Energy Monitoring

Power metering plugs report watts and kWh, letting you track standby drain and trigger “laundry done” or “3D print finished” automations. Plain on/off plugs are cheaper and smaller.

Load Rating & Certification

A 15 A rating handles most household appliances; ETL or UL certification shows the plug has passed safety testing. Check the rating before controlling heaters, AC units or pumps.

Mesh Routing

Every mains-powered Zigbee plug relays signals for nearby battery sensors. Placing a plug in each part of the house is the cheapest way to fix dropouts and extend range.

Size & Outlet Count

Compact plugs leave the second outlet free; dual plugs, power strips and in-wall outlets control multiple devices separately. Outdoor stakes need a weather-resistant design.

Hub Compatibility

Hue and innr plugs pair to the Hue Bridge; THIRDREALITY, Sengled and SONOFF plugs target Echo Zigbee hubs, SmartThings, Hubitat and Home Assistant. Check your hub before buying.

The Gen3 version of THIRDREALITY’s plug adds a clear 15 A rating, a more precise real-time power meter and what THIRDREALITY calls an upgraded Zigbee radio for repeating signals. It works with standard Zigbee hubs and Echo devices. It is newer, with around 130 ratings averaging about 4.6 stars, so confirm your hub supports this revision; if you want the most proven option, the Gen2 4-pack above is safer.

THIRDREALITY’s Smart Dual Plug puts two independently controlled outlets side by side, so one wall socket can run a lamp and a fan on separate schedules. THIRDREALITY notes you can use two Dual Plugs to make all four outlets of a duplex socket smart, but warns against plugging in multiple high-power devices. It works with Zigbee hubs including Home Assistant and has around 90 ratings at about 4.4 stars. A 2-pack is also available.

SONOFF’s S40 Lite is a slim 15 A Zigbee plug with ETL certification, designed so it doesn’t block the neighboring outlet. It pairs with Zigbee hubs such as SmartThings and works well in Home Assistant. As the “Lite” name suggests, the listing focuses on on/off control rather than energy monitoring, which keeps it small and affordable. It has around 135 ratings averaging about 4.4 stars.

Sengled’s Zigbee Smart Plug is built to pair automatically with Echo devices that have a built-in Zigbee hub, and it adds energy monitoring. Sengled is clear that it supports Zigbee only and needs a hub. It has around 900 ratings at about 4.3 stars. Because it runs locally on your Zigbee hub, it doesn’t rely on Sengled’s cloud, which matters given the brand’s well-publicized service problems.

The innr Smart Plug fills the gap in Hue’s own lineup: it joins a Philips Hue Bridge or other Zigbee hubs and adds accurate energy monitoring, tracking real-time power use and voltage. innr also highlights that the mains-powered plug strengthens your Zigbee mesh. Energy readings may not show in the Hue app itself, but they do in hubs like Home Assistant. It has around 80 ratings averaging about 4.2 stars.

SONOFF’s newest Zigbee plug, the S61SZBTPB, adds real-time energy monitoring to the brand’s lineup, along with schedules, timers and countdowns, and SONOFF lists Alexa and Home Assistant support. It is a very new listing with only a handful of ratings, so treat it as a promising option rather than a proven one; the S40 Lite is the safer SONOFF pick for now.

For desks, entertainment centers and 3D printer benches, the XENON Zigbee Power Strip gives you four individually controlled AC outlets plus three USB charging ports in a surge-protected strip. Each outlet can be switched or scheduled separately from your Zigbee hub. It has around 30 ratings averaging about 4 stars, and it is a niche product, so check your hub can expose all four outlets before relying on it.

Zigbee outdoor plugs are rare, which makes SURAIELEC’s Outdoor Power Stake a useful find. It pushes into the ground and offers six outlets in a waterproof design for landscape lighting, holiday displays and fountains, with timers, schedules and welcome-home routines through your Zigbee hub. It has around 50 ratings averaging about 4.1 stars. Make sure your Zigbee mesh reaches the garden, as outdoor placement often needs a nearby router.

If you’d rather not have a plug hanging off the wall, THIRDREALITY’s Smart Wall Outlet replaces a standard receptacle with a Zigbee outlet that has two independently controlled sockets and energy monitoring. It’s a cleaner look for kitchens and living rooms and a permanent mesh router. It requires mains wiring and had only about 13 ratings averaging around 3.5 stars when we checked, with limited availability information on the listing, so confirm it’s in stock.

Jinvoo’s Zigbee Smart Wall Outlet is another in-wall option, designed to replace a standard receptacle and connect to a compatible Zigbee hub, with Alexa and Google Assistant voice control through that hub. Jinvoo points out that, unlike Wi-Fi outlets, it uses low-power Zigbee and doesn’t burden your router. The listing had only a few ratings when we checked, so it’s a budget experiment rather than a proven pick.

Echo, SmartThings or Home Assistant?

Start with the THIRDREALITY 4-pack, or the Gen3 for 15 A loads.

Philips Hue Bridge?

Hue Smart Plug for lamps; innr when you want energy data.

Tight outlet or on a budget?

The compact SONOFF S40 Lite leaves the second outlet free.

Several devices in one spot?

THIRDREALITY Dual Plug for two devices, XENON Power Strip for a whole desk.

Garden or holiday lights?

The SURAIELEC Outdoor Power Stake gives you six weatherproof outlets.

Want a built-in look?

THIRDREALITY Smart Wall Outlet with energy data, or Jinvoo on a budget.

Do Zigbee smart plugs need a hub?

Yes. Zigbee plugs don’t connect to Wi-Fi, so they pair with a Zigbee hub such as an Echo with a built-in Zigbee hub, a Hue Bridge, SmartThings, Hubitat, Homey or a Home Assistant coordinator. The hub then connects them to your app and voice assistant. See our best Zigbee hubs guide.

Do Zigbee plugs extend my network?

Yes. Mains-powered Zigbee plugs act as routers that relay messages for battery sensors and other devices. Putting a few plugs between your hub and distant sensors is the simplest way to fix dropouts. Because they’re always powered, plugs are more reliable routers than bulbs on wall switches.

Can I use a Zigbee plug for a space heater?

Only if the plug is clearly rated for the load, typically 15 A with ETL or UL certification, and even then manufacturers often advise against it. Space heaters draw near the maximum for long periods and can overheat a plug. For heaters, AC units and water heaters, a hard-wired heavy-duty relay or dedicated switch is safer.

Does energy monitoring show in Alexa?

Partly. Alexa’s energy dashboard supports some plugs, but platforms like Home Assistant and Hubitat expose much more detail, including live watts, kWh history and automation triggers. If energy tracking is your main goal, pair these plugs with an open hub.

Zigbee, Z-Wave or Matter smart plugs?

Zigbee plugs are inexpensive and strengthen an existing Zigbee mesh. Z-Wave plugs avoid 2.4 GHz interference and suit Z-Wave hubs; see our best Z-Wave smart plugs. Matter plugs work directly with Apple, Google and Amazon; see our best Matter smart plugs.