Smart plugs are one of the easiest ways to make everyday devices such as fans and lamps controllable by your phone, voice and watch and can be a great way to dip your toe into the world of smart home devices. Today we bring you our Meross Mini Wi-fi Smart Plug review, which is available online in UK to help you decide if this affordable, home-kit compatible smart plug is right for you.
Who Are Meross?
Meross are a company who specialise in a whole range of affordable smart home devices but what really separates them apart from their competitors in the world of budget friendly smart home devices is that many of their devices are HomeKit compatible which makes them perfect for Apple users wanting to be able to easily set up devices and control them from Apple’s Home app. This doesn’t mean Meross devices aren’t great for Android users too as there is a dedicated Meross app, Alexa skill plus compatibility with Google Assistant and IFTTT. The Meross Smart Plugs cost around £15 for 1 or £25 for 2 which makes a pair of them cost less than a single Philips Hue Smart Plug.
If you want to read a review of the Meross Smart Garage door opener click here.
The Design
The design of the Meross Smart Plug is very similar to most smart plugs out there but with a slightly narrower profile. The front is where you plug goes and it also has an indicator light, the left hand side has a power button to manually turn it on and off and the right hand side has the all important QR code for easy set-up with HomeKit.
Setting up the Meross Smart Plug
We’re going to talk a lot about HomeKit because that’s the big selling point of these smart plugs and setting it up is no different. If you’re an Apple user you simply plug in the smart plug, open your home app, click the add accessory option and then scan the QR code. You can then assign it to a room and give it a name and you’re done. Your Home app will let you turn the plug on or off using your iPhone, Mac, Watch or whatever Apple product you use. You can even use HomeKit Automations to create some scenes or timers (great if you want a lamp to turn on at a particular time of day).
From there, if you want to you can also add it into the Meross app. This is useful if you want to use the smart plug with Alexa or IFTTT as well alongside using some of the Meross app features including countdown timers for devices. Adding a device you’ve previously added to Apple’s Home is as easy as opening the Meross app, hitting the + icon and then selecting the product you’re adding which it will have already found.
Meross Smart Plug Review – Does it actually work?
The simple answer is yes! Whether you’re using Amazon’s Alexa, the Home app or Siri the smart plug works every single time with very little delay between you hitting the button (or calling out the command) and the plug actually turning on or off. As Apple fans we love the HomeKit compatibility because it adds super-easy set up and allows you to keep all your smart home devices in one, easy to use app but we also love that it also works with Alexa and a whole range of other services.
