Like someone who settled down tons Of smart Wi-Fi light switches without a hub over the years, I've had my fair share of frustrations and failures. Whether it's design compromises, poor reliability, unpleasant application experiences or even total loss of physical controls on the device, I've seen just about everything. This eventually led me to look for a hub-based system, Lutron's Wireless Cassette line, which has finally made my home lighting stable again for the past two years.

That being said, when it comes to trying another HomeKit-free option without Wi-Fi, I'm definitely not the most ecstatic person around. So when the Meross smart Wi-Fi wall switch finished testing, I immediately had visions no answer and frequent resets for my future.

Well, I can say that two weeks after installing one in my house, I was definitely worried about nothing. This switch worked above my expectations and is finally a Wi-Fi option that I can easily recommend, especially with its incredibly low price.

He supports them all

Meross Smart Wi-Fi Wall Switch: features

The Meross smart Wi-Fi wall switch has a typical design for the Decora white plastic rocker switch, consisting of only two buttons on its frame. The large rocker switch activates and deactivates a connected light body, although the button is parked at the top, only the bottom actually moves. Located just below the rocker is a reloaded restart button, used to fix annoying connections without resetting the entire operation.

The rocker switch has a single LED indicator that glows green when the switch is turned on and lights up when the switch is in pairing mode. The LED light can also be set to act as a location aid in the dark, with bright light while the lights are off, as well as being turned off completely at any time.

The box includes everything you need for installation, nuts, fixing screws, wire labels and even a screwless wall plate. The switch is provided with the wiring already attached around the back, which includes a ground, line, load and neutral, which is required. The switch is used only with single bodies, it is not compatible with more complicated cable scenarios, such as three- and four-way installations.

As previously mentioned, the switch communicates directly to home networks via 2.4ghz Wi-Fi, without a dedicated Meross hub. The switch can be paired with the Apple HomeKit and the Home app right out of the box and, once connected, is available for use in Siri scenes, automation and voice controls. Even if the switch uses Wi-Fi, home controls via HomeKit require a resident device (hub), such as an Apple TV, HomePod, or iPad connected to the home network.

In addition to HomeKit, the switch is compatible with Alexa Amazon and Google Assistant, as well as the Meross application, available on both iOS and Android. The application can deliver firmware updates to the wireless switch, and for those who do not use HomeKit, the application can be used to configure timers, programs and scenes, which may include other Meross devices.

Easy installation

Meross Smart Wi-Fi Wall Switch: What I like

Since the Meross switch comes with everything you need for installation, including hardware, wire nuts and pre-attached cables, installation was fairly quick and easy. For my particular installation, the whole process took less than ten minutes, thanks to a pretty nice design decision from Meross. Most light switches, both smart and mute, use a series of metal wires at the top and bottom that help align in the wall box, but I found that they cause more harm than good because they flex with pressure.

The Meross smart Wi-Fi wall switch instead uses a solid hard plastic along the tip, which has no data when you tighten the screw that secures it to the electrical box. This little detail was very nice, because my installation was perfectly aligned on the first try, something I have never experienced before. I also like the way the included switch board is a snap-on type, without a screw, which gives the end result a nice, clean look.

This little detail was very nice, because my installation was perfectly aligned on the first try, something I have never experienced before.

When it comes to pairing, as with other Meross HomeKit-enabled accessories, the company's light switch doesn't require a separate app or account. This means you can simply launch the built-in iOS Home app right after installation and scan the association code to get it up and running. No Wi-Fi password to enter or jump back and forth between an internal hotspot and the local network to set it up, it just works.

The performance of the switch is also under the banner "it only works", because I have not seen any problems since I started testing. The switch is incredibly fast to respond to commands sent through Siri or the Home app, running in a second, every time. The switch was also reliable in terms of reliability, with no problems in terms of response in the Home application and no case where the condition required an extended period of time to update.

Click on click

Meross Smart Wi-Fi Wall Switch: What I do not like

Honestly, with the easy installation process and solid reliability, I don't have many clamps with the Meross switch. Of course, the switch, like almost all other smart light switches, requires the presence of both a neutral wire and a ground in the electrical box, which limits it to work with older homes. The switch also does not support three-way installations, which is common again, and not all homes have lights that are controlled by multiple switches.

To switch to this switch, in particular, a minor complaint I have is that, despite the fact that it is a Decora or a rocker style switch, only the bottom portion moves. This means that to turn it on or off, you need to press the bottom half, which may take some time to adjust after installation.

Another minor complaint I have is that the restart button, located just below, has the potential to be hit inadvertently. The same goes for the factory reset process, which is initiated by pressing and holding the main rocker switch for five seconds. This has not happened so far in my house, but in my previous experiences with smart switches using a similar configuration, it will eventually come into play.

My final complaint is that the switch is not silent when operated remotely. Although it is by no means loud or supervised, the switch produces a mechanical clicking noise. The noise is not the same as the button swing action on the device, but is an internal noise that only occurs when using the application or Siri commands.

Answer, reliable and really cheap

Meross Smart Wi-Fi Wall Switch: Bottom line

4.5
of 5

Despite being one of the cheapest options for a HomeKit-enabled light switch, the Meross smart Wi-Fi wall switch excels at all the basics. Fast lightning response time, solid reliability and easy installation are just about anything you could ask for in a smart switch.

Combine all this with the lack of the required app or account and you will get a clear winner. If you have the necessary wiring in the wall boxes, you do not need darkening and you do not need a smart switch for a complicated three-way installation, then this switch from Meross should definitely be on your radar.