The Meross MSS425EHK is a handy smart power strip with HomeKit, ideal for your Christmas lights, for example. In this review of the Meross power strip with HomeKit, you can read our experiences.
Review Meross power strip with HomeKit
If a single plug isn’t enough, a power strip is a better choice. Fortunately, a number of power strips with HomeKit are also available and those from Meross are one of the cheaper options. You can read in this review how you like the Meross power strip with HomeKit.
Meross power strip with HomeKit in short
These are the main features of the Meross power strip with HomeKit:
- White power strip with four or three sockets
- Four built-in USB ports (5V = 2.4A for single USB port)
- Suitable for HomeKit, also works with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa
- Connects via WiFi (2.4GHz)
- Overvoltage protection
- 1.8 meter cable
- Optional proprietary Meross app for additional options
Set up Meross power strip
The Meross power strip comes in a pretty simple box, with a pretty quick guide . Setting up is very simple, directly via the Home app. Plug in the power strip and open the Home app on your iPhone or iPad. Then you add an accessory and scan the code on the back of the power strip. Make sure you are connected to a 2.4 GHz WiFi network. The power strip cannot connect to a 5GHz network, as with more smart accessories. If you only use a 5GHz network because it delivers higher speed, then you must enable an extra 2.4GHz network. You do this via the settings of your router. Once your iPhone is connected to a 2.4GHz connection and you set up the power strip via the Home app, the data will be transferred from the Wi-Fi network. In the future, the power strip will automatically connect to the known network.
You can immediately give each socket of the power strip its own name, but you can also adjust this later. Each outlet can be turned on and off individually via the Home app or with Siri . The four USB ports are switched on and off together, but that can also be done via HomeKit.
Meross power strip in use
In the Home app, the power strip is displayed as one accessory. As soon as you tap it, a new screen opens where you can switch the individual connected devices on and off. If you prefer a separate tile in the Home app for each socket and the group of USB ports, you can also do this via the settings of the accessory. The only advantage you have is that you can quickly see what is on and off at a glance. You cannot assign the different sockets to a separate room.
In the Home app you can also indicate what type of device is connected to it, namely a lamp, fan or simply as a general socket. We have used the power strip for the Christmas lights, for both the Christmas tree and the lighting outside on the balcony. The power strip is therefore ideal for this time of the year, because you can easily automate all your Christmas lights with HomeKit and easily switch them on and off with Siri .
But a HomeKit power strip is also useful during the rest of the year , for example for your home workplace . Plug your external screen, your dumb desk lamp and your USB chargers directly into the socket and you can control them all individually with HomeKit. For example, you can plug an iPhone charging dock into a USB port. In the Assignments app, you can set it to turn on when your iPhone ‘s battery level drops below a certain percentage. In this way you can put your iPhone in your beautiful charging dock all day long, without it being continuously charged.
The power strip reacts nice and fast thanks to the WiFi connection. You can switch a connected device on or off in less than a second. We did not experience connection problems in our test. This can sometimes happen with some other plugs that work with Bluetooth, but we have no problems with this Meross power strip.
Operate with the Meross app
After you have set up the power strip via HomeKit , you can also use the optional Meross app for a number of extra options. You must create an account for this via your e-mail address. You use the app to update the firmware of the power strip, for example, but you can also set scenes and routines with it. The app also has a widget (in the old style, not adapted for iOS 14) to turn a power outlet on or off from there.
The Meross app is fairly limited in its design and also simple in terms of design. We have therefore rarely used the app, because all possibilities can also be used via the Home app. What is handy is that you can set the power strip to switch off automatically after a number of minutes of your choice. Unfortunately, what is missing is the possibility to view the power consumption of the power strip. The Eve Energy, for example, has that via its own Eve app.
Design and build quality of the Meross power strip
The power strip is made of white plastic. Although the price is low, the material of the power strip does not feel cheap. The weight is also good, so that it does not just fall over when there are many plugs in the power strip. At the bottom are four rubber feet, so that it does not just slip off a smooth floor.
As soon as an outlet is switched on, a small green light will illuminate to indicate that it is on. The lights are subtle and do not provide a lot of light in a dark room. You can therefore also use the power strip in a bedroom. Finally, there is a physical button to immediately switch all sockets and USB ports on or off. You can also operate this via the Meross app, but not via the Home app.
BENEFITS+
- Easy to set up
- Responds quickly thanks to WiFi
- Excellent build quality
- Profitable price
CONS-
- 2.4GHz WiFi only
- No insight into energy consumption
- No physical buttons for individual outlets
Conclusion Meross power strip with HomeKit review
The Meross power strip with HomeKit is a great smart power strip in our opinion. The connection is done entirely via the Home app and all sockets can be operated individually. Switching on and off is nice and fast thanks to the WiFi connection. Moreover, we think the build quality of the power strip is good, especially for the relatively low price of around € 40. The only disadvantages of the power strip are that the connection can only be done on 2.4 GHz networks, that you cannot see the energy consumption and that there are no physical buttons to switch an individual socket on or off. All in all, we definitely recommend this power strip. If the model with three sockets is not enough, you can also choose the model with four sockets.
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