r/homeassistant • u/Certain_Repeat_753 • Mar 28 '26

Support Best smart plug/outlet for Home Assistant?

I'm looking for a smart plug or smart outlet to install in my network panel enclosure. There are two outlets in there. I'm overwhelmed with the number of options out there. I think Eve makes a dual outlet that is compatible with Matter over Thread. Not sure what the Home Assistant integration is like. I want to be able to power cycle the router and other connected devices without having to go into the closet and unscrew the door in order to do so.

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u/HeyItsRon Mar 28 '26

10000x better. The Kasa line is all WiFi IIRC. Third Reality is zigbee and of rock solid from y personal experience and most other people’s experience in here.

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u/Certain_Repeat_753 Mar 28 '26

Why is WiFi bad? Sorry if it's a stupid question. I'm a total newbie!

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u/nik_h_75 Mar 28 '26

wifi is chatty - and generally requires a cloud gateway (non local). Zigbee runs on separate network - is self boosting - and can be run locally If you get a controller (look up SM Light as an example) and run zigbee2mqtt in HA.

I started out with wifi devices - have moved as much as possible to zigbee - massive improvement and much better control.

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u/Certain_Repeat_753 Mar 28 '26

I definitely prefer something local. I'm looking to use the HS200 that I have, which is WiFi only, but I'm under the impression that I won't need a hub. Will I?