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Make your gadgets smart with these handy products
The smart home is increasingly commonplace, with smart thermostats, connected smoke alarms, colour-changing light bulbs, voice-controlled speakers and much more.
But the main entry point to this world is through a simple but important accessory: the smart plug.
With the smart plug, you can make a “dumb” gadget smart. For instance, use it for the bedside lamp so instead of struggling across a dark room with your hands full, say, “Alexa, turn on the bedside light”.
Alexa is Amazon’s voice assistant, though you can also say “Hey, Google” or “Hey, Siri” for products that respond to Google Assistant or Apple HomeKit smart home set-up.
Not all gadgets get really brainy. Some kettles still need you to press a button before they start working – so getting your morning brew going from the comfort of your bed may not apply.
We tested a range of smart plugs for set-up, simplicity of use, compatibility with multiple platforms, and efficiency in performance, and considered price and design as well. Note that a smart plug is adding an extra layer over the regular socket, and the bulk of some means they overlap two sockets on a multi-gang socket, for instance, or may not be suitable where space is cramped.
Eve energy is a real winner, with great performance, though its seamless fit for Apple devices means it’s best for households with an iPhone or iPad, while our overall best buy Meross homekit smart plug mini MSS110 combines compact size with strong capabilities. If you use Amazon Echo devices, the Amazon smart plug is hard to beat.
For the latest smart home offers, try the links below:
Introduce more savvy tech into your home with the best smart speakers