When I reviewed the TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Lite HS-103 ($ 14.99) earlier this year, it earned high marks for accessibility, voice control capabilities and the ability to work with a lot of other devices. smart from home. The new Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini EP10 ($ 9.99 for one, $ 16.99 for two and $ 29.99 for four) is even more affordable, offers the same capabilities, and is slightly smaller, making it a good way to improve the lamps. coffee machines and other small appliances. That being said, the Wyze Plug costs even less at $ 14.99 for two, making it the best smart outlet and Editors' Choice winner.

Thinner design, same features

EP10 looks similar to HS-103, but at 1.5 by 2.3 by 1.2 inches (HWD), it is slightly more compact (HS-103 measures 1.5 by 2.6 by 1.5 inches). The front of the EP10 houses a single three-wire socket, and the back has a three-wire socket. On the left is a backlit power button, which glows solid blue when the plug is turned on and connected, flashes yellow and blue during setup, and becomes a continuous amber when the plug loses its Wi-Fi connection.

The plug uses a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi radio to connect to your home network, so you can control it with the Kasa Smart mobile app (available for Android and iOS) and / or Amazon Alexa voice commands, and Google Assistant. It also allows you to use IFTTT applications to connect the plug to third-party devices, such as locks, cameras, and thermostats. The plug integrates even with other Kasa devices, such as the Kasa Spot KC400 camera. However, it does not support the Apple HomeKit platform or Siri voice commands.

EP10 appears in a dedicated panel on the Device screen of the Kasa Smart application, under Smart Plugs. Touch the panel to open a screen with a large power button; the button lights up green when the plug is on and gray when it is turned off. At the bottom of the screen are the Program, Timer, Away and Runtime buttons. You can access Settings via the wheel icon in the upper right corner of the screen.

Touch the Schedule icon to create on and off schedules for specific times and days of the week. The Timer button allows you to set a countdown to when the plug should start or stop. With the Away button, you can set the plug to turn on and off randomly to make it look like someone is home while you're gone. The Runtime section allows you to view simple-to-use statistics. For example, you can see how many hours the plug-in was turned on for the current day, last week, and last month. That being said, you don't get the same power usage reports you get with your Samsung SmartThings Wi-Fi.

To create scenes in which the jack will turn on or off using custom presets, tap the Scenes button at the bottom of the Devices screen. A Smart Actions button here allows you to build automations based on the activity of other Kasa devices.

Easy configuration, reliable performance

The EP10 plug is very easy to install. Simply download the mobile app, create an account, tap the plus icon in the upper-right corner of the Devices screen, choose Device, and then tap Select smart sockets. Look for the EP10 in the socket list, tap it, follow the instructions to turn it on and check if the LED flashes yellow and blue. Use your phone's Wi-Fi settings to connect to the socket SSID, return to the application, select your home SSID, and enter your Wi-Fi password. The application will automatically add the connector to the Kasa device list and the Alexa device list. Give the plug a name to complete the installation.

Testing the plug went smoothly. He did not show any hesitation when responding to the commands of the start-up and deactivation application. Alexa's voice commands were just as receptive. The socket followed my programs without incident, and the Smart Action I created worked without problems; for example, I configured the plug to turn on when a Kasa Spot camera detected motion.

Best if you have other Kasa products

At just under $ 10, the TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini EP10 is an affordable way to turn ordinary devices into smart ones that you can control with your phone or voice. It is compact enough not to block other sockets and interacts with a lot of Kasa and third-party smart devices. If you don't use other Kasa devices, though, you can save a few bucks with our Editors' Choice winner, Wyze Plug.