Imagine having an intelligent home system that gives you full control over all your plugged-in electronics, even when you’re away from home, an option to turn different appliances on or off remotely while also setting a schedule for different appliances to go or off before; you get home? Wouldn’t that be the most magical experience ever, a dream come true, and an opportunity to finally be at two places at once – while getting optimal results in both cases?
Well, you can finally raise your home’s IQ using smart plugs. The best smart plugs and power strips give you control over your home and home appliances, meaning that you can turn on your smart Instant Pot or smart lighting fixtures on and off using either your smartphone or a virtual assistant, saving time and energy consumption.
The best part about the smart plugs is that they are affordable, and you won’t break the bank trying to create an intelligent home. All you need to do is to make sure that the smart plugs you get are compatible with your smart home devices/ appliances.
Here, we’ll take a look at some of the best options for mini smart plugs and also the important features and considerations to bear in mind when looking for these smart plugs.
So, let’s get started!
Contents
Best Mini Smart Plugs – Comparison Table
Best Mini Smart Plugs | Best For | Check on Amazon |
|---|---|---|
Gosund Mini Smart Plug Wifi Outlet | Best Overall Mini Smart Plug | |
Wemo WiFi Smart Plug | Best Scheduling Features | |
TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Lite HS103 | Best Multi-device Control | |
TP-Link Kasa Smart Outdoor Plug KP400 | Best Outdoor Smart Plug | |
Wyze WLPP1CFH-1 Plug | Best Affordable Smart Mini Plug | |
Amazon Smart Plug | Best Smart Plug with Amazon Integration |
Reviews of the Best Mini Smart Plugs
Gosund Mini Smart Plug Wifi Outlet – Best Overall Mini Smart Plug
Designed with support for Google Assistant and Alexa, this mini smart plug is one of the best smart plugs for your home. It is FCC and ETL-listed, with support for a 2.4GHz WiFi-enabled system that is controlled by remote control. All these features make this one of the best mini smart plugs/ sockets for you today.
It’s easy to use and promises to make your life a whole load easier thanks to the scheduling feature and the timers that allow you to control your home with ease, remotely. The smart plug is a 10A plug ideal for small appliances with 1200W support. As a result, the smart plug allows for easy control of nightstand lights among your other devices such as microwaves, the air conditioner, and the induction cooker, among other smart home appliances.
And if you forget to shut down appliances or if you feel like you forgot an appliance on, the connectivity via the smart plug will make it easier for you to switch off the devices.
Pros
- It works well with Amazon Alexa and also compatible with Google Assistant
- It comes with a timer and scheduling functions
- Easy to use
- It can be shared among families with ease
- Efficient WiFi connectivity
- Works with most devices
Cons
- No support for 5GHz network
Wemo WiFi Smart Plug – Best Scheduling Features
If you are looking for a highly efficient smart plug that offers the best scheduling options, then this smart plug might be a great option for you. This is a compact smart plug that means you will not block the other outlet, and there you can control your devices with great ease.
Some of these features include the energy monitoring function that increases its efficiency, giving you control over your devices right from your smartphone. It’s also easy to use thanks to its support and integration with the leading voice assistants such as Google Assistant, Alexa, IFTTT, and the Apple HomeKit (Siri).
The smart plug also features a physical switch that works great when you don’t want to use the app from your phone or the voice commands that allow you to turn the devices on and off with ease.
It also features the clever Away Mode, which makes it possible for you to monitor and control your home when you are on vacation or away at work.
Pros
- Great compact design that makes it easy to use
- It can be controlled easily using the voice commands, the app, or using the button physically.
- Works with Google Assistant, Alexa, and Apple Homekit
- Great scheduling functions
- Thinner than its predecessor, and it will not block the other outlet/
- Compatible with your smart home hub
- This plug is smaller than the smaller WeMo Mini, Ironic?
Cons
- It’s not compatible with 5GHz WiFi networks
TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Lite HS103 – Best Multi-device Control
With the ability to control a maximum of 4 devices that can be plugged in anywhere and without having to worry about the plug blocking off the other outlet, this smart plug would easily be one of the best smart plugs for your home.
It gives you control over your smart devices such as lamps, stereo, television, fans, or lights, with the best part being the fact that the plug allows you to turn these devices on/ off via WiFi. It works with Android and IOS devices, and you can control the plugged devices easily using the Kasa App. This app is compatible with devices that run on the IOS 9 or higher version of the app and also for Android 4.1
Once connected, you can use this app to schedule, control, and create scenes for all the plugged-in appliances. This plug is compatible with Google Assistant, Alexa, Microsoft Cortana, Nest, and IFTTT. The best part is that its connectivity is WiFi-based, and you won’t need a hub to use the plug and manage devices.
Pros
- It comes with a reset and power buttons
- The hub needs no hub as it’s connected to WiFi
- Features an Away Mode
- Great scheduling features
- Works with a maximum of 4 devices
- Works with pretty much all voice assistants, including Nest, Cortana, IFTTT, Google Assistant, and Alexa
- Offers great remote access
- Power and status LED indicators
- Designed perfectly so that it will not block the second outlet
- UL, IC, RoHS, and FCC-certified
Cons
- No support for 5GHz WiFi
TP-Link Kasa Smart Outdoor Plug KP400 – Best Outdoor Smart Plug
If you are looking for a mini-plug for use outdoors, then this one by TP-Link with two outlets would be a great option for you. It gives you control over two devices at the same time, and it can be connected to your router for a long distance of up to 300ft away. Its use outdoors is made possible by the fact that the smart plug is IP64-rated, which means that it would withstand rainfall and dust, as long as the plugs face downwards and if the plug is covered when it isn’t in use.
Pros
- Water-resistant
- These two outlets can be controlled separately
- Works with Google Assistant, Alexa, IFTTT, and Cortana
- It offers great scheduling options, and you can turn off the lights at specific times.
- It works great, and it automatically turns on at sunset
- You can set a routine with Alexa easily
Cons
- No support for Apple Homekit
Wyze WLPP1CFH-1 Plug – Best Affordable Smart Mini Plug
This is a super affordable smart plug that is quite easy to use, and it allows you to control all the connected devices. The plug can be controlled either by your voice or your phone.
It boasts the best level of performance, and you can use it to perform simple tasks such as locking the door, robot vacuuming, and turning light bulbs on and off. It offers great support and communication with Alexa as well as the Google Voice Assistant and IFTTT. It’s easy to install, and it works with many smart home devices/ appliances.
It’s also quite powerful for a small, simple, smart plug, and its three-prong outlet, along with the small LED indicator and the three-prong plug on its back, makes it the best smart plug for your home. The LED goes off when the plug is off, and it turns blue when the power is on. You may also like the 2.5GHz that connects the Bluetooth Radio and the home network for easy device management.
Pros
- Quite affordable
- Easy installation
- Offers great third-party support
- Works with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa
Cons
- No support for Apple HomeKit
- No option for power reporting
Amazon Smart Plug – Best Smart Plug with Amazon Integration
This is, unsurprisingly, one of the cheapest smart plugs that offer the best performance and integration with Alexa. It delivers a more seamless integration working with Amazon Alexa as its virtual assistant. This smart plug is rather easy to set up, and all you need to do is to plug it into the power outlet, where it will be automatically detected by Alexa as soon as you have it plugged in.
Once the smart plug is set up, you’d have control over the plug. The smart plug also responds to Alexa’s voice commands rather easily. You also get to easily ask the smart voice assistant to turn on the connected appliance when the appliance is turned on or off. You could also add the smart plug to the existing smart home routine with all devices, including the lights.
Pros
- Affordable
- Works great with Amazon products like the smart speakers
- Offers great voice control
- Ideal for scheduling with different appliances
- Nice, compact design
- Easy setup and usage
Cons
- It only works with Alexa
Buying Guide for the Best Mini Smart Plugs
First, a look at mini smart plugs and what they are – what are they?
Mini smart plugs come in all shapes and sizes, and their performance varies depending on how they are designed and the features they are made with.
Smart plugs, also known as smart outlets or smart switches, can be defined as the ultimate plug-in outlets or power strips that plug into the wall directly, whether you use wall outlets or the traditional power strips. These plugs have their own outlets, and they allow you to plug into different devices that you wish to automate. By plugging one of these devices in the outlets around your home, you make the existing outlets smarter, allowing them to connect to your home wireless/ WiFi network, meaning that you don’t lose or gain the outlets with the smart plugs plugged in.
What do you use a smart plug for?
You shouldn’t buy just any mini smart plug; you need to choose a smart plug that allows you to control your devices and power from your phone. What this means is that once you’ve plugged in your lamp, for example, you could easily turn the lamp on and off, no matter where you are.
Most of the smart plugs will also come with some form of scheduling, so if you want to turn on your connected coffee machine at the same time of the day each week, then the smart plug would make it all possible.
The other features you need to consider include the scenes function allowing you to program several devices so that they can interact with ease other seamlessly. There is also the ‘away’ scene preset that works great when you are away at work or on vacation.
So, how do you select the best smart plugs for your smart home?
Features
The best features of the best mini smart plugs include the scheduling function or even the cursory overview option that allows you to check the devices’ power usage. Essentially, the best smart plugs allow for energy monitoring, but the energy that is collected isn’t often uniform across the connected plugs; but with the smart plugs, you can still monitor all these devices at the same time and determine how well they work.
The other features of the smart plug include the Scenes function, which allows you to program the devices for them to interact seamlessly with each other – just bear in mind that the scene options will vary depending on the plugs used.
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App design and installation
The smart plug should be easy to install, allowing you to plug in the plugs then connect them to the app on your phone. The app quality is the other important factor to keep in mind because some plus will only work great if the app quality is the best and compatible with the plugs.
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Intended use of the smart plugs
At the end of the day, not all the devices connected to the smart plug will work as intended, which means that you can’t plug in an old window AC into your smart plug and expect that you will be able to control power. The new plug would, however, hit the On button on your AC, allowing it to start cooling the spaces. What this means is that the smart plug you choose must connect to your smart devices immediately after it’s set up.
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Size of the smart plug
Since the smart plugs are bulky and thick, there is a chance that the plug would take up a lot of space in your home, making it impossible for you to plug something else into the second socket. So, you should be aware of the size of the smart plug, and to avoid size issues, get the mini smart plug. You should also go through customer reviews to be certain the size of the plug is right.
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App
You need the right app when setting up the smart plug because the app is what you use to control the plugs. The app also gives you access to the more granular settings of the app and the plug while also giving you control over your smart appliances. Scheduling, grouping the plugs, and overall device management is made easier by the right smart plug app.
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Home setup compatibility
The smart plug chosen should be compatible with your existing smart home setup. Don’t assume because not all smart plugs work with Google Assistant, Alexa, or the Apple Homekit/ Siri. Make sure that that the smart plug is intuitive, easy to set up, and has all the necessary features you need to match all your needs.
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Connectivity Issue
The other important consideration to keep in mind is that you may suffer connectivity issues with your app and the smart plugs. And if the power or WiFi goes out, you’d have to reconnect the smart plug.
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Maximum Power Level Supported
If you are buying smart plugs for smaller appliances and gadgets, or if you are looking for a mini smart plug, choose a smart plug whose power caps off at 10/ 12 amps. For the larger appliances, choose a smart plug with at least 15amps.
FAQs
Should you use smart plugs?
While it’s not a 100% life or death gadget, the smart plug is crucial for smart homes today, as it allows you to make smart your ‘dumb’ appliances. The plug allows you control over your smart appliances, from lights and the thermostat to coffee pots, TVs, fridges, multi-cookers, and ovens, among other appliances.
Can you use your smart plug to control your appliances when you are away on vacation?
Yes. The smart plugs and the connected app on your phone allow you to keep your home secure as you monitor the energy usage of the devices and also keep your home safe.
How do I use the scheduling function for the smart plug?
Well, you could use it to create schedules for when the lights are turned on and off and the number of hours the appliances would be on or off. You could also use it to schedule your coffee maker for when your first cup of coffee would be ready, for instance, when you get out of bed.
Conclusion
Smart plugs enhance the operational efficiency of your home thanks to the incorporation of features such as the best of voice assistants, advanced scheduling, and management tools which all work to ensure that you have the most intelligent home.
Robinson Wright
Robinson Wright is a home automation specialist and has helped many modern home developers pick the right gadgets for home automation. According to Wright, most people struggle with particular areas in their home, some would want improved security especially when away from home for a couple of days and others will want to improve power consumption. Homeowner's needs can be fulfilled by investing in smart home gadgets but most importantly is that one must know the functionality that they desire to achieve and then choose a product and technology that would fulfill the need. Robinson Wright runs an appliance enterprise and when not in the field working with his clients, he loves spending time in his workshop testing out the new technologies.