Best Smart Outlets

7 Best Smart Outlets You Should Have in Your Smart Home

In order to turn your home into a smart home, you need to upgrade all your wiring and electrical systems so your lamps and appliances can be controlled remotely. Doing so usually necessitates hiring a professional to replace all your outlets with smart in-wall outlets.

A smart outlet is a plug that you can connect to your traditional power outlets to turn them “smart” and integrate them into your smart home network. Doing so allows you to remotely control all your outlets, thereby allowing you to remotely turn all your appliances on or off.

So, with smart outlets and plugs, you can basically convert your existing power sockets into smart outlets and remotely control all your electrical appliances and devices.

There are a number of convincing reasons to get smart outlets:

  • Getting smart outlets is the cheapest way to convert your entire home into a smart home. If you get smart versions of all your individual appliances and devices, you could possibly end up spending thousands of dollars. With smart outlets, you can turn all your regular appliances into smart devices for just a few hundred dollars.
  • You can set timers for all your plugs. As such, when you’re charging your phones at night, you can set up a timer so that your phones don’t get overcharged.
  • Smart outlets allow you to remotely control all your home’s devices from your bed so you don’t have to go around the house at night to turn them off manually.
  • You can save energy by checking your smartphone app to make sure you don’t have any unnecessary devices turned on.

When it comes to selecting smart outlets, you have a lot of options to choose from. And since you’ll be connecting all your appliances to these outlets, you have to select the right ones.

In this article, I’ll give you an overview of some of the best smart outlets on the market.

Best Smart Outlets

1. Belkin WeMo Mini

Belkin WeMo has dominated the market as some of the most affordable smart outlets for a while now. Belkin WeMo Mini is their most compact and intelligent smart outlet yet. It gives you access to a wide range of automation features, but, with dimensions of 3.8 x 2.4 x 1.4 inches, it’s small enough that it doesn’t obstruct adjacent power sockets.

One of the most important features you have to consider with smart outlets is their compatibility with other smart home standards. Belkin WeMo Mini is at the top of the game in that regards as it’s compatible with most smart home devices, including Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings, and others. It is also compatible with IFTTT (If This, Then That) protocol so you can set up complex commands for it to interact with other devices.

The greatest appeal of the Belkin WeMo Mini is its simplicity. All you have to do is plug it into a socket and then plug your appliance into this outlet. That’s all you need to do to turn it on or off or automate its functions and set schedules.

In order to control Belkin WeMo Mini — or any WeMo device — you need to install the WeMo smartphone app. The app is perfectly functional, easy-to-use, and has all the features you need from a smart outlet. However, it also suffers from some serious lagging issues and glitches.

The app takes a while to start up. Pairing the app to the smart outlet also took longer than expected and the connection often timed out, which meant I had to relaunch the app and initiate the process again. Furthermore, once you give a command, it takes a few seconds for that command to be transmitted to the smart outlet.

These lagging problems shouldn’t be a big issue for most people — especially considering the cheap price of the outlet — but it’s still an annoyance.

Besides the latency issues, the smartphone app is actually pretty impressive. Belkin WeMo Mini is equipped with a motion sensor. As such, you can set it up so that the outlet turns a lamp on the moment it senses that you’ve entered a room. Or you can set up a command to turn the lights on during sunset. I particularly enjoyed the fact that I could turn my changers off at 1 AM so my devices didn’t get overcharged. The commands for the smart outlet are highly customizable, allowing you to set specific commands for various times and situations.

Belkin WeMo Mini works perfectly well with Alexa and Siri as well. As such, you can even use voice commands to activate all the different actions or set commands. If you do that, you will barely need to use your smartphone app.

The only other major drawback — besides the latency issue — is that it doesn’t offer energy reports. Most modern smart outlets give you a detailed energy consumption report so you can determine how to maximize efficiency and cut down energy usage. Belkin WeMo Mini, unfortunately, doesn’t offer that.

All things considered, Belkin WeMo Mini is one of the most affordable and functional smart outlets on the market. It has been designed in a compact style so it can fit into any socket without blocking out other spaces. It also has complete integration with other smart home standards and you can set complex commands and automation in place. It suffers from latency glitches in the app, but that’s only a minor annoyance and I’m confident that Belkin will remedy that with future app updates. The only other drawback is the lack of energy reports, but that’s not something everyone needs anyway.

Pros

  • Extremely reasonable.
  • Compact size.
  • Compatible with most smart home standards.
  • Easy to use.
  • Has motion sensors.
  • Voice activation works well.

Cons

  • Latency issues with the app.
  • Doesn’t offer energy consumption reports.

2. iDevices Outdoor

iDevices Outdoor is one of the best outdoor smart outlets on the market. It’s completely weatherproof and rain-tested so you can install it outdoors if you want to remotely control all your outdoor lights. This smart outlet can be installed within just a few minutes. It can also be easily paired to the iDevices smartphone app, which gives you access to all of the features. It’s also compatible with most smart home standards and you can use the IFTTT protocol to set up complex chains of commands for how it should interact with your other smart home devices.

One of the biggest issues people have with outdoor outlets is insulation. No matter how rugged or waterproof the outer shell may be, it’s impossible to insulate them entirely. However, iDevices Outdoor comes with a set of instructions you can follow to secure it such that there are no problems with electricity. You have to basically fasten the outlet to the side of your house with a screw that comes with the kit. And that’s it.

This outdoor smart outlet also comes with a nightlight that makes the outer shell glow at night, enhancing its visibility if you need to handle it in the dark. The biggest issue with this outlet’s design is that it’s extremely large and bulky, weighing 1 pound and measuring 2.5 x 8.2 x 7 inches.

However, there’s a reason for the bulk. This smart outlet includes two sockets and they carry enough power to light up 2,500 bulbs and pool lights. Since there are two outlets, you can essentially plug two different devices together. But I am disappointed that you can’t control the two outlets together. This seems like a pretty big oversight. You either turn them both on together or off together. As such, you can only connect devices and lights that have to be turned on and off together. So you can’t use the two sockets for distinct uses, which is a bummer.

One of the best features of this smart outlet is that it provides energy consumption reports. The information provided isn’t very vast, but you do get the basic information like your daily consumption levels and the estimated cost of electricity. You can use these figures to determine how to best optimize your energy usage and save cost.

If you install several of these smart outlets around the house, you can also divide your home into zones. So you can control entire zones together. For example, you can use a single command to turn on or off all the appliances downstairs. Or you can use a single command to turn on the lights in the dining room. This feature, however, will only work if you have these smart outlets spread all across your house.

Some smart outlets can only function if you’re sending the commands via a smartphone connected to the home WiFi. However, you can send commands to iDevices Outdoor from anywhere in the world, using any WiFi network you want. That allows you to control your home’s electrical appliances and outlets even when you’re not home, which is pretty convenient.

All things considered, iDevices Outdoor is an extremely efficient and powerful smart outlet that can be used both indoors and outdoors. It’s a bit bulky, but that’s justified because of the presence of two sockets. The biggest issue is that the two sockets can’t be controlled individually. This smart outlet is especially useful if you install it all around the house, which will allow you to set up zones for easier controls. This smart outlet does suffer from some latency issues. In some cases, it took the lights and appliances a couple of seconds to power on after I gave the command. But beyond those little issues, this is a great smart outlet.

Pros

  • Can be used outdoors.
  • Easy to install.
  • Compatible with most smart home standards.
  • Can be controlled from anywhere in the world.
  • There are two sockets in this outlet.
  • Provides energy consumption reports.
  • Can divide the house into multiple zones.

Cons

  • The two sockets are connected and can’t be controlled individually.
  • Latency issues.
  • Energy reports can be more comprehensive.

3. iClever IC-BS06

iClever IC-BS06 is another great smart outlet for the outdoors. This is a completely weatherproof smart outlet that can function in temperatures ranging from –4 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, which makes it perfectly suitable for the coldest or hottest of climatic conditions. It is also equipped with a surge protector and has some time settings in place that can protect it from overheating and power surges. This outdoor smart outlet has a rating of IP44, so it can withstand sprinklers, rains, and light dust as well.

In terms of size, this smart outlet weighs only 11 ounces and measures 5.7 x 3.9 x 1 inch. Like iDevices Outdoor, this smart outlet also has two sockets. However, in this case, you can control both sockets individually. As such, you can control two sets of appliances with different functionalities in this smart outlet. In terms of overall power, it can handle maximum power of 1875W, a maximum current of 15A, and it has been rated at 125V.

iClever BS06’s biggest drawback is its compatibility. It works with most major smart devices and platforms like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. This smart outlet can be controlled either via voice activation if you have an Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant device, or you can control it via the smartphone app. But it’s not compatible with Apple HomeKit, which is a major issue because that means you can’t control it via Siri. It is also not compatible with Samsung SmartThings and a few other smart home devices. Before purchasing, you should study the compatibilities carefully to make sure it will work with all your current devices.

The smart outlet itself only has a single switch that can control both sockets together. However, within the smartphone app, you can name both sockets individually so you can voice command them independently. If you don’t have Alexa or Google Assistant for voice activation, you can also use voice commands within the app, but that only works to power the sockets on or off.

The scheduling feature in the iClever Smart Life app is pretty brilliant. You can set up specific commands that are dependent on factors like the weather, humidity, temperature, sunrise, sunset, time, air quality, or a number of other factors. For example, I could provide commands for it to turn on automatically during sunsets. And I could also regulate the thermostat when the external temperature reached certain points. Despite the wide range of scheduling features, I did find that the IFTTT protocol was a little limited in scope compared to other smart outlets, but that is likely to change with future firmware updates.

One of the biggest drawbacks with this outdoor smart outlet is that it doesn’t provide energy consumption reports. As such, there’s no way for you to determine how much energy you are using for different purposes and modify them accordingly. Furthermore, the smartphone app doesn’t give you the option to set up control zones so that you can control multiple outlets with a single command. That’s mostly because this smart outlet has been designed for people who prefer simplicity and don’t want to get confused with too many features in the smartphone.

Pros

  • Has two sockets.
  • Compact in size despite having two sockets.
  • Both sockets can be controlled independently.
  • Weatherproof and waterproof.
  • Rugged design, equipped with surge protection.
  • Has in-app voice activation.
  • Wide range of scheduling options.
  • The smartphone app works perfectly without any delays or latency issues.

Cons

  • Not compatible with Apple HomeKit or Siri.
  • Not compatible with Samsung SmartThings.
  • IFTTT protocol has limited functionality.
  • Doesn’t provide energy consumption reports.
  • Can’t set up multiple zones.

4. iClever IC-BS11

iClever IC-BS11 is one of the most budget-friendly smart outlets and it’s always sold in pairs of two. This is a simple and functional smart outlet with an integrated night-light, but it is extremely limited in terms of compatibility. In terms of size, each of these smart outlets weighs only 4.8 ounces and measures 3 x 1.5 x 1 inches. As such, they’re extremely compact and can be fitted into any power outlet without obstructing adjacent outlets.

iClever IC-BS11 is also easy to control and install because you simply need to connect it to the power outlet and then connect your electrical appliance. The night light can provide visibility in the dark and you can control its brightness from the smartphone app. In terms of power, it can only handle up to 1250W of power, so you can’t connect your air conditioners, blowers, or other high-powered appliances.

iClever IC-BS11 is compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, IFTTT, and various other smart home devices and platforms. But, like iClever IC-BS06, it is not compatible with Apple HomeKit. That’s a major drawback because that means you can’t ever control it via Siri or connect it to any other Apple-affiliated smart devices. If you have any valuable Apple devices that you’d like to control via a smart outlet, this is not the right choice for you. Furthermore, this smart outlet also doesn’t work with Samsung SmartThings, which is yet another popular smart home standard. Due to the limited compatibility, be sure you check the compatibility and make sure it works with all your present smart home devices.

This smart outlet uses the same smartphone app as the aforementioned iClever IC-BS06. As such, it has the same benefits and drawbacks. Namely, you have access to in-app voice activation so you can give voice commands to the app even without a dedicated Alexa or Google Assistant device. You can also set up complex schedules and use IFTTT protocol to set up commands. However, the IFTTT support is limited and your commands can’t be as complex and automated as several other smart outlets.

You can set up the schedule to respond to factors such as time, humidity, air quality, temperature, sunrise or sunset, local weather, or other factors. Depending on the electric appliance you are connecting, these schedules can prove useful. For example, if you have a humidifier connected to the smart outlet, you can control it automatically based on the humidity. Unlike many other smart outlets, however, iClever IC-BS11 is lacking in motion detection. As such, you can’t set it up to get triggered upon your arrival, which could have been a useful feature.

This smartphone app is pretty efficient. It’s easy to set up and there are absolutely no delays or latencies. The smart outlet triggers the function the moment you enter the command in your smartphone. However, it doesn’t provide energy reports so you can’t optimize your energy usage or save costs through energy consumption analysis.

Pros

  • Extremely cheap.
  • Comes in pairs of two.
  • Easy to install and use.
  • Has an LED light that can be controlled and dimmed.
  • In-app voice activation is available.
  • Smart scheduling features available.
  • No latencies in the app.

Cons

  • No motion detection.
  • Limited IFTTT functionality.
  • Not compatible with important smart home devices and platforms like Apple HomeKit or Samsung SmartThings.
  • Energy reports not available.
  • No motion sensors.
  • Can’t be used to connect high-powered appliances.

5. Belkin WeMo Insight

Belkin WeMo Insight is one of the most power-efficient smart outlets on the market. It has all the functionality of the aforementioned Belkin WeMo Mini, it is extremely compact, and it provides an extremely comprehensive power consumption report that allows you to enhance your efficiency and cut down on costs. If you are strategic and act on the insights provided by this smart outlet, this device basically pays for itself in the long run.

In terms of design, this is an extremely compact smart outlet. It weighs only 3.8 ounces and measures 2.5 x 2.5 x 2 inches. As such, it won’t take up too much space, but it’s still not compact enough to allow you to use adjacent sockets. The smart outlet also has a power button that can act as a mini night light and provide visibility for the outlet in the dark. It also has a USB port in place so you can charge your phones directly via a USB cord.

Belkin WeMo Insight is about twice as expensive as the Mini, but that’s completely justified because it has sensors in place that can detect the power usage. Based on that, it gives you a thorough overview of the smartphone app, complete with graphs of energy consumption over days and weeks. You can use that to study how much you’ve been consuming over a period of time.

The app also allows you to calculate how much money you’re spending on energy and how much you can save with different energy-saving strategies. You can even download the reports into your computer in the form of CSV files.

One of this smart outlet’s most impressive features is its ability to automate energy-saving strategies. It can basically study your usage patterns and then limit usage. For example, after your energy usage exceeds a specific number of hours for the day, it can simply cut off your supply. Alternatively, you can also set it up to cut off supply after you exceed a certain cost. If you are really serious about cutting energy costs, Belkin WeMo Insight has an aggressive strategy in place to force the situation. That’s what makes it one of the most intelligent and energy-efficient smart outlets on the market.

The only problem is that the two energy-saving functions mentioned above can only be accessed through IFTTT. That means you have to flip between two different apps to access that feature. This is a minor inconvenience, but it would still be better to have those features in the same app as the primary energy reports.

In addition to energy saving, this smart outlet has all necessary features such as the ability to set up Home, Away, and Sleep settings. You also have access to advanced schedules dependent on time, temperature, sunrise or sunset, etc. Unlike Belkin WeMo Mini, however, this smart outlet doesn’t have motion sensors.

Belkin WeMo Insight also works with all popular smart home standards such as Amazon Echo, Apple HomeKit, Google Home, IFTTT, Nest, and many others. This smart outlet is also pretty powerful with a 15-amp rating so you can also connect heaters, air conditioners, and other high-powered devices to it.

Pros

  • Extremely comprehensive energy insights.
  • Can cut off power after it exceeds the daily limit in terms of hours or cost.
  • Ideal for saving cost.
  • Advanced IFTTT functionality.
  • Works with all major smart home devices and platforms.
  • Smart scheduling available.
  • Works with high-powered devices.
  • Has a USB port.

Cons

  • Will obstruct other sockets in a power strip.
  • No motion sensors.
  • Advanced energy saving features accessible through IFTTT.

6. Geeni GN-WW106-199

Geeni GN-WW106-199 is a small and compact smart outlet that weighs only 2 ounces and measures 2 x 3.2 x 1.6 inches. The width is narrow enough that it doesn’t obstruct the adjacent sockets in a power strip.

This smart outlet is equipped with a power button and two USB ports. I appreciated the inclusion of the USB ports because it essentially allows you to connect up to three devices in the entire outlet. Furthermore, you can use the Geeni smartphone app to control each of the plugs individually. You can also voice control this smart outlet with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Microsoft Cortana.

The compatibility of Cortana is unique because most smart outlets don’t have that. As such, if you’re a Microsoft user, this will be pretty beneficial for you. However, Cortana comes at the expense of Apple HomeKit, so you can’t control it with Siri. Considering a vast number of smart home devices are associated with Apple HomeKit, that doesn’t seem like a particularly great trade-off.

You can also use the Geeni smartphone app to remotely control the outlets or set up schedules. However, the functionality is extremely limited. You can set up timers, but you can’t set up schedules for different environmental factors like temperature, humidity, etc. Furthermore, it doesn’t have IFTTT functionality so you can’t set up complex commands to control it with other smart home devices.

All things considered, Geeni GN-WW106-199 is an extremely bare-bones and cheap smart outlet that you can use if you simply want to remotely turn different appliances on and off or set timers. It doesn’t have any of the advanced functionality available in other smart outlets, even in the same price range.

Pros

  • Extremely simple to use.
  • Doesn’t obstruct adjacent outlets.
  • Works with Cortana.
  • Has two USB ports.
  • Can control the USB ports and the plug independently.

Cons

  • No motion sensors.
  • Can’t set schedules according to environmental conditions.
  • No IFTTT compatibility.
  • Doesn’t work with Apple HomeKit.
  • Has limited compatibility.
  • Doesn’t integrate well with smart home devices.

7. iDevices IDEV0010

iDevices IDEV0010 isn’t a plug that you can enter into a wall outlet to turn it smart, it’s an actual wall socket that you can use instead of your regular wall outlet. Even though this is a complete smart wall outlet, installing it doesn’t take too long. You have to remove your current wall outlet and connect the smart outlet’s wires to your home’s power grid. If you are good with electrical devices, you can probably handle it yourself. If not, you should get an electrician to do it. The biggest drawback of using this is that it’s not at all portable and you can’t simply change its position whenever you want.

This smart wall outlet has two sockets and you can monitor and control both of them independently. The outlet is also equipped with a small night light that can provide visibility in the dark. You can control its brightness via the smartphone app. When you’re pairing this smart outlet to your HomeKit, Alexa, or Google Assistant, you’ll have to use the code mentioned on the side of the device.

iDevices IDEV0010 also has a pretty efficient smartphone app. You can assign names and functions to both the sockets and then control them remotely. The device also takes power consumption data and generates an energy report which you can view in your app. The energy report isn’t as exhaustive as the one provided by Belkin WeMo Insight. But it’s enough to determine how you can save energy and cost. The data can also be exported in the form of a CSV file.

This smart outlet should be installed in a circuit with a breaker that’s rated at a maximum of 15 Amps. As such, it can handle most electrical appliances. However, if you connect something heavy like an air conditioner, be sure to study the smartphone app’s energy consumption data to make sure the power doesn’t exceed 15 Amps.

All things considered, iDevices IDEV0010 is a pretty functional smart outlet if you want something that can be connected directly to your home’s power grid. However, it isn’t portable and it only provides the bare minimum in terms of functionality.

Pros

  • Connects directly to your home’s power grid.
  • Has a night light that can be dimmed or controlled.
  • Has two sockets that can be controlled individually.
  • Provides energy reports.
  • Can be voice controlled via Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri.

Cons

  • Not portable.
  • Minimal functionality.
  • Energy reports not too comprehensive.
  • Might require professional installation.

Which Factors to Consider when Buying Smart Outlets?

The following are the primary factors you need to consider when buying smart outlets.

Compatibility

The most important factor to consider when buying a smart outlet is its compatibility. It needs to be compatible with a wide range of other smart devices so that it can interact well with everything else in your smart home. Some of the essentials include Amazon Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant, Samsung SmartThings, and Wink. However, you should make a note of all your smart devices and make sure it works with all of them. You should also make sure it works with IFTTT (If This, Then That) protocol so you can set up complex intelligent commands for your smart devices.

Additional Components

A lot of smart outlets come with a number of additional components that increase their value and utility. Some smart outlets come with motion sensors so they can also act as a security device to warn you if there’s a break in. Some smart outlets also double as thermostats that can maintain your home’s temperature. So try and find smart outlets that offer greater value.

Scheduling

Most smart outlets allow you to set up schedules for when they should be turned on or off. Look for smart outlets that allow you to customize those schedules and set up timers easily. Some smart outlets can also be customized based on triggers such as temperature, sunrise, humidity, etc. These scheduling features can make things a lot more efficient and easy for you.

Power Management

One of the benefits of smart devices is that you can monitor their data via your smartphone. As such, when you get a smart outlet, check the smartphone app to gauge its power consumption reports.

Advanced smart outlets give you an exhaustive yet easily understood power consumption data. You can use that data to figure out how to maximize utility and minimize energy consumption.

Perhaps you leave the boiler on too long. Perhaps you leave the lights on when you go to sleep. Once you find out where you are spending all your energy, you can increase your efficiency and lower your electricity bills.

Size

You should get compact smart outlets that don’t obstruct other sockets in a power strip. While making sure they are compact, you should also make sure they have functional features like USD ports or ethernet ports.

Weatherproof

Most smart outlets aren’t weatherproof so they can only be used indoors. However, if you’re going to use the smart outlet in an outdoors setting, make sure that you get a weatherproof one. Weatherized smart outlets are generally black in color and they bare the weatherproof seal on their body.

Wireless Standard

Smart Outlets generally run on wireless standards such as WiFi, Z-Wave, or Zigbee. WiFi smart outlets can simply be connected to the router. And Z-Wave or Zigbee smart outlets require separate hubs.

Power Limitations

Check the smart outlet’s power consumption rating or limitations. If you’ll be connecting high-powered appliances like hair dryers or blowers, you’ll need to make sure the smart outlet can handle that wattage of power.

Number of Sockets

Most smart outlets come with a single plug. However, some smart outlets come in the form of a power strip with two or more plugs as well. If you want to connect several devices in a single spot, you can get a smart outlet with various sockets.

Grounded or Ungrounded

Some smart outlets cannot handle heavy machinery so they come with only two-prongs and are ungrounded. As such, if you want to connect high-powered heavy machinery, be sure to get a grounded smart outlet with three prongs.

Conclusion

I hope this article has helped you figure out which smart outlet is most suitable for your home and your specific needs. If you’ve found the right smart outlets, you can finally be on your way to a smart home!