The Meross MSL120 Smart Bulb is a good RGBW light source with native HomeKit support. Setup is easy, albeit dependent on utilizing the 2.4GHz frequency band. The luminosity is top in the white tones. The color reproduction could be brighter. The processing is appropriate and comparable to the products of other manufacturers. The price of 35 euros for the double pack is particularly attractive.
Unboxing
Of course, a cardboard box with the product image and the HomeKit, Alexa, and Google Assistant sticker. 2 small wash notes embody a quick start guide for HomeKit and a general one for the app.
Design
In terms of materials, we are on top quality: plastic bulb, as always, but polycarbonate body. PC is a flame-retardant plastic polymer material. Very well finished, it is very solid (with its PC body), and quite heavy because it weighs about 155 grams.
The negative aspect of this polycarbonate body is that the bulb heats up when it is in operation. So be careful with your fingers if you want to touch them but above all, choose fearless support.
Build
In terms of characteristics, Meross MSL120 Smart Bulb is 7cm in diameter at the widest and 12cm long once in place. On the other hand, it will be better than some of its competitors on several points and, in particular, its consumption because it is class A++ and not A+ like almost all (about 78% savings announced by the manufacturer).
Meross MSL120 Smart Bulb delivers 810 Lumen brightness. (New version:900 Lumen brightness) and is given for 23 years of operation (3 hours per day), which is in the market average. It works in Wi-Fi at 2.4 GHz, IEEE 802.11 b/g/n. At the electrical level, 100-250 V and 50/60 Hz, again adapted to the CAN and FR market.
Connectivity
Unlike typical bridge bulbs like those from Philips Hue, you can set up HomeKit-native bulbs right in Apple’s Home app. Click on the plus symbol in the app overview and then on “Add device.” Now simply scan the QR code on a sticker on the base housing of the lamp. Alternatively, you can enter the eight-digit code. Then all you have to do is determine in which room the smart bulbs are located and what their device name should be. The Meross MSL120 Smart Bulb can now be used with all functions in Apple Home and all other apps that access the HomeKit interface (e.g., Eve).
Optionally, you can also set up new devices in the Meross app. To do this, you have to click on the plus symbol in the dashboard – similar to the Home app – and then select the respective device type, such as bulbs, air purifiers, or sensors. After a short guide to the different products, the same HomeKit setup dialog appears in the Home app.
The Meross app automatically finds devices that have already been set up via Apple Home if you are on the same network. Also click on the plus symbol in the Meross app and select one of the locally located devices. In my tests, it worked reliably throughout. If there are new firmware updates, this will be displayed to you with a little notice in both the Meross app and the Apple Home app.
The most annoying point when setting up native WiFi devices is to use the right WiFi frequency band. Unless configured differently, modern routers transmit at both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. Corresponding devices such as current notebooks or smartphones switch between the two rounds depending on the situation. Smart home devices now only communicate via 2.4 GHz. Your phone must also be in the 2.4 GHz frequency band when setting it up.
If this is not the case, you have to temporarily switch off your 5 GHz band in your router’s dashboard. Normally, this shouldn’t cause any problems, as most devices work on 2.4 GHz anyway, and devices in the 5 GHz band should switch seamlessly to 2.4 GHz. Alternatively, you can increase the distance between the smartphone and the router, whereby the phone should change to 2.4 GHz. However, the connection between the router and the telephone or lamp should remain stable.
Color Control
With 810 lumens, the Meross lamp can shine very brightly, which is particularly noticeable when more white tones are added to the color representation. The more defined and stronger a color is, the darker it shines. Although this is typical for RGBW lights, it is less noticeable with other brands. The manufacturer specifies the limit of the upper white tones as 6,500 Kelvin, which corresponds to a clear white (see image). The lamp goes down to 2,000 Kelvin, meaning a particularly warm white is missing. I would rather add the most generous level to neutral white.
A while ago, Meross still had problems with a reliable color display when you selected color in Apple Home. However, this has already been fixed with previous firmware updates. Nevertheless, I recommend only using the same lamps from the same manufacturer in a small space and not mixing several manufacturers. Because if you compare the Hue white and color with the Meross lamp, there are slight differences in color and brightness despite the same settings.
In this picture, you can see how differently Philips Hue and Meross define their cold white tone at 6,500 Kelvin and 20 percent brightness. In this picture, you can see how differently Philips Hue and Meross define their hard white style at 6,500 Kelvin and 20 percent brightness.
Heat development at the base housing is also common in the Meross MSL120 category. However, the Meross pear becomes particularly hot after just a few seconds. So let them cool down a bit before twisting them out of the socket. Speaking of which, if you take the bulb out and put it back in, or if it gets juice again after a power outage, it will continue to glow in the last state it was on. The power consumption is 9 watts, a typical value for smart RGBW lamps with 800 lumens.
Read Also: Treatlife Smart Light 9W RGB Bulb Review: Power efficient!
Verdict
In conclusion, the Meross MSL120 conforms to Meross’s quality. It surprises with its sober design, any limit, but its polycarbonate structure makes it a more upscale and resistant product.
Its colors are frank, deep, and with an excellent rendering. Its whites are also quite acceptable. The fact that it tends to heat up can be annoying for some people, but that still needs to change the fact that it’s a very good quality product.