TP-Link Tapo T100 motion sensor review: great value lighting and security controller

The T100 is a motion detector from Tapo. Wireless and battery powered, it can be fitted to any flat surface and added to an existing Tapo smart home system. It can then be configured to activate a smart light or plug, or act as part of a home security and alarm system.

Compact, quick to respond to movement, and with a claimed two-year battery life, the Tapo T100 has a lot going for it. But readers need to be aware that it requires a compatible Tapo hub to function. That could be the company’s Smart Hub with Chime, which tends to cost between £17 and £20, or the new, circa-£160 Tapo H500 Smart HomeBase, which is a feature-packed smart home hub that doubles as a security camera storage centre.

Once you have a hub, multiple T100 motion detectors can be added, then configured to do whatever you need from them.

TP-Link Tapo T100 motion sensor review: Price and availability

Priced at just £17.99, motion detectors like the T100 are some of the most cost-effective ways to add some intelligence to your home. At the time of writing, Tapo has a deal where you can buy three T100 detectors for £41.97, saving 22 percent on the regular price. A two-pack has also been reduced, from £35.99 to £27.98.

Each comes with a single CR2450 coin-style battery that Tapo claims can last for two years. Prices for these batteries vary quite significantly – I found a pack of 10 for just £5.99, while some brands charge £3.50 for a single battery.

TP-Link Tapo T100 motion sensor review: Design and setup

The T100 is quite small for a motion detector, and at just 42.3 x 42.3 x 34 mm it’s around half the size of the equivalent product from Eufy. It attaches to an included stand/wall mount with a ball-and-socket joint that holds it securely while also offering a good range of adjustability.

The rear of the detector can be removed to reveal the battery and a factory reset button. Taking the back off is quite awkward, since you need to jab a piece of (included) plastic into a slot, then rotate the rear cover to free it. It’s more fiddly than it ought to be, and you’re bound to lose the tiny piece of plastic used to help pry it apart, but a thin knife or credit card should also do the trick.

Back to the positives, and I like how the plastic stand is magnetic, so will stick to your fridge door or other metal surfaces. Alternatively, the T100 comes with a piece of double-sided adhesive for sticking it into place. I’d like to have seen a couple of screws and wall plugs included too, but unfortunately that isn’t the case. Be warned – removing the adhesive from a wall once it’s stuck is very likely to damage the paint or wallpaper underneath, so plan ahead before sticking it into place.

Set up via the Tapo app is quick and simple, so long as you already have a hub up and running. In my case, I was already testing the H500, so adding the T100 to my system took just a couple of minutes. The setup process lets you name the detector and assign it to a certain room or location in your home, such as the hallway, lounge or bathroom – and then it’s time to get creative.

That’s the thing with detectors like this. It might not be immediately obvious what you’ll use it for, especially if you have relatively few smart home devices. But once you start adding smart plugs, lights and security products to your system, having a way for movement to automate them begins to make sense. I’ll go into this in more detail in the next section.

TP-Link Tapo T100 motion sensor review: Performance and features

Now the T100 is installed and added to your Tapo system, it’s time to see what it can do. The sensor can spot movement from up to seven metres away and has a viewing angle of 120 degrees. There are three levels of sensitivity to pick from in the app, which can be handy if you find it’s being triggered too easily by the shadows of trees blowing outside, for example, or any other unintended movement.

At its simplest, the T100 can alert you with a phone notification when movement is detected. But, more useful is its ability to control other Tapo devices. You can configure the detector to turn on a light when it spots movement – handy for creating automatic hallway or en suite lighting when you need the loo at night. Or it can be used to turn outdoor lighting on, either as a deterrent for potential trespassers, or to help you find your way to the door on a winter’s night.

As well as turning on, the T100 can turn devices off again. So you could have a utility cupboard light that comes on when you open the door, then automatically switches off when movement isn’t detected after a pre-configured amount of time. Naturally, you’ll need a Tapo light bulb for this to work, or use a regular lamp with a Tapo smart plug or power strip.

I found the T100 responded very quickly indeed, and so is plenty fast enough to fire up a light when you walk past the sensor, or when you open a wardrobe or cupboard door.

TP-Link Tapo T100 motion sensor review: Verdict

The T100 is one of those products that does what it says on the box. There are no surprises, but no issues either. It just gets on with its job, responding promptly to motion then doing what you’ve asked of it.

I wish it were easier to open, but in theory that’s only going to be a problem every couple of years, so long as the battery lasts as long as expected. And, as is always the case with home automation devices, you’ll need to think of a specific use case, then work out what products you need, before purchasing the T100 and getting started.

If you want to build a comprehensive security system, or simply have a strip light come on when you open the wardrobe, the T100 is just what you need – providing you have a Tapo hub too, of course.