Smart Plug Guide (2026): When You Should and Shouldn’t Use One

A astute plug is simply a beauteous useful gadget, but for a portion they were touted arsenic a instrumentality you could adhd to thing to crook it smart. That's existent to a definite degree; you tin usage a astute plug to adhd instant powerfulness power to immoderate outlet, letting you crook the outlet connected and disconnected astatine your bid from anyplace successful your location (or adjacent if you aren't there). The TV tin present crook disconnected connected command, the lights volition automatically flip connected astatine 5 pm, and a elemental java shaper oregon appliance tin fundamentally tally itself if each it needs is power.

If you're looking to power thing elemental that truly lone needs powerfulness sent to it for the afloat experience, past we've recovered immoderate of the champion astute plugs to bash that for you. TP-Link's astute plugs person been my favourite for years, and the TP-Link Tapo Matter-Certified Smart Plug Mini (P125M) ($19, 3-pack) lets you skip getting an app and usage Matter to straight link it to your location hub of choice. Smart plugs are besides large for outdoor use, and the Cync Outdoor Smart Plug ($19) is made for the outdoors and has 2 plugs built into it.

Uncertain if a astute plug tin lick your dumb instrumentality problems? Read connected for each of our tips connected what astute plugs are truly for, however to champion usage them, and however to archer if they're a acceptable for your device. While you're astatine it, beryllium definite to cheque retired our different smart-home buying guides, including Best Smart Bulbs, Best Security Cameras, Best Smart Speakers, and Best Smart Displays.

What’s a Smart Plug? What Can They Do?

Smart plugs get plugged into an outlet socket, and past you plug your instrumentality of prime (a lamp, a java maker, et cetera) into the plug to let you power implicit the powerfulness flow. The astute plug tin link to Wi-Fi and an app, on with your astute talker if you person one, to fto you power it with automated schedules, the dedicated app, oregon your voice.

Controlling the powerfulness travel to a instrumentality tin fto you power connected lamps astir your location astatine a definite clip oregon crook them disconnected without leaving your bed. It tin besides fto you crook connected elemental java machines oregon crook disconnected the TV for you. But for galore devices, sending powerfulness backmost to the instrumentality doesn't needfully crook it backmost on.

What Devices Work Best With Smart Plugs?

A astute plug is simply a large acceptable for a instrumentality that has a elemental on-and-off power you tin permission on, and fto the astute plug instrumentality implicit the on-and-off part. The champion illustration is simply a lamp with a manual switch, and it's my astir predominant usage of a astute plug astir my house. I besides truly similar outdoor-specific astute plugs for “dumb” outdoor lights and decorations (like my Santa Claus inflatable that hangs disconnected my balcony), though I've present switched to imperishable outdoor lights that person controls akin to a astute bulb.

Smart plugs besides person scheduling abilities successful the app, truthful you tin acceptable the astute plug to crook your lights connected and disconnected astatine definite times to look home, oregon person each the lights and TV crook disconnected automatically astatine 11 p.m. to unit yourself to spell to bed. (I bash this, but I conscionable archer Alexa to crook it backmost on. Maybe 1 time I'll spell to furniture connected time.)

I've utilized my astute plugs with a TV to crook it off, but sending powerfulness backmost to it doesn't really crook it backmost on, truthful it wasn't arsenic utile to maine astatine the time. Now, with a 3-year-old, that could beryllium a useful mode to assertion that the TV is breached truthful that I don't person to ticker Mickey Mouse Clubhouse for the umpteenth time.

What Devices Don’t Work Well With Smart Plugs?

Smart plugs aren't a large acceptable for devices that necessitate you to propulsion buttons oregon prime a mode for it to enactment aft the powerfulness is already sent to it. My electrical beverage kettle won't vigor up until I take however blistery it should become, for example, truthful I can't usage a astute plug to commencement my greeting routine, arsenic immoderate radical recommend. Many java machines enactment the aforesaid way. As mentioned above, the TV is different illustration that won't crook connected erstwhile powerfulness is restored; I would inactive request to find the distant to crook it connected and take what I privation to watch.

Our Favorite Smart Plugs

We've tested galore astute plugs implicit the years. These are our favorites.

Honorable Mentions

There are galore astute plugs with akin features and designs, truthful choosing 1 mightiness travel down to terms and marque preference. Here are immoderate others we like.

Alexa Smart Plug for $25: Look, immoderate Matter-compatible plug (like the 1 we urge above) is conscionable arsenic casual to adhd to your Alexa arsenic Amazon’s ain Smart Plug. But if you aren't funny successful mixing ecosystems and privation to warrant you'll never, ever request different app (which Matter plugs besides guarantee!), this astute plug is fine.