A power strip is the least glamorous thing in your home, until you need one more socket behind the sofa. Then you have a choice: buy a smart power strip, or build a modular power strip. Here is how to decide, in plain English.
Where a smart power strip works well
A smart power strip is a fixed block of sockets with a little intelligence inside. You can usually switch it on and off from your phone and set schedules. If you have one spot that never changes, such as a TV and a games console, it is a perfectly good answer. Buy it, plug it in, forget about it.
Where a fixed strip lets you down
The trouble starts when a room changes. A fixed strip has the number of sockets it was born with. Need one more? Buy another strip and plug it into the first. Need a USB-C port? Buy an adapter. Need to reach the window sill? Buy an extension. Within a year you have a chain of strips behind the furniture, and each one is a separate thing to manage.
In many Nordic homes the sockets are where the builder put them, not where you need them. The window lights, the reading lamp and the desk all want power in different places, and the layout changes with the seasons.
What a modular power strip does differently
A modular power strip is built from pieces. You start with a kit, add outlet modules, USB-C modules and cords as you need them, and rearrange them when the room changes. Moduel Start Kits work this way: you click the pieces together, built in minutes, with no electrician. The best-selling add-on is the two-outlet Schuko module, 129 SEK.
Smart power strip with Matter: what it adds
Matter is a shared standard that lets smart home devices from different brands work together. In practice, a Matter-ready product can be controlled from the app or voice assistant you already use, instead of yet another app. The Start Kit Smart Schuko (699 SEK) is Matter-ready, and Moduel also sells the Smart Matter Control Module F1 as a separate module.
What it costs over time
A fixed strip is cheaper on day one. A modular one is cheaper if you would otherwise buy a second and third strip. Start with the Simple Start Kit at 399 SEK, add one outlet module at 129 SEK, and you have a 528 SEK run that can keep growing.
A quick checklist
- One fixed spot that never moves, and no smart needs: a fixed smart strip is fine.
- A room that changes, or a habit of adding things: go modular.
- Want control from your phone or voice assistant: check that it supports Matter.
- Short of sockets near the window or desk: add an extension cord.
- Not sure: start small and add as you go.
Build your first run
Ready to start? The Start Kit Smart Schuko is 699 SEK, and the Simple Start Kit is 399 SEK. New customers get 20% off their first order with code Welcome20.