![]() Our data privacy and data security tests are based on The Digital Standard, an open-source set of criteria for evaluating digital products and services created by CR with other organizations, scoring the smart plugs on more than 70 factors. For outdoor models, we also evaluate whether each socket can be controlled independently (most outdoor models feature two or more sockets) and whether the plugs come with outlet covers for sockets that aren’t in use. Finally, for device ease of use, Ritchey determines whether the power buttons on the plugs are labeled and easy to understand, as well as whether the plugs might block other outlets while in use. For app ease of use, he evaluates the difficulty of tasks like turning the plug on and off using the app, setting automated schedules, finding help and FAQ documentation, and checking the device firmware (so you can see whether it’s up to date). For ease of setup, he evaluates the process of downloading the app, creating an account, and adding the plug to the app. In our user experience tests, Ritchey evaluates each plug’s operation using an Android phone and an iPhone, focusing on three key areas: ease of setup, app ease of use, and device ease of use. The user experience tests are conducted by Paul Ritchey, CR’s certified professional ergonomist and usability specialist, and the data privacy and security tests are conducted by Steve Blair, CR’s privacy and security test engineer. Our test engineers run the smart plugs through both user experience tests and data privacy and security tests. ![]() Viewing on a mobile device? Click on the links below to skip to each section: The smart plugs in our tests, featuring both indoor and outdoor models ranging in price from about $8 to $25 per plug (they’re often sold in multipacks), are the Amazon Smart Plug, Amazon Basics Outdoor Smart Plug, GE Cync Indoor Smart Plug, GE Cync Outdoor Smart Plug, Geeni Smart Dot Smart WiFi Plug, Geeni Outdoor Duo WiFi Smart Plug, Meross Smart Plug Mini, Meross Outdoor Smart Plug, Powrui Water-Proof Outdoor WiFi Plug AW-39, TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini HS103, TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Slim EP25, TP-Link Kasa Smart WiFi Outdoor Plug, Wemo WiFi Smart Outdoor Plug, Wyze Plug, and Wyze Plug Outdoor. In the second set of tests, our digital privacy and security test engineers evaluated them for data privacy and data security. In the first set of tests, Consumer Reports’ in-house usability specialist evaluated the plugs on how easy they are to set up, how easy the app is to use, and how easy the device itself is to use. To determine the best smart plugs for your home, we selected WiFi models (controllable from a smartphone, as opposed to models that require some sort of hub to connect to the internet) from a variety of popular brands and ran them through two sets of tests.
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