Can you control your lighting, heat and air, television, and other products at home by way of an app on your smartphone? If the answer is no, then you probably haven’t made moves to ready your home for the way of the future. Smart homes are typically built from the ground up, with special wiring to help you control various processes inside your dwelling with the touch of a remote or a special app. But if you aren’t interested in going that route and need a quick fix, you can always invest in select smart plugs that turn any regular outlet into a way to get your home connected to the smart home tech that’s making lives easier across the globe. Smart plugs are simple products that let you plug into an existing outlet and connect items to your Wi-Fi network. For instance, you can set your lights to dim at a specific time automatically or adjust your thermostat without ever leaving the comfort of your warm couch. No idea where to start? We’ve got you covered with some of the best plugs you can buy to turn any outlet in your home into a smart outlet. Smarten things up!

Best Smart Plugs

This plug is a bit pricier than Leviton’s option, but it gets the job done and offers two outlets you can control via app for a little over the price of one. You only need one product over two, as well, so there’s no need to buy two. So you save a little bit of money while doubling up on the available outlets, which is always good for anyone on a budget. If you have too many devices to buy one or two smart plugs here and there, consider this smart power strip with six outlets and USB ports. It’s a bargain for six outlets, plus you can protect your items from power surges since they’ll all be plugged into a unit that’ll keep them safe. The device can also monitor energy usage and charge three devices that use USB ports at once. This way you can charge your phone and then have it handy to control the other items in your home!

Things to know before buying smart plugs