5 Best Smart Plugs for the UK Market (2021 Review)

Smart home specialists Teckin have made it their business to provide you with the ability to control gadgets and appliances with just the power of your voice, using clever devices like Amazon Alexa or Google Home.

We got our hands on their excellent three-pack of smart plugs and put them through their paces. The Teckin smart plug fits nicely into a two-gang plug socket and has a nice little cut out that means it can fit plug sockets with large switches.

We really liked how easy it is to set a schedule on the smart plug app once you’ve installed it. If you can use a smartphone, it will be a piece of cake to set lamps, coffee machines or even heaters to turn on and off at any time.

You can set schedules to repeat on a weekly basis, and use the app’s built in energy monitor to keep any eye on how much each device is using. Overall, this remote control socket is the best smart plug for the UK market available right now.

TP-Link are a familiar electronics brand who are one of the world’s biggest suppliers of networking products, and their Kasa brand of smart home accessories includes some of the best smart plugs on the market.

We tried out their smart Wi-Fi plug and think that even though it’s a bit bigger than some of the slimline smart wifi plugs on the list, it’s easy on the eye and should fit in to any power socket you have at home.

Even though it’s not Smart Life app compatible, the HS100 TP-Link smart plug uses the Kasa app to control a whole host of clever features. Our favourite is the “Away Mode” that simulates the normal use of a device to make it look like you’re home when you could be on another continent.

The three-year warranty on this TP-Link smart plug is another good reason to buy into what we think is one of the best smart plugs for Alexa in the UK.

Another specialist smart home technology company, Avatar Controls have been designing and manufacturing smart bulbs, power strips and even a vapour-eating smart extractor.

We took a close look at their EXTecho smart plug four-pack, and rate it as another option for the best smart plug for the UK market. To start with, they look stylish while not standing out too much, and will suit any home office. Our favourite design feature has to be the baby-proof safety slide that should keep little fingers from getting shocked.

All you have to do is connect the Avatar Controls smart plug to the Smart Home app, and you have a fully-functioning smart home network that connects to Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, and even IFTTT for tech-savvy home gadget enthusiasts.

Another networking specialist, Netvip can be relied on to boost your Wi-Fi signal or improve your Bluetooth in-car experience with their range of useful gadgets.

We got our hands on their two-pack of wifi smart plugs, and think they’ve come up with the best smart plug for Google Home in the UK. They’re another small pair of devices that don’t stick out from the power socket too much, which is excellent news when you have already limited access.

Another Smart Life app compatible smart plug set, the Netvip wifi smart plug offers the same functionality as the more expensive Teckin SP27, but with the added dimmable LED light ring with changeable colours, from the same app. This can be used as a nightlight in a child’s room, a night-time light for dark corridors, or just a stylish addition to any modern home.

Meross supply more than 1 million customers in 20 countries and regions with an impressive range of the best smart plugs, smart thermostats, switches and Wi-Fi enabled garage door openers. We couldn’t resist their take on a smart home appliance.

Meross have taken a different path to the rest of this list, and have upgraded the traditional three-gang power strip to a smart system packed with plug sockets and four USB connections.

We love the fact that you can control each power socket individually from the Smart Life app, but you still have a manual master switch to double down on safety. It’s an excellent power strip that is as safe as it is innovative. Made of tough ABS plastic, the Meross Wifi smart power strip is fire and surge resistant as well.