Tapo Sensible Wi-Fi Wall Outlet Extender evaluation: Flaw forward!

TP-Hyperlink’s Tapo Sensible Wi-Fi Wall Outlet Extender has some nice options, in addition to one vital shortcoming that stops us from recommending it.

Tapo doesn’t make huge guarantees for this product when it comes to its surge safety, however it does checklist a key function on the field: the flexibility to warn you when it could actually now not present surge safety.

In case you’re contemplating shopping for Sensible Wi-Fi Wall Outlet Extender for that function, don’t. Right here’s why.

Most surge protectors use sacrificial MOVs (steel oxide varistors) to soak up extra voltage from energy surges, and this one is not any exception. The factor is, MOVs put on out over time, shedding a few of their capacity to soak up that extra voltage with every energy surge till they will now not provide any safety in any respect.

For the reason that quantity and severity of energy surges will range primarily based on a variety of things, beginning with the standard of energy coming out of your utility, it’s unimaginable to foretell when a given surge protector’s MOV (or MOVs, because the case could also be) will put on out.

Some surge protectors will merely cease sending energy to their retailers when this occurs, and that’s one of the best strategy for my part. Others will set off a crimson or inexperienced “safety” indicator—usually an LED—to cease glowing after they can now not provide safety.

The latter strategy is way extra widespread, and you need to periodically test yours to verify it’s nonetheless lit. The issue with the Tapo Sensible Wi-Fi Wall Outlet Extender is that it doesn’t do both of these items. Its MOV will ultimately put on out and stop providing surge safety, however you’ll don’t have any means of understanding when that has occurred.

I verified this reality with TP-Hyperlink, and the producer replied that the absence of a safety indicator is because of the product’s “structural limitations,” however that it acknowledges this “as a possible space for enchancment in future product iterations.”

I’d say that’s an understatement. It will have been higher to not embody surge safety in any respect than to have customers gamble as to when this one will cease providing safety with none warning.

Specs

The Tapo Sensible Wi-Fi Wall Outlet Extender isn’t all dangerous information—supplied you’re not shopping for it for surge safety. However earlier than we go away that matter, enable me to report a number of particulars you discover gained’t discover on TP-Hyperlink’s web site.

Michael Brown/Foundry

This product’s surge protector ingredient can deal with solely a most of 205 joules, however it provides 1,200 volts of clamping voltage, primarily based on a 6,000-volt surge on the line-to-neutral leg of the circuit it’s linked to. Thumbs up for that: Safety for the line-to-neutral leg is what’s wanted most in a correctly grounded residence.

Evaluate that to the Philips 6-Outlet Surge Protector Energy Strip, a “dumb” surge protector that provides as much as 720 joules of safety, however solely 500V of safety throughout the line-to-neutral leg of the circuit. The Philips product additionally lacks USB-charging ports, however it prices lower than half as a lot because the Tapo product.

I also needs to observe, nonetheless, that the Philips product doesn’t have any LED indicators both. The important thing distinction is that the Philips product will stop to supply energy to its retailers when its MOV wears out and may now not present surge safety. An LED can be superfluous in that product.

OK, let’s flip our consideration to the remainder of the Tapo Sensible Wi-Fi Wall Outlet Extender’s appreciable specs and options. It occupies the highest half of a duplex outlet, however essentially additionally covers the underside half. When you have an old-school outlet with a center screw gap for the quilt plate, you’ll be able to take away the quilt, insert a supplied screw into the middle of the Outlet Extender, and fasten it to that gap. You too can screw a supplied submit into the again of the extender and plug that into the second outlet’s floor gap for added stability when plugging and unplugging units.

Michael Brown/Foundry

The Outlet Extender can deal with as much as a most of 1,875 watts, and every of its six retailers places out a most of 15 amps. It’s geared up with one USB-C charging port and two USB-A charging ports on its right-hand facet. These ship a most output of 5 volts and three amps, offering as much as 18 watts of quick charging. Extra particularly, single-port outputs are 5V/3A, 9V/2A, or 12V/1.5A.

You’ll be able to relaxation your smartphone on prime of the outlet extender whereas it’s charging, and a lip on its entrance edge will stop the machine from sliding ahead and off.

There are six grounded AC retailers in entrance, three on either side and spaced 1.57-inches aside to accommodate not less than smaller wall warts or outsized plugs with out blocking adjoining retailers. Solely the three retailers on the left-hand facet are sensible plugs, and each has an on/off swap and an LED indicator that glows when it’s on. The three retailers on the right-hand facet are always-on “dumb” plugs and don’t have buttons or LEDs.

An ambient mild sensor on the prime of the extender’s face triggers a dimmable white, down-facing LED nightlight to glow. This function is extremely customizable within the Tapo app, primarily based on the extent of ambient mild that can activate it, a time-and-date schedule, or perhaps a countdown timer. An LED beneath the ambient mild sensors reviews the general standing of the machine (strong white when linked to the cloud, blinking orange when disconnected from Wi-Fi, and so forth).

Sensible options

The Tapo Sensible Wi-Fi Wall Outlet Extender connects to your 2.4GHz Wi-Fi community, with as much as WPA3 safety. Though it’s not Matter licensed, it’s appropriate with all three main sensible residence ecosystems: Amazon Alexa, Google Dwelling, and Apple Dwelling. It’s additionally appropriate with Samsung SmartThings, Siri Shortcuts, and IFTTT.

You’ll use the Tapo sensible residence app to program and management the machine. This software program can also be used to regulate all the pieces from safety cameras to sensible plugs, sensible bulbs, robotic vacuums, and different sensible residence merchandise carrying TP-Hyperlink’s Tapo or Kasa Sensible manufacturers. However you’ll be able to set up the app by assigning all the pieces to “rooms” and designating “favorites” to make it simpler to handle all the pieces.  

Michael Brown/Foundry

Widgets are supplied for every of the Outlet Extender’s three sensible plugs, however there’s only one widget for all three of its USB ports. The widgets have energy buttons for toggling them on and off, or you’ll be able to faucet anyplace else on the widget to open a brand new full-screen window for extra granular data and management, together with scheduling.

You’ll be able to set “away modes” that can randomly flip the assigned sensible retailers on and off between outlined days and occasions. Plug a lamp into one, two, or all three sensible retailers, and it’ll make your private home look occupied when you’re away from residence. Separate countdown timers will flip all or any the assigned sensible outlet on or off after a given variety of hours and minutes has elapsed.

The sensible plugs don’t monitor power consumption, however they may report the variety of hours they’ve been energized for the present day, the previous seven days, and the previous 30 days.

When you have different TP-Hyperlink or Tapo merchandise, you’ll be able to create routines that can trigger these units to set off one another—and while not having a wise residence hub. For instance, you’ll be able to have a TP-Hyperlink or Tapo safety digital camera set off a light-weight plugged into the Outlet Extender when it detects movement after sundown, after which mechanically flip off after a programmed period of time. Or you’ll be able to create a shortcut button that dims your Tapo or TP-Hyperlink sensible bulb whenever you’re prepared for mattress and turns off any of the corporate’s sensible plugs, together with this Outlet Extender.

The extra appropriate devices you have got, the extra you are able to do with this function. In case you’re an IFTTT subscriber, in fact, you don’t essentially want Tapo or TP-Hyperlink merchandise to perform comparable targets.

Michael Brown/Foundry

Additional studying: This evaluation is a part of TechHive’s in-depth protection of one of the best sensible plugs.

Do you have to purchase a Tapo Sensible Wi-Fi Wall Outlet Extender?

By way of a multi-plug, the Tapo Sensible Wi-Fi Wall Outlet Extender is a high quality product. It expands any duplex outlet into three sensible retailers and offers three extra “dumb” retailers. You additionally get three fast-charging sensible USB plugs. Thus far, so good.

As a surge protector, then again, it nearly totally fails. Not understanding when a surge protector can now not shield connected units from energy surges is worse than not having surge safety within the first place. Whether or not sensible or dumb, if Tapo’s Outlet Extender didn’t provide surge safety, you possibly can not less than plug a single-outlet surge protector into one in all its retailers to energy a delicate machine—a pc, for instance—that you just wish to shield.

That stated, you need to by no means daisy-chain surge protectors–i.e., plug one surge protector into one other surge protector–as that has the potential to overload {the electrical} circuit to which they’re linked. An overloaded electrical circuit is a fireplace threat.