Over the last couple of years, there has been a major disruption to the home accessories market. Smart home security kits and devices have managed to replace regular bulbs, security systems, refrigerators, and other home appliances.
If smart devices are constantly replacing these home appliances, what happens to the other home items that are not “smart” enough? Do you just do away with them? Certainly not. This is where smart plugs come into play.
These gadgets, smart plugs, have been designed to enable you to conveniently connect your regular bulb, lamp, fan, coffee maker, or virtually any other home appliance to your smart home kit for voice command and automation.
While there is an array of models, only some of them are compatible with all three major voice assistants: Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit. While there are countless smart plug brands in the market, iHome and TP-Link have gained a reputation for being the best and arguably the most efficient smart plug brands.
Over time, there have been several debates as to which of these smart plug brands is the best. In fact, most experts refer to this debate as one that would never die down because of the singular fact that they both make efficient and powerful smart plugs. Here, we will discuss the differences in our iHome smart plug vs TP-Link smart plug review.
Best iHome Smart Plugs
iHome PowerReach 6ft Extension Cord
One of the first things you’ll notice when you get your hands on this smart plug from iHome is its easy to charge feature. You can simply power up your smartphone, tablet, or other electronic appliances with this smart plug as conveniently as possible.
Unlike anything you’ve seen, the iHome PowerReach comes with four USB ports and two AC outlets, thus, offering you the opportunity to charge as many smartphones or electronic appliances as you see fit.
For convenience, you may decide to mount this smart plug on your wall. It comes with a unique metal mount. This mount does not just make the mounting process easy, it also ensures that you can easily remove it from the wall whenever you deem fit. It offers you a convenient, powerful, and efficient way to charge all your home appliances without having to worry about its fitting.
In addition to the unique metal mount attachment, the iHome PowerReach comes with a dock that has been built to help hold your smartphone or tablet while it is charging. Sounds interesting right?
Specifications
- Brand: iHome
- Weight: 1.05lbs
- Multiple plugs: yes
- Fast charge: yes
- Wi-Fi: no
Pros
- It comes with four USB ports and two AC outlets for multiple charging
- It offers fast or rapid charging of smartphones and other electronic appliances
- Comes with an easy-to-use metal mount
- Comes with a unique dock for holding your smartphone
Cons
- Relatively expensive
iHome ISP6X Wi-FI Smart Plug
iHome has managed to cement its place as one of the leading smart home device brands over the last couple of years. The iHome ISP6X Wi-Fi Smart Plug, like their other products, has been designed with quality in mind. While delivering an unmatched level of third-party smart home integration, this smart plug has been designed to conveniently let you stay in control of electronic appliances via your smartphone.
The ISP6X has been built to be compatible with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Nest, Apple HomeKit, Wink, and Samsung SmartThings. What it lacks in energy monitoring, this smart plug makes up with a robust scheduling feature, hassle-free installation, and an intuitive application.
One of the first things you’ll notice when you take a careful look at this product is the three-prong outlet found on the front of this plug. A power button, as well as Wi-Fi and power indicator LED lights can be found on the left side of the plug.
You can easily connect this smart plug to the customizable iHome Control app which has been made available for download on both iOS and Android devices. While this is not the most beautiful or sleekest iHome smart plug you will see, it is quite easy to use. It comes with an LED screen that affords you the opportunity to view all connected devices and can easily toggle them anytime you deem fit. For efficiency, there’s another tab for “zones, rooms, and scenes”. There are buttons below where you can create additional zones, rooms, and scenes whenever you want to.
As mentioned earlier, it is quite easy to install and make use of. All you’d need do is download the application from either the Google Play store or the Apple Store and create an account.
Specifications
- Brand: iHome
- Weight: 5.3oz
- Multiple plugs: yes
- Wi-Fi: yes
- Wireless connectivity: yes
- LED indicator: yes
- AC outlet: 3
Pros
- It offers superb third-party integration support
- It is simple to install and use
- Has a customizable app that is intuitive
- Affords you the opportunity to choose from a wide range of scheduling options
Cons
- No energy monitoring
- May not work on some power strips
Best TP-Link Smart Plugs
Kasa Smart Plug by TP-Link (HS103PC)
Smart plugs are still relatively new, but at the forefront of this massive disruption of traditional home security kit is TP-Link. With a wide range of smart plugs from this brand already taking over the market, the Kasa Smart Plug HS103PC happens to be one of the most powerful smart plugs available. With this smart plug, you are able to completely control everything in your home, all you need do is plug the item into this smart plug.
Unlike the iHome PowerReach that comes with four USB ports for multiple charging, the Kasa Smart Plug HS103PC offers only two AC outlets. Each of the plugs on the Kasa HS103PC lets you turn on as well as turn off devices like lamps, televisions, stereos, fans, and so on.
Via Wi-Fi, you can conveniently connect this smart plug to your iOS and Android devices. Once you have successfully connected your home appliances to this smart plug, you can conveniently schedule, control, and create scenes, rooms, and zones for your already plugged-in devices from virtually anywhere in the world.
Like the iHome ISP6X, the Kasa HS103PC smart plug has been built to be compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Nest. For an increased performance level, this smart plug has been made to be also compatible with IFTTT and Microsoft Cortana. Thanks to its Wi-Fi-powered set-up, there is no need for cables. As mentioned earlier, to get started on this smart plug, you will need to download the Kasa app which has been made compatible with iOS 9 or higher and Android 4.1 or higher.
Specifications
- Brand: TP-Link
- Weight: 8.6oz
- Wi-Fi: yes
- Wireless connectivity: yes
- LED indicators: yes
- AC outlet: 3-prong
Pros
- Offers you an array of scheduling options to choose from
- Has a custom made user-friendly and intuitive mobile app that gives you total control of all plugged-in devices
- No hub required
- Compatible with various operating systems and smartphone phone assistants
- It is affordable
Cons
- Does not readily support some of the other popular smartphone assistants like Samsung SmartThings and Apple HomeKit
Kasa Smart Plug by TP-Link (HS100)
Already identified as one of the best products for those seeking various means to monitor how much power a particular device is consuming, the Kasa Smart Plug HS100 has been designed to also enable you to control these devices. While this is not a glamorous or very large item, it serves its purpose very well. Although there is a power button on this plug, you may want to use the Kasa app as it offers more features.
The Kasa HS100 comes with two LED indicators: one for Wi-Fi and the other to signify that it has been turned on. Like the other smart plugs reviewed here, this smart plug is not capable of controlling everything in the home. When turned on, all devices with mechanical controls immediately turn on but those with electronic controls may require some degree of fine tuning (i.e if this plug turns on a speaker, you will still have to select an audio source). Operating on the 2.4GHz wireless network offered by most internet service providers, the Kasa HS100 can be connected to any Wi-Fi router that has been developed over the last decade — and users of 5GHz channel won’t lose bandwidth.
Like the iHome ISP6X, this smart plug is easy to install. All you need do is plug it into a wall socket and connect it to the Wi-Fi. Once that is done, you will need to download the Kasa app which is compatible with both the iOS and Android operating systems. One of the minor yet stand-out features of the Kasa app is that it lets you configure, and also set icons, the various devices or rooms that are connected to the smart plug. While this product does not have a “geofencing” feature by itself, which means that it cannot immediately and automatically turn on all your home devices as soon as you come home, its compatibility with IFTTT ensures that you are able to do this if you devote the extra time.
This product has been tested and proven to be reliable. Plus, it is capable of picking up wireless signals from some of the dead spots in your home.
Specifications
- Brand: TP-Link
- Weight: 6.4 ounces
- Wi-Fi: yes
- Wireless connectivity: yes
- LED indicators: yes
- Lithium-ion battery
Pros
- It has this sleek design
- It is an efficient smart plug that offers you value for money spent
- No internet hub required
- Has an intuitive app that is incredibly easy to make use of
- Compatible with various operating systems and smartphone assistants
- It is affordable
Cons
- It does not support Apple HomeKit out of the box
- The depth of this plug could be annoying for some users
Buyer’s Guide
The smart plugs reviewed here have all been designed to be both efficient and powerful. However, most people may still have a hard time picking one. This buyers’ guide will simplify the process, thereby making it easier for you to pick one based on your current and future needs.
Budget Friendly
Regardless of the product you’re buying, your budget has to be the most important factor to take into consideration. While these smart plugs from iHome and TP-Link are relatively affordable, the Kasa Smart Plug HS100 happens to be the most budget-friendly product here. Going for as little as $10 a piece on Amazon. This smart product, like the others reviewed here, is powerful and capable of giving you remote control of all plugged-in devices in your home.
Efficiency
Efficiency is another important factor to take into consideration when picking the best iHome or TP-Link smart plug. An ideal smart plug should be able to control almost every home appliance with the help of an intuitive and user-friendly application. While the products reviewed here are all efficient and powerful, the iHome ISP6X happens to stand out a bit. It has an intuitive and user-friendly app that offers a hassle-free third-party integration.
Wireless Connectivity
Wireless connectivity has also been identified as one of the core features to look out for in smart plugs. Surprisingly, all the products reviewed here offer wireless connection via Wi-Fi (except for the iHome PowerReach, which does not have this feature). The Kasa HS100 is capable of picking up signals from remote or dead spots better than the other options, thus making it stand out in this regard.
Conclusion
We hope this iHome smart plug vs TP-Link smart plug review helps you make an informed decision. Happy connecting!