Wemo WiFi Smart Plug review

Wemo makes some of the best smart plugs around, and it just proved it intends to maintain that reputation. The all-new Wemo WiFI Smart Plug is the brand’s most impressive offering yet, bringing the finest elements of the Wemo Mini smart plug to, ironically, a more compact design.

The $25 Wemo WiFI Smart Plug can control lights and appliances from anywhere, which makes it one of the best smart home devices (and best cheap smart home devices) you can use for raising the IQ of any dumb gadget that demands electricity. Read on for a full Wemo WiFI Smart Plug review that explains its setup process, scheduling features, smart assistant compatibility and more. You can also check out why it earned a Tom's Guide Award 2021 for Smart Home.

Wemo WiFi Smart Plug price and availability

The Wemo WiFi Smart Plug costs $24.99 for a single unit or $50 for a pack of three plugs. You can find the Wemo WiFi Smart Plug, as well as Wemo’s other smart plugs, at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy.

Wemo WiFi Smart Plug design

Compared to the brand’s older smart plugs and alternative smart plugs from competitors like TP-Link, Wemo’s newest offering comes in an impressively compact package. It measures a mere 1.3 x 2.0 x 1.8 inches, which is a significant reduction from the Wemo Mini’s 3.8 x 2.4 x 1.4-inch body. The TP-Link HS-105, which we’d consider pretty small, is a broader 2.6 x 1.5 x 1.6 inches, too.

While the Wemo Mini is still a bit thinner than the Wemo WiFi Smart Plug, the latter won’t block your second outlet. You could even stack two Wemo WiFi Smart Plugs together.

Like the Wemo Mini, Wemo WiFi Smart Plug has a physical on/off button on the right side that lets you control any device without your voice or smartphone. While smart home automation is often convenient, there are times when it might be easier to operate an appliance at its power source.

Wemo WiFi Smart Plug app setup and smart home compatibility 

With the help of the Wemo app, activating this smart plug is a simple process that didn’t take more than five minutes, although you should note that it won’t work on your 5Ghz network. Once I registered the plug on my 2.4Ghz connection, I began customizing its role in the scope of my smart home. I paired it with Amazon’s Alexa, although the Wemo WiFi Smart Plug is also one of the best Google Home compatible devices and best HomeKit devices. It works with Nest, and IFTTT, too. 

I set up a routine with Alexa that makes the Echo Flex’s motion sensor by my front door turn on my otherwise-dumb living room lamp. This saved me from fumbling for the light switch whenever I returned to my dark apartment. Check out our guide on how to create an Alexa routine if you haven’t yet before (and how to set up a smart home routine with Google Assistant, if you’re using Google Home).

The Wemo app offers abundant scheduling and timer options, though you can also make adjustments when out and you’re not on your home’s Wi-Fi network. And like the Wemo Mini, the Wemo WiFi Smart Plug supports an Away mode, which makes the plug turn on and off randomly between hours you choose to make it look like you’re home. I plan to use this feature the next time I travel during the weekend.

Wemo WiFi Smart Plug verdict

Though the Wemo WiFi Smart Plug shares similar features with the excellent Wemo Mini, its smaller design makes it a more attractive option for those living among an ecosystem of smart home devices. By shrinking its size, Wemo made sure its new smart plug won’t draw any more aesthetic attention than a gadget of this nature should.

It’s worth nothing Wemo dropped the price of the Mini model from $39.99 — which always seemed high, especially in the scope of the smart plug market — down to $29.99 on its own website. (Though you can often find it for less on Amazon). But the better deal seems to be the three-pack of this Wemo WiFi Smart Plug for $50, which positions you to smarten up your fan, lamp and coffee maker (or slow cooker, sound system or disco ball) all at once.