Most smart plugs and their app-based controls are designed for indoor use. For outdoor smart plugs, you need to find a specialized model — which is where our hours of testing at CNET come in handy.

Not sure where to start with smart plugs? At CNET, these are the tricks we use to make our homes smarter and routines faster.

Remember The Clapper? The plug-in staple may have made for a catchy jingle in the 1980s, but it could also be considered as a primitive ancestor of today's smart plug-- that is, if you can say ...

If you are just getting started in your smart home journey, there's one thing that's essential: the simplicity of a smart plug. You can plug it into a standard wall outlet and it can make any device ...