Best Smart Outlets: In-Wall, USB and Plug-In Compared
TP-Link's Tapo P210M, about $30, is our in-wall pick: Matter, energy monitoring, two switched sockets. Which outlets need a hub, and when a plug will do.
“Smart outlet” covers two different things. An in-wall outlet replaces the socket in the wall and is wired into the mains. A smart plug pushes into the socket you already have. Both switch whatever is plugged into them from an app, a schedule or a voice assistant, so the choice comes down to wiring and looks.
The in-wall outlets below are made for North American wiring: 120 volts and 15-amp receptacles, unless we say otherwise. Fitting one means working on mains wiring, so use a qualified electrician wherever the law requires it, and whenever you are unsure. Everything here comes from the makers’ own pages and stores. We have not handled any of these outlets.
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In-wall outlets compared
Prices are the makers’ own US prices, rounded.
| Outlet | Maker’s price | Connects by | Hub needed | Sockets switched | Energy monitoring |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TP-Link Tapo P210M | about $30 | Wi-Fi, Matter | Only for Matter | Both, separately | Yes |
| Leviton Decora Smart D215R | about $35 | Wi-Fi, Matter after an update | Only for Matter | Top only | Not listed |
| Eve Energy Outlet | about $55 | Thread, Matter | Yes, with Thread | Both, separately | Yes, combined |
| Enbrighten In-Wall Z-Wave Smart Outlet | about $45 | Z-Wave | Yes, Z-Wave | One | Not listed |
| Lumary Smart Outlet USB | about $30 | Wi-Fi | No | Both, plus two USB ports | Not listed |
What decides the choice
The radio. A Wi-Fi outlet joins your router directly and needs no hub for its maker’s app. A Thread or Z-Wave outlet does nothing until it is paired with a hub that has the same radio. Our guide to smart home hubs lists which hub has which.
Matter. Matter lets one device appear in Apple Home, Google Home and Alexa at the same time. It does not remove the hub. TP-Link’s own footnote says its Matter features need a hub from whichever platform you choose, which means an Echo, a Google Nest speaker or display, a HomePod or an Apple TV.
The wiring. Every maker that states its requirements asks for a neutral wire. TP-Link also asks for a wall box at least 2 inches deep for its Kasa outlet, and Lumary for 2.36 inches.
The in-wall outlets
TP-Link Tapo P210M, about $30
The one to buy for most houses. TP-Link says its two sockets can be switched together or one at a time. It measures the energy the plugged-in devices use and estimates the bill from your electricity rate. It is Matter certified, and the spec sheet names Apple Home, Alexa, Google Assistant and SmartThings. It connects straight to 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and is rated at 15 amps, and the only hub TP-Link mentions is the one Matter needs. TP-Link also says the Tapo app can still reach it over the home network when the internet is down.
TP-Link announced it at $29.99. Its product page prints no price and sends buyers to Amazon. TP-Link Tapo P210M on Amazon
The older Kasa KP200 is still on TP-Link’s site. It also switches two sockets separately at 15 amps, but its page mentions neither Matter nor energy monitoring. Choose it only if the house already runs on the Kasa app.
Leviton Decora Smart D215R, about $35
Leviton makes ordinary wiring devices, and this is one with Wi-Fi added. The top socket is switched and the bottom one stays on. It joins 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi through the My Leviton app with no hub, and Leviton says a firmware update in that app turns on Matter. It lists Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Home and SmartThings. Both sockets are tamper-resistant and rated at 15 amps, and Leviton sells a clip-on kit that changes the face to black, grey, brown, ivory or light almond.
Leviton’s page lists no energy monitoring. The outlet is $34.99 on Leviton’s store. Pick it over the Tapo if you want one socket that is always live, or a colour other than white. Leviton Decora Smart D215R on Amazon
Eve Energy Outlet, about $55
The only outlet here that uses Thread. Eve says it needs a hub that is both a Matter controller and a Thread border router, and that in return there is no Eve account, no Eve cloud and no subscription. The two sockets switch separately, and the outlet is rated at 15 amps. Energy use is measured, but as one figure for both sockets together. Eve’s page carries badges for Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home, SmartThings and Home Assistant.
One limit matters outside Apple houses. Eve’s own energy monitoring and schedules live in the Eve app for iPhone and iPad, which Eve says needs the outlet connected through Apple Home. So buy it for a house that already has a HomePod mini or an Apple TV with Thread. At $54.95 on Eve’s site it costs nearly twice the Tapo. Eve Energy Outlet on Amazon
Enbrighten In-Wall Z-Wave Smart Outlet, about $45
For a house built around a Z-Wave hub. Jasco’s outlet uses the Z-Wave 700 series, switches one socket and leaves the other always on, and both sockets are tamper-resistant. Jasco says it requires a Z-Wave certified hub, naming SmartThings, Ring Alarm and HomeSeer among others, and that Alexa and Google Assistant work through that hub. Its page gives no amperage and mentions no energy monitoring. It is $44.99 on Jasco’s store, with white and light almond faceplates in the box. Enbrighten In-Wall Z-Wave Smart Outlet on Amazon
We found no Zigbee in-wall outlet to recommend for North America. Jasco used to sell one, and the page for it on Jasco’s store now comes back as not found.
In-wall outlets with USB ports
Lumary Smart Outlet USB, about $30
Two sockets plus a USB-A and a USB-C port, and Lumary says each of them can be switched on its own. It uses 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi with no hub and works with Alexa and Google Assistant. The rating is 15 amps for the whole outlet and 10 amps for a single socket.
Read the small print on the USB side. The ports supply 5 volts at 2.1 amps, about 10 watts, and Lumary says the USB-C port does not support Apple devices. It is $29.99 on Lumary’s store. Lumary Smart Outlet USB on Amazon
Geeni’s Current, about $27, is the alternative. Geeni says it replaces a standard outlet and adds a 20-watt USB-C port with Power Delivery and a Quick Charge USB-A port, about twice the power of the Lumary’s. Its page does not state an amperage or name the voice assistants it works with. We would take the Lumary, whose specifications are complete, unless charging speed matters more to you.
Smart plugs, if you would rather not rewire
A plug does the same switching with no wiring at all, and for renters it is the only choice. The cost is a box sticking out of the wall.
- TP-Link Tapo P110M: the plug version of our in-wall pick. Matter certified, energy monitoring, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and 15 amps, with Apple Home, Alexa, Google Assistant and SmartThings listed. TP-Link prints no price for it. TP-Link Tapo P110M on Amazon
- Eve Energy: Thread and Matter, energy monitoring and 15 amps, at $43.95 on Eve’s site. Eve says it needs a hub that supports both Thread and Matter. Eve Energy on Amazon
- Kasa EP25: for a house on the Kasa app. Wi-Fi, energy monitoring and 15 amps, with Apple HomeKit, Alexa, Google Assistant and SmartThings on TP-Link’s page.
Outside North America
None of the in-wall outlets above is made for a British, European or Indian wall box, or for the higher mains voltage there. Aqara makes its Wall Outlet H2 for other countries. The UK version is a double 13-amp socket with USB-C that uses Thread or Zigbee and measures energy. The EU version is a 16-amp Schuko socket that uses Zigbee. Neither works alone: the UK one needs a Matter controller with Thread or an Aqara Zigbee hub, and the EU one needs a Zigbee hub.
For plugs, TP-Link sells regional versions of the Tapo line. In the UK there is a 13-amp Tapo P110M. In India there is a 16-amp Tapo P110 with energy monitoring, and a Matter model called the P116M.
What happened to the old list
This page listed five outlets in 2021.
- Geeni Current+Charge: gone from Geeni’s store, which sells the Current in its place.
- TOPGREENER: its in-wall Wi-Fi outlet with energy monitoring is on clearance at about $18, and TOPGREENER says it is being discontinued and may not be restocked.
- iDevices Wall Outlet: iDevices now belongs to Hubbell, whose website refused our visits. The retailer Alarm Grid lists the outlet as discontinued and out of stock.
- Kasa by TP-Link: the old entry was a plug. Kasa’s in-wall model is the KP200, above.
- Lumary: still sold, now with USB-A and USB-C ports.
Which to pick
- Most houses: the Tapo P210M. Nothing in the table costs less, and it is the only Wi-Fi outlet in it that measures energy.
- One switched socket and one always live: the Leviton D215R.
- Apple Home, with no maker’s account: the Eve Energy Outlet.
- A Z-Wave hub already in the house: the Enbrighten.
- USB ports in the wall: the Lumary.
- Renting, or not touching the wiring: the Tapo P110M plug.
Quick answers
Do smart outlets need a hub?
Wi-Fi outlets do not need one for their own apps. Thread and Z-Wave outlets always do. Adding any of them to Apple Home, Google Home or Alexa through Matter also needs that platform’s own hub.
Which smart wall outlets work with Apple Home?
The Tapo P210M, the Leviton D215R and the Eve Energy Outlet all list Apple Home. The Enbrighten and the Lumary do not.
Which smart wall outlet has energy monitoring?
The Tapo P210M and the Eve Energy Outlet. Eve reports one combined figure for both sockets.
Can I fit a smart outlet myself?
That depends on the law where you live. Eve tells buyers who are unsure to consult a qualified electrician and to follow local electrical codes. A smart plug avoids the question.
Prices move, so confirm on the maker’s store before you pay.
