Wi-Fi. (If your router merges 2.4/5GHz bands, plug setup sometimes needs the bands split; that’s the #1 setup hiccup.)
Do they use power themselves?
A negligible ~1W. The vampire power they switch off usually more than pays for it.
Will they work if Wi-Fi drops?
The attached device stays in its last state (on stays on). Schedules stored on the plug itself — like Kasa’s — keep running; app control returns when Wi-Fi does.
The bottom line
Start with the Kasa 4-pack — it’s the highest-probability-of-happiness purchase in the entire smart home catalog, and the coffee-maker automation alone will feel like the future.
Prices and availability change often — always check the current price on Amazon before buying.
