Best WiFi Smart Plugs In The UK For 2022

What Is A WiFi Smart Plug?

Despite the name, a “Smart Plug” is a pretty simple concept – it’s a power socket that plugs into the power socket in your wall. Then, you plug your other device – the one you want to control – into the smart plug, and you’re one step closer to having a smart home.

The “smart” bit comes from the fact that the plug then connects to your WiFi network at home (some work with Bluetooth), and can be controlled via an app on your phone or a voice-activated device like the Amazon Echo.

Remember how most UK power sockets have a toggle switch? A UK smart plug is basically a glorified toggle switch, that can be controlled remotely. That’s it, for the most part. (Some plugs add a nifty capability of being able to monitor your energy consumption – more on that later).

So what’s the big deal about that, and why are WiFi smart plugs becoming so popular? Because we’re getting used to being able to control everything from our phones and Alexa devices – and we want to add older devices to this “smart” revolution.

Installing and using these plugs is usually quite simple – you plug it into the wall, then download and install an app on your phone (the best smart plugs have both Android and iOS apps). You use the app to connect the plug to your WiFi network, and that’s it – now you can switch the plug (and the device connected to it) on and off with a tap on your phone or voice control.

Additionally, you can usually set timers and schedules – so you can turn the device on every day at 11:00. You can also connect multiple plugs and devices together for a single “plan”. You would still need a plug for each device – but they’re so cheap these days, it’s easy to connect multiple devices and start building a smart home.

If you add a voice-controlled device such as the Amazon Echo or the Google Home, you can then control your smart plug with the voice assistant. So you would say “Alexa, turn on the kettle” – and voila, you have hot water on the way.

What Can I Do With A WiFi Smart Plug?

The perfect example of a use case for app controlled plugs are lamps and lights. Yes, these days you can buy smart light bulbs that connect to your WiFi by themselves, but if you’re using older lamps, and don’t want to replace your light bulbs – then a smart plug can be used to control any type of lamp (as long as it connects to the power socket.)

Other than lamps, there are a few additional interesting uses these smart sockets:

• Scare burglars away: While you’re away, even in a different country, you can turn devices (and lights) at home on and off from your smartphone. Or you can schedule them to turn on at certain hours. That’s a much more useful trick than just leaving one light on – because potential burglars will see things switching on and off and are more likely to think someone is at home.
• Turn the heating on and off: Turning your boiler heating system “smart” is a bit more complicated and usually requires special systems (like the Hive). But controlling simpler heating devices that connect directly to a power socket is easier. So you can turn them on before you get back home, or schedule specific hours. In addition, if you’re like me and you’re always terrified you forgot to turn the heating off – you’ll be able to check (and turn off) via your smartphone.
• Turn the Christmas lights on and off
• Create connected device “plans”: With a tap, or at a certain hour, your TV and soundbar will turn on and your lamp will turn off, for example. Hey, even add your electric blanket to the mix. So with one command, everything in the room is ready for you. Just remember – each one of these devices needs to be connected to a separate smart plug.

The possibilities are endless. And sure – controlling your light and your TV with your voice, instead of getting up to push a button, IS a bit lazy. But it’s fun, it’s convenient, and it truly makes technology work for us…

Which Is The Best Smart Plug? Things To Consider

First, there are two things you need to remember, that aren’t related to the plugs at all:

• The device you want to control needs to have a permanent “On” position: A smart plug basically does one thing – start and cut the electricity to the device connected to it. So if your kettle turns itself off with a switch that you need to then push again – a remotely-controlled plug won’t help. If your radio has an “On” button, but then you also need to press another button to hear anything – a smart plug won’t help. You can test this out easily with the power toggle switch on your regular power socket – cut the electricity, then turn it back on, and see if your device turns itself on again.
• You need a WiFi connection near the plug: Internet-controlled plugs connect to the network via a WiFi connection. Therefore, you must have a good WiFi reception where you intend to position the smart plug. If you need help with that, check out my review of the best WiFi range extenders. (Some smart plugs work with Bluetooth instead of WiFi, but in my opinion, that’s much more restrictive – so I’m only looking at WiFi plugs in this article.)

Now that the basics are set, here are a few other things you need to watch out for when looking for the best smart plug in the UK:

Easy To Use Apps

The whole point of a smart plug is being able to connect it using your phone (and a voice assistant – see ahead). However, if the plug comes with a cumbersome, difficult-to-use app, then it’s not worth the money – or the hassle. Instead of saving time – you’ll be struggling to understand the app.

In addition to the app being easy to use, make sure it works with your smartphone. The best WiFi plugs will have both iOS and Android support. Some plugs also support Windows 10 PCs – but that’s less common.

Supported Voice Assistants

A smart home gets really smart when you control it with your voice – no need to even look for your phone…

However, there are three major voice assistants in the market today: Amazon Echo (Alexa), Google Home and the Apple Homekit. and you need to make sure the smart plug you want to buy works with the voice assistant you have.

All the devices in this article are compatible with Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant (which is part of their Echo line of devices, as well as some 3rd party devices.) Most of them also work with Google’s Voice Assistant.

If you want to be 100% sure that your plug works with Amazon Alexa, look for the “Works with Alexa – Amazon Certified” logo:

“‘Works with Alexa’ is a certification program that raises the bar on responsiveness, reliability, and functionality, ensuring customers have the best smart home experiences.”

Smart plugs that work with Apple’s HomeKit, however, are not very common in the UK at this point – which is why I’ve excluded them from this article, for now. (If you still want one – take a look at the Eve…)

Smart Plugs That Need A Hub

Most smart plugs are WiFi-controlled and connect directly to the network, where they can be controlled with your phone or voice assistant.

Some plugs, however, need an additional central “hub” that connects them all together. Then, your phone/voice assistant talks to the hub, instead of directly to each plug.

While this can sometimes offer more advanced functionality (especially if you want to connect multiple devices around the house), it also complicates things and makes them more expensive. Therefore, all the smart plugs reviewed here work by themselves, without needing an additional hub.

Energy Monitoring

Some smart plugs can monitor your device’s energy usage. So if you leave the radio on for two hours, you can see how much it’s going to cost you in electricity bills. It’s a useful feature if you’re looking to conserve energy and save money by giving you more data about your devices – but consider whether it’s worth the extra cost for a plug with that feature.

IFTTT Support

If This Then That (IFTTT for short) is a service that lets your devices and apps and software “talk to each other”. You can set simple (or complicated) rules that help your devices work together. For example – if your security cam senses movement (which an app detects), IFTTT can automatically tell your smart plug to turn on the radio, for a fuller smart home experience.

The possibilities are truly endless – but you need a smart plug that supports connectivity with IFTTT, so look out for that.

Best WiFi Smart Plugs UK 2022