Meross makes a range of HomeKit-compatible smart home devices for multiple regions around the world. The Meross Smart Power Strip and Smart Plug are some of the company's most popular products and both work with Apple HomeKit.

meross review power strip and plug

Meross's smart plugs are among the more affordable HomeKit-compatible devices on the market, and the company offers the option to buy them in cheaper multi-packs for your smart home setup. Meross also offers a smart power strip with four USB ports and ‌HomeKit‌ control for each individual plug on the strip.

meross review boxes

Although my Meross devices were for UK power outlets, the company also sells its smart plug and smart power strip with the correct pins for the U.S., EU, Australia, and France.

Unboxing

Both devices were boxed and presented as well as you'd expect for a smart home device. Meross seems to have taken some packaging cues from Apple and used a very similar matte white cardboard to many Apple products.

meross review unboxing

Design and Build

The Meross smart plug is housed in a matte white plastic shell, with a large, flush button on the top. In spite of its lower price point, the Meross smart plug is actually smaller and slightly slimmer than other leading smart plugs such as those offered by Elgato Eve.

However, the plug feels hollow and much lighter than other smart plugs that I have used. While weight and feel in the hand is hardly important for a stationary smart home device, it is worth noting that this does make it feel somewhat cheap.

meross review plug

The smart power strip has a matte finish on the top, a beveled edge, and glossy plastic around the sides. Each plug is surrounded by a recess to highlight it. Although any power strip can scarcely be described as good-looking, the Meross power strip looks like a slightly more thoughtfully-designed item.

meross review power strip

Rubberized feet on the bottom keep the strip in place when it is flat on the floor, but there are also four screw-holes if you want to wall-mount it, as is common for surge protectors and power strips.

The smart power strip feels markedly higher quality than the smart plug, even if it does also feel too hollow, but this is perhaps to be expected in light of its higher price tag. Neither is particularly impressive when it comes to design or build quality, but as items that users will generally want to keep out of sight, this is hardly very important.

Features

Both devices work over Wi-Fi, but unlike many other smart home devices, such as Philips Hue smart lighting, there is no need to use a central hub connected to the router.

Both devices make use of LEDs to indicate their status. The smart plug has a bright LED under the power button, which shows a green or orange Meross logo when illuminated, depending on whether it is powered on or connecting. However, the plastic is so thin on the smart plug that it leaks out much of the light elsewhere, which diminishes the look.

meross review devices in use

The smart power strip has many more LEDs than the smart plug: one for each of the power outlets, including the USB ports, and one on the power button. The light leak issue is virtually negligible on this device, and the small, bright LEDs are an excellent indicator of status. I can see exactly which outlets are switched on from across the room.

The power strip also has four 4.0A standard USB ports on its left-hand side, as well as the four main power outlets, for charging devices. I personally would have preferred USB-C ports and the ability to charge at faster speeds, but in addition to the other four power outlets, the USB ports are a good addition to the product and have already come in handy. The power strip seems ideal for adding an entire desk's worth of devices and chargers to ‌HomeKit‌.

The devices can be manually controlled by clicking their power button, just in case you do not have a controller device nearby or your Wi-Fi is down. The single button on the power strip activates or deactivates all of the outlets at once, and there is no manual option to control each outlet individually. Considering users will likely seldom use the manual controls, turning on and off all of the outlets at once seems fair in this instance.

When powered up, the plugs offer a loud click noise. While I appreciated the click to confirm that it was now powered, I can also see that this may be a nuisance to users who might want things to power on or off quietly, such as during the night.

Setup

Although Meross does have its own app, it is not necessary to use it at all if you pair the devices using ‌HomeKit‌. In theory, you need only open the Home app on your iPhone, tap Add Accessory, and scan the code on the device.

However, I had some major issues setting up both Meross devices. For reasons still unbeknownst to me, the devices repeatedly failed to connect with the Home app. After a lengthy back-and-forth with Meross support to troubleshoot the problem, I finally managed to get the devices working correctly with the Home app.

I was advised to set about a long list of complex and largely unintelligible troubleshooting operations, including toggling MAC address filtering on my router, using a different ‌iPhone‌, and logging out of iCloud, among other steps. The only way I could successfully pair the devices, in the end, was by completely disabling my router's firewall and the 5GHz portion of the network. Although the devices are now working seamlessly, I must say that this was the most irksome, difficult, and invasive ‌HomeKit‌ pairing process that I have ever experienced. Someone with less technical know-how would have found this troubleshooting process, simply to get the devices paired, almost impossible.

HomeKit Support

Once the devices were finally paired, they provided a consistent and reliable connection to the Home app. Unlike some of the other ‌HomeKit‌ devices I use, the Meross offerings were unfailingly connected to my network. I have yet to experience a "no response" alert and they are seamlessly quick to react to commands.

meross screenshots

Better still, I was pleased to see that the smart power strip offered individual control over each of its power outlets, including the USB ports. This allows for precise control over each of the outlets, and it is possible to rename and change the icon for each one in the Home app. Integration with this lesser-known Home app functionality is exactly what one would want from a smart home strip.

The Bottom Line

The fact that Meross's devices work without an individual app or a central hub makes the experience more seamless than many other ‌HomeKit‌ devices, and I cannot fault the consistency of the connection.

However, there is no doubt that the unorthodox, insecure, and demanding pairing process made it a frustrating and time-consuming experience. I do not believe it is a reasonable expectation of consumers to toggle dozens of setting on their phone, or worse still, their router, simply to pair a basic smart home device. Had I not been reviewing the devices, I likely would have given up before getting them to work. Sadly, I do not seem to be alone in experiencing these issues, according to a plethora of Amazon reviews.

That said, not everyone will have this bad experience, and the majority of reviewers on Amazon seem to be contented with their pairing process. Furthermore, Meross support was nothing if not inventive in presenting solutions to my issue. It's only a shame it took hours to troubleshoot the problems, which on balance, really does not seem worth it for these devices.

The Meross smart plug works as well as one would expect for what it is. For users setting about larger ‌HomeKit‌ setups, the ability to batch-purchase these outlets at a cost-effective price point may present an attractive option. The Meross smart power strip is a more impressive piece of kit. The individual control of the outlets through the Home app offers extraordinary versatility. Overall, providing you can get them working in the first place, the Meross smart plug and smart power strip make a valuable addition to any ‌HomeKit‌ setup.

How to Buy

In the U.S., the Meross smart plug can be purchased from Amazon in packs of two for $25, packs of three for $32.59, and packs of four for $39.99.

The Meross smart power strip is available on Amazon for $35.99 with three outlets or $40.99 with four outlets.

Note: Meross provided MacRumors with a smart power strip and smart plug for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.

Top Rated Comments

NightFox Avatar
39 months ago

I do not understand the use case of a HomeKit power strip. I get maybe having a lamp you want to turn on on a schedule. Can someone explain to me the use case here. How would this improve someone life, why would they want/need this?
Here's an example. I've got my garage set up as a home gym, so I've got an exercise bike, a rower and a treadmill as well as a couple of fans. With something like this I can plug everything into a strip and say:

"Hey Siri, turn on the treadmill" and it will turn it on as well as the fan next to it
"Hey Siri, turn on the bike" and it will turn on the bike, both fans, the Apple TV I use for Zwift and its screen
"Hey Siri, turn off the gym equipment" when I've finished

Essential? No. Convenient? Yes.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
powaking Avatar
39 months ago
My experience couldn’t be further from the findings of this article. I recently picked up a 2 pack of their dual plug wall plugs ('https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088FCQHF8/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_y-40FbFXARMYA?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1'). They were easy to setup and add to HomeKit and only used their app to check for firmware update (which there weren’t any). The plugs that were added to homekit showed them as a single accessory with 2 plugs which you can separate them out. For my use case that is what I did to control my Christmas lights.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
centauratlas Avatar
39 months ago
If you have to disable 5Ghz and toggle MAC addresses, it is NOT ready for prime time. I'll pass. Some HomeKit items are easy, all should be.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
icanhazmac Avatar
39 months ago
Setup difficulties? If this is easier than Wemo's mess of a setup then I might consider.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lederermc Avatar
39 months ago
It's very common that IoT devices need a 2.4 GHz only WiFi SSID. If you have a router that supports a combined 2.4 and 5 GHz SSID then you should either separate them into two different SSIDs or, if you can, create a separate SSID that is only 2.4 GHz for these IoT devices.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hagjohn Avatar
39 months ago
I have the Meross Smart Plug Mini and they work fine. I use them instead of a timer for my Christmas lights.



Attachment Image
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

apple card 1

Apple Ending Apple Card Partnership With Goldman Sachs

Tuesday November 28, 2023 3:09 pm PST by
Apple is ending its credit card partnership with Goldman Sachs, according to The Wall Street Journal. Apple plans to stop working with Goldman Sachs in the next 12 to 15 months, and it is not yet clear if Apple has established a new partnership for the Apple Card. Apple and Goldman Sachs will dissolve their entire consumer partnership, including the Apple Card and the Apple Savings account....
ios 17 namedrop

Police Departments and News Sites Spreading Misinformation About How iOS 17 NameDrop Feature Works

Monday November 27, 2023 5:11 pm PST by
Apple with iOS 17.1 and watchOS 10.1 introduced a new NameDrop feature that is designed to allow users to place Apple devices near one another to quickly exchange contact information. Sharing contact information is done with explicit user permission, but some news organizations and police departments have been spreading misinformation about how functions. As noted by The Washington Post,...
Apple Logo

Apple Discontinued These 5 Products This Year

Monday November 27, 2023 7:03 am PST by
As the end of 2023 nears, now is a good opportunity to look back at some of the devices and accessories that Apple discontinued throughout the year. Apple products discontinued in 2023 include the iPhone 13 mini, 13-inch MacBook Pro, MagSafe Battery Pack, MagSafe Duo Charger, and leather accessories. Also check out our lists of Apple products discontinued in 2022 and 2021. iPhone Mini ...
iOS 17

iOS 17.1.2 Update for iPhone Likely to Be Released This Week

Monday November 27, 2023 8:24 am PST by
Apple will likely release iOS 17.1.2 this week, based on mounting evidence of the software in our website's analytics logs in recent days. As a minor update, iOS 17.1.2 should be focused on bug fixes, but it's unclear exactly which issues might be addressed. Some users have continued to experience Wi-Fi issues on iOS 17.1.1, so perhaps iOS 17.1.2 will include the same fix for Wi-Fi...
iOS 17

Everything New in iOS 17.2 Beta 4

Tuesday November 28, 2023 12:18 pm PST by
Apple is wrapping up development on iOS 17.2, with the update expected to come out in December. While we're getting to the end of the beta testing period, Apple is still tweaking features and adding new functionality. We've rounded up everything new in the fourth beta of iOS 17.2. Default Notification Sound Under Sounds & Haptics, there's a new "Default Alerts" section that allows you to ...
All New CarPlay Five New Features Article 2

What to Expect From All-New CarPlay, Still Listed as Coming 'Late 2023'

Tuesday November 28, 2023 7:44 am PST by
At WWDC in June 2022, Apple previewed the next generation of CarPlay, promising deeper integration with vehicle functions like A/C and FM radio, support for multiple displays across the dashboard, increased personalization, and more. Apple's website still says the first vehicles with support for the next-generation CarPlay experience will be announced in "late 2023," but it has not shared...
Google Drive

Some Google Drive Users' Files Have Mysteriously Vanished

Tuesday November 28, 2023 3:55 am PST by
Google Drive users have been warned not to disconnect their account within the Google Drive for desktop app, after a spate of reports of files going missing from the cloud service. Alarm bells began ringing last week on Google's community support site when some users reported files mysteriously disappearing from Google Drive, with some posters claiming six or more months of data had...