The best outdoor smart plugs to program your holiday lights

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Smart plugs bring regular devices and accessories in you smart House. With the help of a good smart plug, you can create custom scenes, schedules, and voice commands to power up just about anything you can connect to a standard. wall outlet.

When it comes to smart plugs for outdoor devices, the options are a bit more limited. There are plugs designed to withstand the elements, but you’ll probably pay more than you would for a simpler, smaller indoor plug.

These plugs are great for outdoor Christmas decorations, but they are useful throughout the year. Outdoor smart plugs are a great way to add intelligence to summer patio lights, bug eliminators, outdoor speakers, and more. If you have Amazon Alexa, Google assistant or Siri In your home, there is an outlet that will work for you.

What to consider

There are a few things you’ll need to decide when purchasing an outdoor smart plug. What voice assistant do you use? How many points of sale do you want? Some models only have one outlet and others have two. With these questions answered, you are on your way to choosing the plug that works best for your setup.

Molly / CNET Price

TP-Link’s Kasa App is easy to use and Kasa devices are quick to set up. Kasa’s outdoor smart plug offers two individually controlled outlets and is rated to operate in temperatures from -4 to 122 ° F. You can choose from voice commands, schedules, timers, scenes, or sunrise / sunset modes as well as an Away function that randomly turns the plugs on and off.

Kasa products work with the Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, so you can ask the voice assistant of your choice to turn on your holiday screen. At $ 30, it’s a reasonably priced smart plug for your outdoor space. Read our TP-Link Kasa Outdoor Smart Plug review.

Read our TP-Link Kasa Outdoor Smart Plug review.

Molly / CNET Price

The WeMo Smart Outdoor Plug is a HomeKit compatible option that offers two outputs and voice control for Siri, Alexa or Google Assistant. At $ 40, it’s not the cheapest model you can buy, but the WeMo app works well and we’ve seen a number of good plugs and sockets from the brand over the years.

Rated for temperatures of 32-122 ° F, this plug might not be the best choice for cold climates. There are two plugs, but unlike the TP-Link model, they cannot be individually programmed or controlled. That could be a deal breaker, depending on your use case.

Molly / CNET Price

If you are looking for a single output option, the Braumm model works with Google Assistant and Alexa to control one device. This $ 40 model is expensive for a single shot, but it is weather resistant and has a temperature of -4 to 113 ° F.

In addition to status, timers, schedule, and scenes, the app also provides weather information, a useful addition to any outdoor device. You can also share the control with other users if they also download the Braumm app on their mobile device.

Read our Braumm Outdoor Smart Plug review.

Wyze

This $ 12 outdoor smart plug from Wyze is still in the pre-order stage, but it packs some promising features, especially for the price.

The Wyze Plug Outdoor includes two 15-amp outlets that you can control independently. It is IP64 rated for protection against water and dust in a temperature range of -4 ° F to 120 ° F. You can control the Plug Outdoor with physical buttons, voice control via Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, or via the Wyze app.

You can also configure the plug to run on various automations such as dusk to dawn detection, holiday mode, custom schedules, and triggers based on other devices. Unlike most smart plugs, Wyze Plug Outdoor includes power monitoring. You will be able to receive alerts when energy thresholds are exceeded and view the consumption history in the application.

Read our first take on Wyze Plug Outdoor.

Frequently asked questions about the best outdoor smart plugs

How does a smart plug work?

Smart plugs are adapters that control the power supply of the appliance connected to them. They do not make any changes to your existing outlet. Smart plugs simply disconnect the appliance from power or reconnect it to power when they receive a signal (via an app or voice command) to do so.

Can I use a normal smart plug outdoors?

It is not a good idea. Outdoor models are optimized for extreme temperatures and have IP-rated housings that protect them from the elements such as rain and dust. It is much safer to use a plug made specifically for outdoors.

Do I need Wi-Fi?

Most smart plugs will work in limited capacity with Zigbee, Z-Wave, or Bluetooth connections. However, to get features like voice commands with the Google Assistant, Siri, or Alexa, and to control your socket when you’re not around, you’ll need a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi connection.

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