With its torrid pace of product launches in 2020, Meross has become an accessory for unique and affordable HomeKit accessories in the last year. Whether it was lamps, garage door openers, light strips, smart sockets or light switches, meross offered excellent alternatives to ingrained brands, which seemed monthly.

However, unlike last year, 2021 was a bit slower for meross, with only one HomeKit accessory coming on the market so far. Calm in accessory launches is a mistake, because it's always interesting to see what's new. However, it gave me a chance to finally catch the reviews for some of the company's products, such as the LED Smart WiFi light bulb I've had at home for a few months. Does the Meross bulb meet the expectations set by previous product launches? Let's find out.

The Meross Smart WiFi LED Bulb is one of the cheapest color HomeKit compatible bulbs, starting at just $ 18.99 each. If you need more light bulbs for your home, meross offers a two-pack at a discounted price as it sells for $ 28.99.

The LED bulb is available through Amazon in different countries and, with a Prime subscription, can be at your door in just two days. Thanks to year-round promotions, you can usually save a few more dollars on the retail price by cutting coupons available on Amazon. Currently, meross offers a $ 3 discount on a single light bulb and $ 5 off two packages.

Meross Smart LED WiFi Beak: Hub and no frustrations

Although it offers color capabilities and smart connectivity, the meross Smart WiFi LED bulb looks like your average A19 / E26 bulb with a HomeKit pairing code attached. The bulb has a completely white base with a matte speaker and comes in a standard size frame - no extra volume here and no crazy designs for the sake of making it look smart, which I quite like.

Like other meross accessories, I like how fast and easy it is to configure the Smart WiFI LED bulb. For those in the HomeKit world, the light bulb can be paired directly to the iOS Home app without registering for an account or downloading the meross app. HomeKit pairing also lets you bypass the Wi-Fi password, and since it doesn't require a hub, you can be on your way to smart home happiness in seconds.

The Meross smart bulb can display up to 16 million colors and white temperature adjustments, from 2,700K to 6,500K. The color cycle on the bulb is fun, with the bulb producing respectable versions of most colors, and I was impressed with the way it handles subtle color temperature changes. While I will touch on color reproduction a little later, the meross Smart WiFI LED bulb is good enough for most accent lighting needs for the price.

Turning the light on and off, changing colors and adjusting the brightness take effect in a second thanks to its Wi-Fi connection.

I also really like the way the Meross bulb responds quickly to application and voice commands. Turning the light on and off, switching colors and adjusting the brightness take effect in a second thanks to its Wi-Fi connection. I also didn't see any problem with the light bulb not responding or suffering from long delays through both the Meross app and the HomeKit, which is nice.

The Meross app, available on iOS and Android, offers all the commands you would expect with a smart light bulb. I like how you can switch and turn off the light bulb directly from the first screen you see when you launch the app, and how easy it is to adjust colors and brightness levels by swiping a color wheel.

Creating schedules, called routines and scenes, is also easy, with clearly labeled settings and navigation tabs positioned at the bottom of the app. Scenes can set the bulb to specific colors and brightness and can include meross smart accessories, even those that do not support HomeKit.

Speaking of HomeKit, the meross Smart WiFi LED bulb supports the same suite of controls as other HomeKit lighting accessories in the Home application. With the Apple app, you can adjust colors and brightness with touches or slides, and use them in groups, automations, and scenes with other HomeKit accessories.

Siri voice commands are also available for the bulb, so you can say phrases like "Hey Siri, turn on the lights" or "Hey Siri, set the light bulb to blue." If Siri isn't your thing, the meross Smart WiFi LED bulb also supports similar voice controls via Alexa and Google Assistant. However, as a HomeKit-only household, I cannot guarantee its performance through alternative assistants.

Meross Smart LED WiFi Beak: Not the brightest

As previously mentioned, the color reproduction of the Smart WiFi LED LED bulb is good enough for most accent lighting needs. Both light and dark shades of red, pink and blue are all fine, but the bulb falls completely flat when it produces respectable greens, purples, oranges and yellows. For these colors, the bulb is only capable of extremely faint, pastel tones, without finding dark variants, which is disappointing.

Other disadvantages include the lack of weather resistance of the bulb and the fact that its maximum brightness is limited to only 810 lumens. While the 800 lumen mark is suitable for lighting tasks and smaller spaces, it is not bright enough to light a standard size bedroom on its own, so you will need more than one if you plan to use it as only lighting source. The absence of weather resistance in the bulb also limits the potential for placement, as it obviously can not be used safely outdoors - a popular location for smart colored lighting.

My last pain with the light bulb is that it doesn't support Apple's HomeKit adaptive lighting feature. The feature, which debuted with iOS 14, automatically changes color temperature throughout the day to promote focus and rest. Because the meross bulb has adjustable color temperature capabilities, it looks like it would be the perfect fit. Unfortunately, it is currently in action and I have not heard of any plans to support this function.

Meross Smart LED WiFi Beak: Competition

The Meross Smart WiFi LED bulb certainly has a fair share of competitors, with the best HomeKit bulbs that offer dimming and color capabilities in a variety of shapes and sizes. Of course, you can't mention smart lighting without thinking about the Philips Hue line, because its White and Color Ambiance bulbs are almost the gold standard for color reproduction, ease of use and reliability. The latest Hue bulbs are brighter than ever and support other ecosystems without a Bluetooth hub. In addition, Hue bulbs see frequent updates that add features like HomeKit Adaptive Lighting, which does not have the meross bulb.

As great as the Philips Hue line is, the closest competitor in my eyes is the Nanoleaf Essentials A19 Bulb, which impressed me in my recent review. Like the meross offer, the Nanoleaf bulb is incredibly affordable, with a starting price of just under $ 20 and does not require a hub. However, the Nanoleaf Essentials bulb can reach up to 1,100 lumens of brightness - 290 more than the meross bulb, supports HomeKit adaptive lighting and connects to a mini HomePod via the Thread network.

Meross Smart LED WiFi Beak: Should you buy it?

You should buy this if ...

• You want an affordable color smart light bulb
• You don't want to bother setting up a hub
• You want a smart light bulb that works with all voice assistants

You shouldn't buy this if ...

• Look for a smart light bulb that can light an entire room
• You want the best color reproduction
• You want a smart light bulb that you can use outdoors

If you want a smart color HomeKit bulb that is affordable and does not require a full commitment, then meross Smart WiFi LED Bulb is worth considering. The Meross bulb works with all voice assistants and doesn't need a hub, so you always have a way to control it even if you switch to Android or Alexa. However, if you are looking for a light bulb with the absolute best color reproduction, maximum brightness or weather resistance, then you will need to look elsewhere.

3.5
of 5

The Meross Smart WiFi LED bulb offers a solid and intelligent lighting experience, but the limitations and lack of a special feature prevent it from standing out in a crowded market. In the HomeKit world, the meross bulb fades compared to the brightness and advanced features of offerings from companies like Nanoleaf. Of course, you can get similar specifications and features in Alexa and Google Assistant at a lower price.

However, you can undoubtedly get a lot of pleasure from the Meross Smart WiFi LED bulb. With its easy setup, blur, millions of colors, fast response times and excellent reliability, there are many things you will enjoy. Just don't expect it to blow you away.