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How do you choose the best smart plug in 2025 ? Which functions and features must the best smart plug have to suit your needs? Read our guide and make an informed choice.
Just as today we have a smart phone and we could not imagine life without it, in the not too distant future we will no longer imagine a home without the most “smart” facilities.
A seemingly small step towards obtaining a smart home is the purchase and installation of a smart plug or smart electrical outlet.
The many advantages that such an outlet offers will convince you of the need to purchase one. Read below to find out how you choose the best smart plug for your home.
You probably wonder what makes it worth the term “smart”.
It gives you the ability to control your devices connected to this outlet remotely via an internet connection and a special phone application. Besides, it also helps you to make important energy savings.
You could find such an outlet very practical in situations where it is necessary to start or stop the appliances from a distance. Suppose you do not remember whether or not you let the air conditioner running or the iron plugged in.
Or maybe you might want to start some appliances beforehand, for example the electric oven to be warmed up when you get home. You may have this level of control with the best intelligent plug.
You will also receive notifications on your phone about any electrical malfunction, and you can also check the level of power consumption for each device on your phone.
Being a product that is gaining more and more popularity every day, it is normal for many models with more or less special features to appear on the market.
Since the price of such a plug can sometimes reach even a few tens of pounds, you can not choose any model. That’s why it’s a good idea to be informed about this intelligent outlet before deciding to buy a particular model.
In order to help you in your choice, we have prepared a shopping guide in which we present what functions and features should the best intelligent plug have to deserve your money.
So, in your choice, take into account the following important issues:
Ecosystem compatibility is a crucial factor to consider when choosing a smart plug.
The main players in the smart home ecosystem are Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit.
Each of these platforms has its own set of compatible devices, and it’s important to choose a smart plug that works seamlessly with your chosen platform.
In addition to these major platforms, some smart plugs also work with other smart home systems like Zigbee or Z-Wave. If you’re using one of these systems, make sure to choose a compatible smart plug.
Energy monitoring is another valuable feature offered by some smart plugs. This feature allows you to track the power usage of the devices plugged into the smart plug. It’s a great tool for becoming more aware of your energy consumption and identifying ways to save energy.
With energy monitoring, you can see how much power a particular appliance uses in a day, a week, or a month. This can be eye-opening, as many appliances use more power than you might think, especially when they’re left on standby. By identifying these energy hogs, you can make changes to reduce your energy consumption.
For example, you might find that your old space heater uses a significant amount of power. With this knowledge, you might choose to use it less or replace it with a more energy-efficient model.
Energy monitoring can also help you save money. By reducing your energy consumption, you can lower your electricity bills. Over time, these savings can add up, making your smart plug a smart investment.
The maximum rated power of a smart plug is a critical specification to consider. This rating indicates the maximum amount of power that the smart plug can handle. If you connect an appliance that draws more power than the smart plug’s maximum rated power, you risk overheating and damaging the smart plug, the appliance, or both.
The maximum rated power is usually listed in the product specifications and is typically given in watts (W) or amps (A). For example, a smart plug might have a maximum rated power of 1800W or 15A.
Before purchasing a smart plug, you should check the power rating of the appliances you plan to use with it. This information is usually found on the appliance’s label or in its user manual. If the appliance’s power rating is higher than the smart plug’s maximum rated power, you should not use that smart plug with that appliance.
The size of the smart plug is another important factor to consider. Some smart plugs are quite bulky and can obstruct adjacent power outlets when plugged in, limiting their usefulness.
When choosing a smart plug, consider its physical dimensions and the layout of your power outlets. If you have multiple outlets close together, you’ll want a compact smart plug that won’t block other outlets.
Some smart plugs are designed with a slim profile to avoid this issue. For example, the Amazon Smart Plug and the TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini have compact designs that allow you to use two smart plugs in the same double outlet.
The number of sockets on a smart plug determines how many devices you can control with it. A standard smart plug has one socket, allowing you to control one device. However, some smart plugs come with multiple sockets, enabling you to control several devices simultaneously.
A multi-socket smart plug can be particularly useful if you have limited wall sockets or if you want to control several devices in the same area. For example, you might use a multi-socket smart plug to control a lamp, a fan, and a phone charger that are all located near each other.
When choosing a multi-socket smart plug, consider how the sockets are controlled. Some models allow you to control each socket independently, while others only allow you to control all sockets at once. If you want to control each device separately, make sure to choose a smart plug that supports independent control of each socket.
For smartphone operation, the smart plug connects to the home Wi-Fi network through a Linux platform.
The aspect you need to be careful about is compatibility. You will not be able to use a smart plug if it’s not compatible with your device.
So, before buying, check the operating systems (IOS, Android, or Windows) with which the smart plug is compatible.
Control from any mobile device – once the connection between the plug and the device is completed, you will have absolute control over its functionality, meaning you can turn it on or stop the power supply, and thus control the connected devices.
First check that the smart socket you want can withstand the electrical charge of the devices you want to connect.
Programming – the best smart plug also gives you the ability to program the start and stop time. This feature may be useful if you know you will not be able to connect your phone to the internet to control the outlet directly.
Reports – Better devices have the ability to deliver a report after each on or off turn to make sure the action you ordered on your device has been running successfully.
Overload alert – when you encounter such electricity problems, you will receive a notification on your phone.
Consumption measurement – a feature that lets you check the power consumption of each device in your home. All the data will be saved in an archive, and you will be able to figure out which device consumes the most energy.
You will basically be able to find out where your home consumption problems are and try to solve them now.
Safety for children – we know that children are very attracted to such objects. Especially if it is a new object in the house, if it lights up and if it is said that it is not allowed to walk to it, the child will feel very attracted to this outlet.
The best intelligent smart plug will, however, be safe enough not to endanger the safety of the child if it has access to it.
The warranty of a smart plug must be at least 2 years. A good supplier will provide you with this warranty period as well as the possibility to extend this period.
However, as technology is constantly evolving, over 2 years you are likely to want to replace your smart socket with a more advanced one that gives you more control options.
It’s normal to be interested in the company that produces the best smart socket. Even if we can not call it the best, we can give you some examples of companies that have built up a good reputation among users who have been pleased with the performance of their devices.
Depending on the number of functions that their sockets offer, but also the quality / price ratio, the most recommended brands are: TP-Link, D-Link, Edimax, Panasonic, or Fibaro.
Before buying a product, especially if you buy it online, we recommend that you consult the opinions of other buyers in order to have a fair view of the smart plug that you want to buy.
Taking into account the above criteria and recommendations, studying the current market offer and user reviews, we present you below some models of smart plugs that offer excellent quality/price ratio.
Last update on 2025-09-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This product presentation was made with AAWP plugin.
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