We love smart plugs, they enable you to take almost any old piece of home electronics and make it smart. From lamps to heaters and everything in between, a simple smart plug lets you turn them on and off over the Wi-Fi. What’s more, you can set up automation so that lamps turn on at sunset, for example, making them really handy bits of kit.

Here’s our choice of the best smart plugs on the market, at the moment.

Our Top Pick: Best Smart Plug

For

  • Great Alexa integration Easy scheduling

Against

  • Won’t work with Google home

Ikea Smart Plug

A well priced and versatile option from the furniture giant.

  • View offer on Ikea.com

  • Remote on/off switch Wide range of third-party support

  • No away from home control

The Ikea Smart Plug is part of the furniture giant’s Home Smart range of devices (previously Trådfri), which includes smart lighting. You’ll need the gateway to connect the Ikea Smart Plug to your home network, as well as either the Control Outlet or a separate bridging device, but you can connect multiple plugs to the gateway and the controlling device.

  • Monitors energy usage Away mode

  • A pricier option

The TP-Link HS110 Smart Plug will allow you to turn your electronics on or off from your smartphone, anywhere you have an internet connection, but it will also allow you to monitor the energy usage of anything plugged into it from your smartphone like the Eve Energy.

There is also an Away-Mode on this smart plug, allowing you to turn devices on and off at different times to imply someone is home even if they aren’t.

  • Six daily time slots Broad ecosystem

  • Requires Hive Hub

The Hive Active Plug requires the Hive Hub if you don’t have Hive Active Heating in order to connect it to any other Hive devices you have and allow you to control it with your smart device, be that a smartphone, tablet or laptop.

Once connected, you’ll be able to turn any electronics plugged into it on or off remotely, as well as schedule up to six time slots a day to mimic someone being home.

Hive also has bulbs and sensors within its smart home portfolio if you want to expand beyond plugs.

  • Power consumption monitoring Compact design

  • Expensive

The Bosch Smart Plug will connect any electrical device you plug into it to the Bosch Smart Home System. Through the Bosch Smart Home app, you’ll be given an insight into the power consumption of the individual devices and you’ll also be able to individually control them and program them day-by-day with a time switch.