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We’re betting that you’ve got lamps, heaters, fans, printers, and all kinds of other electrical equipment scattered around your home. Everybody does! But getting up and down to turn all of these things on and off all the time can get a bit tiresome. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a better way? Believe it or not, there is!
It all comes down to smart plugs. They plug into your regular wall outlets (or power strips) and allow you to control the connected device remotely. The smart plug will connect to an app on your smartphone so you can turn things on and off, set automated schedules, and more! How convenient is that!? They connect over Wi-Fi, and some of them even offer outdoor protection or multiple plugs!
If a smart plug sounds like the next best thing for your home improvement streak, we’re here to help you find the best one. Smart plugs will vary in things like price, number of plugs, size, voice assistant compatibility, and more. And every feature matters when it comes to finding your perfect match. That’s why you want to think about all of them before you buy!
This comprehensive guide will investigate the best smart plugs in Canada right now and outline the criteria you should consider while making your purchase decision. Let’s dive right into our top five products.
Top Pick: Kasa Smart Matter Smart Plug with Energy Monitoring
Outdoor Pick: Kasa Smart Outdoor Dimmer Plug
Upgrade Pick: Philips Hue Smart Plug
Multi-Plug Pick: Kasa Smart HS300 Power Strip
Tight Space Pick: Kasa Smart Plug Ultra Mini 15A Smart Home Wi-Fi Outlet
In our humble opinion, the Kasa Smart Matter Smart Plug with Energy Monitoring has everything working in its favour. A great price (especially considering you get two plugs included!), great home assistant compatibility (seriously, it works with everything!), reliable connectivity, and energy usage tracking (separated by device!) are all of its highlights. Is it missing anything? We sure don’t think so. That’s why it’s our top pick this year.
The only homes we wouldn’t recommend this option for are the ones that have a ton of devices to connect in a single room. If that sounds like your home, you’d be better off purchasing a smart plug power strip instead of individual plugs. Otherwise, this Kasa option truly has something for everybody.
Overall, the Kasa Smart Matter Smart Plug with Energy Monitoring is one of our favourite smart plugs of all time. With its user-friendliness, home assistant compatibility, and energy usage tracking, this thing will be perfect for pretty much everybody. Happy smart-plugging!
Performance: 5/5
Usability: 5/5
Price: 5/5
Quality: 5/5
Reviewers have a very high opinion of the Kasa Smart Matter Smart Plug with Energy Monitoring. They love everything about it. Every voice assistant works flawlessly, the two-for-one value makes everyone happy, and the energy tracking helps keep them informed. All of them would recommend it to friends and family, and some of them have even bought it as a gift!
Buy If…
You want a smart plug that is compatible with all home assistants
You have two devices to connect
Affordability is a priority
You’d like to keep track of the energy each device is using
Don’t Buy If…
You have a lot of devices to connect in one room
Dimensions: 2.6” x 1.6” x 1.5”
Voice Control: Siri, Alexa, Google Home, Apple Home Kit, and Samsung SmartThings
Timer: Yes
Number of Plugs: 1
Warranty: 2 years
The Kasa Smart Outdoor Dimmer Plug has a lot going for it. It has an outlet cover and an outdoor-rated cord to make sure it’s safe for all weather conditions, which is just as important as it sounds. It’s also got a long Wi-Fi range so it’s compatible with all yard sizes. No frustration here! It even has a dimmer feature so you can set the perfect atmosphere.
Honestly, unless you’re trying to plug in something other than a light, this option is the best for outdoor settings. If you are going to use a non-light device, you’ll just end up paying more for a dimmer feature that you won’t actually be using. If you fall in that boat, you might be better off looking for another option.
All in all, the Kasa Smart Outdoor Dimmer Plug is the perfect choice if you’re looking to add some more convenience to your backyard oasis. Since it’s compatible with dimmable lights, is safe to be left outside year-round, and is easy to set up, there’s basically no reason not to choose this one.
Performance: 5/5
Usability: 5/5
Price: 5/5
Quality: 5/5
Reviewers have a good opinion of the Kasa Smart Outdoor Dimmer Plug. It’s really easy to set up, especially for people who connected it to Alexa instead of Google Home (Google Home needs the app first, Alexa doesn’t). The dimmable function gives them so much more versatility with their light settings, and the Wi-Fi connection is always reliable, even in larger yards.
Buy If…
You need a smart plug that is safe for outdoor use
You’d like the option of dimming lights, not just turning them on and off
A long Wi-Fi range is ideal
Don’t Buy If…
You want to use your smart plug for something other than a light
Dimensions: 3.1” x 1.5” x”2.8”
Voice Control: Alexa and Google Home
Timer: Yes
Number of Plugs: 1
Warranty: 2 years
We really like the Philips Hue Smart Plug. Unlike other options, it’s compatible with Apple Home Kit in addition to Google Home and Amazon Alexa. No one has to be left out. It also has one of the most appealing and intuitive companion apps, so you won’t have any trouble figuring out how to use it. Throw in a super reliable Wi-Fi connection and seamless design, and you’ve got a pretty perfect smart plug on your hands.
One of the only complaints we have with this one is the fact that you’ll need a hub in order to get full functionality from your smart plug (things like setting timers, controlling your devices away from home, or establishing recurring schedules). This is also a more expensive option (some brands offer two plugs for the same price), so that’s something to think about as well.
Overall, if you’re looking for exceptional performance and exceptional usability, you’ll want to choose the Philips Hue Smart Plug. Just keep in mind that you’ll need a Hub to take advantage of all of its features. It’s really, truly the best!
Performance: 5/5
Usability: 5/5
Price: 3/5
Quality: 5/5
Reviewers have great things to say about the Philips Hue Smart Plug. The usability is exceptional when they connect it to their Hub, and the Wi-Fi connection is extremely reliable no matter where they are in their home. It works great with all of the voice assistant options too. Some of them do advise that there are cheaper options if you’ll be using it without the hub, though.
Buy If…
You’d like a smart plug that’s compatible with all home assistants
You’d prefer an unobtrusive design
An intuitive companion app is a must-have
Don’t Buy If…
You want a plug-and-go option
Budget-friendliness is important
Dimensions: 2.7” x 2.1” x 1.5”
Voice Control: Alexa, Google Home, and Apple Home Kit
Timer: Only with the Hub
Number of Plugs: 1
Warranty: 2 years
There are a lot of things to admire about the Kasa Smart HS300 Power Strip. It has space for six charging bricks, which can all be controlled and scheduled independently (yup, you can set schedules), and it also has three USB slots. The energy usage of each device can be monitored over time, and with surge protection in place, they’ll always be safe and operational. How’s that for value?
The main issue you might have with this option is the price tag. Its high plug capacity means it costs a fair amount more than the average smart plug, so if you’re after a budget-friendly choice, this isn’t the one for you. Also, it takes up a lot more space than a standard smart plug, so that’s something to keep in mind as well.
All in all, the Kasa Smart HS300 Power Strip is a really fantastic choice if you have a high device load in one room. With independent control for each outlet, surge protection, and energy usage monitoring, there’s really nothing this power strip can’t do. Trust us, you’ll love it.
Performance: 5/5
Usability: 5/5
Price: 4/5
Quality: 5/5
Reviewers are blown away by the versatility and user-friendliness of the Kasa Smart HS300 Power Strip. Setup was a breeze for everybody, they love the high capacity for plugs and USBs, and the energy usage monitoring feature is a huge hit. The surge protection gives them a lot of peace of mind as well. They all agree it’s worth the price, and they’d all buy it again.
Buy If…
You have a lot of devices in one room that need to be connected
Power surge protection is important to you
You’d like to plug in USBs without a charging brick
You’d like to monitor your energy usage per device
Don’t Buy If…
A budget-friendly option is ideal
A compact smart plug is what you’re after
Dimensions: 14.2” x 2.5” x 1.5”
Voice Control: Alexa and Google Home
Timer: Yes
Number of Plugs: 6
We really like the Kasa Smart Plug Ultra Mini 15A Smart Home Wi-Fi Outlet. Its compact design makes it perfect for small spaces (like outlets hiding behind furniture), and since it comes in a two-pack, you can set up two devices right away! It’s got a ton of safety features to keep your home safe, and the companion app lets you set unique timers and schedules for each plug. Sounds pretty great, huh?
Honestly, the only potential problem you might run into with this smart plug is getting it connected to your Wi-Fi network. Some of them go flawlessly, but others can put up a bit of a fight. If you’re not very tech-savvy and don’t know what to do with a stubborn plug, you might want to go with a more reliable option.
Overall, the Kasa Smart Plug Ultra Mini 15A Smart Home Wi-Fi Outlet is a really great choice if you’re installing it behind furniture or in tight hallways/crowded rooms. It takes up very little space at the outlet and has all of the app usability you could ask for.
Performance: 4.5/5
Usability: 4.5/5
Price: 5/5
Quality: 5/5
Reviewers really like the Kasa Smart Plug Ultra Mini 15A Smart Home Wi-Fi Outlet. It’s convenient that it comes in a two-pack, and the app is easy to navigate, even for first-time users. None of them had issues getting it to fit behind furniture thanks to the slim design. The only concern shared by a few people was difficulty getting the Wi-Fi to connect. But many others didn’t have any issues there.
Buy If…
You have two devices in separate rooms that you want to control remotely
Your outlets are blocked by furniture
You’re connecting devices that would benefit from a schedule or timer
Safety is important to you
Don’t Buy If…
You need a 100% seamless setup process
Dimensions: 2.4” x 1.5” x 2”
Voice Control: Alexa and Google Home
Timer: Yes
Number of Plugs: 1
Warranty: 2 years
Some smart plugs are as affordable as $20, others can cost close to $100. In general, more expensive smart plugs will offer extra home assistant compatibility, a more reliable Wi-Fi connection, and/or more than one plug (aka a smart plug power strip).
Most smart plugs will only have one plug for devices, but you can also find options that look more like power strips with as many as six smart plugs, and maybe even some USB slots thrown in for good measure!
Believe it or not, the size of a smart plug will matter more than you think. Power strips will, of course, be the largest, and while most single-plug smart plugs will be roughly the same size, you’ll want to pay attention to the length and depth to make sure they’ll fit between or behind furniture items.
Pretty much every smart plug out there will be compatible with at least one voice assistant. Amazon Alexa is the most prevalent compatible system, and Google Home follows at a close second. A small group of smart plugs will also be compatible with Apple Home Kit, and an even rarer few will work with Siri and Samsung SmartThings as well. You’ll want to double-check that your chosen smart plug will work with your home setup.
Every smart plug should allow you to set timers for devices and program repeating schedules. There’s one caveat you need to be aware of, though. Some smart plugs will require you to have a hub from the brand to give you access to these features (Philips Hue smart plugs require a Philips Hue hub, for example). Other smart plugs will be able to offer you these features directly from the companion app, which is a lot more convenient (and affordable) if you don’t already have a system set up with a hub.
Disclaimer: The prices displayed are accurate at the time of publication. We’ll do our best to keep them as up-to-date as possible, but you may see slight changes. The products in this list are ranked by independent third parties. Rankings are based on both reviews and independent testing.