THINGS WE CONSIDERED: How easy is it to set up? How quickly does it turn appliances on and off? Any special features?
Best for easy set-up Trust Wifi UK smart plug, £24.99, Amazon
The set-up of this smart plug was quick and easy, and there’s no hub required either – simply pair it with your Google Home or Amazon Alexa device. It reacted instantly when we used the app to turn a table light on and off, but we had trouble trying to connect it to our Alexa, so weren’t able to test out the voice-control option. Functions include Smart Scenarios, which allows you to control several devices or lights at the same time, and Tapto-Run, which lets you control multiple wi-fi devices. Based on the number of functions available, however, we felt it offered only fair value for money.
Best guarantee Philips Hue smart plug, £29.99, Argos
This smart plug lets you transform any light, even one in which you can’t use a Hue bulb, into a smart light and control it via the Hue app or voice command. You can use Bluetooth for instant light control, or connect to a Hue Bridge (available separately) to unlock more features. The smart plug reacted instantly when we used the app to turn a table light on and off, and when we used voice control via Alexa, but unless you have Hue-compatible bulbs, many of the other app functions aren’t applicable. Great if you have a Hue lighting system already set up at home, but costly as a smart plug on its own.
Best to use with Alexa Amazon smart plug, £24.99, Amazon
This smart plug was easy to set up after downloading the free Alexa app (compatible with Fire OS, Android and iOS devices) on our smartphone.
