The Best Smart Plugs of 2021 to Help Light Up Your Home The Best Smart Plugs of 2021 to Help Light Up Your Home

With smart plugs, you can schedule appliances to turn on and off, control them with your voice, and track their energy consumption. Use our recommended list of smart plugs to find one that’s right for your home.

What to Look For in a Smart Plug in 2021

Most smart plugs have the same general capabilities. They’re able to open or block the flow of electricity to turn appliances on and off. However, this only works if an appliance has a power switch that can be “On.”

In other words, if your appliance can turn on after plugging it into an outlet, it’ll work with smart plugs. If you need to press a button after plugging in an appliance to turn it on, it won’t work with a smart plug. Keep this in mind before shopping for any plug.

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Smart plugs can connect to various smart assistants such as Google Assistant, Alexa, Siri, HomeKit, and IFTTT. This allows you to control them with the respective voice assistant–usually through the app and by voice. So, if you have an Echo smart speaker and want to make the most of your smart plug, look for one that supports Alexa. The same goes for other voice assistants. Smart plugs usually can work with all ecosystems, but there are exceptions!

The size of smart plugs is another important factor to consider. Some are incredibly bulky and can take up multiple AC power sockets that are next to each other. Remember that just because a smart plug is bigger doesn’t mean it’ll provide additional features or perform better.

The last thing to note is that smart plugs are essentially the same thing as smart outlets. The main difference is that smart outlets are bigger, which usually provides more sockets for you to plug in numerous appliances.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the best smart plugs on the market.

Best Overall Smart Plug: Wyze Smart Plug

When you’re looking for a smart plug, you want something reliable, affordable, and provides great functionality. But, you also want a smart plug that isn’t too bulky. That’s why we chose the Wyze Smart Plug as the best overall pick.

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The plug works with Alexa, Google Assistant, and IFTTT. Upon downloading the Wyze app, you can easily set up the plug within minutes by following the instructions in the app. It needs to be connected to a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network, but from there, you can turn the plug on and off, set a timer, create schedules, and track how long the plug’s been on. The smart plug also offers great connectivity, so you can have full control of it wherever you are.

The plug has a rectangular build that’s best suited for outlets with vertically stacked sockets, and you’ll have no problem placing multiple Wyze plugs on top of each other. This makes it great for most uses!

The Wyze smart plug offers great value, especially for its low price of $20 for two plugs. If you’re looking for an individual unit, you can get the single-pack for $12 instead.

Best Budget Smart Plug: BroadLink Smart Plug

Looking for a cheap smart plug that can do the job? BroadLink’s smart plug costs just $8 for one, but you can get three for $17, or five for $28. We recommend going for the three-pack as you’re almost getting one for free!

We chose this as the best budget option for several reasons. For starters, it’s definitely one of the least expensive smart plugs on the market, while still providing great value. The plug requires you to have Alexa- or Google Assistant-powered devices, and it also works with IFTTT. There’s no third-party app to download, so you need to connect it to a voice assistant, but there’s a good chance you’re using one of those anyway if you’re decking out a smart home.

Once connected, you can control the plug by voice, set timers, and create schedules. There’s even an Away mode, which turns on the plug at random times to make it seem like you’re at home. The plug uses a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi signal, and it has a rectangular build. You can conveniently stack three of these on top of each other, so you can use them in standard outlets easily.

Best Outdoor Smart Plug: Wyze Outdoor Smart Plug

If you want a smart plug that you can leave outside, you need something weatherproof. For our pick, we have another Wyze option! The Wyze Outdoor Smart Plug, like the name suggests, is designed to be used outside. It’s IP64 water- and dust-resistant, making it safe to plug into areas that have been exposed to rain, snow, dust, wind, and dirt.

The plug costs $16 and works with Alexa, Google Assistant, and IFTTT. You can conveniently use voice commands, the Wyze app, or a smart assistant’s app to control your plug from inside your home.

There are two sockets on the Wyze Outdoor Plug, so you can connect up to two appliances. However, you can control each socket independently, so there are no problems if you need to turn a particular light on or off.

Through the Wyze app, you can quickly install the plug, turn it on and off, set timers, and create schedules. You can even track energy consumption and set alerts for when an appliance uses a specific amount of energy.

Although the plug will be outside, it has an extended Wi-Fi range of 300 feet in open space. This provides you with better connectivity, allowing you to reliably control the plug from around your home. All and all, a great outdoor plug!

Best Smart Plug For Amazon Alexa: Amazon Smart Plug

If you’re wondering what the best smart plug is for your Alexa smart speaker or smart display, it’s probably the one from Amazon. Amazon’s known to make some of the most popular smart home technology today, such as the Amazon Echo. With its $25 smart plug, you’ll have an easy time connecting it to your Alexa-powered smart home.

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The plug works exclusively with Alexa—Google Assistant, IFTTT, and Apple HomeKit users will have to look for another plug. Through the Alexa app, you can set up the Amazon Smart Plug easily and have control of all of this plug’s features, including voice control, scheduling, and controlling the power. However, you’ll need to connect the plug to a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network, so you can’t just configure it with Alexa and call it a day.

With the Amazon Smart Plug, you can create Alexa Routines seamlessly, making it the perfect plug for those with an Alexa ecosystem. The Amazon Smart Plug also has a space-saving rectangular build best suited for outlets with vertically stacked sockets.

Best Smart Plug For Google Assistant: Kasa Smart Plug

The Kasa Smart Plug pairs and integrates well with Google Nest. Once you download the Kasa app and set up the plug, you can connect it to your Google Home app. It’s very easy! The Kasa plug also works with Alexa and IFTTT, so as long as you’re not using HomeKit, you’re good to go.

Once you set up the plug, you can control it in the Kasa or Google Home app. You can set timers, create schedules, turn the plug on and off, turn on Away mode to make your home look occupied, and monitor run times and usage. You can also use voice commands to control the plug.

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Although the plug needs to connect to a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi signal, it works well with many third-party devices, including other Kasa products. Basically, If you use Google Assistant and own Kasa products, this is the plug you’re looking for.

Like most of our other recommendations, the Kasa smart plug has a rectangular build to save on space. This one won’t take up much outlet space!

The $20 set comes with two plugs, but you can get the three-pack for $25. The three-pack is the best value if you’re looking to deck out your home with smart home technology!

Best Smart Plug For Apple HomeKit: Wemo Smart Plug

If you use Siri on your iOS device or already have Apple HomeKit, you’ll want to try out the Wemo Smart Plug. It integrates incredibly well with Apple HomeKit, and you don’t need a hub or a bridge to use it in the Apple Home app. The plug also works with Alexa, Google Nest, and IFTTT.

To set up the plug, download the Wemo app, plug in your smart plug, and follow the instructions on the screen. The Wemo plugs need to connect to a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network, then you pair it with Apple HomeKit and you’re ready to go.

You’ll have access to voice control, and you can control the plug using the Wemo or Apple Home app. You can create advanced schedules, turn the plug on and off, and turn on Away mode to scare off unwanted visitors.

The rectangular build is best for outlets with vertically stacked sockets, and there’s even a mini version that’s 45% smaller, in case you need the extra space.