Best Smart Plugs 2023: Turn dumb things into smart things

Trusted Reviews is supported by its audience. If you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission. Learn more.

A smart plug is just about the most convenient and useful bit of kit that you can add to any smart home. From making a dumb light smart to controlling when your tools charge, a smart plug gives you control over devices that you’d normally have to adjust manually.

There are plenty of different types of plug available, from simple one-socket ones, to power strips that let you control multiple devices. Here, we’ve rounded up the best selection of each, so that you can find the right smart plug for you.

Choosing a smart plug is as much about compatibility as it is features. For example, if you’ve use the Apple Home app, you’ll want a product that's compatible with HomeKit; if you use SmartThings as your main controller, then you’ll want a plug that works with this. We’ve tested compatibility with all of the major systems, so you can find the smart plug that fits into your life now and in the future.

It's also worth thinking about the type of connection that a smart plug uses. Most use Wi-Fi, so just need a strong connection to your home network; the Philips Hue Smart Plug uses Zigbee, so has better range than Wi-Fi products, but it has to be paired with a Hue bridge for the best results; and finally, Thread is a new standard for connection. Designed to make it easier to connect smart devices, Thread products need a Thread Border Router, such as the Apple HomePod Mini to work. Check out the reviews and click through to the full reviews for more information.

We test smart plugs in the same way, so that we can compare different models from different manufacturers. For each plug we make sure that we connect it via all methods available. We also see how easy it is to plug in other devices next to the smart plug.We have a host of smart home kit in our test lab, so we test smart plugs for compatibility with all types of smart system, including Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Samsung SmartThings and IFTTT.

If you want a smart plug that does everything you need, then the Meross Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini should be on your list. Relatively cheap, this mini plug doesn't take up much room, so you can plug it into one socket without blocking another.

This plug connects using Wi-Fi and can be controlled using the Meross app, which gives basic control, plus schedules. If you want more advanced controls, then the plug's wide compatibility makes this easy. Connect it to SmartThings, for example, and you get timers; add Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant for voice control; and there's HomeKit compatibility if you’re an Apple user.

In short, this plug connects to everything, and makes the job of controlling dumb devices easy. A clear winner.Reviewer: David LudlowFull review: Meross Smart Wi-Fi Plug review

Designed to work with the Philips Hue lighting system, the Philips Hue Smart Plug can work with either Zigbee (if you have a Hue Bridge) or Bluetooth. The former is the best option, and we recommend this smart plug for those that have a full Hue system. There are two main reasons. First, Zigbee has better range and reliability than Wi-Fi and, secondly, if you have a network failure, you can still operate the smart plug using a Hue remote control.Connecting to the Hue ecosystem gives this smart plug another advantage: it's the only smart plug that we’ve tested that works with Apple HomeKit, so you can include this product in all of your automations. Otherwise, there's Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and IFTTT support.Installation through the Hue app is a little fiddly and, if you just want to control this plug via a device, you’ll need to put it in its own room or Zone. If you don't have Hue already, then one of the other products on this list will do a better job; if you do, then buy this one.Reviewer: David LudlowFull review: Philips Hue Smart Plug review

The TCP Smart WiFi Plug is tiny and won't obscure a second socket, so you can even use it next to larger plugs. Its default software is pretty good, but this plug is compatible with the Smart Life app, which opens it to working with tonnes of other devices from lots of other manufacturers.In the app, you get basic control, but you can add automations, making your plug work how and when you want it to. Smart Life also brings IFTTT, Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant compatibility.While one of these plugs is quite expensive, they’re cheaper if bought in a two- or four-pack, making them excellent value if you need more than one device.Reviewer: David LudlowFull review: TCP Smart WiFi Plug

There are plenty of smart power strips, but the Meross Smart Fast Charging Power Strip MSP843P is different, as this model adds dual 65W USB-C charging ports into the mix. Able to power a regular laptop computer, this power strip is a great tool for any desk. There's also one regular USB port for charging other devices.

Most of the smart power strips that we’ve reviewed have only three power sockets, but this one has four, which gives a bit more flexibility. And, the strip can be wall mounted using the anchor ports on the rear, if you don't want to place it on a desk.

The Meross Smart Fast Charging Power Strip MSP843P connects via Wi-Fi, and can be controlled through the Meross app. This gives simple on/off control, plus you can set a schedule and add an automatic power off to each plug after a specified amount of time.

Want more control? This model supports SmartThings, Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Apple HomeKit, too. That's a huge amount of flexibility. If you want to power a laptop through a smart plug, then this is a great way to do it, and it's a brilliant smart power strip in all other regards.

Reviewer: David Ludlow

Full review: Meross Smart Fast Charging Power Strip MSP843P review

You can plug any multi-way strip into a smart plug, but what if you want to control multiple devices individually? The best way to do that is with the TP-Link Kasa KP303 Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip. This product gives you three individually controllable sockets all in one neat device, and you get two USB devices for charging, too. The main power cable is a little short but that's our only complaint.Controlled via the TP-Link Kasa app, each socket can have its own name and icon, giving you full individual control, including schedules and power toggling. Individual control spills over into other places, too, with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, SmartThings and IFTTT support.More importantly, the price of this product makes it cheaper than buying three individual smart plugs and plugging them into an extension strip.Reviewer: David LudlowFull review: TP-Link Kasa KP303 Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip review

If you control your smart home through the Apple Home app, then the Eve Energy may be the smart plug for you. It's built for HomeKit and the future, with support for Thread, the new low-power wireless mesh networking protocol. And, as of a recent firmware update, it's now Matter compatible, so will work with other Matter compatible systems (we’ve tested it with SmartThings).

That does slightly complicate things: if you update to Matter, the plug will only use Thread, so you must have a Thread Border Router, such as a HomePod Mini. If you don't update to Matter, you may find the product works better in your home.

On the standard firmware, if you don't have a compatible Thread border router, the Eve Energy will default to using Bluetooth. If you have an Apple Home Hub in range, such as the original HomePod, then you’ll be able to control the plug remotely when you’re not at home.

Although it's comparatively big, the plug should fit into a wall socket without blocking a second one. You can add the plug using the Eve app, although it's automatically added to HomeKit, too. There's no Android app, so this is strictly an Apple-only product. Via the Home app, you can toggle the plug on and off, or include it in Automations, say turning it off when you go out. HomeKit support also means you get Siri control, so you can turn the plug on and off with your voice. Schedules are saved to the device, so they’ll run regardless of whether you have a HomeKit Home Hub.

With the Eve app, you can also monitor power usage. By setting the current price of your electricity in kWh, the app can tell you how much money it's cost you to run the device plugged in.

Reviewer: David LudlowFull review: Eve Energy review

A smart power strip with six USB ports

A smart plug that does a good job at a bargain price

We’ve reviewed

1,208

Smart Home

Smart plugs are available as either single plugs or as strips, with multiple individually-controlled sockets. The latter is a good choice if you’ve got multiple devices that you want to control close together.

Some smart plugs can be quite large, obstructing the second socket in a double socket. Our reviews tell you how big each smart plug is, so that you can find the right type for you.

Smart plugs can work on multiple protocols, although Wi-Fi is the most common. With Wi-Fi, you just connect the plug to your home network, so all you need is a strong enough signal where you want to plug in. If you get a smart plug that uses a smart home protocol, such as Zigbee, you’ll need to have a compatible system, such as Philips Hue.

Smart plugs are best when integrated into other systems. At a minimum, you’ll want your plug to work with Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, so you can have voice control. Look out for SmartThings or HomeKit integration if you want to integrate your plug into routines. IFTTT support is also useful if you want to automate how your plug works.

Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.

Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.

Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.

We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.

Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.

Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.

Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.

We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.