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4 min readOnce you've caught the smart home bug, it's likely you'll want to automate everything in your home. While that's all well and good for newer devices with smart home compatibility baked-in, what about older, "dumber" devices? Well, don't go replacing them right away—simply give them new life courtesy of a smart plug or power board.
Here are our top picks for the best smart plugs and smart power boards in Australia.
Product | Best for | Price | Rating | Smart home compatibility | Number of outlets | Learn more |
| Best overall | $25 | 
| Apple HomeKit, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, Matter, Thread | 1 | View on Amazon | |
| Best budget | $15 | 
| Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings | 1 | View on Amazon | |
| Best power board | $59 |
| Apple HomeKit, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings | 3 x outlets, 2 x USB-A, 1 x USB-C | View on Amazon | |
| Best for outdoors | $59.99 |
| Apple HomeKit, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings | 2 | View on Amazon | |
| Best for privacy | $59 |
| Apple HomeKit, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, Matter, Thread | 1 | View on Amazon |
Prices are accurate as of post date. Read full disclaimer.
If the mark of a good smart plug is how widely compatible it is with popular smart home ecosystems, the Tapo P110M Smart Plug is hard to beat.
Not only is it compatible with Apple HomeKit, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and Samsung SmartThings, but it also supports up-and-coming smart home protocol Matter, making it completely future-proof.
It's compact enough that it shouldn't get in the way of adjacent outlets, and who can argue with that price? Honestly, we don't see a single downside to this one.
HomeKit, Google Home, Alexa, Samsung SmartThings compatible
Supports Matter
Power usage monitoring 
The Tapo P100 Smart Plug looks identical to its sibling above, but there are some key differences.
The P100 is does not offer power usage monitoring and it is not compatible with Apple HomeKit, nor does it support Matter. Though it'll still be usable for many years, it doesn't offer quite the same level of future-proofing.
That said, this smart plug still boasts the same compact design and compatibility with Alexa, Google Home and Samsung SmartThings, and at around $10 cheaper, it's a great entry-level option.
Cheap
Google Home, Alexa, Samsung SmartThings compatible
Compact design 
No HomeKit or Matter support What's better than one smart plug? Several smart plugs, obviously. The Tapo P300 Smart Power Board packs three outlets, two USB-A ports and one 18W fast-charging USB-C port, however, only the outlets can be controlled via smart home apps—the USB ports are simply USB ports.
Still, at this price, we reckon it's the best value smart power board you can get in Australia, with compatibility across all four major smart home ecosystems: Apple HomeKit, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and Samsung SmartThings.
HomeKit, Google Home, Alexa, Samsung SmartThings compatible
3 outlets and 3 USB ports
Power usage monitoring
No Matter support
"Dumb" USB ports So you've got your whole house smart-ified, except for the backyard? The Meross Smart Outdoor Plug can help you bring the smarts outside, too.
This plug (well, it's actually two plugs) is compatible with HomeKit, Alexa, Google Home and Samsung SmartThings, plus it's IP44 waterproof, making it ideal for outdoor usage.
A word of warning: It can't be used to power pumps, pool filters and motors, so stick with things like lighting, wired outdoor security cameras, sprinklers, speakers and other less power-intensive devices.
HomeKit, Google Home, Alexa, Samsung SmartThings compatible
2 outlets
IP44 weather resistance
No Matter support
Not suitable for high-power appliances When it comes to smart homes, data privacy and security are hot topics. Although theoretically any internet-connected device can be hacked or its data breached, some brands take privacy to the next level. Take the Eve Energy Smart Plug, for example.
No Eve product requires you to create an account or register your device in any way, and any data you generate is inaccessible to anyone but you. They also don't use cloud software, instead making all data transferred at a device-level only.
Aside from the privacy wins, the Eve Energy Smart Plug is simply a great product, doing everything our top pick (the Tapo T110M) does. On the downside, it is a little pricey, and its bulky design can block nearby outlets.
HomeKit, Google Home, Alexa, Samsung SmartThings compatible
Supports Matter and Thread
Strong commitment to privacy
Expensive
Bulky Smart plugs are a dime a dozen these days, but they aren't all designed equal. While we think the Tapo T110M Smart Plug is the best choice for most people, thanks to its wide smart home compatibility and affordable price, there are options on our list for every need and budget.
A smart plug is an adapter that allows you to transform any device into a "smart" device, allowing you to control it (like turning it on/off and setting timers and schedules) via an app or voice assistant.
Absolutely! Smart plugs can help reduce your power bills by ensuring certain devices are only powered on when you need them to be, and the plugs themselves use very little energy.
Smart plugs connect directly to your Wi-Fi and can usually be controlled without a hub via its own proprietary app or through HomeKit, Alexa, Google Home and SmartThings as long as you're connected to the same Wi-Fi network. However, if you want to control your smart plugs remotely (i.e. when you're not connected to your home Wi-Fi), you will need a compatible device to act as a smart home "hub".
For more information, check out our guide to DIY home automation.
It depends on the brand, but generally speaking, your automations should still work even if your internet is down, as they operate via your Wi-Fi router. You won't be able to control them in real-time if your Wi-Fi router is switched off or drops out, but your smart plug should still be able to run pre-programmed schedules.
In our hunt for the best smart plugs and power boards, we extensively researched (and tested, where possible) all options available through popular Australian retailers. We considered price, size, smart home compatibility, ease of use, number of outlets and customer reviews to learn which smart plugs and power boards deserved your hard-earned cash.
You can learn more about how we review products by checking out our methodology.
