How often do you check your devices’ power specifications before plugging them in? If the answer is “pretty much never” (no judgment!), you’re not alone — but knowing those numbers is really important when it comes to safely managing the load going into a given outlet. And the smart home era has brought an extra layer of complication. Nowadays, you may not always be plugging a device directly into a wall socket or power strip, but instead into a smart plug that serves as a go-between.

You might even find yourself considering plugging a power strip into a smart plug to add the convenience of remote controls, voice commands and scheduling to a handful of devices at once, rather than individually. For the most part, though, that’s a setup you’re better off avoiding. Why? It all goes back to those specs.

Smart plugs aren’t inherently incompatible with power strips. The issue is more about the risk of accidentally pushing them beyond their capacity by piling on devices that cumulatively draw more current than the plug is rated for. 

How to keep from overloading a smart plug

All of your devices should have a sticker or markings spelling out their voltage (V) and wattage (W). You’ll also often see a maximum amps (A) rating, which indicates the total amount of current the device can safely pull. That number is critical. If you don’t see it on the device itself, you can usually find it in the manual or spec sheet, or you could calculate it yourself by dividing the number of watts by the number of volts (W/V). Govee’s Smart Plug Pro with Energy Monitoring, for example, is rated for up to 15A. Plug in a power strip with, say, six, eight or even more outlets, and you may inadvertently end up at or over that limit as you fill it up.

Take it from smart home company TP-Link: “It is not recommended to plug a power strip into a smart plug. A smart plug has a lower maximum load capacity than a power strip. Connecting a power strip — or plugging a smart plug into an extension cord or surge protector — creates the risk of overloading the smart plug without realizing it, which can cause product damage.” And even scarier than a bit of damage to the product or outlet is the potential of this setup starting a fire.

Unless you’re committed to doing the math every time you add a new device to the strip and you know with absolute certainty that your calculations are correct, it’s just not worth the risk. Save yourself the trouble and plug your power strip directly into the wall rather than a smart plug. Smart plugs tend to be sold in multi-packs at relatively low cost anyway, so using them for multiple devices shouldn’t be a hassle.

While you may also be considering a smart power strip, proceed with caution. Most smart power strips are still only rated for 15A or fewer, so you could easily exceed the load capacity by taking this route.