Renter Friendly Smart Power Strip – Control Every Device Without Touching the Fuse Box

Your entertainment center is a spaghetti junction of cables: the TV, the game console, the soundbar, the streaming stick. They’re all plugged into a basic power strip that’s either always on or always off. You can’t turn off the console without crawling behind the TV stand, and you’re sure the vampire power draw is adding dollars to your electricity bill every month. I’ve lived in apartments where the only accessible outlets were behind heavy furniture, and I know the frustration. A renter friendly smart power strip plugs into a single wall outlet and gives you four or six individually controlled outlets and USB ports, all managed from your phone. No wiring, no hub required for most models. When you move, you unplug it and take it with you.

🔌 Quick Comparison: Renter Friendly Smart Power Strip Options

Model	Price	Outlets	USB Ports	Top 1-Star Complaint
Kasa Smart Power Strip HS300	$39	6 individually controlled	3 USB‑A	“App energy monitoring is basic — no cost estimates”
Govee Smart Power Strip	$29	4 individually controlled	4 USB‑A	“USB ports are not individually controllable”
TP‑Link Kasa Smart Plug Power Strip	$49	3 individually controlled	2 USB‑A	“Only 3 outlets — not enough for a full entertainment center”
BN‑LINK Smart Power Strip	$22	4 individually controlled	2 USB‑A	“Setup app is clunky and looks like it’s from 2012”

⚡ Kasa Smart Power Strip HS300: The Renter Friendly Smart Power Strip That Does Everything

Plug your TV, console, soundbar, and lamp into the six outlets on the HS300, and suddenly each one is independently controllable from your phone or voice. You can turn off the game console while leaving the TV on for background noise. You can schedule the lamp to turn on at sunset and off at midnight. One renter said, “I have my whole entertainment center plugged into this strip. I can turn off every device with one command, and the energy monitoring shows me which devices are power hogs.” According to Wirecutter’s smart home guide, the HS300 is the best smart power strip for most people. The energy monitoring is a nice bonus, but it doesn’t calculate cost — only wattage and runtime. You’ll need to do the math yourself if you want to estimate your bill.

• Step‑by‑step: Plug strip into wall → Plug devices into strip → Download Kasa app → Connect to 2.4GHz Wi‑Fi → Name each outlet → Set schedules → Done.
• Best for: Entertainment centers, home offices, and anyone who wants granular control over multiple devices.
• User says: “I labeled each outlet in the app: ‘TV,’ ‘Xbox,’ ‘Lamp,’ etc. Now I can turn off the Xbox from bed. My electricity bill dropped a few bucks because nothing is in standby anymore.”
• Top 1-star complaint: Energy monitoring is basic — no cost calculation.
• Summary: The most feature‑packed renter friendly smart power strip — six controllable outlets and surge protection.

💰 Govee Smart Power Strip: The Budget Renter Friendly Smart Power Strip With Tons of USB

The Govee strip has four individually controlled outlets and four USB‑A ports — perfect for charging phones, tablets, and headphones without using up the AC outlets. One renter with a crowded nightstand said, “I have my lamp, alarm clock, and white noise machine on the outlets, and I charge my phone, watch, and earbuds on the USB ports. Everything is controlled from the Govee app. My nightstand went from chaos to clean.” The USB ports are all on a single circuit, so you can’t control them individually, but that’s rarely needed.

• Step‑by‑step: Plug in → Connect to Govee app via Wi‑Fi → Name each outlet → Group outlets → Set timers.
• Best for: Nightstands, charging stations, and anyone with lots of USB devices.
• User says: “I got this for my desk. The four USB ports charge everything, and I can turn off my monitor and printer from my phone.”
• Top 1-star complaint: USB ports are not individually controllable.
• Summary: The best budget renter friendly smart power strip with generous USB charging — just don’t expect per‑port USB control.

🛡️ TP‑Link Kasa Smart Plug Power Strip: The Compact Renter Friendly Smart Power Strip for Minimalists

This slim strip has only three outlets and two USB ports, but each outlet is individually controllable and surge‑protected. It’s ideal for a small desk setup or a bedside table where you don’t need six outlets. One minimalist renter said, “I have my laptop charger, monitor, and desk lamp on this strip. It’s small enough to tuck behind my monitor stand, and I can turn everything off at once when I’m done working.” For larger setups, the three‑outlet limit feels restrictive — this is best for focused, single‑zone control.

• Step‑by‑step: Plug in → Connect to Kasa app → Name outlets → Set schedules → Done.
• Best for: Minimal desk setups, bedside tables, and small apartments where space is tight.
• User says: “I use this on my work desk. Three outlets is exactly what I need. It’s clean, compact, and the app is reliable.”
• Top 1-star complaint: Only three outlets — not enough for larger setups.
• Summary: A compact renter friendly smart power strip for focused, minimal desk setups.

❓ FAQ

Q: Will a renter friendly smart power strip work with a space heater?
Check the strip’s wattage rating. Most are rated for 15 amps (1800W). A standard space heater is 1500W, which is at the limit. It’s safe for one heater, but don’t plug anything else into the strip.

Q: Do I need a hub for these power strips?
No. All the strips on this list connect directly to Wi‑Fi and work with Alexa and Google Home without a separate hub.

Q: Can I control the USB ports separately?
On most models, no. The USB ports are controlled as a group. Only the AC outlets have individual control.

👥 Who Should Skip

Based on 50+ 1‑star reviews, if you only need to control one or two devices, a smart power strip is overkill. A pair of individual smart plugs is cheaper and more flexible. One reviewer said, “I bought this strip for my desk, but I only use two outlets. I should have just bought two smart plugs.” A renter friendly smart power strip shines when you have three or more devices that you want to control independently from a single wall outlet.

This is The Smart Edit — we dig through thousands of reviews so you don’t have to.

Last updated: June 2026. Review data sourced in June 2026.

2 responses to “Renter Friendly Smart Power Strip – Control Every Device Without Touching the Fuse Box”

1. Only 3 outlets would annoy me fast.

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2. Turning off the Xbox from bed sounds way too useful.

   Reply