Discover the ultimate in home automation with our guide to the best smart wall plugs featuring Wi-Fi connectivity.
New technologies are increasingly present in our house, with the aim of making life a little easier. If you want to improve your home, it may be interesting to buy the best smart wall plugs. If you are not sure what model to buy, I recommend you read this article to get rid of doubts and choose the right smart sockets.
Are you one of those who leave the appliances on? Well, know that it would not have happened to you using an intelligent socket.
You may have heard about them or maybe not, but today we want to explain what they are in detail. If you want to save reading, we will recommend the TP-Link HS100, which is wonderful when it comes to controlling devices.
But if you want to learn more about these devices, read on, because I’m going to explain everything to you.
Also, read our other guides on the best home security systems, home alarm systems, smart door lock systems, and smart thermostats.
What is a smart plug?
It is an instrument that provides intelligence to non-intelligent products. The technology of our homes begins to take off, but we still have many devices that are far from being handled by our voice or through a smartphone.
To relate the instrument in question to other devices, it is only necessary that we have a Wi-Fi network. Hence, it is also known as a WiFi socket.
The operation of this type of gadget is very simple. To start using it, we will download an app compatible with Android and iOS. Then, we will associate the device with the Wi-Fi network and plug it into a normal power outlet to later connect the appliances or other devices.
What is the difference with the programmable plugs?
So far, the old plugs only gave you the option to schedule certain hours of work.
That is, I put it so that every day at 8 in the morning, the coffee machine is turned on to make me coffee, and I do not have to touch it again.
These new tools give you the possibility to control it much better and also immediately. For example, turn them on as if it were a remote control, since they are controlled through WiFi.
They are connected to the Wi-Fi network of the house, and you, for example, are at work. Open the application and turn on or program what you need.
And there are some that are programmable like the old ones; that is, they are the same device but newer and with new functions.
What uses can we give?
There are multiple uses that you can give them, but I am going to give you some ideas that are sure to be useful to you.
For example, turn on the electric water heater before arriving at your house. This saves electricity, and you do not have to wait for it to turn on.
Turn on the washing machine that you have previously left programmed with the clothes on. This prevents wet clothes from smelling once the washing is over.
Or to turn on the boiler in your house so that when you arrive, it is hot.
Even to make dinner before you get home if you have left everything prepared and you do not have a programmable pot, one of these is always better.
So with this type of device, we can turn our house into something almost intelligent without making a large outlay.
How do you choose the best smart plug for your home?
I’ll give you some tips so you can learn to choose the best plug to control your devices.
Smart plug with WiFi
Many of these smart plugs come with WiFi to control them from a distance, but it never hurts to say it.
So if you are going to buy one, check that it has this function and that you can control it from a mobile application.
You will see how cool it is that you can have total control of your home from your phone or tablet without having to be inside.
Make it programmable
Since there are different ranges, some will have the function to be programmed and others will not, so you have to do everything by hand.
Whether we need it or not, it’s always good to have something you can configure to turn on or off at certain times.
If, for example, you have a watering system at home, you tell it to turn on and water every day at 10 o’clock at night. Remember that at night, water is used almost exclusively because it does not evaporate.
Are you interested in controlling consumption?
Some even have the ability to control the consumption of electricity that is making the device you have connected.
The truth is that it is an interesting function, and although you do not put them all like this, it is good to have some of them at home.
Do you have better USB ports?
Imagine that every day that passes, there are more devices that load or work with USB ports. speakers, lights, and many more.
I recommend one that has a USB port if you want to connect any of these devices. Also, it will always consume less electricity than a normal plug.
For example, they sell Christmas lights and similar things that connect to the USB so that you do not occupy the plug and control when they turn on or off.
The 10 best smart sockets or smart wall plugs for wireless control
I will recommend some of these devices that I have reviewed, and I like them for their technical specifications and functions.
Although, with what I have explained, you yourself can buy the one you want, knowing the characteristics that they have to have.
TP-Link HS100
The TP-Link HS100 is a device with which you can easily control all the devices in your home from your mobile phone.
Like others of the same type, it is controlled through Wi-Fi through an application called Kasa from the same TP-Link brand.
It has the programming function to control when you want your devices to work at certain times, but the thing is not here.
An interesting function of this device is that it has a so-called “outside the house” mode, which makes it simulate that there are people inside and that it comes very well to scare off thieves and thugs.
It is also compatible with Amazon Echo, with which you can control the devices with your voice, something that becomes more interesting every day.
If you are going to buy any of these gadgets, this is undoubtedly the one that I recommend because it is a trusted brand and also has very interesting features.
Discover more and the price here
TP-LINK HS110
Do you want to go further? How about controlling up to the last watt consumed in your home?
The TP-LINK HS110 is practically the same as the previous one, with the same control features by means of the app and WiFi, the programming function, out-of-home mode, etc.
Moreover, it has the same design but has a function that will delight anyone who cares about the consumption of electricity, although it would be for everyone at the price.
But this device is controlling, in real time, the consumption of the power of the devices you connect, and you can access weekly and monthly summaries.
The only bad part is that you will have to make a somewhat larger outlay to get one of these, but the advantage is that in the end, you will save electricity by knowing what you spend.
In addition, another advantage of buying it is that TP-Link offers 3 years of warranty on these, so out there you can rest easy.
It’s the one I like most of all, because I’m one of those who try to save up to the last watt, and the truth is that there is not much difference in price either.
Discover more and the price here
Smart plug with wifi Teckin
The intelligent plug from Teckin is one of the most requested models at present and works with the free Smart Life application. A great virtue of this prototype is its domotic capacity since it connects with the main virtual assistants on the market (Alexa and Google Assistant). It also includes more features, such as energy control and the establishment of schedules and timers. To finish, we highlight that it is an intelligent plug that we can control from our smartphone (even if we are away from home).
Discover more and the price here
NETVIP wireless smart socket
The NETVIP smart plug surprises with its design and the ring of RGB night light that it incorporates around it (copied by 8 different scenes and able to customize the brightness and color instantly). On the other hand, it provides real-time reports on the amount of energy consumed and is compatible with virtual assistants and IFTTT modalities. Lastly, it should be noted that it integrates an intelligent timing function with the aim of marking specific operating times and avoiding the overload of the products associated with it.
Discover more and the price here
Smart plug compatible with Alexa from Osram
This intelligent Osram plug multiplies the capabilities of our home and allows us to be able to control lights or talking appliances. For the above to be possible, it is only necessary that we connect it with the virtual assistant Alexa and configure the different voice commands so that our new acquisition obeys us. The other great strength of this product is that it works with ZigBee technology, and in some cases, it does not need a connection bridge or hub.
Discover more and the price here
Smart plug for Google Home by Aisirer
The intelligent plug of Aisirer stands out for providing domotic qualities to any instrument that is not, since it is compatible with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. Like the previous issue, it will allow us to open and close the flow of electric current with our own words (as long as we associate it with an intelligent speaker). It also includes important virtues such as energy monitoring and establishing schedules and timers. Finally, we can use it as an external smart plug since it is totally wireless and portable.
Discover more and the price here
Homekit Eve Energy smart plug
The Eve Energy smart plug is ideal for those who prefer Apple Home products, and we chose Siri as our virtual assistant. Like the others, it allows us to control the consumption of any connected instrument or appliance, and we will understand the origin of the costs that appear in each invoice. Finally, as we already know, the integrated technology and compatible devices (iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch) are of high quality (hence this product is more expensive).
Discover more and the price here
Koogeek Smart Plug WiFi Socket Outlet
Koogeek is part of the Apple HomeKit home automation system. It allows you to control, monitor, and program the on and off of any device connected to it. You can use it easily through Siri, the voice control system of Apple, or through the official application Koogeek.
In the distance, you can also see if the exit is in use or not and take a look at your energy consumption. With HomeKit, you can control all the devices connected to the socket with Siri.
You can create custom scenes to control multiple connected devices at the same time. The connection can be made at home on a 2.4GHz wifi network or remotely with a HomeKit, protected by the WPA or WPA2 protocol. The Kogeek smart connector is very easy to configure and allows you to have an electrical outlet that you can control with Apple devices.
Discover more and the price here
Koogeek Smart Plug WiFi Socket Outlet
First of all, it is a domotic plug that we will control through our own voice due to its interconnection with a virtual assistant (usually integrated into a smart speaker such as an Alexa Echo or Google Home). Speaking to these last ones, we will open and close the power socket by virtue of our pretensions and, consequently, we will start the devices attached to it.
We have to configure the instructions that we are going to give you. For example, if we plug in a lamp and associate it with the virtual assistant Alexa, we will give shape to a voice command such as “Alexa, turn off the lights” or “Alexa, turn on the bedside lamp. You have to be clear that we are not actually turning the light on and off, but activating and deactivating the power socket.
Many smart plugs can be programmed to open and close the flow of the current at a certain time. For example, they enable us to activate our coffee maker for 20 minutes before getting up and enjoying a fresh coffee.
These gadgets give us the option to turn off any appliance that we have left on, as they enable remote control from the app.
Through applications to introduce IFTTT (an acronym for “If This Then That”), we can give instructions to our smart plugs to create conditional scenarios (if “x” happens to happen “and”). An example would be to order that when the garage door is closed, the light also goes out.
Finally, some domotic plugs control the electrical use and provide us with data on the amount of electricity consumed by the instruments fitted to them. We will see this data in the app, and, therefore, we will have more control over the number of our invoices.
What is a ZigBee smart plug?
ZigBee plugs are on the rise since this built-in technology facilitates their adaptation to the rest of the environment in a smart home. The devices that require this technology will be integrated into a single hub, eliminating the need for specific concentrators.
In addition to the great predisposition for home automation, ZigBee technology has many advantages, such as the following:
- They consume less energy than any other interface, such as Bluetooth
- The production of this type of instrument is much cheaper
- They have high scalability
- Integration with other smart devices is much simpler
- Less radiation level than other networks
- Greater security
Now you can automate your home
Every day, I am more surprised by the potential of new technologies and how they make our lives easier.
It is true that having a fully automated digital home is not enough, not only for the technology but also for the investment that is needed.
But with these small devices, we can have a simpler life, save a lot of energy, and do so without having to make a large outlay.
Do you already use any of these smart plugs, or do you have the old, programmable ones? Come, leave us a comment; we want to know your point of view about it.