Power Buying Guide

Best Smart Power Strips for Your Desk & TV

The Kasa HS300 is our top pick: six outlets you can name and control one at a time, three USB ports, and real per-outlet energy tracking — all without a hub or subscription.

Updated August 2026 • 5 picks compared

★ Best Overall · Best for Renters

Kasa (TP-Link)

HS300 Smart Power Strip

Six outlets you can name and control one by one — plus real energy tracking.

Sits behind your desk or TV and lets you flip any single plug from your phone or voice, so you can kill the TV's standby drain without unplugging anything. No hub and no subscription — it runs on your existing WiFi and packs up in a drawer when you move.

6 outlets you control separately
3 USB-A ports for phones and tablets
Tracks energy use per outlet
No hub or subscription — just WiFi

Bigger footprint than a basic strip
2.4GHz WiFi only

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Best for Alexa Homes

Amazon Basics

Smart Plug Power Strip (6-Outlet, 3 USB)

A no-hub 6-outlet strip that drops straight into your Alexa routines.

If you already run an Echo, this is the cheapest way to make six outlets smart, and it adds a USB-C port for newer phones. It connects to your WiFi with no hub to buy or leave behind at move-out.

6 individually controlled outlets
USB-C plus two USB-A ports
No hub — connects to your WiFi
Inexpensive to add to an Echo home

Works with Alexa only (no Google)
No energy monitoring

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Best for Small Desks

Kasa (TP-Link)

KP303 Smart Power Strip

A compact 3-outlet strip built for a cramped desk or nightstand.

The low-profile little sibling of the HS300 — three outlets you can control on their own plus two USB ports, in a footprint that fits a studio or dorm. Works with both Alexa and Google, no hub required.

3 independently controlled outlets
2 USB-A charging ports
Compact, low-profile design
Alexa & Google, no hub needed

Only three outlets
No energy monitoring

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Best for Tight Spaces

Govee

Smart Plug Outlet Extender (3-Sided)

Plugs straight into the wall with no cord — two smart outlets and a built-in night light.

For a tight corner or nightstand where a corded strip just won't fit, this mounts right on the wall outlet and adds two app-controlled outlets, USB-A and USB-C, and a soft RGB night light. It pops off and moves with you at the end of the lease.

2 app-controlled smart outlets
USB-A and USB-C ports
No cord — mounts on the wall outlet
Built-in RGB night light

Only 2 outlets are smart (4 always-on)
Not a desk-style corded strip

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Best Budget

GHome Smart

Smart Power Strip (3 Outlet, 3 USB)

The cheapest way to get three app-controlled outlets and three USB ports.

A wallet-friendly starter strip with three WiFi outlets and three USB ports for well under a Kasa. You get app timers and Alexa or Google control with no hub — a low-risk first buy for a first apartment.

3 individually controlled outlets
3 USB-A charging ports
Budget-friendly price
Timers, Alexa & Google, no hub

2.4GHz WiFi only
No energy monitoring

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Compare all 5

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Product	Best for	Smart outlets	USB ports	Price ($–$$$$)
Kasa (TP-Link) HS300 Smart Power Strip	WFH desks & TV walls	6 controllable	3 USB-A	$$	Check price →
Amazon Basics Smart Plug Power Strip (6-Outlet, 3 USB)	Alexa households	6 controllable	2 USB-A + USB-C	$$	Check price →
Kasa (TP-Link) KP303 Smart Power Strip	Small desks & dorms	3 controllable	2 USB-A	$$	Check price →
Govee Smart Plug Outlet Extender (3-Sided)	Tight corners & nightstands	2 controllable	USB-A + USB-C	$$	Check price →
GHome Smart Smart Power Strip (3 Outlet, 3 USB)	Tight budgets	3 controllable	3 USB-A	$	Check price →

How to choose

Before you buy

01 · Count your plugs — and your USB

Walk the spot where it's going and count what actually needs power: monitor, lamp, speaker, charger, console, TV, soundbar. Buy one or two outlets more than you need today, and check that it has enough USB ports so your phone and earbuds aren't eating an outlet each.

02 · Skip the hub

Every strip here connects over your normal WiFi with nothing extra to install — no bridge, no monthly fee. That matters for renters: there's nothing screwed to a wall and nothing to leave behind. Just note most run on 2.4GHz WiFi, so pick that network when you set it up.

03 · Decide if you need every outlet smart

Fully controllable strips like the Kasa HS300 let you switch each plug on its own, which is how you cut a TV's standby drain or shut off a space heater from bed. Cheaper wall extenders make only one or two outlets smart and leave the rest always-on — fine if you just want to automate a lamp.

04 · Think about move-out

The best renter gear installs in seconds and packs up just as fast. A corded strip tucks behind a desk and coils into a box on moving day; a plug-in wall extender is ideal for tight corners where a cord won't fit. No drilling, no patching holes, no lost deposit.