We'd like to put a plug in for this genius product — four of them, in fact! (Amazon)(Kasa)
Smart plugs can be a blessing or a curse. They're a blessing if you hook them up to things like lamps or humidifiers or 3D printers you want to be able to shut down from afar. But they're a curse if the software that controls them is confusing or doesn't work reliably. I have a Kasa smart plug, and it's never given me a lick of trouble. Which brings us to this: Amazon currently has the Kasa Smart Plug Mini 4-pack for $24, down from $30.
I've been lucky to avoid power outages in my most recent home, with one exception: During the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. My wife and I were watching the Colorado Avalanche when the power went out. Bummed that I was going to miss the rest of the game, I looked out the window and saw that my neighbor had the game going via his outdoor projector, which was plugged into an Explorer 1000 v2. Lesson learned.
Its two USB-C ports, one USB-A port, one DC car port, and three AC outlets mean you can charge your tech as well as run a space heater. For an extra $250 you can add solar panels, which can charge this from 0-80% in just 2.4 hours.
No more jumping out of bed because you forgot the lights — these smart plugs have you covered!
You're getting four high-quality smart plugs for $24. That's less than $6 apiece — practically nothing compared with the peace of mind and convenience you'll get from being able to control practically any gadget from afar. This is just a couple bucks more than their all-time low.
In case you're new to the concept, a smart plug fits into a standard AC outlet; then you plug in a lamp, appliance or the like using the smart plug. Once the smart plug is connected to your home Wi-Fi network, you can control it in all kinds of ways. You can set a schedule. You can set a countdown timer. You can tell your Alexa or Google Home device to "turn on the thing" or "turn off the other thing."
Me, I often start 3D-printing jobs that won't finish until after I'm asleep. Rather than let that power-hungry printer remain on all night after it's done, I can program the outlet to turn off at a set time.
I've already given you my endorsement of Kasa's plugs, but here are a few more: Over 61,000 Amazon customers have given them five stars.
"I am about to purchase my fourth set of these Kasa Smart Mini Plugs," said this repeat customer. "The Kasa plugs are incredibly easy to add to a network. The devices are small and fit in just about any space. They have an override button to turn them on in case your Wi-Fi goes out."
"An absolute game-changer for my home," mentioned another happy customer. "One of the standout features is the scheduling and timer functionality. I've set my lights and coffee maker to automatically turn on and off at specific times, which not only saves energy but also adds an extra layer of security when I'm not home."
Another "late to the party" five-star reviewer bought these to use when selling their home. "With each showing, [we] are supposed to turn on every light in the house. Well, I got tired of that pretty quickly! I bought two boxes of these plugs and set up all the lamps in the house on these smart plugs. It's so easy now! I can't believe it took selling our house to try these. I love that you can turn things on and off through the app — even when you aren't home. They also work perfectly with Alexa."
Some users felt that setup could be easier. "I couldn't wait to get home and set them up. Unfortunately, that part wasn't so easy," cautioned one four-star purchaser. "I originally tried to add these on the Tapo app, [but it] just wouldn’t finish configuring the plugs," they mentioned. "Once I downloaded the Kasa app and signed in with my Tapo login, configuring the plugs was a breeze."
"I had a ton of issues trying to add to Apple HomeKit by Wi-Fi," said a final four-star customer. "Just avoid it and use the Bluetooth option. That worked and now I can control lights via HomeKit."
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
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