The great outdoors and innovative technology don’t often get along too well. Cold temperatures and rain storms alone can make extending your smart home life to your patio or balcony nearly impossible. Fortunately, outdoor smart plugs are designed to fix that exact problem, and you could do a lot worse than the TP-Link Outdoor Plug (EP40) from Kasa. From cameras to lights to excellent smart plugs, if it’s in a smart home, Kasa sells it. Its products are generally reliable and on the more affordable side, which is what you can expect from this outdoor smart plug.

Kasa Outdoor Smart Plug

8.00 / 10

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Design, hardware, what's in the box

As far as smart technology goes, the TP-Link Outdoor Plug is pretty unassuming. It’s a small, black, half-circle—almost exactly the size of a fist—with a short three-prong AC plug on one end and the two smart plugs on the other. Honestly, if it weren’t for the two narrow buttons on one side of the device that turn on the respective smart plugs, most would assume it was a very short extension cord. Fortunately, that’s not the case.

The smart plug feels quite sturdy from top to bottom. For one, the AC plug is very thick. Thick enough, in fact, that I’m absolutely certain it’s weatherproof, even on the fifth-floor balcony of my Chicago apartment. Additionally, the smart plugs on the other end are equipped with weather-proof covers that are attached to the device, so there’s no concern about losing them.

As for connecting to WiFi, the signal was strong right out the gate, a necessity for any smart home technology. The device remained connected and at the ready to turn those outlets on and off. There were no issues with reliability on my end. TP-Link says this model has boosted wireless performance, with a maximum range of 300 feet.

So what’s in the box? You can probably imagine, not much. Of course, the smart plug is the main attraction, and the only other items in the small box were the three-step instruction manual (download the app, plug in the smart plug, and follow instructions on the app), along with a single screw and a mounting bracket.

Software and integrations

When it comes to smart home technology, nothing is exactly easy to set up, but the process can be made easier by a third-party app that holds your hand through the process. Kasa doesn’t exactly walk you through every inch of the process, but it does offer some simple integrations to make the process a bit easier. I did see a small hiccup trying to get the plug paired with my WiFi, but a quick trip to the settings got it working. I wish I could say this is unusual for smart home devices, but hey, it happens.

If you want to link the plug to Amazon Alexa, you’re in luck. The Kasa app has a direct integration that requires nothing more than a simple sign in to Amazon to get you connected. However, you do still need to go to your Alexa app to download the TP-Link Kasa skill. Once you’ve done that, though, you just have to add your light to a room and you’ll be on your way.

For Google Assistant users, the app doesn’t let you just sign in. Instead, it sends you to the company’s online tutorial guide, which will walk you through your Google Home app. We’re a Google Assistant household and then some, and I found this process to be pretty quick and easy, especially because my Home and other smart lights were already set up. I did, of course, have to create a new room (Patio), but I had it up and running within a few minutes.

The smart plug is not compatible with HomeKit, so Siri users beware. Kasa also offers a tutorial guide for Samsung SmartThings, but we don’t use Bixby, because… well you know. If you’re a bare bones smart tech kind of person, Kasa also offers an IFTTT integration, which allows you to set up a lot of “If Then” scenarios.

Unfortunately, HomeKit users and Siri fans are out of luck, as the Kasa smart plug is not compatible with these devices. Additionally, Kasa provides no energy tracking or monitoring, something that we have found useful on other smart plugs, including some from TP-Link.

Now, it’s entirely possible you got a smart plug for simple mobile controls rather than voice activation, and that’s ok! The Kasa app will have a list of your smart plugs (two in the case of this product), and you’ll be able to easily turn them on and off with the press of a button.

Should you buy it?

Yes. The TP-Link Outdoor Smart Plug is sturdy as heck, easy to set up, and offers two smart plugs in one device, and honestly, that’s all you need out of a product like this. It gets the job done reliably and I didn’t want to throw my phone through a wall while trying to get it to respond to Alexa and Google Assistant. For only twenty bucks, this is a solid deal, particularly given that comparable options are often in the “much more than $20” range.

The cons are notable though. If you’re relying on Siri to run your smart home or are looking to be more aware of your energy usage, the TP-Link Outdoor Smart Plug is not for you. Still, that’s likely a small portion of the people looking for outdoor smart plugs, so don’t let those issues turn you off from a product you’ll love otherwise.

Buy if…