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TP-Link Kasa Smart WiFi Power Strip Review

Surge protection with individual control and runtime tracking for up to 6 devices
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TP-Link Kasa Smart WiFi Power Strip Review
Credit: TP-Link
Price:  $80 List
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Manufacturer:   TP-Link
By Max Mutter and Michelle Powell  ⋅  Sep 3, 2019
65
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#6 of 8
  • Ease of Setup - 40% 5.0
  • Reliability - 30% 7.0
  • Interface - 15% 8.0
  • Voice Assistants - 15% 8.0

Our Verdict

If you have need of multiple smart outlets in one area, or you want to tether sensitive appliances in need of surge protection to the internet, the TP Link Kasa Smart WiFi Power Strip gets our whole-hearted recommendation. Offering six independently controlled smart outlets, along with three dumb USB ports for all of your mobile device charging needs, this strip is all you need for adding smart funtionailty to your entire entertainment center or monitor-laden home desk. Plus, large TVs and computer monitors are often the sorts of appliances that draw a surprising amount of power when in standby mode. This power strip offers both the surge protection those devices need, as well as the ability to set on/off schedules that can significantly lessen their impact on your electricity bill. To see how it stacks up versus the competition, check out our review of smart plugs.
REASONS TO BUY
6 independent outlets
Surge protection
Individual runtime monitoring
REASONS TO AVOID
Setup relatively involved
Slower reboot after WiFi outage

Compare to Similar Products

 
Awards Top Pick Award
Best Smart Powerstrip
Editors' Choice Award
Best Basic Smart Plug
Best Buy Award
Best Runtime Tracking on a Budget
Top Pick Award
Best for Outdoor Use
Best Buy Award
Best Bang for the Buck for Alexa Users
Price $80 List
$64.83 at Amazon
$40 List$35 List
$16.95 at Amazon
$45 List$25 List
$14.99 at Amazon
Overall Score Sort Icon
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Bottom Line A simple and effective way to lessen the energy cost of entertainments centers, work stations, and other notorious energy vampiresThe perfect low-cost solution for connecting basic appliances to the internetTP Link's basic outlet makes their network easily (and cheaply) expandableTurns a single outdoor outlet into 2 independent controlled smart socketsA basic and streamlined plug for Alexa controlled smart homes
Rating Categories TP-Link Kasa WiFi P... WeMo Mini TP-Link Kasa WiFi Lite TP-Link Kasa Outdoor Amazon Smart Plug
Ease of Setup (40%)
5.0
6.0
5.0
5.0
6.0
Reliability (30%)
7.0
9.0
7.0
7.0
6.0
Interface (15%)
8.0
7.0
8.0
8.0
3.0
Voice Assistants (15%)
8.0
9.0
8.0
8.0
7.0
Specs TP-Link Kasa WiFi P... WeMo Mini TP-Link Kasa WiFi Lite TP-Link Kasa Outdoor Amazon Smart Plug
Number of Outlets 6 plus 3 USB 1 1 2 1
Maximum Power 1.875kW 1.8 kW 1.2kW 1.875kW 15A
Smart Home Compatability Alexa, Google Home IFTTT, Nest, Home and Away Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Home, IFTTT, Nest Alexa, Google Home IFTTT, Nest, Home and Away Alexa, Google Home IFTTT, Nest, Home and Away Alexa
Warranty 2 year Limited 3 Year Limited 2 Year Limited 2 Year Limited 1 Year Limited

Our Analysis and Test Results

The TP Link Kasa Smart WiFi Power Strip provides six smart outlets in a power surge-protecting power strip, making it a great choice for remotely controlling your more sensitive or expensive appliances.

Performance Comparison



tp-link kasa smart wifi power strip - the tp-link kasa power strip is the best 2+ outlet option we've found.
The TP-Link Kasa Power Strip is the best 2+ outlet option we've found.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Ease of Setup


While we didn't run into any snags when setting up the Kasa Power Strip, its process has more steps than most. You must download the associated TP Link app, create an account that must be confirmed via email, and enable a skill and connect it to Alexa manually. We certainly wouldn't dissuade you from choosing the Kasa Power Strip due to its initial setup, but we do wish TP Link would offer some way to streamline the process.


Smart Home and Voice Assistant Compatibility


The Kasa Power Strip works with Alexa, Google Home, and If This Then That, with Apple HomeKit being the one major smart home player it does not support. It is also compatible with both Nest and Ecobee (Home and Away) devices, and Microsoft Cortana.

Reliability and Responsiveness


Even when bombarding the Kasa Power Strip with back-to-back commands for each one of its six autonomous smart outlets, it provided near immediate responses. If we cut the power or WiFi off and then back on with the outlets in their “on” setting, the strip became responsive again right after the WiFi/power was restored. If the outlets were in the off position when we simulated the outage, it took the strip a few minutes to get reconnected and start responding to our commands again. This is a common problem we had with most smart plugs, though we did discover a select few that spring right back into service after an outage no matter the circumstances.


Advanced Features


While the TP Kasa Power Strip doesn't offer specific energy usage monitoring, it will track the runtime for each outlet, letting you know how many hours per day each one of your devices have been on. While this can't tell you if your TV is using a lot of power while in standby mode, it can still provide some valuable information about how often you actually have your appliances switched on.

You can also create scenes (or multi-plug presets) that allow you to turn on three outlets and turn the other three off (or any other combination) with a single command. Most smart plugs offer some sort of similar feature, but you must buy multiple plugs in order to actually use said feature. The Kasa Power Strip's six independent outlets let you use that feature right out of the box.

tp-link kasa smart wifi power strip - all of the kasa smart power strip's outlets can easily be controlled...
All of the Kasa Smart Power Strip's outlets can easily be controlled from the associated app.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

The power strip includes three USB ports as well. This is super convenient if you use the power strip on your desk as you always have a free port to charge your phone or wireless mouse.

tp-link kasa smart wifi power strip - the additional usb ports are a nice touch.
The additional USB ports are a nice touch.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Finally, there are six physical buttons that can turn off each outlet individually. This is a nice feature as you can physically turn off any outlet without affecting any of the schedules or other settings you may have programmed for it. For example, maybe you have all of your desk devices (monitor, docking stations, etc.) on timers so that they turn off at night to conserve energy, as well as a lamp on a schedule so that it turns on when the sun goes down and turns off around bedtime. If you go on vacation for a week you'll want your desk stuff to remain off, but probably want the lamp to keep turning on so it doesn't look like the house is empty. In that case you can physically turn off all of your desk things but keep the lamp socket on. Then when you get home just turn all the sockets back on and your normal schedules will resume.

Value


While the Tp Link Kasa Power Strip is relatively pricey, it is much less expensive than buying six individual smart plugs, and it only takes up one outlet. Therefore we think it's a great value for those that need a lot of smart outlets in a single place.

tp-link kasa smart wifi power strip - you can control all 6 of the tp-link power strip's outlets...
You can control all 6 of the TP-Link Power Strip's outlets independently.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Conclusion


Adding smart functionality to a power strip can be a great way to make entertainment centers and workstations more energy efficient, and we think the TP Link Kasa Smart WiFi Power Strip fills that niche better than most other options on the market.

Max Mutter and Michelle Powell
 

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