TP-Link Tapo Mini Smart Wi-Fi Plug
The home smart plug just got smarter
It’s a convenient size, packed with features, and available at an excellent price
£16.99 FROM uk.store.tapo.com FEATURES 2.4GHz WiFi, Matter certified, Voice Control, Remote Control (via app), Energy Monitor/ Schedule/Away Mode; max load 13A; 72.5x51.5x30.6mm
This is no ordinary smart plug. TP-Link’s Tapo P110M Mini Smart WiFi Plug is similar to the well received Tapo P110, but it also supports Matter. This new connectivity standard means you can integrate a Mattercompatible device such as this into your existing connected home ecosystem. Whether you prefer Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri or Google Assistant, the P110M works with your platform of choice when issuing voice commands.
But it’s so much more than just a voiceoperated smart plug. Download the Tapo app and you gain access to a wealth of extra features. There’s a QR code on the box to take you to its App Store page (the app requires iOS/iPadOS 11 or later). After giving the app the necessary permissions and making/entering a TP-Link ID, you simply follow the on-screen instructions to connect your plug to the app and to your home network.
With the help of the app, you can turn your smart plug on/off from anywhere in the world, as long as you have an internet connection on your iPhone. Open the plug’s page on the app and you can set up a schedule, turning the device on and off at given times either every day or on chosen days of the week. It’s great, for example, for a morning cuppa. Just plug in the P110M between your coffee maker and the mains socket, and set it to come on when you want your coffee brewing.
Home help
If you’re going away, connect your TP-Link plug to a lamp and use the Away Mode to have it turn on and off between certain hours. This can be repeated on a per-day basis or set up as a one-time thing. There’s also a Timer Mode, which lets you have the device switch on or off after a certain length of time has elapsed. Times of between one minute and 23 hours, 59 minutes are available.
The TP-Link P110M also boasts an Energy Monitor. This shows how much energy the device connected to the mains through your smart plug has used today and over the month, with the cost of the electricity displayed. If you’re concerned about how much power a household appliance is using, give it a test.
The TP-Link P110M is for indoor use only, and doesn’t support EV charging due to power issues, but it’s a convenient size, packed with features, and available at an excellent price. It’s currently available to buy as a single or twinplug pack, but hopefully multipacks will also be available before too long. Ian Osborne