The best smart plugs you can buy: Make your home smarter, on the cheap

Forgot to switch off the TV before leaving home? Worried that you’ve left the iron on? Don’t feel like getting out of bed in the morning to make coffee? Smart plugs let you control almost any appliance straight from your smartphone or a smart speaker. While they can’t do much more than turn something on or off, their very strength is in automating things that wouldn’t otherwise have smarts. We’ve narrowed down a list of the best smart plugs you can get right now.

Read more: What is a smart home, and why should you want one

Best smart plugs:

Editor’s note: We’ll be updating this list of the best smart plugs regularly as new ones launch.

1. Kasa Smart Plug Ultra Mini

The Ultra Mini is engineered to avoid blocking nearby outlets, and protrudes less than many smart plugs, even older Kasa Mini models. It connects to your smart home via 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, at which point you can control it using the Kasa app, Amazon Alexa, or Google Assistant. It’s cheap too — you can get a two-pack for less than some individual competitors.

2. Amazon Smart Plug

The Amazon Smart Plug is for Alexa users only, but it you’re bought into that ecosystem, you’ll get the advantage of Amazon’s “frustration-free” setup. Plug it in, fire up the Alexa app, and you’ll be paired within a matter of seconds. Our only real complaints are that it’s big, and that it has a relatively high price given its features aren’t superior to competing multi-platform plugs.

3. Wyze Plug Outdoor

If you’re trying to control outdoor appliances like fans or string lights, you’ll want weatherproof plugs to go with them. The Wyze Plug Outdoor is IP64 rated against conditions like rain and snow, and includes two independently controllable outlets. Wyze even promises extended Wi-Fi range up to 300 feet (91 meters), though a mesh router is probably a more reliable solution.

Platform support includes Alexa and Google Assistant. Via the Wyze app, you can monitor energy use and enable alerts if consumption goes too high.

4. Wyze Plug

Wyze’s indoor model combines a design similar to the Amazon Smart Plug with a price closer to the Kasa Ultra Mini. Thankfully, it also shares the latter’s compatibility with Alexa and Google Assistant. We’d generally recommend the Ultra Mini to save a little money, but you’re still getting a bargain with a Wyze two- or four-pack.

5. Kasa Smart Plug Power Strip HS300

Many of us have power strips that lack room for conventional plugs, never mind bulkier smart ones. The HS300 solves space issues by integrating six individually controllable outlets, as well as three dedicated USB-A ports to charge devices like phones and tablets. It supports energy monitoring via the Kasa app, and smart home integration using Alexa or Google Assistant.

6. Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Outdoor Plug

Kasa’s outdoor plug is functionally identical to Wyze’s in the sense of offering two independently controllable outlets, IP64 weather resistance, and support for Alexa and Google Assistant. It even has the same extended Wi-Fi range, up to 300 feet. Kasa is charging several dollars extra however, so go with this one only if you like the brand, you have other plugs you’re controlling through the Kasa app, or the Wyze Plug Outdoor is unavailable.

7. WeMo Mini Smart Plug

Like the Amazon Smart Plug, the WeMo Mini is a little pricey. It does have an advantage though, namely support for Apple HomeKit alongside Alexa and Google Assistant. That means the option to control it with Siri or the Apple Home app, which can be handy if you have both Android and Apple devices in your household, or you just want the flexibility to switch platforms. Note that while there’s a Thread-enabled version of the plug, that one is HomeKit-only.

Continue reading: The best smart light bulbs