Hello,
I’m looking for recommendations for a new plug in smart outlet- one that just plugs in to an existing outlet. I have an old one that came with Samsung SmartThings starter that still works perfectly to this day. I have 2 newer Minoston outlets that are horrible. What do you recommend? I’m in the USA- Minnesota
good luck - jim
Do you care about protocol? Zigbee, Z wave, WiFi, or Thread? Any particular features? The least expensive often end up blocking the socket below, where the more slimline may cost an extra couple of dollars.
People often care about protocol if they want the smart plugs to act as repeaters for their battery powered devices.
I prefer Z-Wave… zigbee is fine, too. I like repeaters…I like watt meters, too but really just want something that works flawlessly, I’m not too worried about shape.
good? It looks expensive, but I like the brand.
Personally for zwave I like Zooz. That’s the house brand for the retailer the smartest house. has the newest Z wave features, moderately priced for a Z wave device. Historically they’ve had excellent customer support and they are committed to keeping up with the smartthings platform changes, there are already edge drivers in beta you can try. And they have a slim profile. However, they won’t handle some motorized devices, so that’s something to be aware of.
If you don’t mind ZigBee I got these today, this makes my second set. They join up no problem and are just ewelink outlets just rebranded.
Zigbee Smart Plugs,Smart Outlet, Works with SmartThings, Alexa Amazon Echo & Google Home, Mini Smart Switch, Range Extender Smart Plugs,Voice & APP Control, (Hub Required) (2 Pack) $17.99 USD and Prime Shipping. https://a.co/d/8krVfJf
As always, just be aware of the specs. Like many smart plugs, that particular model can only handle 10 A, not 15. In most US jurisdictions a wall plug has to be able to handle 15, so it’s easy to plug in something that might be out of spec for that smart plug.
I use these for low draw devices.
I have a bunch of these around the house. They are inexpensive, 15 A, have a manual switch, power meter, work well, and don’t block the other outlet (you can plug two of them into a duplex outlet).
Same here - I have one of the Zen25 outlets and it’s great for lighting (lamp on one side, holiday lights on the other), and same as the Zen04, doesn’t block the other outlet. Just be aware that it only handles 10A TOTAL between the two sides.
Edited to add: this is kind of a useless recommendation since they’re sold out at the time of writing…
https://www.thesmartesthouse.com/products/zooz-z-wave-plus-s2-double-plug-zen25-with-usb-port
For z-wave, I like Zooz. For Zigbee I like SONOFF S31 Lite. For wifi I like Kasa or Meross.