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These clever gadgets allow you to turn appliances on and off using your phone

The best smart plugs are a quick way to make your home more intelligent, turning any simple appliance into one that connects to your wifi. When you think of the possibilities, it's easy to see how turning plugs on and off could be useful.

Need a cuppa right away? You can get the kettle boiling before you reach the front door. If you're not home, have lamps go on and off to make it look like you are; or you can double-check you definitely switched off your hair straighteners – we've all been there.

Along with smart bulbs and video doorbells, these devices are among the simplest and most affordable ways to make your home more connected, enabling you to control your appliances remotely and set them to a schedule from your phone.

They might look like an ordinary adaptor or extension lead, but they can do so much more, connecting to your wifi and letting you manage your gadgets from an app on your phone. Setup is as straightforward as popping one in a socket, pairing it with your network, and then using it to switch on and off any appliance attached to it. But they aren’t all the same. This roundup explains the key things to look out for and how to pick the one that’s best for you.

Here are our top recommendations for the best smart plugs in 2022:

On the GH tech team, we test out smart plugs by using them as you do; we pop them in our wall plugs, connect them to our setup and look at how quickly they can turn on lights, fans, and hair straighteners and slow cookers. We also set up automations to turn on and off remotely while we're off on holiday and try out features in the companion app, such as schedules and integrations with voice assistants. Our roundup is a mix of our hands-on testing and rigorous research.

Why we like it: At just under £20 for a single plug, this smart plug is great value. It's easy to install and does a good job of letting you remotely control any appliance plugged into it. We especially like the “​​away” mode that switches the socket on and off at random times – hook some of these up to a few lamps and it’s ideal as a burglar deterrent. It can monitor energy usage but if you don’t need that feature, you can save by picking this £15 variant.

How it connects: This plug connects to your router without the need for a separate hub. You can control it via the Kasa app, which can show you how much energy you’re using, and it's compatible with Alexa or Google Assistant too.

• Connectivity: Wifi • Voice assistant: Alexa, Google Assistant • Compatible with: iOS and Android

Why we like it: If you’ve got three plugs near each other that you’d like to smarten up, buying this extension block works out as better value. On test, it quickly turned devices on or off (within one second) and it has two always-on USB ports for charging phones too, making it a perfect choice to put in your study.

How it connects: Like the plug above, you don’t need a separate hub and it connects via your wifi router. It’ll link up to Alexa or Google Assistant, but doesn’t support Apple HomeKit, and doesn’t have the energy monitoring feature of the Kasa Mini.

• Connectivity: Wifi • Voice assistant: Alexa, Google Assistant • Compatible with: iOS and Android

Why we like it: After an affordable option that works with Apple’s HomeKit? This one is much cheaper than the Eve Energy plug above but still connects to Siri, as well as Alexa and Google Home. It’s compact and offers schedules in the app.

How it connects: It connects to your wifi without a hub and, as mentioned above, has wide compatibility so can be controlled through its own app, all the main assistants, and IFTTT.

• Connectivity: Wifi • Voice assistant: Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri • Compatible with: iOS and Android

Why we like it: Already have a device with built-in Alexa? We’d recommend the Amazon Smart Plug as your best buy. It’s straightforward to connect if you already have the app. In our testing, the only downside was that we found it fiddly to set schedules.

How it connects: You just need your wifi and the Alexa app on your phone, from there you can create routines and use voice control with any other device – like a Fire TV or a Sonos One speaker – that also uses the Alexa app.

• Connectivity: Wifi • Voice assistant: Alexa • Compatible with: iOS and Android

Why we like it: If you like to keep track of how much energy an appliance uses, this is the plug we’d recommend. It’s great for Apple users, as the iOS app gives you a detailed breakdown of your energy usage, though there’s no Android app if you have a Samsung or Google device.

How it connects: This one requires a HomePod mini or Apple TV as your home hub if you want to turn it on and off remotely. As it’s Apple-focused, the only voice assistant it works with is Siri too.

• Connectivity: Wifi • Voice assistant: Siri • Compatible with: iOS

Why we like it: This one is a discreet, neat smart socket that fully replaces your existing wall fitting. You'll need some DIY knowledge or an electrician to set it up, though. On test, it worked well with all the major voice assistants and we think it’d be well-suited to a kitchen countertop or your desk.

How it connects: It uses an included hub to connect to your router, and from there you control it via an app and also through voice assistants. Once it’s all set up, you can control each socket individually.

• Connectivity: Wifi • Voice assistant: Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri • Compatible with: iOS and Android

Why we like it: This is a good choice if you’ve already got some Philips Hue bulbs set up and want to turn a floor lamp into a smart light too. It’s a little plug that isn’t as bulky as some on our list, but it’s a bit pricier than the competition too. We like how you can also grab a bundle with a Hue bulb that reduces the price of the smart light too.

How it connects: This needs a separate Hue Bridge to get connected, although you’ll already have this if you have some existing Hue smart lights. Once the hub is connected, it works through the Phillips Hue app and the three main voice assistants.

• Connectivity: Wifi • Voice assistant: Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri • Compatible with: iOS and Android

Why we like it: We’re all keeping a closer eye on our energy bills these days, and smart plugs can help to keep costs under control by switching off TV recorders and consoles that consume electricity while on standby. This new compact plug is an affordable option that also monitors your energy usage, so you know more about which appliances are using the most electricity in your home. You can set schedules and countdown timers via the app, and it can turn itself on when the sun sets. It’s a discreet option that we found easy to set up but, at the time of testing, its Alexa skill wasn’t available yet.

How it connects: This plug connects straight to your wifi without a separate hub. You can control it via the Humax Smart Living app for iOS and Android, which is also where you’ll see how much energy it’s using, and it's compatible with Google Assistant too (Alexa support is coming).

• Connectivity: Wifi • Voice assistant: Alexa, Google Assistant • Compatible with: iOS and Android

Why we like it: If you’re only ever planning to use Apple HomeKit, the versatility of other plugs on this list won’t matter to you. Aside from the Meross option above, it’s the most affordable HomeKit-compatible option at £24.99. This simple boxy plug connects directly to HomeKit only and is compact enough that it doesn’t get in the way of your other sockets.

How it connects: Just scan the QR code to add it to the Apple Home app on your phone. You’ll need an Apple TV 4K or HomePod Mini to act as your HomeKit home hub, enabling you to command the plug when you’re away from home.

• Connectivity: Wifi • Voice assistant: Siri • Compatible with: iOS

Why we like it: Just after the basics? This is a worthwhile option for £15. It’s got a practical and small design that won’t obstruct the plug socket next to it and can fit in places some larger smart plugs can’t.

How it connects: It connects straight to your wifi without the need for a hub – you can control the plug via the Hey app and it connects to Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home for voice control too.

• Connectivity: Wifi • Voice assistant: Alexa, Google Assistant • Compatible with: iOS and Android

Companion apps and connectivity: You’ll be able to control your plug and create schedules using a smartphone app from the brand. Some of these are also compatible with a platform called IFTTT, which stands for “if this, then that”. This service can get devices and services from different brands working together. For example, you could set it up so that your wifi security camera could automate a lamp switching on, but only if the camera spots someone outside your house.

Voice assistants and integrations: In addition, you can use voice assistants like Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri and Google Assistant to switch plugs on and off. If you prefer to keep everything in one place, you can also create “automations” and schedules within the app for the voice assistant. Not all plugs work with all assistants though, so we’ve covered that in our reviews.

Smart plugs can help you save energy by helping you to switch off appliances that may be consuming electricity while on standby. Set-top boxes, games consoles and older TVs are some of the main culprits. Newer tellys are more energy-efficient, but it still can help to switch a few appliances off overnight to save precious pennies on your energy costs.

Models from brands like TP-Link and Eve will offer you energy-monitoring capabilities too, helping you to know how much energy you’re using and what it costs.