Is the Smart Plug (Matter) worth it?
Worth it. The cheapest smart-home win there is. Start with the holiday lights.
A smart plug is worth it for lamps, holiday lights, fans and coffee makers you want on a schedule or a voice command; buy a Matter-certified one so it works with Apple, Google and Alexa at once, and skip it for anything with its own on/off button logic like a TV.
Buy it if you…
- Holiday-light and lamp schedulers
- Anyone with Alexa
- Google Home or Apple Home
Skip it if you…
- Devices that don't resume when power returns (many TVs
- microwaves)
- 5GHz-only Wi-Fi networks
Questions people ask
What does Matter mean?
A shared smart-home standard. A Matter plug works with Apple Home
Does it need a hub?
No. Wi-Fi plugs connect straight to your router over 2.4GHz.
Verdict last reviewed November 8, 2026 by The TrendGadgets Team.