Smart Plugs & Energy

Last updated: September 2026 A smart home EV charger does two jobs at once. It refills your car overnight, and it ties that charging into the rest of your connected home so you can schedule it around cheap off-peak rates, watch the energy it pulls, and in some cases start or stop it with a … Read more

Last updated: October 2026 The smart plug vs surge protector question usually starts the same way: one free outlet, two things you could put in it, and a vague sense that both are about “power.” The confusion is fair, because both sit in the same aisle with similar packaging. The short version is that they … Read more

Last updated: September 2026 The best outdoor smart plugs are not just indoor plugs in a chunkier shell. They are sealed against dust and water, rated to keep switching when the temperature drops well below freezing, and built with enough antenna to hold a connection from the far end of a yard. Get one of … Read more

Last updated: September 2026 You cannot cut what you cannot see. That is the whole case for energy monitoring, and it is why the best smart plugs with energy monitoring are some of the most useful gadgets in a smart home. Plug a device in, and instead of guessing, you see exactly how many watts … Read more

Last updated: September 2026 Finding the best smart plugs for Google Home is straightforward once you know what to look for, but there are a few common traps worth avoiding. Some of the most popular smart plugs on Amazon don’t actually work with Google Home at all (the Amazon Smart Plug being the biggest example). … Read more

Last updated: September 2026 The best matter smart plugs are finally close to the “buy once, use anywhere” promise in 2026. If you are new to these devices, you can learn more about what a smart plug is and why you need one in our beginner’s guide. If you are building out a Matter home, … Read more

If you’re shopping for in-wall smart wall outlets (hardwired duplex receptacles that replace a normal outlet, not plug-in smart plugs), 2026 finally feels like a “buy once, regret less” year. Matter and Thread have made it easier to avoid getting trapped in one ecosystem, but the real-world gotchas haven’t changed: you still need the right … Read more

Last updated: September 2026 If your smart plug turns off by itself, the cause is usually one of four things: a hidden schedule/routine, weak 2.4 GHz Wi‑Fi, an overload (or inrush spike), or the plug is only “offline” inside HomeKit/Alexa/Google but it’s actually still powered. The quickest fix is figuring out which situation you’re in … Read more

Last updated: September 2026 Are you looking to get the best smart power strip to further automate your smart home? With these devices you can do things like organize your desk, manage power in a home office, or easily set up an entertainment center. A smart power strip or multi outlet smart plug adds powerful … Read more

Last updated: October 2026 Smart plugs are one of the easiest ways to automate “dumb” appliances. However, when it comes to bigger devices like AC units, heaters, refrigerators, or washing machines, safety matters. A smart plug for appliances must match the power draw, startup surge, and load type of the device you plug into it. … Read more