When we reviewed the TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Lite HS-103 ($14.99) earlier this year, it earned high marks for its affordability, voice control capabilities, and ability to work with lots of other smart home devices. 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 a bit smaller, making it a good way to smarten up lamps, coffee makers, and other small appliances. That said, the Wyze Plug costs even less at $14.99 for two, making it the best smart plug deal around and our Editors’ Choice award winner.
Slimmer Design, Same Features
The EP10 looks similar to the HS-103, but at 1.5 by 2.3 by 1.2 inches (HWD), it’s a bit more compact (the HS-103 measures 1.5 by 2.6 by 1.5 inches). The front of the EP10 houses a single, three-prong outlet and the back features a three-prong plug. On the left side is a backlit power button that glows solid blue when the plug is powered on and connected, flashes amber and blue during setup, and turns solid amber when the plug loses its Wi-Fi connection.
The plug uses a 2.4GHz 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 with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands. It also allows you to use IFTTT applets to connect the plug with third-party devices such as door locks, cameras, and thermostats. The plug even integrates with other Kasa devices, such as the Kasa Spot KC400 camera. However, it doesn’t support the Apple HomeKit platform or Siri voice commands.
The EP10 appears in a dedicated panel on the Kasa Smart app’s Device screen under Smart Plugs. Tap the panel to open a screen with a large power button; the button glows green when the plug is on and gray when it is off. At the bottom of the screen are Schedule, Timer, Away, and Runtime buttons. You can access Settings via the gear icon in the upper right corner of the screen.
Tap the Schedule icon to create on and off schedules for specific times and days of the week. The Timer button lets you set a countdown timer for when the plug should turn on or off. With the Away button, you can configure the plug to turn on and off randomly to make it look like someone is home while you are away. The Runtime section lets you view simple usage statistics. For example, you can see how many hours the plug has been on for the current day, the past week, and the past month. That said, you don’t get the same energy usage reports that you do with the Samsung SmartThings Wi-Fi Smart Plug.
To create scenes in which the plug will turn on or off using custom presets, tap the Scenes button at the bottom of the Devices screen. A Smart Actions button here lets you build automations based on the activity of other Kasa devices.
Easy Setup, 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, then tap Select Smart Plugs. Look for the EP10 in the list of plugs, tap it, follow the instructions to power it up, and verify that the LED is blinking amber and blue. Use your phone’s Wi-Fi settings to connect to the plug’s SSID, return to the app, select your home SSID, and enter your Wi-Fi password. The app will automatically add the plug to your Kasa devices list and your Alexa device list. Give the plug a name to complete the installation.
Testing the plug went off without a hitch. It showed no hesitation when responding to app commands to turn on and off. Alexa voice commands were just as responsive. The plug followed my schedules without incident, and the Smart Action I created worked without issue; 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 appliances into smart ones that you can control with your phone or with your voice. It’s compact enough to not block other outlets, and interacts with lots of Kasa and third-party smart devices. If you aren’t using other Kasa devices, however, you can save a few bucks with our Editors’ Choice winner, the Wyze Plug.
