Smart Plugs / Emporia Energy Monitoring Smart Plug (1-Pack) vs Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision)
Emporia Energy Monitoring Smart Plug (1-Pack) vs Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision)
Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision)
The one to buy for a sump pump or dehumidifier — and it needs a Z-Wave hub.
Wins overall by 2.7 points
Quick Verdict
The Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) is the stronger all-round pick, ahead by 2.7 points. The one to buy for a sump pump or dehumidifier — and it needs a Z-Wave hub.
The Emporia Energy Monitoring Smart Plug (1-Pack) and Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) are both closely matched smart Plug models, and the Emporia Energy Monitoring Smart Plug (1-Pack) is $26 cheaper than the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) ($11.99 vs $37.95). On Load Headroom, the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) leads (9.5 vs 2.0/10) — how much of the nameplate 15A you can actually use continuously, and what the plug is rated to do with motors, compressors and heaters — the spec buyers most often get caught by. On Local Control, the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) leads (9.5 vs 2.5/10) — whether switching and schedules survive an internet outage, or depend on a vendor cloud. On Build & Safety, the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) leads (9.0 vs 4.0/10) — certification, flame-retardant housing, overload protection, recall history and warranty. Overall, the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) scores 8.1/10 across our 8 scoring categories versus 5.4/10 for the Emporia Energy Monitoring Smart Plug (1-Pack). Below, we break down the full spec sheet, category-by-category scores, and exactly who should buy which one.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Spec | Emporia Energy Monitoring Smart Plug (1-Pack) | Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $11.99 | $37.95 |
| Release Year | 2022 | 2017 |
| Max Load | Sources conflict: Emporia's store lists 10A max continuous, 15A peak for up to one hour a day, and separately '1800W @ 120V'. 10A continuous is 1,200W | 15A / 1,800W at 120V, single device only — the manual forbids plugging a power strip into it |
| Motor / Inductive Rating | Not published. Emporia explicitly advises against refrigerators, freezers, medical equipment, pet heat lamps and pumps, and networking gear | 1 HP — six times the Kasa EP25's 1/6 HP and the highest here |
| Energy Monitoring | Yes, measured — this is the product's entire purpose | Yes, measured — W, A, V and kWh with per-parameter reporting intervals (defaults 30s power, 300s energy/voltage/current) |
| Radio & Protocol | Wi-Fi 2.4GHz to the Emporia cloud. No Matter, no HomeKit, no Zigbee | Z-Wave 800 series with Z-Wave Long Range, S2 security and SmartStart |
| Hub Required | No | Yes — a Z-Wave gateway (Hubitat, Home Assistant with a Z-Wave stick, SmartThings, Ring) is required and is not included |
| Works Without Internet | No documented local API; the app and schedules depend on Emporia's cloud | Yes — Z-Wave is local by design; behaviour depends on your hub, not a vendor cloud |
| Switched Outlets | 1 | 1 |
| Pack Size | 1 | 1 |
| Price per Switched Outlet ($) | 11.99✓ | 37.95 |
| Dimensions | Not published by Emporia | 20 in including the cord x 2.6 x 1.1 in, 10 oz |
| Blocks Second Outlet | Not published by Emporia | No — it hangs off a cord rather than sitting in the receptacle |
| Weather Rating | Indoor only | Indoor only, 32-104°F |
| Warranty | 12 months | 12 months |
| Colors | White | White |
Category Scores
Load Headroom
The Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) leads clearly here, 9.5 against 2.0 — a 7.5-point margin on how much of the nameplate 15A you can actually use continuously, and what the plug is rated to do with motors, compressors and heaters — the spec buyers most often get caught by. If that is what you are buying for, the Emporia Energy Monitoring Smart Plug (1-Pack) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Energy Monitoring
The Emporia Energy Monitoring Smart Plug (1-Pack) and Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) are level here, at 9.5/10 each. whether power is genuinely measured, what quantities are reported, and where you can see them is not what separates these two — look to the categories where the scores diverge.
Ecosystem Support
The Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) leads clearly here, 5.0 against 4.0 — a 1.0-point margin on matter, HomeKit, Alexa, Google, SmartThings and Home Assistant coverage. If that is what you are buying for, the Emporia Energy Monitoring Smart Plug (1-Pack) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Local Control
The Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) leads clearly here, 9.5 against 2.5 — a 7.0-point margin on whether switching and schedules survive an internet outage, or depend on a vendor cloud. If that is what you are buying for, the Emporia Energy Monitoring Smart Plug (1-Pack) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Size & Fit
The Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) leads clearly here, 7.0 against 6.0 — a 1.0-point margin on whether it blocks the second outlet on a duplex receptacle, and how it mounts. If that is what you are buying for, the Emporia Energy Monitoring Smart Plug (1-Pack) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Build & Safety
The Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) leads clearly here, 9.0 against 4.0 — a 5.0-point margin on certification, flame-retardant housing, overload protection, recall history and warranty. If that is what you are buying for, the Emporia Energy Monitoring Smart Plug (1-Pack) does not close the gap elsewhere.
App & Automation
The Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) leads clearly here, 8.5 against 7.0 — a 1.5-point margin on scheduling, away modes, sunrise/sunset triggers and how good the controlling app is. If that is what you are buying for, the Emporia Energy Monitoring Smart Plug (1-Pack) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Value
The Emporia Energy Monitoring Smart Plug (1-Pack) leads clearly here, 8.5 against 7.0 — a 1.5-point margin on what a switched, metered outlet actually costs once the pack size and any required hub are counted. If that is what you are buying for, the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Best For
Choose the Emporia Energy Monitoring Smart Plug (1-Pack) if…
- • Value matters most to you — the Emporia Energy Monitoring Smart Plug (1-Pack) scores 8.5/10 here (what a switched, metered outlet actually costs once the pack size and any required hub are counted).
- • You want to spend less — it's $26 cheaper.
- • Your main use case is indoor-mini.
Choose the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) if…
- • Load Headroom matters most to you — the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) scores 9.5/10 here (how much of the nameplate 15A you can actually use continuously, and what the plug is rated to do with motors, compressors and heaters — the spec buyers most often get caught by).
- • Local Control matters most to you — the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) scores 9.5/10 here (whether switching and schedules survive an internet outage, or depend on a vendor cloud).
- • Build & Safety matters most to you — the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) scores 9.0/10 here (certification, flame-retardant housing, overload protection, recall history and warranty).
- • App & Automation matters most to you — the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) scores 8.5/10 here (scheduling, away modes, sunrise/sunset triggers and how good the controlling app is).
- • Your main use case is heavy-appliance.
Pros & Cons
Emporia Energy Monitoring Smart Plug (1-Pack)
Pros
- +The metering is the product, and it slots straight into Emporia's whole-home energy dashboard
- +$11.99 single or $34.99 for four direct from Emporia — the cheapest per-plug metering in the category
- +Emporia is unusually honest about its limits, publishing a continuous rating and a do-not-use list
Cons
- −10A continuous, not 15A — the 15A figure is a peak good for one hour a day, so the real ceiling is about 1,200W
- −Emporia's own store tells you not to plug in a fridge, freezer, pump, heat lamp or router
- −Roughly 80,000 North America Smart Plugs sold July 2022 to May 2023 were recalled by CPSC in September 2023 for inadequate grounding (electric shock hazard); check what you receive
- −Alexa and Google only — no HomeKit, no Matter, no local control, no Home Assistant path
- −Emporia publishes no dimensions, so you cannot tell in advance whether it blocks the second socket
Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision)
Pros
- +The only plug here designed for inductive loads — 1 HP against 1/6 HP on a Kasa mini
- +Hardware overload protection cuts the relay at 16.5A sustained, independent of any hub
- +Four measured quantities (W, A, V, kWh) with tunable reporting thresholds — the richest metering in this table
- +Fully local Z-Wave with S2 security; no vendor cloud is in the path at all
- +Cord-mounted design frees both receptacles
Cons
- −Sources conflict on what it is for: retailers market it for 110V AC units and sump pumps, while the 800LR manual's safety list prohibits electric heaters, 220V boilers, 220V pumps/compressors and electrical dryers
- −Needs a Z-Wave hub — the most expensive prerequisite in this comparison
- −Amazon's single long-running ZEN15 listing has carried both the 500-series and the 800LR revision; buy from a Zooz dealer if you specifically need Long Range
- −One device only — the manual explicitly forbids connecting a power strip
- −$37.95 for a single outlet, with a 1-year warranty
Shop by Need
FAQs
Is the Emporia Energy Monitoring Smart Plug (1-Pack) or Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) better overall?+
Based on our 8-category scoring, the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) comes out ahead overall. See the full breakdown in the scores section above — the right pick still depends on which categories matter most for your use case.
Which is better for Load Headroom, the Emporia Energy Monitoring Smart Plug (1-Pack) or the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision)?+
The Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) scores higher on Load Headroom (9.5/10 vs 2.0/10) — how much of the nameplate 15A you can actually use continuously, and what the plug is rated to do with motors, compressors and heaters — the spec buyers most often get caught by.
Which is better for Local Control, the Emporia Energy Monitoring Smart Plug (1-Pack) or the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision)?+
The Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) scores higher on Local Control (9.5/10 vs 2.5/10) — whether switching and schedules survive an internet outage, or depend on a vendor cloud.
Which is better for Build & Safety, the Emporia Energy Monitoring Smart Plug (1-Pack) or the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision)?+
The Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) scores higher on Build & Safety (9.0/10 vs 4.0/10) — certification, flame-retardant housing, overload protection, recall history and warranty.
Which is better for App & Automation, the Emporia Energy Monitoring Smart Plug (1-Pack) or the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision)?+
The Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) scores higher on App & Automation (8.5/10 vs 7.0/10) — scheduling, away modes, sunrise/sunset triggers and how good the controlling app is.
Is the Emporia Energy Monitoring Smart Plug (1-Pack) worth the price difference over the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision)?+
The Emporia Energy Monitoring Smart Plug (1-Pack) is the cheaper option at $11.99 versus $37.95. Whether the pricier model is "worth it" depends on how much you value its lead in Load Headroom.
Which is better suited to my use case?+
The Emporia Energy Monitoring Smart Plug (1-Pack) is the better fit if you mainly care about indoor-mini. The Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) is the better fit for heavy-appliance.
What's the warranty on the Emporia Energy Monitoring Smart Plug (1-Pack) vs the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision)?+
The Emporia Energy Monitoring Smart Plug (1-Pack) ships with a 12-month warranty; the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) ships with a 12-month warranty. Always confirm current terms on the manufacturer's site before buying.
Should I wait for the next model instead of buying either of these?+
If either model is more than two years old, a successor may be close — check the "Latest Model" link on each product page. Otherwise, both are current, well-supported options and there's no strong reason to wait.
Premium Option
Tapo Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip P316M — $49.99
Specifications and prices for both products last verified . Scores are calculated from published specifications — see how we compare products.