Any time the seasons change to a warmer one, people immediately want to spend more time outside. There are plenty of ways to decorate the outer area of your home to give it an aesthetic boost. There aresolar motion lightsthat give you a heads up if something’s around.Flood lightswill illuminate a larger area of your home. But if you’re looking for something more subtle, hanging some string lights is a smart idea.
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Rather than needing to insert the plug into the outlet and then unplug it every time you want to sit on your porch, deck, or patio, you’re able to get an outdoor smart plug that takes care of the hassle. If you want to be able to adjust the lighting to meet your settings, a dimmer plug, such as the Kasa Outdoor Smart Dimmer Plug KP405 is ideal. I’ve been testing out this smart plug and have found that it can make a noticeable difference during warmer nights to be able to control just how much light is on my porch.
Kasa Outdoor Smart Dimmer Plug KP405
Kasa’s Outdoor Smart Dimmer Plug is IP64 rated to repel dust and moisture. It links up with your existing smart devices with a coverage range of up to 300 feet or through Kasa’s app to control power flow. Maximum power output is 300W Incandescent, 150W LED/CFL.
Price, availability and specs
Frequently discounted
The Kasa Outdoor Smart Dimmer Plug is made by TP-Link and retails for $30. you may typically find it discounted throughout the year. It usually goes on sale for $18 to $20, and it’s available online at Amazon or at stores such as B&H Photo.
What you’ll notice about the plug is that it is larger than typical indoor smart plugs, as the dimmer technology adds a bit of size. But it’s still under six ounces in weight and only measures 3.13 x 1.53 x 2.76 inches. It’s current rating is 4 amps, which is lower than many indoor plugs. But the maximum power output ranges for incandescent bulbs and LED bulbs.
What I liked about the Kasa Outdoor Smart Dimmer Plug
Easy integration and dimming
Installing the Kasa Outdoor Smart Dimmer Plug was easy. I’ve usedKasa home products before, so I already had the Kasa app downloaded to my phone. I just tapped the + button on the home page of the app and selected the plug from the list. I had to connect to the Wi-Fi signal the plug was producing in order to bring the device onto my home network. But that only took moments and it was integrated into the app.
From there, I was able to see all the possibilities for customizing my lighting. Not only was there a simple on and off button on the home page or once I clicked into the device itself, but there were also sections for presets, schedules, timers, and away modes. You can choose what shade of light you want, if you have a color changing bulb, and the brightness if you don’t. Setting up schedules and timers is simple and only takes a few clicks in the app to automate.
Away mode is another easy way to set a schedule so that the lights won’t go on during certain times.
Away mode is another easy way to set a schedule so that the lights won’t go on during certain times. I set up some string lights on my porch to test the plug out. I plugged the string lights into the plug and immediately tried to dim them. I didn’t even know if these were dimmable and, to my delight, they were. I was able to set them to a certain level and enjoy them as the sun set.
The next integration I set up was with my Amazon Alexa speaker. Adding the device to the Alexa app was simple, as all I needed to do was sync the Kasa app with it. Once I did that, I was able to quickly add the outdoor plug to my devices. From there, I was able to use voice commands to turn the plug on and off and dim or brighten the lights. This also works with Google Assistant and Samsung SmartThings. It worked in every outdoor outlet I tried, thanks to the three-prong design. I also hooked it up to my spotlight in the front yard, which is farther away from the house. Because this has a range of 300 feet, it was no issue for the Wi-Fi to reach and it worked well.
What I didn’t like about Kasa Outdoor Smart Dimmer Plug
It doesn’t work with every light
Obviously, not every light bulb is going to be dimmable. The selling point for this smart plug is that it works best with dimmable light bulbs. If your bulb isn’t dimmable, it’s just a regular outdoor smart plug. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but you might be able to find cheaper options. This also does not integrate with Apple HomeKit for voice commands.
Should you buy the Kasa Outdoor Smart Dimmer Plug?
A great option for those with outdoor lights
The Kasa Outdoor Smart Dimmer Plug is a great tool for those who want to control the lighting levels on the outside of their home. This works well with all kinds of incandescent and LED bulbs and allows you to set timers and schedules to make your home life easier. You can also integrate it within numerous smart home ecosystems to set up voice commands. There is no hub required and the Kasa app is also easy to use. For anyone looking to avoid having to plug their outdoor lights in and unplug them when they want them to shut off, this is a smart purchase.
