I initially was a Hue bulb user but I had multiple quirks so I completely dumped them and switched over to the Kasa Bulbs. Reason I picked the Kasa Bulbs over others was because I already had some Kasa Switches and Kasa Plugs so I didn't want another App and another eco system to worry about. Also, my existing Kasa stuff works perfectly. With that said, here's my review
Pros
App is simple and straight forward (see negative)
They work with Google, Alexa, IFTTT, and Smart Things (no Apple Homekit) so I'm not tied to a single smart system
Brightness is great. Brighter than my Hues (1000 lumen bulb)
No Hub needed
Fast response. When I turn on or off the lights, or even change brightness/color, it's pretty much immediate - my friend has Feint Electric bulbs, and there is like a 3-5 second delay
I can control lights remotely - when I'm away from home I can see status of the lights
Price - 2 pack of Hue is $100 (not including hub). 2 pack of Kasa, about $30
Setup is super easy (see negative)
Negatives
The app being simple is a negative. Coming from the Hue app, Kasa app is super basic. While you can get it to do pretty much everything you could do in the Hue app, it's a lot of manual setup. Example: Hue has a ton of pre-setup scenes like night 'Misty Morning', etc. Whereas Kasa has 3 basic scenes to start. You can definitely 'recreate' any Hue scene in the app, but it's a lot of work.
(small gripe) Continuing with, app, the home screen should be quick access to things (more grouping of icons). Example: Hue has all the scenes at the top and lights below that. So once you go in to the app, it's one click to change scenes or to turn off/on a light. In Kasa, it's extra click or additional scrolling to accomplish the same thing
And then there are no add-ons like Hue to make the lights more fun and dynamic. Like on New Year, I could set Hue lights to 'Firework' and that was cool. There is zero dynamic modes with Kasa
To go along with the 'fun' topic. You can link your Hue up media device and have it changes colors while it plays (music, tv). There is nothing in the Kasa ecosystem right now that does that.
Setup can be annoying because the app can be confusing during setup. (see below for easy headache free setup)
No Apple Homekit support
IFTTT - does not support triggers, only actions.
While I'm going to miss some things about the Hue lights, I'm not going to miss the headaches. Hue lights are more 'fun' (just don't expect no issues), but if you want lights that just work, have great brightness, color selection and are a fraction of the price of Hue, I highly suggest the Kasa bulbs
Pre-setup notes
If you are connected to a vpn on your phone or using AdGuard, disable it before you start
Require 2.4Ghz WiFi. Will not connect to 5Ghz. On your phone connect to your 2.4Ghz WiFi before you start
If you have more than 1 bulb to install, do 1 at a time. Don't install any of the other bulbs until you finish the previous.
Setup works best when you wait about 20-30 seconds after you plug in the bulb before trying to it up.
Setting up bulb
1 - in the Kasa app, press the + in the top right corner
2 - select Device
3 - select smart lights
4 - select Smart Bulb KL100 series
5 - click next on install screen
6 - click next on power screen
7 - app will try to connect to bulb, if it connects to bulb, skip to step 11
8 - if it fails to connect, wait like 5-10 seconds and hit 'try again'
9 - if it still fails to connect, open your WiFi settings on your phone and manually connect to the Bulb (bulb should be TP_Link....)
10- now go back to the app and hit 'try again'
11- pick the WiFi and enter your WiFi password
12- when you get to the 'Connect to your WiFi' screen, if the app switches you back your initial WiFi (takes about 20 seconds), click 'already connected'. If it doesn't auto switch you back, manually switch back to your initial WiFi and then click 'already connected'
13- Now name your Bulb
13- you're done. - repeat for each bulb you need to setup
Now you can add a group (+ in top right corner of app) if you want group multiple bulbs together or create a scene, etc.
NOTE: A group in Kasa won't show in Alexa. If you want a group in Alexa, in Alexa app go to Devices, scroll down to Groups and create a Group
| Brand | Kasa Smart |
|---|---|
| Light Type | LED |
| Special Feature | Dimmable, Auto White, Energy Monitoring, Tunable |
| Wattage | 10.5 watts |
| Bulb Shape Size | A19 |
| Bulb Base | E26 |
| Incandescent Equivalent Wattage | 60 Watts |
| Specific Uses For Product | Party, Personal, Home |
| Light Color | RGB |
| Voltage | 120 Volts |
| Unit Count | 1.0 Count |
| Color Temperature | 6500 Kelvin |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Brightness | 1000 Lumen |
| Shape | a19 |
| Material | Plastic |
| Model Name | KL135P2 |
| Connectivity Technology | Mini USB |
| Indoor/Outdoor Usage | Indoor |
| Controller Type | Google Assistant, SmartThings, Amazon Alexa, iOS, Android |
| Included Components | 2x Kasa Smart Light Bulb Multicolor, 1x Quick Installation Guide |
| Power Source | AC |
| Connectivity Protocol | Wi-Fi |
| Color Rendering Index | 80 |
| Beam Angle | 36 Degrees |
| Power Consumption | 60 Watts |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Light Source Type | LED |
| Specification Met | ul_listed |
| Item Weight | 0.51 Pounds |
| Light Source Wattage | 11 Watts |
| Product Dimensions | 2.39"W x 4.62"H |
| Accepted voltage frequency | 100 to 120 Volts and 60 Hertz |
| Control Method | Voice |
| Average Life | 25000 Hours |
| White Brightness | 1000 Lumens |
| Efficiency | 90.91 lumens/watt |
| Manufacturer | TP-Link |
| UPC | 840030703713 |
| Part Number | KL135P2 |
| Item Weight | 8.1 ounces |
| Country of Origin | China |
| Item model number | KL135P2 |
| Style | Kasa Smart Bulb |
| Color | White |
| Special Features | Dimmable, Auto White, Energy Monitoring, Tunable |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Wattage | 11 Watts |
