After testing 18 different smart plugs for 112 hours, we found that Wemo Insight Smart Plug is the best smart plug. It works with almost all smart devices. The Wemo plug and Homekit pairing is really good. And iHome ISP6X Wi-FIis the runner up of our tests. If you want to know more about how to choose the right plug, you can navigate directly to our buyer’s guide.
Top Pick
Top 7 Smart Plug
1. Wemo Insight – Editor’s Choice
When you want to keep an eye on the amount of energy you are consuming, or you want to control the lights and appliance more efficiently, a quality smart device makes it easier. The WeMo Insight three-pronged plug is the smartest plug we have tested. A matte white finish makes it look really good. And beautiful looking Wi-Fi indicator tells you the strength of the connection.
One feature we love is you can program each plug to switch on or off during certain hours. This monitors or controls the lights in a more efficient way. Parents can monitor TV or gaming consoles more efficiently. It works with most of the smart home applications. We tested it with Google Home, Alexa, Nest, etc. It works perfectly with all of them.
- The app is intuitive and user-friendly.
- Very easy to install.
- Works with most of the smart home devices.
- Provides accurate data on energy consumption.
- Support high voltage appliances.
- None.
Bottom Line
The WeMo plug is a complete smart plug because it not only help you control the device with a smartphone, but you can also keep an eye on energy consumption.
2. iHome ISP6X Wi-FI – Best For iPhone
The iHome ISP6X came very close in securing the top spot, but Wemo Insight outperformed it by only a few points. Whatever may be the scoreline, the performance is great. It integrates with most of the smart home systems like Google Assistant, Alexa, Apple HomeKit, SmartThings, Wink and Nest.
The app required to use this plug is iHome which available for both Android and iOS devices. When you open the app, you can see the active plugs on the main screen. You can easily switch on and off each plug using the app. scheduling of plug is also easy and hardly takes any time. Only one thing that lacks is energy monitoring.
- Straightforward installation.
- User-friendly and intuitive app.
- Useful scheduling options.
- Inexpensive compared to its competitors.
- No energy monitoring.
Bottom Line
The iHome ISP6X is a useful plug that works with most of the third-party smart home integrations. It is easy to use and control via the iHome app. It is the best plug for the iphone.
3. Kasa Smart WiFi Plug Mini by TP-Link – Best For Budget Conscious Users
Integrating smart devices could be an expensive affair. Especially, when you are looking to build a network of smart devices you want effective as well as an inexpensive device. The Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug by TP-Link is a good inexpensive option. In addition to being inexpensive, it is highly trustworthy and works with Google Assistant as well as Alexa.
It uses Kasa app which is one of the most beautiful looking apps we have tested. Working is the same as the other; you can see the list of the active plugs. Mange them according to your requirements. All you have to do is choose the best scheduling options. However, it doesn’t show the amount of energy consumed. We tested it with both Alexa and Google. We hardly observed any difference in the performance.
- Simple installation procedure.
- The app is beautiful and intuitive.
- Design fits well with the interior.
- Away mode.
- Inexpensive compared to most of the other plugs.
- No energy monitoring.
Bottom Line
While we were testing we realized it is the best for Google assistant and no hub is required which is another biggest plus of having this plug.
4. Hive Active For Smart Home – Best For Google Assistant
Hive products are popular smart home devices. Hence the Hive Active Plug Smart Home could be a good integration to the existing Hive system. This plug uses Zigbee but works best only with Hive Hub. We did try it with SmartThings, but it seemed a little trickier.
The app is really good and offers some great scheduling features. You can name actions which you can name action where you want a device to be switched on for a certain amount of time at a certain time of the day. This way you can use the same device in various ways and manage them more effectively. We observed that it worked well with the Hive system, then using it with other smart home integration.
- Works well with Hive smart home system.
- Good looking design.
- You can name different actions.
- Fits well with all kinds of interiors.
- The app is user-friendly and effective.
- Expensive compared to other plugs.
Bottom Line
Looking at the tests results, we can say that if you already own a system of Hive products, this plug could be an addition to it. However, it also works fine with other smart systems but checks the compatibility before using it with different smart home integration. We found it is the best for Google Home.
5. Meross WiFi Smart Mini – Best For Echo Dot
Meross WiFi Mini is another popular plug. It was suggested by one of our experts who use this plug personally. When we looked at the sales number, it was right among the best sellers. The biggest plus of having this plug is that it is inexpensive. Hence, if you are looking to buy sets of smart plugs for your home, it could be a good inexpensive option.
And as for integrating with smart devices is concerned, it works with almost all systems. After testing, we found that it is the best for Alexa because it responds to Alexa commands much better than say Google Assistant or Apple Homekit. The app is also simple and has all the basic features. One thing we liked that you can set the sunset and sunrise times. This feature helps you schedule devices much effectively.
- Inexpensive compared to other plugs.
- The plug size is small.
- The app is user-friendly.
- Works well with Alexa.
- Scheduling according to the sunset and sunrise time.
- It is wider than it should be to avoid overlap.
Bottom Line
We believe looking at the performance with Alexa; it could be a great combination to have for your home. As far as the app is concerned it works much better on iOS.
6. iClever IC-BS08 – Best For High-Power Devices
No products found.
The iClever is another plug that is making its names with its performance and design. At first, when we looked at it, we thought it is much bigger compared to other plugs. But on the universal socket, you can easily fit two of them easily. We advise you not to use this plug on the multi-plug socket. Why we loved this product is because of its ability to handle heavy electronic devices. It is a 15 A plug that can handle devices like oven, refrigerator, washing machine, etc. These devices use the most energy, and you want a plug that can save some money on your energy bills.
The app also becomes crucial when you are dealing with high-powered devices. The scheduling of the plugs easy and you can manage them more effectively. Especially using with a smart kitchen appliance, you will be able to create an effective network of home automation. You want your coffee maker to make you a coffee on time but without keeping the machine on for 24 hours, just sync the plug and coffee machine.
- Works well with high-powered devices.
- Scheduling the plugs on the app is easy.
- Saves a lot of money on the energy bill.
- Overall size is small.
- Inexpensive compared to most of the plugs.
- No energy monitoring feature.
Bottom Line
High-powered devices usually require a 15 A plug. By adding iClever IC-BS08 to your home automation, you will be able to enhance the effectiveness of the network. Not just enhance, but save a lot of money on energy bills.
7. Kasa Smart WiFi Power Strip by TP-Link – Best For Multi-plug Outlets
Most of the plugs we tested are suitable for one plug outlet, but sometimes you require multiple plug outlets in one place. For example, for an entertainment unit, you require some plugs. You want one for TV, another for the music system, and a few more for Xbox, PlayStation, etc. Rather than buying a separate plug, adding a power strip is a good option. The Kasa Smart WiFi Power Strip by TP-Link is one of the best multi-plug options we found.
We loved the user-friendly Kasa app. The good thing about this plug is that you can monitor the energy consumed by the device. During our test, we didn’t find many smart plugs that allow you to monitor the energy consumed. With a power strip like Kasa Smart, you would want to monitor the energy consumed by the group of devices.
- Support 6 devices via outlet and 3 via USB port.
- Energy monitoring.
- Surge Protection.
- No hub required.
- The app is intuitive and user-friendly.
- Plugs might get loose after a few months of use.
Bottom Line
We advise you to get this plug if you want to set group devices for home or office in one place. It can support maximum devices which are more than enough, and 3 USB port can be used to charge a phone or any other USB powered. According to our tests, we can say it is the best for tv entertainment units.
Buyer’s Guide – What To Consider?
Though it seems most of the smart plugs are the same and have the same features, there are minute things if ignored it could make your expensive purchase worthless. So to avoid such things, you must understand a few aspects of the plug that could affect your purchase.
1. Compatibility
Smart plugs are devices that are designed to interact with other smart devices. You might own an Alexa dot, or Apple Homekit you would want to connect the plug to these devices so that you can voice control the plugs. But if they are not compatible with other smart home devices creating a home automation network goes out of the window. So if you have SmartThings network at your home make sure you get the smart plug for SmartThings. If you own Google Home get the smart plug for Google Assistant.
Mind you these devices are not cheap. So make sure whatever smart plug device you choose they are compatible with another smart device you own. One other thing that you have to be aware of is what kind of wifi configuration does the smart plug support most of the smart plug is known to support 2.4 GHz. But your home has 5 GHz Wi-Fi configuration you need a 5GHz smart plug.
2. Energy Monitoring
We believe the biggest reason for using a smart plug is to save money on your energy bills. The plug that could monitor the amount of energy consumed allows you to manage energy consumption more efficiently. Some of the smart plugs also tell you will have to pay at the end of the month for the energy consumed by the device plugged in. This way you can dissect your energy bill and narrow down the devices that make up the majority of your energy bill. There are many good plugs without energy monitoring, but we recommend you to get the plug with energy monitoring feature because over some time you would be able to save a lot of money. The smart plug with energy monitoring are Belkin Wemo Insight smart plug and Kasa Smart WiFi Power Strip by TP-Link.
3. Scheduling
All smart plugs allow you to create a schedule for each plug. This allows you to automate the devices. You would like to switch on a certain type of lights at a certain time of the day you can schedule the related smart plug, and you won’t have to worry about turning the lights on. You want to manage the amount of TV your kids watch, set the time frame for which the TV should remain.
There are various scenarios where the scheduling of smart plugs helps you. You also save a lot of time by keeping the devices off on unnecessary hours. Wemo Insight Smart Plug and iHome ISP6X Wi-FI Smart Plug are one of the few smart plugs that has good scheduling options.
4. Away Mode
Away mode is a protective feature that keeps the intruders away while you are away from your home. Using away mode in smart plug you can switch on and off certain lights randomly giving the impression of somebody being at home. If you want a good smart addition to your home protection, a smart plug with Away mode is a great option to have. Most of the smart plugs we tested come with away mode. Wemo Insight Smart Plug is by far the best with away mode.
5. Design
The smart plug has different shapes and sizes. If you have a universal outlet that has only a single plug, you can use any kind of smart plug. But if the outlet supports multiple plugs, you have to make sure that smart plugs that you use do not overlap with each other. Hive Active Plug Smart Home and Wemo Insight Smart Plug are some compact plugs that do not overlap with the adjacent plug. Kasa Smart WiFi Power Strip by TP-Link is good multi-plug option. If you are someone who also likes to maintain the aesthetics of the room, you would want good looking smart plug too. So while buying you can look at the design and color of the plug.
How We Conduct Tests?
We began by selecting the top-selling and popular smart plugs. Our team looked online and also consulted our experts to find the most popular and top-selling plugs. Out of many, we selected 18 plugs that are either popular or have high sales numbers. Once we had the product, we determined the parameters of the tests. We used parameters like compatibility, installation, ease of use, connectivity, and durability.
The next step was to design tests for evaluating each plug based on these parameters. We managed to get all the smart home devices like Alexa devices, HomeKit, Google Home, Nest, etc. We also used different WiFi configurations like 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, etc. Also, we created different kinds of conditions that usually a smart plug handle like weak wifi connective, power surge, a faulty device, etc. All these different devices and conditions allowed us to test the plug thoroughly. In addition to tests, we value customer feedback. So with the help of a seller, we managed to contact the existing customers of all selected smart plugs. Also, we scanned several review sites to learn what different users think about the products.
Once we had all the test results, expert advise and existing user feedback, we asked our team to score each plug on parameters like connectivity, ease of use, and durability. After calculating the overall score, we sorted them based on the score. We also categorized the top scorers to provide all kinds of the user at least one product for their need. Here is the scorecard:
| Product | Connectivity | Ease of Use | Durability | Overall | Check Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wemo Smart Plug | 96 | 98.2 | 96.4 | 96.8 | CheckPrice |
| iHome ISP6X | 96.6 | 97.4 | 96.2 | 96.7 | CheckPrice |
| Kasa Smart WiFi Plug Mini | 96.1 | 96.6 | 95.8 | 96.2 | CheckPrice |
| Hive Active Plug | 95.4 | 96.7 | 95.5 | 95.8 | Check Price |
| Meross WiFi Smart Plug | 95.8 | 96.3 | 95.4 | 95.8 | CheckPrice |
| iClever IC-BS08 | 95.7 | 96.1 | 95.3 | 95.7 | No products found. |
| Kasa Power Strip | 96.1 | 95.4 | 95.1 | 95.5 | Check Price |
Final Thought
Most of the products we have mentioned in our list are better in some or other way than the other. You might have a different configuration of Wifi or different hub or different home automation network. Hence, before picking one plug for your home, make sure you know what your requirements are and how you are willing to spend on it. If you any doubt, please refer to our buyer’s guide.
Wemo Insight- Editor's Choice
Summary
The WeMo plug is a complete smart plug because it not only help you control the device with a smartphone, but you can also keep an eye on energy consumption.
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