Specs are compiled from manufacturer listings and verified buyer reviews and can change over time — please confirm the key details on the product page before buying.
You want an outdoor plug you can actually trust in the rain, and you want it to talk to your Z-Wave hub without a fight. The short answer: the Minoston 800 Series Outdoor Z-Wave LR Smart Plug (MP22Z) is the one to buy first for most yards, patios and holiday-light setups. A Z-Wave outdoor plug is simply a weather-ready outlet that joins your Z-Wave smart-home network instead of your Wi-Fi, so commands run on a dedicated radio band rather than clogging your home internet.
This guide is built by comparing the manufacturers’ published specifications and the patterns across verified customer reviews, so you get each pick’s real strengths and trade-offs instead of marketing spin.
Below you’ll find four hub-required plugs ranked by how well they handle real outdoor jobs, from double-socket control to 0-100% dimming. Every one of these needs a Z-Wave certified hub before it does anything, so check your hub’s compatibility list before you order any z-wave outdoor plug.
Top Picks
How To Choose The Best Z-Wave Outdoor Plug
Three questions decide almost every purchase here. Does your hub support the chip generation inside the plug? Does the plug’s load rating cover the appliance you plan to run? And does the housing survive where you plan to mount it?
Check the hub before the plug
A Z-Wave plug is a dumb radio until a certified hub tells it what to do. The plugs here list SmartThings, Vera, Wink, Fibaro, HomeSeer, Hubitat and similar controllers, with some needing a device-type change or a custom driver inside the hub. Buy the plug that matches your controller’s own compatibility page rather than the other way around.
Match the amp rating to the appliance
An amp rating (A) is how much electrical current the plug can pass through before it becomes a hazard. Most outdoor plugs here carry 15 A, which translates to 1875 W at 125 V — enough for string lights, a fountain pump, or a holiday display. Dimming plugs are a different animal: the dimmer version tops out at 400 W for incandescent bulbs and 150 W for LED and CFL loads, so a big incandescent string is out of its league.
Understand what IP65 covers
IP65 is an ingress rating — the first digit measures dust protection and the second measures water jets. A 6 means dust-tight and a 5 means it shrugs off water sprayed from a nozzle. It is not a rating for being submerged, and at least one plug here explicitly says it should not sit in direct rain or under water, so mount it under an eave or a covered outlet where you can.
Long Range only helps if your hub speaks it
Several of these plugs carry 800 series Z-Wave chips that can reach up to 1300 feet in open range when the hub adds them via Long Range. A hub without Long Range support falls back to ordinary Z-Wave distances, so that headline number does not apply to you. The built-in repeater, by contrast, helps any Z-Wave network by passing along signals from your other devices.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Model | Best For | Load Rating | Weather Rating | Z-Wave Chip | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minoston MP22Z Outdoor Smart Plug★ Best Overall | Most yards and patios | 15 A / 1875 W | IP65 | 800 Series | Amazon |
| Zooz ZEN14 Double Plug | Two devices, one outlet | 15 A total | IP65 | 800 Series LR | Amazon |
| Minoston MP22ZD Dimmer Plug | Dimmable string lights | 400 W incandescent / 150 W LED-CFL | IP65 | 800 Series LR | Amazon |
Detailed Reviews
1. Zwave Outlet Plug MP22Z
Our pick — 4.0+★ from 850+ verified ratings; the strongest balance of quality and price.
An 800 series chip, a 15 A ceiling and a body shorter than a deck of cards.
The spec that earns this plug the top slot is the 800 series chip inside it. Compared with the older 700 series, it gives you faster wireless response and longer reach, and it can stretch to 1300 feet in open range when your hub adds it via Z-Wave Long Range. That reach matters when the plug sits at the far corner of a fence and the hub lives indoors.
The load ceiling is a 15 A rating at 125 V and 60 Hz, which works out to 1875 W of appliances. In everyday terms, that covers landscape lighting, a sprinkler controller, a fountain pump or a Christmas tree. It also accepts LED, halogen, incandescent, xenon, fluorescent and compact fluorescent bulbs, so you are not boxed into one lighting type. Pairing with SmartThings is quick, too: a QR scan and three button presses finish the job in about two minutes.
Setup demands a certified hub, and this one plays with SmartThings, Vera, Wink, Fibaro, HomeSeer, Ring, 2GIG and Hubitat with a device-type change. It will not talk directly to an Echo Plus, so Alexa and Google voice control both route through the hub. The honest catch is size-related: at 1.53″D x 2.2″W x 3.14″H it is compact, but the polycarbonate body still occupies a wall outlet, so plan which socket you are willing to give up.
What earns the top spot
- 800 series chip with Long Range reach up to 1300 feet on a supporting hub
- 15 A / 1875 W load ceiling covers pumps, lights and holiday displays
- Built-in repeater passes Z-Wave signals along to the rest of your network
- Countdown timers and daily schedules keep forgotten appliances from running
Where it asks for patience
- Ring and 2GIG pairing can require a device-type change inside the hub
- No direct Echo Plus connection — voice control needs the hub in the middle
The default buy: Pick this if your hub is SmartThings or Hubitat and you want one dependable outlet for outdoor lights or a pump.
Think twice if: you need two devices switched independently — the double plug below does that job instead.
2. Zooz 800 Series ZEN14
Two separate outlets in one housing, for the yard that runs more than one thing at a time.
If a single socket is your bottleneck, this is the fix: you get Z-Wave control of two different outdoor devices at once. The shared limit is 15 A of resistive load between the two outlets, and there is no dimming control on either one. That split suits a pair of holiday-light strands or a fountain pump alongside patio lighting, each on its own schedule.
It is the physically biggest plug of this group at 1.75″D x 3.5″W x 5″H, compared with 1.53″D x 2.2″W x 3.14″H on the Minoston MP22Z, which makes it noticeably bulkier on the wall. In the real world that extra bulk is the room needed to fit two outlets side by side — you trade a compact profile for a second controlled socket. SmartStart and S2 Authenticated Security come built in, and the IP65 housing is rated for holiday lights, small pumps and patio lighting.
Coverage is the other headline. On a hub that supports Z-Wave Long Range, the plug reaches up to 1300 feet with direct hub-to-device communication, and it doubles as a signal repeater for the rest of your network. Pairing with Hubitat and Home Assistant tends to go smoothly and quickly. The recurring note in owner feedback is compatibility rather than hardware — this plug is not supported by Z-Wave alarm panels such as Alarm.com, ADT or Ring, so check that list first. Zooz also gives you 7-day support and an extended 5-year warranty if you register within 30 days of purchase.
Who it wins for: Anyone running two outdoor loads off one wall outlet, especially on a Z-Box Hub, Home Assistant or Hubitat setup where two-socket control is the whole point.
The friction to know: No dimming and no alarm-panel support. If your home security system is the hub you want, this plug simply is not on that list.
Reach for this if: your yard has two devices that deserve separate on/off control and your hub is mainstream Z-Wave.
Look elsewhere if: a monitored security panel is your only controller — this one is not built for it.
3. Outdoor Smart Dimmer Plug
The only plug here that turns your string lights down to a low glow instead of just off.
Brightness is the reason to buy this one. You can dial your outdoor lights anywhere from 0-100% through voice control, so an evening can start bright for dinner and drop to a soft backdrop once guests arrive. It also carries the 800 series chip with Long Range support up to 1300 feet when your hub adds it that way, plus the same IP65 weatherproof housing and daily schedules as the rest of the family.
The wattage rules are stricter than the non-dimming plugs, and they matter. The total load is 400 W maximum, with 150 W for LED and CFL bulbs and the full 400 W reserved for incandescent. Your string lights also have to be dimmable in the first place — a non-dimmable strand will not cooperate, no matter what the plug can do. What buyers talk about most is connectivity, and it holds up: pairing with home automation systems is straightforward, and Hubitat users in particular report a clean handoff.
Range deserves an honest word. Owner feedback flags range as the weak point of this plug, more so than on the otherwise similar switches. It still extends the network with a built-in repeater, and it is compatible with SmartThings, Vera, Wink, Fibaro, HomeSeer, 2GIG and Hubitat with a device-type change. It will not connect directly to an Echo Plus. If your hub already lives near the patio, that range note may never bother you.
Why dimming buyers pick it
- 0-100% brightness by voice — “set the led strip lights to 75%” does the work
- 150 W LED/CFL ceiling keeps most decorative strands comfortably in range
- Up to 1300 feet Long Range when your hub adds it that way
What to weigh before buying
- Range is the recurring complaint on this model, so placement matters
- Only works with dimmable bulbs — non-dimmable strands will not respond
The one job it does best: outdoor string lights you want to dim from your phone rather than simply switch.
The limit to plan around: a 150 W LED ceiling and dimmable bulbs only — anything heavier needs one of the on/off plugs.
4. Zwave Smart Plug MP22ZP
For the garage or basement where you genuinely want to know what the pump is drawing.
Energy monitoring is the difference here, and it is a narrow but useful one. The plug reports what the connected appliance is using, so you can see in the app that the old basement dehumidifier swings harder than expected or that a landscape pump is pulling steady. It even flags over-voltage, which is a habit worth having if a circuit in your garage keeps tripping breakers.
This is the older 700 series chip, not the 800 series in the other three plugs. That is not a defect — it still installs easily, consumes less power, and keeps your wireless network encrypted and closed to casual snooping. Setup follows the same routine: scan the QR code, add it to your hub, then control the outlet, schedule events and group devices from your phone. It also repeats signals for the rest of your Z-Wave network, the same as the others.
Where it asks you to be careful is mounting. The IP65 housing is suited to outdoor and damp spots like a porch, patio, garage or basement, but the manufacturer specifically says it should not sit in direct rain or be immersed in water — so it belongs under cover, not strapped to a fence post in the open. Hub compatibility covers SmartThings, Wink, Vera, Fibaro and other certified Z-Wave controllers. Voice control through Echo or Google requires a hub in the middle, and it will not connect straight to an Echo Plus.
The spec that decides it: energy monitoring with over-voltage reporting — the only plug in this group that tells you what your appliance is drawing.
Where it sits in the pecking order: the 700 series chip and the direct-rain caveat make it the specialist choice rather than the all-rounder.
Worth it for: anyone who wants visibility into a pump, heater or dehumidifier’s power draw, mounted under cover.
Not the fit for: an exposed fence-line outlet in the open weather — you need a sheltered spot for this one.
Know the Specs
Load rating in amps and watts
The amp rating (A) is how much current the plug can safely pass through to your appliance, and the watt figure is that same capacity expressed in power at a given voltage. A 15 A plug at 125 V tops out at 1875 W, which comfortably covers string lights, small pumps and seasonal displays. Dimming plugs work differently — their ceiling is set by the bulb type, so you often see separate limits stated for LED and for incandescent, and a non-dimmable strand simply will not respond to the dimmer at all.
IP65 weather rating explained
IP65 is a two-digit ingress protection rating: the 6 means the housing is dust-tight, and the 5 means it handles water sprayed from a nozzle. Neither digit means submersible. That is why some manufacturers explicitly tell you to keep the plug out of direct rain or standing water and mount it under a patio cover or eave instead. Use a covered outdoor outlet and you get the full benefit of the housing; leave it exposed to a downpour and you are asking more than the rating promises.
Z-Wave chip generations and Long Range
The chip generation inside the plug governs how quickly it responds and how far it can reach. Newer 800 series chips support Z-Wave Long Range, which can extend coverage to 1300 feet in open air when your hub also supports it. Older 700 series chips still work reliably and use less power, but they do not offer that Long Range leap. Either way, the plug needs a certified Z-Wave hub to function — none of these run on Wi-Fi alone.
Repeaters and network signal
A Z-Wave repeater is a plug that also relays signals for other Z-Wave devices nearby, filling in dead spots in your network. Every plug here includes one, so even a plug you bought for a single fountain pump can strengthen the connection for a sensor at the back of the yard. The catch is that repeaters only help devices on the same Z-Wave network — a Wi-Fi camera gets nothing from it.
Common Questions
Do I need a smart hub for a Z-Wave outdoor plug?
Will a Z-Wave plug work with my Ring alarm system?
Can I plug a space heater or air compressor into one of these?
What does IP65 actually protect against?
Can I dim regular string lights with the dimmer plug?
Does Z-Wave Long Range really reach 1300 feet?
Is the built-in repeater worth caring about?
Can two separate devices be controlled independently?
Do these plugs work if the power goes out and comes back?
How long do these outdoor plugs hold up?
The Bottom Line
For most people shopping a z-wave outdoor plug, the Minoston MP22Z is the safe first buy — a current 800 series chip, a 15 A ceiling and a compact body that pairs in about two minutes. If your yard runs two things at once, the Zooz ZEN14 gives you separate socket control with SmartStart security and the longest warranty of the group. For string lights you actually want to dim, the Minoston MP22ZD does 0-100% brightness by voice, and the Minoston MP22ZP is the pick when energy monitoring is the whole reason you are buying. Start with the MP22Z — its 800 series chip and 15 A ceiling make it the safest first buy for most yards.
How we choose
We do not accept paid placement. Every pick is matched to a real buyer and a real use-case; we do not hands-on test units.
Sources
Specifications: manufacturer listings and product documentation. Review insights: verified customer reviews, as of November 2026. Pricing: not shown on this page (it changes often); check the current price via the retailer link.
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