TP-Link Kasa Smart Strip (KL430) does not require a hub, and has a lot of interesting color effects

Lighting really helps to create the atmosphere of the room. TP-Link Kasa Smart Light Strip (KL430) is a fun and simple way to add personality to a room or furniture. This Wifi-connected light bar is bright, colorful and easy to use, and it is worth buying.

Voice control using Alexa or Google Assistant

Not as bright as Philips Hue

Author Yasmine Crossland Posted on April 30th 21

If you want a simple smart light strip to add mood lighting to your home, and you currently don’t have a system that uses a bridge like Philips Hue, then this TP-Link Kasa smart light strip (KL430) review is correct choose. 

TP-Link has a rapidly growing smart home technology, and smart lighting is an important part of it. Being able to add a touch of color to your home with simple voice commands used to seem to be a futuristic dream, but now it has become a reality, and the market is full of options. I have reviewed the TP-Link Kasa KL130 smart bulb before. It occupies a fairly high position in T3’s guide to the best smart bulbs. One of its main benefits is that you don’t need a hub, and the other is its reasonable price.

Recently, I got another luminous product from them, which will give new meaning to accent lighting. Let's go directly to it.

TP-Link Kasa Smart Strip (KL430) was released in 2019, and it has been a while now. You can buy a 2 million (6 feet) long strip in the United States for $44.99, £49.99 in the United Kingdom, and AU$83.41 in Australia. If you live in the U.S. or U.K., you can also choose a $1 million extension at a price of $24.99/£21.20. Therefore, although it is more expensive than some other light strips, choosing it is still much cheaper than buying a Philips Hue system for your home. 

First of all, TP-Link Kasa Smart Strip (KL430) does not require a bridge, it uses Wifi connection and Kasa smart phone application. You will be able to connect it to your smart assistant and control it via voice, such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. It also supports IFTTT, allowing applications, smart devices and services from different developers to work together. Remember, although there is no HomeKit support here.

The 2-meter-long light strip is covered with durable flexible silicone and lined with miniature LED lights. Each group of lights on the light strip has a color LED and a white LED next to it. Their brightness can reach 1,400 lumens. In contrast, Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus reaches 1,600 lumens. Therefore, although it is not so bright, considering its price, the performance of the TP-Link Kasa smart strip (KL430) is still good. 

TP-Link Kasa Smart Strip (KL430) can produce up to 16 million colors, with all the colors you can imagine. The color temperature range is 2500K-9000K, and the strip should last up to 25,000 hours (the same time as Hue's equivalent). 

When you click the light in the Kasa application for the first time, it will display a large on/off button. You can use the tabs at the bottom of the screen to manage other aspects of the TP-Link Kasa Smart Strip (KL430). To adjust the warm color or color of the light, there are two color wheels under the white and color tabs. There is also a part to adjust the brightness of the light strip along the scale. The Kasa application is very intuitive and you will have no problems using it. 

The Kasa app also allows you to set a schedule for the lights. You can choose the colors or presets that you want to turn on or off at a specific time, a specific day, or even at sunrise or sunset. The app also contains convenient energy usage statistics to let you know the predicted energy savings compared to standard 60W bulbs, and the specific usage of the day. 

The Kasa application makes it easy to adjust the light color or find interesting effects.

One of the highlights of TP-Link Kasa Smart Strip (KL430) is the interesting effect you get. You can choose TP-Link's predefined effects, including flashing candle effects, rainbow effects, candy canes, etc. It sets different parts of the strip to different colors and can also switch between them. Many other light strips (including Philips Hue’s Lightstrip Plus) do not provide this kind of animation because all their LEDs work in harmony with each other, so although you can set them to dynamically switch between colors, they won’t be at the same time Show different. Not only are there many predefined effects, but by choosing the color to be displayed in each of the 16 areas, you can also create your own effects, although you cannot animate them. 

The TP-Link Kasa smart light strip (KL430) is only 1.2 cm wide and can be cleverly installed in almost any place, such as around the bed frame, shelf or skirting board, to add some features to the room. The adhesive strip on the back helps to hold it in place. In order to make it the right size, you can use the optional extension strip to extend it to 10m. Setting the extension light is just one case of cutting it in. To shorten it, you can cut a light bar every 12.5 cm, but once you cut it, you will not be able to extend it.

Another way to control these lights is to use the buttons on the controller, which are located at the end of the power cord, so if you find that pressing is easier than using voice commands or reaching for the phone, this is an option.

Using Wifi connection makes setup very easy. You need to download the Kasa application on your phone or tablet to take full advantage of it, as well as a Kasa account. Just plug it in, open the app and select the smart light from the add device section, then follow the very simple instructions in the app. When finished, you will see that the strip has its own page in the application. 

Set up a new device on the Kasa app.

As an accent lighting, the TP-Link Kasa Smart Strip (KL430) is not necessarily bright enough to illuminate the entire room. Nevertheless, I installed it in a small bedroom and found that it is much brighter than some other light strips I have tried. For late night lighting, it is sufficient by itself. Of course, in a larger room earlier in the day, you will want to use it with other lights.

Since the colored lights and the white lights are very close, when the light strip is set to one color and hidden, it gives the impression of a seamless light strip. The tones are vivid and effective, providing the perfect mood lighting for any situation. One small problem is that the small piece of the extension lamp does interrupt the light significantly. Only a little bit, but enough to make me notice it.

Many people would think that the only smart light worth having is Philips, but this is not the case. Yes, they are the best you can buy, but there are many cheaper alternatives that are actually simpler to use. TP-Link Kasa Smart Strip (KL430) is one of them. 

You don't need to use a bridge to make it work, and it actually provides you with more interesting lighting effects than Philips. It may not be that bright, but honestly, it is not far away. If you use Apple’s Homekit, you may want to avoid it, but for anyone else who is looking for an easy-to-use colored light strip to add some drama to your home and furniture, the TP-Link Kasa Smart Light Strip (KL430) is Your best choice).

For anyone who has set up a Philips Hue bridge, of course you will definitely consider Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus first. This means that all your lighting controls are concentrated in one place. 

If you have a Hue bridge or any other Zigbee bridge and don't want to spend a fortune on the light strip, then check out Innr Flex Light. This is an inexpensive alternative that can be used with the Philips Hue app, SmartThings and voice assistants. 

T3's review writer Yasmine started writing reviews in 2019 and always has an in-depth understanding of the latest technology products. When it comes to the most exciting and innovative technology, she will pay close attention to the pulse and will be happy to tell you exactly what she thinks about it. In her free time, you will find that she is taking care of her plants and planning her next big trip. 

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