VerdictAI

Reviewer consensus · 2026

Best Smart Power Strips of 2026What 33 reviewers actually think, trust-weighted

Smart power strips have evolved from simple Wi-Fi novelties into legitimate hubs for whole-desk and whole-rack control, with the latest models adding Matter support, per-outlet energy monitoring, and proper surge ratings. This roundup synthesizes what mainstream tech press, specialist smart-home subreddits, and verified-purchase reviewers have written about the current crop, weighted by source trust. Where reviewers disagree, especially around long-term reliability, we surface the conflict rather than smooth it over.

Sources behind this verdict

33 reviewers, weighted by source trust

33reviewers read

Weighted by source trust

We don’t review products. We read what other reviewers wrote, score each source for trustworthiness, and synthesize the consensus.

How sources are scored →

Trust hierarchy

Trusted3
Verified0
Supporting12
Flagged0

Source mix

33signals
  • 3Press
  • 18Community
  • 12Video

Trusted · 3 sources

Independent · documented methodology

At a glance

Highest-rated by the consensus

#1 of 3
Top pick · #1Kasa Smart Plug Power Strip HS300, Surge Protector with 6 Individually Controlled Smart Outlets and 3 USB…
Best overall

Kasa Smart Plug Power Strip HS300, Surge Protector with 6 Individually Controlled Smart Outlets and 3 USB…

★★★★★4.6(9,397)86Great

Across the reviewers we read, the Kasa HS300 is the default recommendation for a six-outlet smart power strip. The Spruce's hands-on writeup describes it as easy to set up, dependable within the Kasa app, and useful as a basic surge protector, while PCMag frames it as a feature-rich six-outlet smart surge protector with voice and mobile control.

The rest of the rankings

#2,3

Frequently asked

5 questions
Do smart power strips work without a hub?
The Wi-Fi-based smart strips covered here (Kasa HS300, Kasa KP303, Tapo P316M) all connect directly to your router and do not require a separate hub. The Tapo P316M additionally supports Matter, which lets it pair to Apple Home, Google Home, SmartThings, and Alexa without going through the Tapo app exclusively.
Can you control each outlet individually?
Yes, on the picks here. The Kasa HS300 and Tapo P316M each expose six independently switched AC outlets, and the Kasa KP303 has three. USB ports on all three are always-on and cannot be scheduled or toggled separately.
Are smart power strips safe to use with high-draw appliances like space heaters?
Mainstream reviewers and specialist subreddit threads consistently caution against running space heaters, window AC units, or other high-wattage resistive loads through any power strip, smart or otherwise. There is at least one widely circulated Reddit report of a Kasa KP303 failure that nearly caused a house fire, which underscores the general rule: high-draw appliances belong in a wall outlet.
Do these strips track energy use per outlet?
The Tapo P316M offers per-outlet energy monitoring, which several Reddit threads in r/homeassistant and r/HomeKit specifically called out as the reason they switched from the older Kasa HS300. The HS300 also reports energy data per outlet in the Kasa app, but reviewers note the data integrations are less flexible than Tapo's Matter-exposed metrics.
Will smart power strips keep working if my Wi-Fi goes down?
Physical buttons on the strip still work, and any schedules already programmed locally generally continue to run. However, multiple high-trust Reddit threads in r/homeassistant flag that Kasa Wi-Fi reliability has degraded over time and that some users have migrated to Matter or Z-Wave alternatives for that reason.