HomeKit Weekly: Add smart home capabilities to multiple devices with HomeKit surge protectors

Bradley Chambers | Nov 13 2020 - 9:00 am PT

HomeKit outlets are an easy way to turn an existing appliance into one that works with your smart home setup. What if you need more than one? HomeKit surge protectors are the easiest way to turn multiple devices into ones that work with HomeKit. I’ve purchased a handful of them and now have my favorites, so read on if you want to learn about the best HomeKit surge protectors.

HomeKit Weekly is a series focused on smart home accessories, automation tips and tricks, and everything to do with Apple’s smart home framework.

Surge protectors are useful for providing additional protection to high priced items like electronics, but they’re also helpful in expanding one outlet into multiple items. All of the products I mention here are native HomeKit products meaning that you don’t have to sideload them into HomeKit through the product’s app. All you need to do is scan the code, and then it’s connected.

VOCOlinc HomeKit surge protector

VOCOlinc is one of my favorite Homekit manufacturers, and the Homekit surge protector is no exception. It includes three power ports along with two ports for charging USB-A devices. If you’re using it in your office, it becomes a handy device to keep your iPhone charged at your desk. Each port is 5V2.4A so that it won’t be useful for fast charging an iPad. The outlets are spaced well apart, so it’s easy to keep everything plugged up. I have this surge protector in my dining room with a couple of lamps that I have combined in the Home app to only show up as a single light. The Wi-Fi connection is only 2.4 GHz as with many smart home products, and I really would like to see more 5 GHz connections for HomeKit products in the future.

Meross surge protector

The Meross surge protector is the most recent addition to my HomeKit lineup, and I am using it in my office to power a lamp, charge my iPhone, and my HomePod. The critical difference in this product versus the VOCOlinc is that it includes four total USB ports, and the USB ports are exposed in HomeKit so that you could enable and disable the power on them remotely. Like the VOCOlinc, the USB ports are for charging lower power items, but it could charge an iPad overnight.

Eve Energy Strip

Eve is a top tier HomeKit manufacturer, and they make some of my favorite products. Their water guard, HomeKit button, and Eve Cam are great additions to any HomeKit home. Of all the HomeKit surge protectors I’ve used, the Eve Energy Strip has the best build quality, but it’s also the most expensive. It’s at least double the other two products’ costs, but it also looks much nicer. It includes three plugs that can be individually controlled. You can auto simulate lights to go off through the Eve app and on to make it appear like someone is home.

Wrap up on HomeKit surge protectors

All three of the products I own are really fantastic products. The Eve energy strip has the best build quality, but it’s a premium price. Both the Meross and VOCOlinc products are great as well, but they’re built out of plastic. Overall, I recommend them all. I’d recommend the Meross product because the USB ports are exposed to HomeKit, so if you need that if your use case, then that makes it the ideal product.