TP

May 18, 2023

Joining TP-Link's growing family of Kasa Smart connected devices, the Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip HS300 ($79.99) is a plug that can be controlled from your phone and with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Microsoft Cortana voice commands. It uses the same app as other Kasa devices and supports IFTTT applets to interact with third-party devices, and you can monitor energy usage for each of its six outlets. Although the HS300 is more expensive than other smart strips we've tested, its numerous outlets and smart features earn it our Editors' Choice.

At 1.2 by 14.1 by 2.5 inches (HWD), the HS300 is one of the longer power strips we've reviewed, but not the longest. That distinction belongs to the 15.3-inch TrickleStar TS1110 PC Advanced PowerStrip +. The HS300 sports a glossy white finish and is equipped with six three-pronged outlets, three 2.4-amp USB charging ports, and an 802.11n (2.4GHz) Wi-Fi radio.

Unlike the Manzoku and Tricklestar strips, the HS300's outlets are not child-proof, but they're spaced 1.2 inches apart to allow for oversized power plugs. It has a 38-inch power cord with a three-prong plug that's angled so as not to obstruct other outlets in your wall receptacle. It offers protection against power surges and overloads to the tune of an impressive 1,710 joules.

Above each outlet is a small LED indicator that glows white when the outlet is on, and a round on/off button. On one end of the strip is a System/Wi-Fi indicator that is solid orange when the strip is rebooting, blinks green and orange during setup, glows solid white when connected to a Wi-Fi network, blinks orange when resetting, and glows solid red when the Wi-Fi connection is lost. There are also two small LEDs that glow white when the strip is grounded and protected from power surges. At the other end of the strip are the three USB charging ports, and there's a master on/off switch on the bottom that can be used to reset the strip in the event of a shutdown due to a power surge or overload.

The HS300 uses the same mobile app as other Kasa smart home devices, including the Kasa Cam Outdoor KC200 and the Kasa Smart Plug Mini. It opens to a Devices screen that displays tabs of all of your installed Kasa devices and any supported third-party devices such as Nest thermostats. All of the strip's outlets are listed separately and can be named to identify whatever is plugged into it. Tap the on/off button to turn an outlet on and off, and tap the outlet name to open a screen with a bigger on/off button and buttons for Schedule, Timer, Away, and Energy settings. You can use the Schedule button to create on and off schedules for that specific outlet and the Timer button to create a one-time countdown timer that turns the outlet on or off after a set amount of time.

The Away feature lets you set a time frame where the outlet turns on and off at random times to give the appearance that someone is home, and the Energy feature tells you how much power the outlet is currently drawing (in watts) and its total consumption (in kWh) for the day. It also shows your daily average and total consumption for the past seven days and for the past 30 days.

Tap the gear icon in the upper right corner to rename any of the six outlets and assign an icon that represents what it is powering (such as a light bulb, lamp, radio, fan, or heater), or you can take a picture of the device or use one from your phone's gallery. As with other Kasa devices, you can create custom schedules (Scenes) to have the outlets and other devices react to events such as coming home, sunrise, and sunset. To see a history of events, tap the Activities button.

In addition to support for Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Microsoft Cortana voice commands, the HS300 supports IFTTT (IF This Then That), a web-based platform that uses applets to make connected smart devices work with one another. For example, you can create an applet to have certain outlets turn on or off when another IFTTT event, such as a camera motion trigger, takes place.

To begin using the HS300, I downloaded the Kasa Smart mobile app, created an account, tapped the plus button at the top of the Devices screen, and tapped Add Device. I selected the HS300 Smart Power Strip from the list of Kasa Smart devices and followed the instructions to plug in the strip and wait for the Wi-Fi light to go from solid orange to blinking orange and green. I tapped Next and used my phone's Wi-Fi settings to connect to the power strip's SSID. I returned to the app, chose my network, entered its password, and tapped Join. Within 10 seconds the strip was connected and I was given the option to name each outlet (you can skip this step and do it later if you prefer). I tapped Next to complete the setup.

The HS300 had no trouble responding to my Alexa voice commands to turn specific outlets on and off, and it responded instantly to my app commands. My IFTTT applet to turn a specific outlet on when an Arlo Pro camera detected motion worked flawlessly, and my on/off schedules and timers were followed to a tee.

You'll pay a bit more for the TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip HS300 than you will for some other models, but in return you get a strip with six outlets that can be controlled independently of one another using your phone or Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Microsoft Cortana voice commands. It also has three USB ports for charging phones, tablets, and other peripherals, and it supports IFTTT applets that allow each outlet to interact with other smart devices such as cameras and motion sensors. When you consider the HS300 also lets you keep tabs on how much power each outlet is drawing on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis, it all adds up to earn our Editors' Choice.

The TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip HS300 is a feature-rich six-outlet smart surge protector that you can control with your voice or with a mobile device.

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