A smart plug is the most useful smart home device I own

Smart home gear always seemed like something you'd spend a fortune on and then waste a weekend trying to set up. I bought an Amazon Smart Plug on a whim for $13, and it completely changed my perspective. This device has become my go-to smart home device—way more than the pricier items I've purchased and even my smart water leak detectors. You plug it in, connect to whatever appliance you want to control, and suddenly you can turn it on or off with your voice or set schedules.

I've stopped panicking about whether I left the iron on, and one of these plugs actually saved me from throwing away hundreds of dollars' worth of groceries when our garage fridge started acting up. It turns out you don't need to buy all-new smart appliances. You just need something that makes your regular appliances smarter.

The safety net I didn't know I needed

Eliminating the "did we unplug it?" panic

So I'm driving to work, maybe 15 minutes in, and my brain goes: "Wait, did I unplug the iron or clothes steamer?" That horrible sinking feeling is something everyone is familiar with. I put smart plugs on our steamer, iron, and my wife’s hair straightener a while back, and now when that thought pops up, I just grab my phone and open the Alexa app. Two seconds later, I know for sure.

The relief this brings me is hard to put into words. I've turned the iron off in my car so many times I've lost count. Before the smart plug, I'd either have to drive all the way back home or spend my entire workday anxious about it. Now the whole thing takes maybe five seconds. We don't stress as much in the mornings anymore, because forgetting isn't this huge catastrophe. Plus, even on days when I'm confident that I have unplugged everything, checking the app and seeing it's off just makes me feel better.

Space heater safety and peace of mind

Managing space heaters safely

Winter means space heaters, but they're also pretty scary if you leave them running unattended. I have one on a smart plug in my three-season room, and I usually set a timer for two or three hours when I turn it on. If I get distracted and wander off, the plug automatically shuts it down for me.

The remote checking thing is what really matters, though. I'll be shopping and think, "Oh crap, did I leave the heater running?" and I can just look at my phone right there. Sometimes it's already off, sometimes I have to turn it off myself. Obviously, this isn't a replacement for using space heaters safely—you still need to follow all the instructions in the manual. However, it provides an extra layer of protection, allowing me to shut off the power from anywhere.

Making lamps smart without rewiring

Voice-controlled lighting on a budget

I have smart switches for my ceiling lights, which work great for those. However, lamps are different; many require smaller bulbs, which don’t come in “smart” versions. Smart plugs fix this problem perfectly. Spending around $13 per plug, I can make any lamp work with voice commands without needing to mess with the bulbs or electrical work.

My lamps all over the house now turn on and off when I ask Alexa. I turn off the bedroom lamp without getting up, control the accent lights when I'm carrying stuff, and turn multiple lamps on or off together. The plugs work with any lamp, including vintage lamps with Edison bulbs and your unusual old floor lamp with an oddball socket.

Set-it-and-forget-it automation

Automating the dark corners

My basement storage room has a light bar above some shelves, and I'd always leave it on. The switch is in this annoying location that's hard to reach, so the thing would just burn constantly. I threw a smart plug on it and automated it to turn on when I turned on the main light switch for the ceiling lights.

Christmas lights work great with these, too. I hated crawling behind the tree every single day to plug and unplug them. Now they're on a schedule—5 PM to 11 PM, it happens automatically. On Christmas Eve, if we want them on longer, I just tell Alexa to override it. It's nice not having to remember during the holidays when everything else is already chaotic. You can use smart plugs to automate existing non-smart and DIY LED strips, too.

Practical solutions for everyday annoyances

Hands-free gym equipment control

I have a floor fan in my home gym that I'd always forget to turn on before starting my Peloton workout. When I would realize I wanted the fan on, I would have to pause the workout, unclip my cycling shoes, and walk over to manually turn it on. Mid-workout, I might get too cold and need to turn it off, which would require another interruption. Adding a smart plug eliminated this friction entirely.

I can control the fan with my voice now while I'm lifting, biking, or running. I set it up so when I tell Alexa I'm working out, the fan just turns on. It's a pretty minor thing, but it adds up. Smart plugs are great at resolving these tiny frustrations you've been living with, simply because you assumed there wasn't a better way.

When a smart plug saved hundreds of dollars

The garage fridge incident that justified everything

Our garage fridge is on a GFCI outlet that started tripping for no apparent reason. We'd only realize when we'd go grab something and notice the light wouldn’t turn on in the fridge. No pattern to it whatsoever—just random GFCI tripping—but it kept happening enough that we were worried.

I then plugged a smart plug into the open outlet below the fridge outlet. Then, I could quickly check on one of my Echo Hubs or the Alexa app to see if the GFCI outlet that powered the fridge had tripped or not. If the smart plug couldn’t connect, it meant the outlet was off and the refrigerator had no power. That meant I’d have to fix it or call my wife or have a neighbor come by to press the “reset” button to prevent my food from spoiling while I was away.

The smart plug likely saved us $300–$500 of spoiled groceries and was a great band-aid fix until we finally got an electrician to replace the failing GFCI outlet a few weeks later.

Making the smart home accessible

After using smart plugs across eight different scenarios in my home, I'm convinced they're the best entry point into smart home technology. I've spent roughly $13 per plug to add intelligence to devices I already own, rather than hundreds of dollars replacing everything with "smart" versions. The beauty of smart plugs is their versatility—you don't need to commit to an entire ecosystem or replace functional devices.

Start with your biggest pain point, probably that iron you always worry about, and expand from there. These plugs are compatible only with Alexa, and a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network is required. The setup takes about five minutes. They really do change how you interact with everyday stuff around your house.