The Kasa EP40A is a smart plug for outdoor lights: two outlets you switch separately, an IP64 rating against dust and splashes, and control from the Kasa app, Apple HomeKit, Alexa or Google Assistant. It’s for string lights, porch lamps and holiday displays on a GFCI outdoor outlet your 2.4GHz Wi-Fi reaches. Skip it if you want those lights dimmed.
| Spec | Kasa EP40A |
|---|---|
| Outlets | 2, each controlled on its own |
| Maximum load | 15A and 1,875W in total across both outlets, 1/2 HP motor |
| Weather rating | IP64: dust tight, protected from splashing water |
| Operating temperature | -4°F to 122°F |
| Wi-Fi | 2.4GHz 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth for setup only, no hub |
| Works with | Apple Home, Alexa, Google Assistant, Samsung SmartThings |
| Size | 4.3 x 1.5 x 3.2 in |
| In the box | Plug on a 6-inch lead, clamp, screw and wall anchor, quick start guide |
Which Kasa outdoor plug do your lights need?
Get the EP40A if your lights only switch on and off, and Kasa’s KP405 if they need dimming. Two more two-outlet models sit beside the EP40A, so your home’s app decides between them.
- EP40A: two outlets sharing 15A, with Apple Home, Alexa, Google Assistant and SmartThings on TP-Link’s list. The Kasa app calls this outdoor smart plug the HomeKit Smart Plug, 2-Outlet.
- EP40: the same size and the same 15A total across two outlets. TP-Link’s page names Alexa and Google Assistant for voice control, but not Apple Home.
- EP40M: two outlets with Matter certification. Kasa says Matter devices work with Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home and Samsung SmartThings.
- KP405: a plug-in dimmer made only for outdoor lights, using leading-edge (TRIAC) dimming. It takes up to 150W of LED or 300W of incandescent lighting and works with Alexa, Google Assistant and SmartThings.
The dimmer’s ceiling is the real trade when you pick a smart plug for outdoor lights. The EP40A’s 1,875W total is 12.5 times the KP405’s 150W LED rating, so an LED display too big for the dimmer can still fit within the EP40A’s rating, though Kasa lists no dimming for it. Skip the EP40A if dimming matters more than size. The same goes if only 5GHz Wi-Fi reaches your yard, or if your lights need more than 15A between them. For lamps and fans indoors, our roundup of the best smart plugs covers the indoor picks.
What your outdoor outlet needs before you plug in
Check the outlet first. Two of the EP40A’s listed requirements live there: GFCI protection and a 2.4GHz signal. For outdoor use, Kasa says the plug must go into a GFCI receptacle. That rule also covers wet locations. Not sure the socket has GFCI protection? Have an electrician check the outdoor outlet before the smart plug and lights go up.
The plug hangs on a 6-inch lead, and the box also holds a clamp, a screw and a wall anchor. TP-Link’s weatherproofing guide covers the EP40A too. Its example, the KP405 dimmer, should sit at least 8 inches off the ground, clear of pools of water. Give the EP40A the same clearance.
Wi-Fi is the other check. The EP40A needs a secured 2.4GHz network and only uses Bluetooth during setup. TP-Link quotes up to 300 ft of range in open areas. Kasa’s footnote adds that real coverage varies with building materials, obstacles and network traffic, so stand at the outlet before you buy and make sure your phone still shows your home Wi-Fi there.
How many outdoor lights can the smart plug carry?
The EP40A carries up to 15A across both outlets combined, not 15A on each. Kasa’s EP40A page gives “15A maximum load in total.” The Amazon listing describes 15A and 1,875W for each outlet, so plan around the maker’s figure.
At the plug’s 125V rating, 15A comes to 1,875W, and both sockets draw from that one budget. Say a 600W display runs from the left socket. The right one then has 1,275W left, not a fresh 1,875W. Add the watts printed on every string’s label or box, across both sockets, and keep the total under 1,875W.
Christmas lights need one more check. The CPSC’s holiday safety advice is to “never string together more than three sets of incandescent lights.” It also warns against overloading electrical outlets. Running a fountain or pond pump on the second socket? Compare its horsepower with the EP40A’s 1/2 HP motor rating first. Our guide to what you can safely plug in explains how motors and heaters change the limits.
Splashes, puddles and cold: what the ratings cover
IP64 means the plug is dust tight and protected from water splashed from any direction. It doesn’t cover sitting in a puddle or a direct spray from a hose, which TP-Link’s weatherproofing guide warns against. Keep the cover on any socket you aren’t using, as Kasa instructs for this outdoor plug.
Cold matters too, since the EP40A is rated to run from -4°F to 122°F. Where winter nights drop below -4°F, this smart plug for outdoor lights runs outside its rating. Its case is also flame-retardant PC rated UL 94 V-0, and it’s ETL certified.
Scheduling an outdoor smart plug around sunset
Put outdoor lights on a smart plug schedule that follows sunset, not a fixed time. Sunset shifts every day, but the EP40A tracks it. Kasa schedules can fire at a clock time or at sunrise and sunset, worked out from the plug’s latitude and longitude. Each device holds up to 32 schedule rules.
Three other tools help with outdoor lights:
- A countdown timer turns the plug off once the time is up. That helps with a porch light you switch on by hand.
- Away Mode switches lights on and off so the house seems occupied. On Kasa devices it has to start and end on the same day, so the window can’t run past midnight.
- Groups let several Kasa plugs switch together, handy when strings on different outlets should come on at once.
Apple HomeKit, Alexa or Google: what each one needs
For Apple Home, scan the HomeKit code on the plug within 10 minutes of powering it up. HomeKit pairing switches off after that. Missed it? Unplug the outdoor smart plug, plug it back in and try HomeKit pairing again.
Control from outside the house is where HomeKit users need extra gear. Apple says you need a home hub to control accessories while you’re away. A HomePod, HomePod mini or Apple TV fills that role. Without one, the Kasa app still reaches this smart outdoor plug from anywhere, while HomeKit can’t.
Alexa and Google Assistant add voice control, and TP-Link also lists Samsung SmartThings. TP-Link says selected Kasa devices can join Tapo app 3.0 or later, and the EP40A’s listing says Kasa devices now work there. IFTTT is no longer an option, though, because TP-Link ended IFTTT services for Kasa and Tapo devices on August 1, 2026. Its suggested replacement is Smart Actions in the Kasa or Tapo app.
Kasa EP40A FAQ
What happens to the EP40A’s schedule after a power cut?
After a power cut, the Kasa EP40A has to get back online to resync its clock, and TP-Link says its schedules, timers and Away Mode stop working until it does. Plain internet outages are different, because those features keep running offline. So check the lights’ timing once your router is back.
Do you need a Kasa account to use the EP40A with Apple Home?
Kasa lists an account and its free Kasa Smart app among the EP40A’s requirements and names no exception for Apple Home users. TP-Link’s quick start guide also opens with installing the Kasa app. So plan on creating the account, then add the plug to Apple Home at the guide’s HomeKit step.
How do you reset the Kasa EP40A?
To reset the Kasa EP40A, press and hold its power button for at least 10 seconds, then restart your phone. TP-Link’s quick start guide gives those steps for when the plug won’t add to Apple’s Home app. After the reset, try adding it again.