• Elegant design, perfect bedside companion.
• Control your smart ambient light from anywhere anytime with the Meross app.
• Works with Homekit, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, SmartThings.
• Adjust brightness, tune light appearance, and set from multiple RGB colours.
• Works with the Wi-Fi you already have. No hub required.

The post Meross Smart Wi-Fi Ambient Light appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

PACKAGING

The packaging for the latest Meross product is a step up from the rather plain box I received for their UK smart plug a while back. If you do happen to see this in a physical store, pretty much everything is mentioned on all sides of the box, including compatibility with HomeKit, Google Assistant, and Amazon Alexa, along list of features, and details on the included HEPA13 filter, which also comes with a pre-filter to capture hair and large dust fragments etc, and an Active Carbon Filter to help remove odours from the air.

THE AIR PURIFIER

The MAP100HK, to give it its model name (they also make a non-HomeKit version), comes in at 2.3kg / 5.07lb, and has the following dimensions;

• 185 x 185 x 380mm (WDH)
• 7.28 x 7.28 x 14.96in (WDH)

Noise levels are listed on the Meross website as between 24 – 48dB, with sleep mode being the quietest. In terms of the fan speed levels, you get – Sleep, Low, Medium, and High.

the base of the air purifier has a screw lid with a large handle to make it easy to open and replace the included filter. There are also markings to show the position the lid should be in when you’re locking or unlocking it, which I hadn’t previously noticed, resulting in me initially struggling to lock the lid.

The base of the purifier comes with four standard rubber feet to stop it from slipping about on a smooth floor like ours. The included filter looks fairly generic, with seemingly very similar-looking filters available for the Smartmi P1, the Sensibo Pure, and some of the Xiaomi air purifiers, although I’m just going by a quick visual comparison, so I’m not sure how different this and other filters are. The top of the filter also includes a section for you to fill out the date when you first started using it, so as to remind you to replace the filter, although of course, this doesn’t take into account potentially long periods where it may not get used. So unless you plan to have this running 24/7, it seems unnecessary, especially given that HomeKit and the Meross app will also report on the filter life. How this is achieved, I’m not sure, but apparently, the Xiaomi filters have a chip that measures the life of their filters.

The main body of the purifier is made of metal, which Meross also mention as a ‘feature’ on the packaging. Whilst I’m not sure you could consider it a feature, it does lend itself to appearing more ‘premium’ than you might otherwise expect. Having been testing the ‘Sensibo Pure’ as well, which uses plastic for pretty much the whole product, I can say that the Meross does feel better for having used metal. The plastic used in the Sensibo does unfortunately cheapen the overall appearance. Will it matter to most? Possibly not, but to me, it certainly makes a minor difference.

What does come as a surprise is that Meross use a USB-C port and power supply to power the purifier. It’s not that it shouldn’t be capable of such things, and in some ways, I guess it’s welcome compared to a more non-standard connector. The other end of the USB-C cable has a permanently fixed power supply, and in my case, as this was supplied by Meross’ Hong Kong supplier, it came with a Type G plug you find in the UK. I’ve yet to work out if I can use a suitably powerful USB power brick that I can use a regular USB-A to USB-C cable with to power it.

THE CONTROL PANEL

Like any air purifier, smart or not, the Meross has a control panel at the top and centre of the device, much like the Smartmi P1. The controls are limited to just one button, however, that acts as a power button, speed/mode change button, and for resetting the device where necessary.

The button is touch-sensitive, and only requires a light touch to change the status of the device; a short tap turns the device on (it will start up in the speed or mode it was last in when turned off), whilst further short taps go through the four speeds – Sleep, Low, Medium, and High. A long press turns the device off. Whilst I’m quite familiar with the concept of a long press due to the various wireless switches in our HomeKit home, the length of time required to turn off the purifier is a little too long in all honesty, so I’m hoping this can be looked at and adjusted in a future update.

The four dots you can see contain green LEDs that will light up depending on the mode and speed of the fan, with the bottom LED lighting up when in Sleep mode, and the subsequent dots lighting up in relation to the other three fan speeds.

Despite this one issue, controlling the purifier manually is foolproof, and taking that in tandem with the simple uncluttered design of the top section, shouldn’t confuse anyone.

THE MEROSS APP

As I’ve shown the process of adding a device to HomeKit, either via the Home app or the manufacturers’ own app, I won’t go into the details, but I generally add a device through the relevant company’s own app, and did so with the Meross product. In almost all instances, it’s a case of scanning the HomeKit QR code, even when it’s not the Home app, and this was the case with the Meross app. Once added, it simply showed up in the Home app/HomeKit without any extra input from myself.

The last time I used the Meross app was whilst reviewing the Meross smart plug, and I don’t recall it looking as nice as this! It does look pretty much as good as most of the better third-party apps, although this app isn’t what you could consider a full HomeKit app, as it doesn’t give you access to other HomeKit devices in your home, and doesn’t even have an automation section. All the controls you need are clearly laid out, and it’s an all-round easy app to use.

In the app you also have an option to reset the life cycle of the filter, which leads me to believe that it must have some countdown mechanism based on how long the purifier has been running, and at what speed(s), to determine when the filter needs replacing. This function, while not exposed to the Home app, is exposed to third-party apps, like Eve for HomeKit etc.

In the settings section, you get access to a few features not exposed to HomeKit. There are options to turn the LEDs or the beep sound on or off, as well as the aforementioned filter life-cycle reset, and a WiFi signal strength indicator. You also need the app for any future firmware updates.

THE HOME APP

In the Home app, it’s a fairly straightforward set of options, which leads us to the original point I mentioned in the first paragraph in this review, regarding a missing part. In a nutshell, unlike all other air purifiers I’ve tested, the Meross doesn’t come with any sensors – not even a PM2.5 sensor. This did come as a surprise, as in essence, it means that the device can’t work autonomously – meaning without an air quality sensor, it can’t operate by itself. More on that in a minute, but this is why the purifier here only has one tile and one ‘service’, unlike, for example, the Vocolinc PureFlow, which offers a total of four services – the purifier itself, along with sensors for temperature, humidity, and PM2.5 levels. It’s also fair to point out that the PureFlow is more than twice the price of the Meross, but I still think not having a PM2.5 sensor is going to turn some heads.

So, in the Home app, you get control of the fan speed and power, as well as the ability to control the child lock. The app will also show the life and condition of the filter, I assume based on the data from the Meross app.

That said, I’ve always been concerned that PM2.5 sensors built into devices are quite possibly going to be inaccurate as they (I assume) are only measuring the air immediately surrounding the device, which, if the air purifier is active, is already going to be cleaner than the air further out from the device and its sensor. With this possibly/probably being the case, I tend to rely on external sensors anyway, so in my case, it’s not really an issue. If you don’t have a PM2.5 sensor, then as I see it, you have three options; buy a HomeKit compatible PM2.5 sensor (there are a few around), rely on an app that reports on local air quality, and hope it works with IFTTT somehow in order to activate the purifier when necessary, or simply buy a purifier that does come with a built-in sensor.

To be fair, I’m not even sure how many people solely rely on built-in PM2.5 sensors for their purifiers, and with all my purifiers, I’ve always set up automations involving separate sensors to trigger the relevant purifier. As can be seen in the video review for this product, I set up two separate automations to control the device, using the QingPing Air Monitor Light (watch the video below or read our in-depth review HERE), when less than ideal air is detected.

So I guess my opinion on the omission of a PM2.5 sensor is a little ambivalent, even though in basic terms I do think it should have been included. How does it perform with the aforementioned automations? Well, the device certainly triggered, although that’s a low bar to pass, given that it’s the automations and HomeKit that are doing the work here. It does clean the air in the tests I performed in the video and elsewhere, so I’ve got no complaints in this regard. As it’s a smaller and less powerful device than the much larger Vocolinc offering, it’s inevitably a fair bit quieter, even at the highest level, and so taking this, its coverage (207 sq. ft.) and its physical size into account, this is definitely more suited to smaller locations, like your child’s bedroom or a kitchen for example.

WRAPPING UP

There’s not a lot you can say about a product that has a sole task, but as long as it’s able to do that without any issues, that’s good enough for me. The design, albeit nothing to write home about, is nonetheless pleasing enough to the eye and looking at it from the front, it’s suitably minimalist enough to appeal to my tastes.

The controls (should that be ‘control’ as there’s only one button?) is really simple to use and equally as easy to understand. Pretty much everything about it, including control in the Home app Meross apps is a lesson in simplicity really.

In all honesty, there’s not a lot to dislike about this, but given the omission of a PM2.5 sensor, I do think the price should be a tad lower than the list price of US$169, although currently it’s available for $20 off, so if the price can stay there, and you don’t need a built-in sensor, then the price is about right. Connectivity has been solid, even though it’s reasonably far from the router it’s connected to, and so all’s good on that score.

It does have some competition from the likes of Sensibo and Smartmi, the latter of which features not only a PM2.5/PM10 sensor but also a colour touch panel. So, unlike 12 months ago, where it was an open field as far as purifiers and HomeKit were concerned, that same field is getting steadily more crowded, with potentially more to come with the proposed advent of Matter, which may well expose currently non-HomeKit devices to HomeKit, if they get Matter certified.

While it may not matter to some, I’ve started to challenge my thinking on using any more WiFi-based devices, where it’s not essential (cameras need WiFi for example), and so put to one side the fact that this is yet another 2.4GHz device to further clog up my network, something like this could easily operate on Thread. I predict that   2022 will see an update to this that will indeed include Thread connectivity.

If you’re a Meross fan, I’m sure you’ll love it, and if you’re looking for a budget air purifier, but already have a pm2.5 sensor, then I think this would be a decent purchase.

Full disclosure: Meross (Hong Kong) provided HomeKit News with the Meross Smart WiFi Air Purifier for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was made, requested or has not in any way influenced our opinion of this product.

The post Meross Smart WiFi Air Purifier (review) appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

No Flicker and Shadow
Consists of 46 LED beads, the eye-caring desk lamp shines soft light with no flicker, no shadow, which avoids eye fatigue and dryness caused by flicking light. It is ideal for work or study for a long time.

Touch Control

• Short press “+” to max brightness.
• Short press “-” to min brightness.
• The slide Touch can change the brightness too.
• Long press “+” to change to cooler light.
• Long press “-” to change to warmer light.

Adjustable Design
The head of the smart led desk light can be rotated up to 180°, so you can adjust it to a large angle to get a better custom light position, which is perfect for working, studying, relaxing and reading.

Remote Control
Control the Meross smart lamp anytime, anywhere (with Internet access) via the Meross app or Home app. Please note that HomeKit remote control needs to set an Apple device as a HomeKit bridge and connect it to your home Wi-Fi network.

Schedule & Timer
With the timer and schedule function of the smart wifi desk lamp, you can set the timer to turn on/off the lamp for the desk based on your routine. Scheduling the smart table lamp to turn on at sunset and turn off at sunrise time automatically.

The post Meross Smart LED Desk Lamp appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

Specifications:

The post Meross Smart LED Floor Lamp appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

The Air Purifier also features an easily accessible control panel at the top, in the centre of the fan. The panel features a dedicated on/off switch, with individual LED indicators for the different fan speeds – low, medium, high – as well as a separate Sleep Mode indicator.

Using 2.4GHz WiFi to connect the MAP100HK to your home network, it’s compatible with Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa*, and Google Assistant*.

• Pure Air with Technology: Introducing our new device – Smart Air Purifier, which can be controlled via the Meross app and Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, letting you set schedules, adjust fan speeds more easily.
• Replacement Filter: For the best performance and longest lifespan, use Meross replacement filters.
• Effective Purification: The compact frame and 360° design help purify the air wherever you put it, refreshing the air 5x per hour in rooms as large as 207 ft² / 19 m².
• Improved Filtration: The H13 True HEPA Filter captures 99.97% of airborne contaminants 0.3 microns in size, ridding your environment of dust, pollen, pet dander, mold spores, and more.
• Quiet Operation: With noise levels as low as 24dB, the smart air purifier cleans your air without keeping you up at night. For a completely uninterrupted sleep.
• Remote Control: With the Meross app, you can control your smart air purifier from anywhere anytime. Adjust settings while you’re in the other room, at the office, or out walking the dog.
• Voice Control: Works with Apple HomeKit, Siri, Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, use your voice to control the air purifier without having to lift a finger.

The filter is quickly and easily replaceable via the screw-in base on the underside of the air purifier.

* Meross account required.

The post Meross Air Purifier MAP100HK appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

The joint on the halfway section can move 180º vertically, with the base joint having a 90º field of movement, allowing the lamp to lay flat.

On-device controls allow you to turn the device on or off, as well as adjust the brightness. You can also adjust the lamp to one of four different preset colour temperatures with the use of the Mode button.

The post Meross Smart Desk Lamp appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

PACKAGING

I love to get products in sturdy packaging, and the Meross box fits the bill nicely, despite it being a bit on the basic side. The front sports the HomeKit logo and has small icons representing the different regional models they also make, with the UK variant with a tick underneath it. They also do a US plug, an Australasian plug, and an EU variant with a separate version just for France.

As the packaging is meant for all of these variants, you get the basic specs for each of these listed on the back. In the case of the UK plug it is thus;

• Input: 100-240v ~50/60Hz, 13A
• Output: 100-240v ~50/60Hz, 13A maximum load
• dimensions: 2.65 x 2.65 x 1.88in / 66.5 x 66.5 x 41mm (excluding pins)
• Connectivity: WiFi 2.4GHz
• Requirements: iOS12.3 or higher or Android 4.1 or higher

It’s also compatible with Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant, and comes with a 1-year warranty. All pretty standard stuff.

When I was first contacted by Meross, they were going ship one to me via Amazon.co.uk, but after realising I’m not there, they instead sent me one directly from their factory in China. They explained that whilst the product I receive will be branded Refoss, it will, in fact, be a Meross product. Now before you get in any way alarmed, when it comes to Refoss branding, it’s literally only the top of the box and the included booklet that have the Refoss logo, with everything else being Meross. It is identical to the Meross UK plugs I’ve seen online and even has a Meross logo in use for the LED power indicator, so yes, it is a Meross product in all but packaging. Where Refoss products are marketed, I’m not sure, but it’s possible they’re meant for regions that also use a Type G plug, like Malaysia, Singapore etc.

That aside, the contents for the box are fairly sparse, with only a couple of small booklet (in English) to accompany the plug itself.

THE PLUG

Coming from using US-style plugs for several years now, I’m a bit taken aback at how large this smart plug is. It’s around twice as deep as a typical UK plug and is rather tall and wide. Of course, when seeing the size of some other UK smart plugs from the likes of Eve and LightWave, this isn’t exactly anything out of the ordinary, which also goes for EU style plugs, but it just shows you how small the US variants are in comparison.

Still, despite its size, I was able to place both this smart plug and a standard UK plug side by side inside the power strip I have (I knew it would come in handy one day…). You may also notice in the second picture, that Meross have included a sort of plinth which house the pins. This is quite useful for when this is plugged into a wall outlet, which it invariable will be, I imagine. The raised section cleverly avoids the area where the wall socket switches reside, thereby not inadvertently blocking said switches into one position, whilst also allowing the buttons to be turned on and off. You can also see how incredibly deep the smart plug is when lined up next to the standard UK plug.

This is something I believe is missing from the Type G variant of the Aqara Hub, for example (yes, I know it’s not actually out in the UK yet).

SETUP IN HOME

I opted to add this directly to HomeKit, given that the plug itself has no special functions that require the Meross app, aside from possible firmware updates, and when initially setting my iPhone to the 2.4GHz network in order to add the plug, you can see the plug listed as a new device, and recognised as a Meross device.

Adding to HomeKit is, as expected, very easy. Simply scan the code, wait for it to connect, and it’s all done within a minute or so.

You then simply need to add it to a room, choose whether it’s seen as a power point, a fan, or a light, and whether you want it as a favourite or not. It’ll then appear with its own tile in the Home app.

As it’s merely able to be turned on or off, you only get the toggle switch when you long-press to get to the settings section, and if you scroll down, once again you see more evidence of this being a Meross product with the manufacturer and the app listed as Meross. The Meross even makes an appearance via the green LED power indicator. This LED is not configurable within the Home or the Meross apps, and turns on or off depending on the power state the plug is in.

IN USE…

Now, as I’ve already stated, in Taiwan they use Type A and B plugs and sockets, so in order to test the relative reliability of this plug, I had to have it stuck into my UK power strip. Once plugged in, I had it set to turn on and off at three different times of the day but made sure that these times were different for every other day of the week. I would also periodically check the status and response of the plug within the Home app.  I kept the plug in the room that I also usually spend most of my time, so I was able to hear the ‘click’ when it turned on and off at the preset times. I also plugged a battery charger into the plug to make sure that it was at least sending out power. In all of these tests over the course of just less than two weeks (at the time of writing) it has performed 100% of the time. Occasionally, if I pressed the tile in the Home app, to turn the plug on, there would be a slight delay, but I’ve seen this kind of random behaviour in the best and most reliable of devices, so it’s of no consequence in reality.

Can I recommend it? For the price, without a doubt. I obviously won’t be using it myself, if I’m honest, but I may be able to send it to someone in Hong Kong at some point. The price in the UK, at a mere £16.99 makes this a real contender, especially when there’s so little competition out there at present, so it’s worth a punt for sure. It’s not elegant looking, but then I’ve seen a lot worse. I think the only thing that could possibly be a bit off-putting is the size, but then it would appear most of the other smart plugs are in the same ballpark in this regard. For some, it would possibly have nice to get energy monitoring, but personally, it’s not something I find myself using, to be honest.

The post Meross UK Smart Plug (review) appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

This enables you to switch the connected devices on and off and to set schedules or automatic timer routines for your daily needs. In addition, after pairing with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, users can easily control the connected devices with voice commands.

Finally, the outdoor socket is Wi-Fi based. You can easily connect it to your existing home WiFi without having to buy an additional hub.

• Siri & HomeKit: Meross Smart Outdoor socket can work with Apple HomeKit (iOS 13 or higher), Apple Watch, Alexa, Google Assistant and IFTTT to manage your device with voice control. Just say “Hey Siri, open the light” and experience an intelligent and comfortable life. HomeKit socket can create unlimited possibilities according to your needs.
• Suitable for outdoor and indoor use: The HomeKit outdoor socket is IP44 waterproof housing (do not immerse and rinse). The socket should be covered with a waterproof cover when not in use. These wifi outdoor sockets are used outdoors for gardens, patios, washing machines, Christmas trees, landscape lighting, fountains, lamps and other indoor and waterproof outdoor sockets, etc.
• Schedule and timing: You can create a schedule or use the sunrise and sunset features as needed. Use electrical equipment efficiently and you don’t have to worry about forgetting to turn it off, saving you a lot of electricity costs. WiFi outdoor socket can turn on street lights and water heaters before you go home. The fountain with WiFi garden socket opens at Sonnenunte
• Remote control: switch the external socket on / off from anywhere with the Internet via the Meross app. You can check the status of the connected plug or set schedules for it. All data is transferred securely and stored on Amazon AWS servers. Please use iOS 13 or higher. No hub or subscription required.
• Safety protection and service: The Smart outdoor sockets from Meross are of high quality to make their use safer. No outdoor hub is required. The app is free. If you have any problems, just contact Tech Support. If there are quality problems, the new product will be replaced free of charge within one year.

Hardware:

• Input: 100-250V ~, 50 / 60Hz, 10A
• Output: 100-250V ~, 50 / 60Hz, 10A maximum load
• Key: On / Off key
• Press and hold this button for 5 seconds to start the reset process
• Dimensions (W x D x H): 15.1 x 8.0 x 5.0 cm (without power cord)
• Power cord: 28.5 cm
• Antenna: An internal antenna

Wireless features:

• Wireless standards: IEEE 802.11 b / g / n, 2.4 GHz, 1T1R
• Wireless security: Supports 64/128 bit WEP, WPA-PSK / WPA2-PSK

Other:

• Certification: CE, RoHS
• Package content: Smart Wi-Fi outdoor socket
• Quick installation guide
• System requirements: iOS 9 or higher, Android 4.1 or higher
• Existing Wi-Fi network
• Environment: Operating temperature: -20 ℃ ~ 40 ℃ (-4 ℉ ~ 104 ℉)
• Storage temperature: -40 ℃ ~ 70 ℃ (-40 ℉ ~ 158 ℉)
• Operating humidity: 10% ~ 90% non-condensing
• Storage humidity: 5% ~ 90% non-condensing

The post Meross Outdoor Dual EU Outlet appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

• Input: 100-125V, 50/60Hz, 10A
• Output: 100-125V, 50/60Hz, 10A maximum load
• Button: On/Off Button, press and hold for 5 seconds to initiate factory reset process
• WiFi Required: 2.4g only
• Operating Temperature: 0℃~40℃ (32℉~104℉)
• Package Contents: 1 x Dual Smart Wi-Fi Plug, 1 x Quick Installation Guide

The post Meross Dual Smart Plug appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

The wall light switch MSS510HK can be controlled from anywhere (Internet Required) with your Meross app (iOS 9.0 or higher, Android 4.1 or higher). It allows you to turn the connected lights or fans on and off, and to set schedules or auto-off timer routine around your daily needs. Additionally, after pairing with Amazon Alexa or Google Home, you can simply control the connected devices with voice commands.

• Input: 100-125V~, 60Hz, 15.0A
• Output: 100-125V~, 60Hz
• Button: On/Off Button
• Antenna: One Internal Antenna
• Wireless Standards: IEEE 802.11 b/g/n, 2.4GHz, 1T1R
• Wireless Security: Support 64/128 bit WEP, WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK
• Package Contents: 1 x Smart Wi-Fi Wall Switch, Quick Installation Guide
• System Requirements: iOS 8 or higher, Android 4.1 or higher, Existing Wi-Fi network
• Environment: Operating Temperature: 0℃~40℃ (32℉~104℉)
• Storage Temperature: -40℃~70℃ (-40℉~158℉)
• Operating Humidity: 10%~90% non-condensing
• Storage Humidity: 5%~90% non-condensing
  
• Neutral wire is required for the installation.
• Internet connection required.

The post Meross Smart Light Switch appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.