Best Smart Plug For Alexa: Indoor, outdoor & power strips
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Smart Plugs are becoming more popular nowadays. Combining these with the latest smart assistants like Amazon's Alexa or Google Assistant can quickly transform your home into a smart home. As there are a lot of smart plugs on the market, you may be wondering, what is the best smart plug for Alexa and Google Home?
The most popular smart plug for Alexa is Amazon's own smart plug. Kasa's range of smart plugs are also a popular choice and work with Alexa, Google Home and Apple HomeKit. Look for smart plugs that are quick and easy to setup and easy to use. Check reviews carefully before buying one.
In this article, I will give you a detailed breakdown of the best smart plugs on the market for Alexa and Google Home to help you choose the best one for your home.
Here’s a list of the best smart plug that can be used with your Alexa & Google Home devices:
Best Basic Smart Plugs
1. Amazon Smart Plug
Works With: Amazon Alexa only.
As you might expect, the Amazon smart plug works only with Alexa. It is very easy to set up (Amazon states that it is "Certified for Humans - Struggle-free, tinker-free, stress-free. No patience needed". So it works right out of the box. All you have to do is just plugin, open the Alexa app, and you are pretty much ready to go in a few minutes.
If you already own Amazon devices then it makes sense to use the Amazon plug to expand your smart home capabilities.
Check prices on Amazon here.
2. Kasa Smart Plug HS103P3
Works With: Amazon Alexa & Google Home
This is my top pick if you want a basic smart plug that works with both Google Home and Alexa.
One great feature is it can be controlled from anywhere using the Kasa app, and you can also use voice control with Alexa, and Google assistant.
This is one of the bestselling plugs and as it works directly over your Wifi network it doesn't require any hub to get it working.
It comes with a bunch of other features, such as allowing you to set individual schedules and timers for your connected devices. It also has a grouping feature which enables you to turn on and off a group of devices at the same time. Check prices on Amazon here.
Kasa actually have a whole selection of smart devices; lights, cameras, and more. Check them out on the Kasa Amazon Smart Store. If you own any other Kasa devices you can create smart triggers such as switch a lamp on if motion is detected by a Kasa camera.
3. Wemo Mini Smart Plug
Works With: Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Apple HomeKit
It comes in a compact size and can fit in a normal wall outlet. It requires no hub to connect and comes with an energy monitoring functionality as well.
Similar to the Kasa plug this comes with it's own app so that you can control it remotely and works with Alexa, Google and Apple.
Check prices on Amazon here.
Best Fully Featured Smart Plugs
1. Kasa Smart Plug Mini with Energy Monitoring
This is basically the same as the Kasa plug listed above but with the additional of Energy Monitoring. It allows you to monitor power consumption of the devices that you plug-in to the smart plug.
Kasa is a trusted brand developed in Silicon Valley, they have over 5 Million users and were the Reader’s Choice of PCMag 2020
2. Currant Smart Outlet (US Only)
Works With: Amazon Alexa & Google Home
Currant's wifi smart outlet comes with two individually controllable outlets. One great feature is the ability to add additional Bluetooth outlets and link them together, this is useful if you don't have such a strong wifi connection.
The energy monitoring is particularly good on the Currant smart plug. It helps you to see detailed breakdowns of your energy usage for each of the devices that you have plugged in.
It then uses artificial intelligence to make suggestions on how to save electricity. It displays exactly how much electricity each devices uses and you can view interactive charts that break down the cost by hour, day, month, and year.
Check out pricing directly from Currant or on Amazon.
Best Outdoor Smart Plugs
1. Outdoor Smart WiFi Plug, HBN Heavy Duty Wi-Fi Timer with One Grounded Outlet
Works With: Amazon Alexa & Google Home
This is one of the most highly rated outdoor smart plugs. It has pretty much everything you need.
It's completely WEATHERPROOF, has SMART SCHEDULES to automatically power devices on and off as needed. No more popping out to the garden to switch on or off lights, fountains etc!
It's designed to work with most plug-in indoor and outdoor appliances with ratings of: 1875W Resistive / 15A, 625W Tungsten / 5A, 1/2 HP
2. Lutron Outdoor Smart Plug
Works With: Amazon Alexa & Google Home
If you need to to control any outdoor appliances, lights or devices then you will need an outdoor smart plug.
The Lutron can protect your devices from dust and heavy rainfall and can operate in some pretty extreme temperature (from -20 degrees Celsius to 50 degrees Celsius).
It works seamlessly with WiFi which means you can control it with Alexa and Google Home voice commands so it does not require a hub.
Best Power Strips
1. Kasa Smart Plug Strip
Works With: Amazon Alexa & Google Home
Instead of getting one smart plug, how about getting a smart power strip? If you don't mind it taking up more space, it will give you the same functionality as 3 of the Kasa smart plugs.
You can plug in and independently control up to 3 devices independently using Alexa or Google voice control.
It comes with surge protection and has the bonus of having three USB ports for charging your devices. You can even opt for a KASA power strip with three power outlets.
As with the standard smart plug you can control your devices from anywhere using the Kasa app.
Check out pricing on Amazon here.
2. Gosund Smart Plug Outlet Extender
Works With: Amazon Alexa & Google Home
This is basically a power strip but the main difference is that it connects directly into your wall socket. Similar to the Kasa power strip this multiple outlets (6 in this case).
It works with Amazon Alexa and Google Home. It has many features such as a fireproof shell, overload protection, and it also works with timers and countdowns.
It comes with a dedicated app so that you can control all of the outlets remotely.
Check out pricing on Amazon here.
Best Lamp Controlling Smart Plug
Caseta Smart Light Dimmer Switch Plug
Works With: Amazon Alexa, Google Home & Apple HomeKit
It doesn't require any special lights to work. This plug in dimmer plug allows you to turns on, off, dim or brighten floor or table lamps. This is perfect for living rooms, nurseries and bedrooms to help you easily automate control of your lamps.
The main downside to this one is that it requires a bridge/ hub which is sold separately for this smart plug.
How To Find The Best Smart Plug For You?
Here are some helpful tips that will help you choose the right smart plug for your Alexa and Google Home devices:
Check The Power
The first thing you have to do is check the smart plug's power. Check to see how many amps it uses so that you are sure it can be used with the devices that you are looking to control.
Devices | Amps |
Amazon Echo Show | 1 |
Television | 3 |
Air conditioners | 15 to 20 |
Smart Device Compatibility
Some smart plugs cannot work across multiple platforms. Double-check whether it works with Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple home kit, and other devices you use.
You can check on Amazon for reviews or check the product specifications in detail to fully know if the plug works with your devices.
Ease Of Use
Smart plugs will make your life easier. But it won't be of use if you forget to check the proper requirements before using it.
Read the reviews and the user manual so that you know the plug you’re purchasing is easy to use. Also look for Amazon's "Certified for Humans" in the product description. This shows that it is easy to set up.
Energy-Tracking capabilities
If you want to know how much energy your devices and appliances use then look for smart plugs that have energy monitoring features.
Size
Some smart plugs are rather large and cover additional outlets on your wall socket. Check the size to make sure it fits where you want to plug it in.
Indoor Vs Outdoor
Indoor smart plugs work differently to outdoor smart plugs. Ensure you buy a specialist outdoor smart plug for all your outdoor appliances and devices.
Hub Requirements
Most smart plugs can now work over Wifi and don't need to connect to a hub. There are still some that will require a hub. Whether to use a hub or not depends on whether you want to be sure your devices will continue to work even if you Wifi network has problems.
I’ve answered a few more questions that you might have when choosing the best smart plugs for Alexa and Google Home.
Q. Is Wi-Fi needed for smart plugs?
It depends on the kind of smart plugs you use, but most of them connect over Wifi these day. There are bluetooth versions as well.
Q. Can smart plugs damage electronic devices?
As the smart plug is directly plugged into an electrical socket, if there is a power surge the device could be damaged. If you want surge protection then your best bet is to use a smart power strip like the Kasa Smart Plug Strip.
Q. What type of device will work on a smart plug?
Any kind of device will work for a smart plug. You just have to make sure the plug can handle the power needed by the device you are plugging in.
Conclusion
I hope this article answers the question "What are the best smart plugs for Alexa and Google Home?" A smart plug is a smart home device that has lots of advantages.
If you want to upgrade your smart home, smart plugs are the perfect solution for you. Buying the best smart plug for you is important so that it will last longer and you need not replace it often.
If you have any questions, make sure to ask them in the comments below.
