TP -Link HS110

Stop turning off your leccy things with a finger - this smart plug will do it, and more

Is the latest smartplug to hit the market any good? We find out if it’s a Hive-killer…

Outwardly, the TP-Link Wi-Fi SmartPLug looks identical to the older model, the HS100, but it adds energy-monitoring to the mix, enabling you to view the power consumption, and work out the cost, of any lights or gadgets attached to it.

With the companion Kasa app installed, it takes just a couple of minutes to add new devices – a smart plug, in this case. There’s plenty of Wi-Fi range in the HS110, so you can pop it almost anywhere around the home and maintain a connection with your router.

As with most other smart plugs, the HS110 enables you to turn on and turn off anything plugged into it, no matter where you are in the world. You can do this manually or automate it. There’s no geo-location wizardry here, but setting up individual schedules is easy to do, helped out by the fast, easy-to-navigate app.

There’s also a Scenes facility, which lets you apply pre-set actions with a single tap, such as a Good Morning scene, to multiple plugs. The nice thing about these one-button actions is that you can quickly make changes to all your plugs without fiddling with each one.

The energy-monitoring facility gives you up to 30 days of energy-usage data – however, there’s no cost estimation, so you’ll have to calculate this yourself based on your electricity plan.

The neat thing about the HS110, though, is Alexa integration; with the Kasa skill added to your Echo, you can command your plug with just the power of your voice.

To top it all off, the HS110 is under £35, so you can deck out your entire home for less!

T3 says With energymonitoring and a multitude of ways of controlling this smart plug, including Alexa voice control, you’ll be able to quickly and easily start up your smart home.