5 Best Smart Plugs for Holiday Lights in 2026 (Automate Christmas)

Every December brings the same ritual: untangling light strings, plugging them in, and then either leaving them on all night or trudging outside in the cold to switch them off. A smart plug ends that routine for about twenty dollars. Plug the lights into it, set a schedule once in the app, and the display turns itself on at dusk and off at bedtime all season long. It also works with voice assistants, so “turn off the Christmas lights” becomes a couch command.

Indoor vs Outdoor: Know the Difference

This is the most important thing to get right. Indoor smart plugs are not weatherproof and must never be used outside, even under a porch roof where rain can blow in. Outdoor plugs carry an IP64 or IP65 weather resistance rating and are built to survive rain, snow, and freezing temperatures. They also need to be plugged into a GFCI-protected outlet outdoors, which is a separate electrical safety feature. When in doubt, buy the outdoor-rated plug. It works fine indoors too.

1. Kasa Outdoor Smart Plug EP40A (Around $20)

The best all-around pick for outdoor holiday lights. It has two independently controlled outlets, IP64 weather resistance, and works with Alexa, Google Home, and Apple HomeKit without requiring a hub. That triple-platform support is rare at this price.

Why it wins: Two outlets means the roofline lights and the yard inflatables can run on separate schedules. The Kasa app scheduling is reliable, with options for dusk-to-dawn automation based on local sunset times. Energy monitoring shows exactly how much power the display draws.

Best for: Most households. If you only buy one smart plug for the holidays, make it this one.

Watch out for: The plug body hangs from a short cord, which keeps it neat against the wall but can block a neighboring outlet. WiFi range is rated up to 300 feet, but thick walls between the router and the plug can cause dropouts.

2. TP-Link Tapo P400M Outdoor Smart Plug (Around $22)

A step up in weatherproofing with an IP65 rating (dust-tight and protected against water jets, versus the EP40A’s splash-resistant IP64). It is also Matter-certified, the new smart home standard designed to work across all platforms.

Why it wins: The higher weather rating matters in regions with heavy rain or snow. Matter certification means it should keep working with future smart home platforms without needing replacement. Dual independently controlled outlets, like the Kasa.

Best for: Harsh climates and anyone building a Matter-based smart home.

Watch out for: Slightly pricier than the EP40A for features most users will not notice in a single holiday season. The Tapo app is separate from the Kasa app, which matters if you own other TP-Link devices.

3. Kasa KP401 Single Outdoor Plug (Around $17)

The budget outdoor option. One weatherproof outlet with the same IP64 rating and Kasa app reliability as its bigger sibling, minus Apple HomeKit support and the second outlet.

Why it wins: If the holiday display is a single string of lights on one outlet, there is no reason to pay for two. At around $17, this is the cheapest reliable way to automate outdoor lights.

Best for: Simple setups: one tree, one string of porch lights, one inflatable.

Watch out for: No HomeKit, so Apple-only households should get the EP40A instead. Single outlet means no separate schedules.

4. HBN Outdoor Smart Plug with 6 Outlets (Around $28)

A yard stake with six grounded outlets on a 6-foot cord, designed to sit in the garden among the decorations. Each pair of outlets can be controlled together through the app, with Alexa and Google Assistant voice support.

Why it wins: Large displays need many outlets spread across the yard. Running extension cords from a single plug creates a mess and a tripping hazard. The stake puts power where the decorations are, with IP44 weather resistance and overload protection.

Best for: Elaborate outdoor displays with lights in multiple yard zones.

Watch out for: Only 2.4GHz WiFi is supported, which can complicate setup on dual-band routers. The outlets are grouped in pairs rather than individually controlled. IP44 is a step below IP64, so mount it with the sockets facing down.

5. Govee Smart Plug 4-Pack (Around $32)

Four indoor smart plugs for about $8 each. These are for the indoor side of the holiday display: the Christmas tree, window candles, the mantel garland lights, and anything else inside.

Why it wins: Indoor holiday lighting usually involves several separate strings in different rooms. Buying individual plugs gets expensive fast. A 4-pack covers the whole house, and each plug is controlled independently in the Govee app with Alexa and Google support.

Best for: Indoor trees, window displays, and multi-room holiday lighting.

Watch out for: Indoor use only. These have no weatherproofing whatsoever. Govee’s app is fine but less polished than Kasa’s.

Quick Comparison

Plug	Price	Outlets	Weather Rating	Platforms
Kasa EP40A	~$20	2	IP64	Alexa, Google, HomeKit
Tapo P400M	~$22	2	IP65	Alexa, Google, Matter
Kasa KP401	~$17	1	IP64	Alexa, Google
HBN 6-Outlet Stake	~$28	6	IP44	Alexa, Google
Govee 4-Pack	~$32	4 (indoor)	None	Alexa, Google

Setting Up Holiday Light Schedules

Once the plug is installed, the most useful automation is a dusk-to-bedtime schedule. Most smart plug apps offer a sunset trigger that adjusts automatically as days get shorter through December. Set lights to turn on at sunset and off at 11 PM, and the display manages itself for the rest of the season.

For voice control, name the plug something natural like “Christmas lights” or “Porch display” in the app. Then “Alexa, turn on the Christmas lights” works from any room. Group indoor and outdoor plugs into a single routine for one-command control of the entire display.

Safety Notes

Outdoor holiday lighting has two separate safety requirements. The smart plug’s weather rating protects the plug itself from rain. A GFCI outlet protects people from electrical shock. You need both. Most outdoor outlets installed in the last 20 years are GFCI-protected, recognizable by the test and reset buttons on the outlet face. If yours is not, have an electrician upgrade it before plugging in holiday lights.

Keep the total load under the plug’s rating, usually 15 amps or 1875 watts. LED Christmas lights draw very little power, a typical 100-light string uses under 10 watts, so overload is rarely an issue with modern LED displays. Older incandescent strings draw far more, so check the wattage printed on the box if you still use them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use an indoor smart plug for Christmas lights outside?

No. Indoor plugs have no weather sealing, and moisture can cause short circuits or corrosion. Always use a plug rated IP64 or higher for any outdoor use, even on a covered porch. Outdoor plugs work fine indoors, so when in doubt, buy outdoor-rated.

Do smart plugs work when the WiFi goes down?

Schedules stored on the plug itself continue to run without WiFi on most models, including the Kasa picks here. Voice control and app control need the network, but the dusk-to-bedtime schedule keeps working through an outage.

How many light strings can one smart plug handle?

Far more than a typical display needs. A 15-amp plug supports up to 1875 watts, while a 100-count LED string draws under 10 watts. You could theoretically run over a hundred LED strings from one plug, though in practice the plug’s physical outlet count is the real limit.

Will a smart plug save electricity on holiday lights?

Yes, through scheduling alone. Lights that used to burn from 5 PM to midnight because nobody remembered to switch them off now run only during the hours you set. The Kasa EP40A’s energy monitoring shows the actual consumption, which is usually lower than people expect with LED lights.