Smart plugs are easy to use and a great way to make your home smarter. But what if you’re looking for something that is not as expensive? There are many brands of smart plugs out there, including TP-Link Kasa Smart Plug Mini. This is one of the best values on the market when it comes to HomeKit compatible smart plugs. Not only does this plug have a low price, but it’s also compact enough that it will not block other outlets when placed next to each other. Let’s take a look at the HomeKit edition of the TP-Link Smart Plug Mini.
HomeKit Weekly is a series focused on smart home accessories, automation tips and tricks, and everything to do with Apple’s smart home framework.
TP-Link has been a popular vendor for smart home products, and this is the company’s first entrant into Homekit compatible products. Previously, you needed Homebridge in order to use it with HomeKit. But now, you can use it with HomeKit straight out of the box. The TP-Link smart plug mini is also quite small and will not block other outlets when placed next to each other. It also features a night-light that can be turned on or off manually or automatically when lights turn on or off.
TP-Link smart plug mini: perfect for existing homes
Smart plugs are a great way to easily add smart home capabilities to devices that are not connected. Smart plugs can control the power consumption of your old devices, or turn them on or off with custom schedules. Smart plugs are also a great way to add smart features to old devices! They’re easy to install and use, so you don’t have to worry about screwing anything up by trying something new.
One of the things I worry about with any smart home product is a permanent installation. I always think about the old intercom systems in many homes that were hardwired in and mounted in the drywall. Those are a pain to remove and replace, especially if you have to hire someone to do it for you. Smart plugs are much easier to install than that old intercom system, so there’s no need to worry about your new smart home products being permanent! As technology evolves, you can easily upgrade it. Even in the short history of HomeKit, Alexa, and Google Assistant, we’re now transitioning into a world dominated by Thread and Matter. With easy-to-upgrade devices, you can easily migrate to newer products without needing to hire a contractor to change outlets or rerun wires..
The TP-Link smart plug mini has a compact design that makes it easier to connect more than just one plug without blocking the other outlet, which is great if you have limited outlets in your wall socket. You can use this smart plug with a power strip or power bar so you can turn on/off multiple devices like lamps, TVs, speakers, and other electrical appliances around your home at once.
Physical controls increase usability
The power button on the TP-Link smart plug can be used to control power manually, and it’s a great feature that makes this plug more accessible than some other smart plugs. Because of their small size, it can be hard to access the buttons on many other HomeKit-enabled plugs. This is not only a problem when you’re trying to turn off the lights by tapping around with your hand in the dark, it’s also frustrating if you don’t have an iPhone or HomePod handy and need to turn something off quickly. The TP-Link smart plug has a simple power button on its side that makes turning devices on and off easy. I also appreciate how the HomeKit code is screen-printed on the device, so you don’t have to worry about a sticker rubbing off.
Perfect for a multi-assistant home
After setting the TP-Link smart plug up with HomeKit, I was able to use Siri on my iPhone to turn the Smart Plug Mini off. I then used an Amazon Alexa device plugged into a different outlet in the same room and told it to turn the Kasa Smart Plug Mini off as well. It worked as expected, and HomeKit then understood the state of the devices. Even though I prefer the HomeKit/Apple smart. home ecosystem, I also love when devices offer a wide range of options.
TP-Link smart plug wrap-up
The TP-Link Kasa Smart Plug Mini is a great value for HomeKit plugs, offering both a small size and the ability to be controlled with Siri via a HomeProd mini. TP-Link is known for selling high-quality smart home products at affordable prices, and the Kasa Smart Plug Mini is no exception. The plug itself comes in a four-pack for under $50, but you’ll also need to buy a HomeKit-compatible hub –either the Apple TV or HomePod mini –to get started with this setup. However, if you already have one of those products, then it’s just an extra $20 for each plug you want to use with your existing system.
The TP-Link smart plug with HomeKit can be purchased from Amazon or directly from TP-Link.
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