Best Outdoor Smart Plugs for Christmas Lights (2026)

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The best outdoor smart plug for Christmas lights is the Tapo P400M for most people. It’s Matter certified, so it works with Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home, and SmartThings. It’s rated IP65, it has two outlets you can control separately, and it can switch your lights on at sunset and off at bedtime without a hub. Kasa fans should get the EP40M (Matter) or the cheaper EP40A (Apple Home, Alexa, and Google).

Quick picks

Sunrise and sunset scheduling: lights that turn on at dusk

A sunset schedule is the easiest way to get your Christmas lights on at dusk every night without changing the time as the days get shorter. The Tapo P400M and Kasa EP40M support sunrise and sunset schedules in their apps, and Apple Home, Alexa, and Google Home can run sunset automations for any plug they control. Two independent outlets let you run the roofline and the yard display on different schedules.

Weather ratings: IP44, IP64, and IP65 in plain words

• IP65: sealed against dust and protected from water sprayed from any direction. The Tapo P400M and Amazon Basics Outdoor are rated IP65.
• IP64: sealed against dust and protected from splashing water from any direction. The Kasa EP40A and EP40M are rated IP64.
• IP44: protects against splashing water but not dust. Treat IP44 plugs as covered-porch plugs.

Whatever the rating, plug into a covered, GFCI-protected outdoor outlet and keep the plug off the ground with its outlets facing down.

Matter and voice assistants

A Matter plug works with Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home, and SmartThings, so it keeps working if you switch assistants. The Tapo P400M and Kasa EP40M are Matter plugs, and Matter over Wi-Fi plugs like these don’t need a Thread border router. The Kasa EP40A skips Matter but still works with Apple Home, Alexa, and Google. The Amazon Basics plug works only with Alexa. For more on Matter, see our Matter smart lights guide and our beginner smart home hub guide.

Load limits for light strings

Add up the watts printed on each light string’s label and keep the total under the plug’s rating (watts = 120 volts x amps). LED strings draw far less than older incandescent strings. Check the rating on each plug’s listing, and be careful with lower-rated models: the meross MSS630 is rated for only 10A, so it isn’t a good fit for long runs of light strings.

No space heaters. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) advises plugging space heaters directly into a wall outlet, so don’t use any smart plug, indoor or outdoor, to run one.

Tapo P400M: best overall

The Tapo P400M is around $26 (as of Oct 19). It’s Matter certified, so you can add it to Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home, or SmartThings with one setup code, and it’s rated IP65, the highest weather rating in this guide. The two outlets are controlled separately, and the Tapo app supports sunrise and sunset schedules, so your lights can come on at dusk and turn off at a set time.

• Good for: most people, mixed-assistant homes, and exposed outlets.

Kasa EP40M: best Kasa Matter pick

The Kasa EP40M is around $30 (as of Oct 19). It’s the Matter version of Kasa’s outdoor plug, rated IP64, with two independent outlets and sunrise and sunset schedules in the Kasa app. Pick it if your other plugs and switches are already Kasa and you want them all in one app. Our Kasa vs Tapo guide explains how the two TP-Link lines differ.

Kasa EP40A: best budget pick

At around $20 (as of Oct 19), the Kasa EP40A is the cheapest plug here that works with Apple Home, Alexa, and Google. It’s IP64 with two outlets. It doesn’t use Matter, so it’s a better fit if you already know which assistant you’re sticking with.

Amazon Basics Outdoor: for Alexa-only homes

The Amazon Basics Outdoor Smart Plug is around $24 (as of Oct 19). It’s IP65 with two outlets and sets up quickly in the Alexa app, but it works only with Alexa. Skip it if you use Apple Home or Google.

Also considered

• Leviton D215O-1RE (around $60 as of Oct 19): Matter compatible and rated IP65, with a built-in dusk-to-dawn light sensor that switches on based on actual daylight. It’s rated 15A for general use but only 5A for LED loads, which matters for long LED light strings, and it costs more than our picks. Leviton D215O-1RE on Amazon.
• meross MSS620 (around $26 as of Oct 26): works with Apple Home, but it’s only IP44, so use it in a covered spot. meross MSS620 on Amazon.
• meross MSS630: three outlets, but it’s rated for only 10A, so it’s not for long light strings.

How to set Christmas lights to turn on at sunset

1. Set up the plug in its app (Tapo, Kasa, or Alexa) and name each outlet, such as “Roofline” and “Yard”.
2. Add a schedule that turns the outlets on at sunset. You can add an offset, such as 15 minutes after sunset.
3. Add a second schedule to turn them off at a fixed time, such as 11 PM.
4. If you use a Matter plug, you can build the same routine in Apple Home, Google Home, or Alexa instead.

For indoor plugs, energy monitoring, and Matter picks, see our best smart plugs guide.

Prices are approximate, as of Oct 19, 2026, and may change. Specs come from manufacturer pages and retailer listings.