Kasa Smart Plug Power Strip HS300, Surge Protector with 6 Individually Controlled Smart Outlets and 3 USB Ports, Works with Alexa & Google Home, No Hub Required , White

A smarter take on a very practical accessory

I didn’t expect a power strip to change my daily routine, but the Kasa HS300 made me rethink how I manage the cluster of devices on and around my desk. It’s essentially a six-outlet surge protector with smarts: each AC outlet can be controlled and scheduled independently, and there are three built-in USB ports for charging. Add in per-outlet energy monitoring, voice assistant support, and ETL‑certified surge protection, and you’ve got a hub-free way to bring automation to a corner of the home that’s usually an afterthought.

Hardware and build quality

The HS300 feels robust and confidence-inspiring. The housing is solid, the outlets have a firm grip, and the overall finish looks cleaner than most utilitarian strips. It’s larger than a basic surge protector, which makes sense given the added electronics, but it tucks neatly behind a monitor arm or under a console table. The outlets are spaced well enough to accommodate a few chunky power bricks without blocking neighbors, and each outlet has a small status LED with a physical on/off button—handy when you’re standing over it and don’t want to reach for your phone.

The three USB-A ports deliver 5 V at up to 2.4 A per port. They’re ideal for things like streaming sticks, desk gadgets, and phone charging. One limitation: the USB ports are not independently switchable—they’re always powered and don’t participate in scheduling or energy monitoring. That’s not a dealbreaker for me, but it’s worth noting if you were hoping to automate USB devices alongside AC outlets.

On protection, it’s ETL certified and rated for a total of 15 A/1875 W across all outlets, with Type 3 surge protection and a listed clamping voltage (Vpr) of 500 V across L-N, L-G, and N-G. It’s the right profile for home electronics like PCs, TVs, networking gear, 3D printers, lamps, and chargers. As with any power strip, don’t push it with high-draw appliances; check your device ratings and keep total load within spec.

Setup and the Kasa app

Setup was straightforward: plug it in, open the Kasa app, add a new device, join its temporary Wi‑Fi, and hand off credentials. No hub required. It connected on the first try and has stayed rock solid on my network. Once paired, each outlet shows up as its own controllable tile inside the strip’s page. Naming each outlet (“Monitor,” “Laptop Charger,” “Desk Lamp,” etc.) makes voice control and automation much easier.

The app is clean and responsive. It won’t win design awards, but it’s practical and consistent. Schedules, timers, and away-mode style automations are easy to set up per outlet. I particularly like that you can copy schedules from one outlet to another, which saved time when coordinating morning and evening routines across multiple devices.

Independent control that actually matters

The real value of the HS300 is granular control. Being able to cut power to my laptop charger without affecting my monitor and speakers is a small but meaningful upgrade. I’ve set the charger to power off overnight to keep the battery from staying at 100% all the time, while my monitor and dock stay on during work hours and shut down in the evening. For a living room setup, it’s just as useful: turn off game console accessories at night, keep the TV and router on, and schedule accent lighting to a sunset routine.

Voice control via Alexa and Google Assistant works as expected. Once I linked the Kasa account, I could target outlets by name: “Turn on Desk Lamp” triggers only that outlet. There’s no lag noticeable beyond typical cloud assistant delays, and local control through the Kasa app is immediate.

Energy monitoring, the sleeper feature

Per-outlet energy monitoring is the capability I didn’t know I needed. The app shows real-time wattage and historical usage for each AC outlet, which helped me spot phantom loads and tweak schedules. My small desk fan idled at a surprising wattage; now it’s on a timer. The monitor draws measurable power even in standby, so I cut it off after hours. None of this requires complicated dashboards—Kasa presents it in simple charts, and the data feels accurate enough for practical decisions.

I do wish there were an easy way to export usage data for deeper analysis, but for everyday visibility and cost awareness, the built-in tools are sufficient.

Day-to-day performance

In daily use, the HS300 has been reliable. Commands from the app trigger instantly; schedules fire on time; and I haven’t had disconnect issues. The physical buttons are responsive with a reassuring click, and the status LEDs are visible without being obnoxious. In a month of continuous use, it’s quietly done exactly what I asked of it.

The surge protection gives added peace of mind for sensitive gear in my home office. I’m not treating this as a replacement for a high-end UPS on my workstation, but for peripherals, chargers, and media devices, it’s a comfortable level of protection with the bonus of analytics and automation.

Where it falls short

• USB ports are always on and can’t be switched or scheduled. If you wanted to hard cut power to a streaming stick or a USB-powered accessory, you’ll need to use one of the AC outlets instead.
• The strip is larger than a basic surge protector. That’s expected for the feature set, but plan space accordingly behind furniture or in tight media cabinets.
• The app, while functional, could go a bit further with energy graphs and data export. Power users will wish for more analysis tools.
• Platform support hits the big names: Alexa and Google Assistant. If you’re all-in on ecosystems outside those, check compatibility before you commit.

None of these are dealbreakers, but they’re worth weighing against your use case.

Practical use cases that shine

• Home office: Schedule chargers and displays, shut off phantom loads after hours, and monitor each device’s draw to trim utility costs.
• Entertainment center: Group lamps and bias lighting on schedules, power down consoles and accessories at night, keep network gear on.
• Makers and hobbyists: Tie 3D printer, lights, and extraction fans to independent schedules; cut power remotely when a job finishes.
• Seasonal and decor: Make holiday lighting smarter without multiple single-outlet plugs and switch sets on and off from a single app.

The six independently controlled outlets are the sweet spot—enough for a complete zone without cluttering your network with a half-dozen individual smart plugs.

Safety and best practices

• Stay within the 15 A/1875 W total load. High-wattage space heaters and similar appliances aren’t a good match.
• Use the energy monitoring to sanity-check loads; if something looks unusually high, investigate before making it permanent.
• Label and name outlets thoughtfully. It makes voice control, schedules, and troubleshooting much simpler.
• Keep firmware up to date through the app for security and stability improvements.

The bottom line

The Kasa HS300 takes a mundane accessory and makes it meaningfully better without adding complexity. Independent control, per-outlet energy monitoring, reliable app and voice integration, and credible surge protection combine into a tool that’s genuinely useful across home office, entertainment, and hobby setups. It’s not trying to be a whole-home power management system; it’s a well-executed smart strip that does the basics very well and adds just enough insight to help you make smarter choices about what stays on and when.

Recommendation: I recommend the Kasa HS300. It’s dependable, thoughtfully designed, and brings real utility to places where a single smart plug isn’t enough. If you want granular control and energy visibility across multiple devices without a hub, this is an easy pick. Its few limitations—the always-on USB ports and modest app analytics—are minor compared to the convenience and control you gain.