What is it?
A smart power strip with built-in WiFi and surge protection.
Good points?
Many homes still don't utilise smart product to run their homes more efficiently and those that do tend to have too many devices for the outlets.
This is where TP-Link smart power strips come into their own. You can choose strips with between three and six outlets which should cater for most appliances.
What makes the device smart is its ability to separately control each of the socket points. This means you can choose which sockets to power and when, either remotely or via a schedule. For example, starting a power-hungry fan shortly before you arrive home will allow the room to sufficiently cool with no needless energy consumption.
Providing surge protection to ensure your home wiring and expensive gadgets are not harmed while connected is a great feature and one that many manufacturers fail to recognise the importance of.
The Kasa smart app allows you to monitor all connected devices quickly and easily, as well as schedule their activation when desired – all within the intuitive calendar interface. Two USB-A ports provide additional capacity for devices which don't require a three-pronged connector.
Bad points?
A short cable length of a metre will hamper where you can place the strip and all the sockets are oriented in the same direction, so plugs with side panels may not fit next to a socket in use.
Best for ...
Those with many dumb devices that need to be smartened up, such as lamps, kettles and fans.
Avoid if ...
You simply require more power outlets without the need for power on/off scheduling features.
Score: 8/10.
TP-Link Kasa WiFi Power Strip, £27 (amazon.co.uk)
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