Meross Smart Light Bulb: WiFi-enabled LED Bulb Works with Apple HomeKit, Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant, and SmartThings, Dimmable E26 Bulb with Multicolor 2700K-6500K RGBWW, 900…

SETUP:
I use Apple Homekit for most of our smart devices. Within Homekit, setup was relatively easy, once I worked past a limitation of my router. We have a Google Wifi mesh router and there is no way to “switch off” the 5.0 gHz radio. The Meross devices, including this bulb, will only attach to a 2.4 gHz network. Many routers, you can go in and switch the 5gig system off, and this would allow setup to be a breeze. For me, I have to unplug all of my Google points (pucks) except for the main one, get as far away from the main router as possible and refresh the wifi signal on my phone until my phone attaches itself to the 2.4gig network. 5gHz wifi does not pass through walls or other objects as well as 2.4 does so the further you get from the router, the better chance of attaching to the 2.4gig signal. Once I did that, the bulb appeared as a new device in my Apple Home app. I then plugged in the 8-digit code and the bulb was added to my “Home.” After this was done, I added the bulb to my Meross app as well. This way you can do any firmware upgrades and such. Apple Home app does not let you do any of this.

THE LOOK:
My first reaction to full brightness was slight disappointment. I have the bulb in a table lamp and wish it was a bit brighter for reading and such. That said, for many applications, I think the brightness would be sufficient. The bulb seems to have limitless color options. The Home app and the Meross app give you two different scales in order to adjust the color labeled “Color” and “Temperature.” If you know about lighting, this is kind of weird because ALL color has a temperature. However with this bulb, the “color” setting gives you access to a color palette of what I call “party lights.” Reds, blues, green, etc. The “Temperature” setting basically allows you to setup the bulb between the colors often labeled as “daylight” or “soft white” if you are trying to match this bulb to existing light in the room. I was able to get it to match the bluish daylight coming through the window in the 5000k range as well as the more orange temperature, 3000k-3500k of some conventional light bulbs in the room. I just kind of wish these 2 setting were combined into 1. I think it would be easier to setup.

USE:
The bulb responds to the Home and Meross apps well, although I think the Meross app allows for faster, more consistent adjustment. The Home app seems a little more sluggish when making changes. It doesn’t always update the graphics when the bulb changes. For instance, if the light is colored white, sometimes the graphic shows it to be red. I suspect this is just how Homekit works and might work better with firmware updates in the bulb. I feel like Homekit is more for making specific programs, or “scenes” of multiple connected devices and automating them rather than making real-time changes to your devices. The Meross app is very snappy when making real-time adjustments. You can also use the Meross app to create “scenes” and “routines” (their terminology for automations) although I didn’t test any of this since I use Homekit.

As I said, I put this in a table lamp. After testing this bulb thoroughly, I removed the bulb and replaced the standard soft white LED bulb that was originally in the lamp. It is a 3-way bulb that gets far brighter. The Meross bulbs works well, but not in this location.

My only true “deal breaker” with this bulb is if you turn the lamp off at the switch, it comes back on in the last known state. For instance, if the light is set for a red color at 50% brightness, that is how it will come on if the lamp is turned off conventionally at the switch. This may be fine for some, but for me I do not want to have to go find my phone to turn the light on and off all the time. If I have the light very low while watching TV, turn it off at the switch to go to bed, and my wife turns it on the next night, I want it to come on full bright immediately so it is usable right away. For many, this is likely not a big deal, but in our home it is. We have a 4-bulb lamp in our home office (different brand of bulbs) where my wife has the 4 bulbs facing different directions and has them programmed differently for different times of the day (i.e. sunrise, full sun, dusk, clouds, etc.) to reduce reflections on her computer monitors. When leaving the office for the evening, she simply shuts off the wall switch. In the morning, she can just turn on the switch and all 4 lights come on full and she can adjust from there. I would really like to see this functionality in a smart bulb that is to be used for primary lighting. I think this would be a good bulb to use as an “accent” light somewhere, or in a kid’s room, or as a novelty but I really don’t have any practical use for it as a primary light source.

PROS:
Easy setup (unless you have a Google mesh router)
Infinite color options
Inexpensive
Apple Homekit compatible
Meross app easy to use

CONS:
Wakes up in last known state if power switch is turned off
Bulb could be brighter
Wish the “color” and “temperature” tabs were combined into one in the apps
Apple Home app is a bit sluggish when controlling the bulb (may be Homekit issue, not necessarily a Meross issue)

Meross smart bulbs have been my go-to for about six years, now. The pairing process is very straightforward, they work seamlessly with Google Home and you can’t beat the price.

My home continues to get smarter all the time, thanks to the one-two-dozen bulbs I have installed in lamps and ceiling fixtures from basement to attic. I have recommended these bulbs to family and friends to their satisfaction, too.

I hope Meross continues to produce these bulbs at this price point, because I will always buy them, if given the chance!

These lights are buggy and often have problems responding to various app.

Se conectan facil al iphone. Funcionan muy bien