TP-Link Tapo P125M review: A compact, Matter-certified plug

Worth When Reviewed

$19.99

Greatest Costs As we speak: TP-Hyperlink Tapo P125M Mini Good Wi-Fi Plug

TP-Hyperlink imported its Tapo model of sensible dwelling merchandise from Europe in 2022, and the Tapo P125M Mini Good Wi-Fi Plug is certainly one of firm’s first Matter-certified merchandise. Matter was announced in 2021, as you may know, and was officially ratified in November 2022 as a regular promising common compatibility within the sensible dwelling area. If the Tapo P125M is an indicator, Matter is off to an excellent begin.

The Tapo P125M is a humble exterior sensible plug that received’t shock anybody seasoned with a majority of these gadgets. Let’s begin with the {hardware}. The pint-sized plug—it measures 2.4 x 1.5 x 1.3 inches (HxWxD) includes a single three-prong connector and a backlit energy button on its left-hand facet (the LED may be disabled in software program). Two such plugs can function in a standard in-wall outlet. The plug presents help for 1800 watts and 15 amps; comparatively commonplace specs for this class.

This evaluation is a part of TechHive’s in-depth protection of the best smart plugs.

Connectivity is through 2.4GHz Wi-Fi solely and you’ll arrange the plug through both the Tapo app or with any Matter-compatible app. The P125M is not appropriate with TP-Hyperlink’s Kasa app, and it doesn’t have a Thread radio on board. For those who’re utilizing the Tapo app, onboarding is fast and simple, connecting routinely through Bluetooth earlier than bridging to your Wi-Fi community. For those who’re utilizing one other Matter-compatible app, such because the Apple Dwelling app for iOS, you want solely scan the QR code included on the plug or on a sticker within the field, and the connection is automated from there. I attempted it each methods and had no hassle with both methodology.

Christopher Null/Foundry

Since this can be a Matter-certified product, third-party help is broad, with Alexa, Google Assistant, SmartThings, HomeKit, and IFTTT all inside bounds. Once more, every little thing labored easily regardless of which platform I linked the system to. That’s particular feather in Matter’s operational cap and a hopeful signal of fine issues to return.

For those who’re working with a third-party app, you’re beholden to the options therein for issues like scheduling and automation. The options in Tapo’s personal app are on par for this class. There’s succesful scheduling for powering the plug on and off at particular occasions or in response to dawn and sundown, a countdown timer that toggles the plug on or off on demand, and an away mode that turns the plug on and off whilst you’re away on trip.

Tapo’s app retains tabs of utilization time over the past day, the final 7 days, and the final 30 days, although there’s no breakdown of exercise past that. (Notice that I needed to force-quit the app to get this utilization information to replace.) You’ll discover an auto-off timer buried within the settings that can flip the plug off after a configured period of time. This timer prompts every time the plug is turned on, which might be useful when you’re operating one thing like an area heater by the plug. On the draw back, the plug doesn’t have any energy-monitoring options.

Christopher Null/Foundry

As soon as once more, stability was stable. I had no hassle with any of those options, and the swap was invariably fast to answer on-demand instructions, whether or not I used to be close by or away, or whether or not I used to be utilizing the Tapo app or one other app linked through Matter.

The Tapo P125M is priced at $19.95, which makes it dearer than lots of its non-Matter-certified opponents. That worth, nevertheless, will not be out of line in comparison with different Matter-certified sensible plugs. The Meross MSS115, for example, was promoting for $39.99 in a 2-pack at this writing (its checklist worth is $49.99 for a 2-pack). Matter-certified sensible plugs that do have Thread radios will seemingly value greater than fashions with out that function. Thread, not like Wi-Fi, was objective constructed for working networks of low-power IoT gadgets.

Matter compatibility is price one thing, the query is how a lot is it price to you? For people who find themselves simply starting to construct out their sensible properties, it’s price paying just a little extra for compatibility with the usual that’s destined to be the long run. The worth proposition is much less clear for many who stay in sensible properties full of pre-Matter gadgets—a minimum of till the time comes to interchange your sensible dwelling hub and you’ll’t discover one which helps these older gadgets. Samsung, for instance, not helps Z-Wave on the SmartThings hubs inside its appliances and within the SmartThings Station product it introduced at CES in January.

Personally, I’m all for broad compatibility and future-proofing, however there’s a restrict to what I’ll pay for it.