Every room in your house has them, and they’re about as stupid as technology gets. To create a truly smart home, you must upgrade your wiring so that it can be controlled, managed, and monitored remotely.

The solution Smart Plug Wi-Fi Socket or Wifi smart socket plug is your key.

You could hire an electrician to rip out your existing outlets and replace them with smart in-wall models, but there’s a simpler, less-expensive way: simply plug in a smart plug.

They function exactly as they sound: the outlet in the wall remains unchanged; instead, you configure the add-on plug with an app, connect it to your network, and use it to control whatever is plugged into it. Need a wireless access point, wireless Wifi extender, and wifi router to go with your smart plugs.

THE 5 BEST SMART PLUG WI-FI IN THE MARKET

1. Wemo WiFi Smart Plug

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Among the best smart plugs, the Wemo WiFi Smart Plug is our top pick. It’s also more compact than most other options, so you won’t block your outlet. While it lacks energy monitoring like some other smart plugs, the Wemo WiFi Smart Plug is compatible with all major smart assistants. Siri, for example.

If you don’t want to use your voice or an app to turn your appliance on or off, you can simply click the switch on the Wemo. It also has an ingenious Away mode. which can make it appear as if you’re at home even when you’re not by intermittently turning on a lamp.

REASONS TO BUY

• Improved footprint
• Physical control button
• Works with Alexa, Google Home, and HomeKit witch

REASONS TO AVOID

• Not compatible with 5Ghz Wi-Fi

2. TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Mini Plug EP10

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The Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Mini Plug is one of the best smart plugs in terms of value, costing only $8 per plug. We tested other TP-Link smart plugs and smart home devices and found them to be safe, simple to use, and dependable.

Furthermore, the Kasa app includes a plethora of automation features, such as scheduling and the ability to control other TP-Link-branded smart home products. The Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Mini Plug replaces the brand’s previous Plug Lite HS103, which was only rated for 12 amps.

This model is rated at 15 amps. The Kasa Smart WiFi Lite is ideal for adding to all of your home’s lamps or other low-power gadgets for the price. Its design is thin enough that you can fit two into each outlet.

REASONS TO BUY

• Small, compact
• Affordable
• Works with Alexa, Google Assistant
• Robust app

3. Ring Outdoor Smart Plug

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The Ring Outdoor smart plug is a hulking block. Two plugs are protected by a rubber flap at the bottom. A 6.5-inch cord at the top allows you to plug the Ring into an outdoor outlet while still being able to close your outlet’s door.

I especially like how the prongs are at a right angle to the cord; it makes closing the door much easier. The Ring comes with three screws as well as wall anchors.

On the front of the Ring is a large circular button with a blue center; you can control each outlet independently by pressing either side of the button. The button makes a clicking sound. Unlike most smart plugs, the Ring requires a hub, which can be a Ring Bridge ($49) or an Amazon Echo smart speaker.

You can configure the two outlets to work together or separately in the Ring app, as well as set schedules for when they turn on and off. Overall, the Ring Outdoor Smart Plug is a worthwhile purchase for Ring fans.

REASONS TO BUY

• Relatively inexpensive
• Has two outlets

REASONS TO AVOID

• On the large side
• Needs to connect to the hub

4. Wyze Plug

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The Wyze Plug, like all Wyze products, is a low-cost connected home gadget ideal for small light fixtures or coffee makers.

A two-pack can be purchased for as little as $15, which is less than the price of many of the best smart plugs for a single unit. Even better, if you already own the Wyze Bulb, Wyze Cam, or Wyze Smart Lock, you can integrate the Wyze Plug into your existing system.

Vacation mode, which is similar to Wemo’s Away mode, is one of the Wyze Plug’s advantages. When the Wyze Plug is set to this mode, it will randomly turn on and off your electronics, giving the impression that you are at home.

REASONS TO BUY

• Very affordable
• Works well with other Wyze devices
• Easy setup
• Vacation mode

REASONS TO AVOID

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5. Lutron Caseta Dimmer Plug

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The Lutron Caseta Dimmer Switch Starter Kit is one of the best smart plugs because it works with any desk or table lamp (and up to 800 different bulbs), transforming a “dumb” device into a “smart” device.

Unlike a standard smart plug, Lutron’s device allows you to dim the light rather than just turn it on or off. The Starter Kit comes with a handy remote, but you can use your voice assistant to control it instead.

The Lutron Caseta smart wireless kit, however, is not cheap. You get two plugs, two remotes, and the necessary Wi-Fi bridge for under $200. Extra plugs typically cost around $54 each. However, we believe it is worthwhile to make the investment because the kit requires very little input once set up with your smart home routines.

REASONS TO BUY

• Lets you dim lamps
• Remote included
• Works with Alexa, Google Assistant, and HomeKit

REASONS TO AVOID

• The bridge required for smartphone control
• More expensive than other smart plugs

WHAT IS A SMART PLUG WI-FI OUTLET?

A smart plug is a switch that you insert into a power socket before inserting another device. You use it in the same way that you would an adapter. You can control it with a smartphone or tablet app over Wi-Fi, or with voice commands via Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri.

With the best smart plugs, you can set schedules, monitor energy consumption, and discover which devices are used the most frequently and when. With this information, you can begin saving money on your home’s energy consumption.

You can also remotely check which plugs are plugged in (no more worrying about whether or not you turned off your hair straighteners while sitting on the train) and turn on the lights to make it appear as if you’re at home.

The only limitation is that it will only be useful for devices that can be left in the ‘on’ position and then turned on or off by controlling the power from the mains. Anything that requires you to press an additional button on the device will not turn on simply because you have turned on the main outlet, so a smart plug socket will not be of assistance.

ARE SMART HOME SOCKET PLUGS USEFUL?

Smart plugs are useful in a variety of ways. Some models include built-in dimmers, allowing you to control the brightness of the lamp plugged into them; others can power small appliances like a fan or space heater.

Others can be scheduled so that your home looks lived in while you’re away on vacation, or so that you can limit the amount of time your children can spend playing video games or watching TV.  Check out the recent Wifi Thermometer Review.

Which smart plug is right for you? Here are our top picks, as well as a shopping guide to help you decide which one is best for you if none of our recommendations meet your requirements. You can also see a list of all the smart plugs we’ve reviewed so far by clicking here.

HOW TO BUY SMART HOME SOCKET PLUGS?

Smart plugs may appear to be a commodity, but they come in a variety of design styles, capabilities, and compatibilities.

If you’re looking for a smart plug, consider how your environment—and what you intend to connect to the smart plug—compares to the list of features below.

1. Indoor vs. outdoor:

Because most smart plugs are not weatherproof, they can only be used indoors. (They are almost always white in color.) Weatherized switches (almost always black) are clearly marked as being suitable for outdoor use.

2. Hub Requirements:

If you need to control the switch through a third-party hub, such as SmartThings or Wink, you’ll need to budget for another piece of hardware. In many cases, a switch vendor will also provide its own hub as an option, though flexibility and features may be limited.

Using a hub will also make it easier to connect various devices, so if you want to turn on both overhead lights and lamps at the same time, a hub is a great way to do so.

3. Wireless Wifi Standard Support:

Smart plugs, like all smart home devices, support one of several wireless technologies, such as Zigbee, Z-Wave, or Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi plugs do not typically require a hub (your router serves that purpose), whereas Zigbee and Z-Wave models do.

There are also two proprietary standards: Clear Connect, which is used in Lutron’s Caséta products, and Insteon, which is a hybrid of wireless and powerline home networking.

4. Voice assistant compatibility:

Many smart plugs can be controlled by Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or both. Support for Apple’s Siri is less common, but not impossible to come by.

If you have an Amazon Echo, Google Home, or Apple HomePod smart speaker, you’ll appreciate the ability to turn sockets on and off with voice commands.

5. Power Compatibility:

Nothing can be plugged into a smart plug. Most are rated to handle only a few hundred watts of power consumption, which is fine for a lamp or a coffee maker, but if you connect a hairdryer or a professional blender to one, you may run into problems.

Manufacturers of power plugs tend to bury their maximum wattage ratings in the fine print, so double-check ahead of time if you expect the outlet to support high-drainage devices.

6. Plug Support:

The designs here vary greatly. Some smart plugs replace only one plug, while others replace two. Some designs include two plugs, but only one of them is smart; the other is a pass-through plug that is always on.

Whichever design you choose, keep the physical design of the device in mind. Many of these devices, even those with a single-plug design, cover both wall sockets, limiting their utility.

Smart power strips, which combine multiple, individually controlled smart plugs in a single device, are also making an appearance on the market.

7. Energy Consumption Tracking Features:

Do you want to know how much power your connected device consumes? Energy monitoring features allow you to track power consumption over time using the device’s mobile app, giving you a better argument to use against your wasteful, wasteful children who never turn off the TV.

8. Monitoring of energy consumption

Some smart plugs will also monitor energy consumption and costs. When devices are not in use for long periods of time, they are frequently left on standby, and standby use accounts for up to 16% of the average electricity bill. With a smart switch, you can significantly reduce this squandered standby time.

9. Dimming the Lights

If you connect a lamp to a smart plug, you can easily convert it to a dimmable lamp if the switch includes an onboard dimmer. In addition to app-based control, these switches include hardware buttons for controlling dimming directly on the switch.

FAQ About Smart Plug Wi-Fi Socket