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

A astute plug is simply a beauteous useful gadget, but for a while, 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 it connected and disconnected astatine your bid from anyplace successful your location (or adjacent erstwhile you aren't there). The TV tin present crook disconnected connected command, the lights volition automatically flip connected astatine 5 pm, and a simple java maker oregon appliance tin fundamentally tally itself if each it needs is power.

If you're looking to power thing elemental that lone needs powerfulness sent to it, 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) ($25, 3-pack) lets you link it to your location hub of prime utilizing the Matter protocol. Smart plugs are besides large for outdoor use; the Cync Outdoor Smart Plug ($17) is designed for this intent and includes 2 built-in outlets.

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.

Updated April 2026: The Ikea Grillplats Smart Plug is simply a caller prime successful this guide, and we've added a caller conception astir vigor monitoring.

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

Smart plugs connect to an outlet socket, and past you plug your instrumentality of prime (a lamp, a java maker, et cetera) into the plug to power the powerfulness flow. The astute plug connects to your location Wi-Fi, letting you negociate it with automated schedules, a dedicated app, oregon your dependable via a smart speaker, if you person one.

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 with a elemental on-and-off power you tin permission on, letting the astute plug grip 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 permanent outdoor lights that person controls akin to a astute bulb.

Smart plugs besides person scheduling capabilities successful the app, truthful you tin acceptable them to crook your lights connected and disconnected astatine definite times to marque it look similar you're 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 different occurrence of 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 electric teakettle won't vigor up until I take however blistery it should get, 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.

What Else Can Smart Plugs Do?

If controlling your “dumb” devices and lights isn't a immense involvement for you, you tin besides usage astute plugs to way your home's vigor usage. It's a large enactment if you're funny astir wherever your vigor depletion is coming from, and if you're trying to intentionally usage energy astatine the champion times of time for higher-consumption items. I'm investigating the Kasa EP25 ($23) adjacent for this guide, with that usage successful mind.

Our Favorite Smart Plugs

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