Matter makes Meross' latest smart plug better than ever
The Matter promise finally delivers - the Meross Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini is the first Matter device I've used that is made simpler by having Matter on board. To call it 'no-frills' takes away from the smart energy consumption features but the real USP is the ease of use, no matter what smart home ecosystem you use. Great value, great performance, great way of making your dumb tech smart.
Pros
- Low cost
- Matter works well
- Small form factor
- Energy monitoring
Cons
- Energy monitoring needs native app
- No Thread option
Key features
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi
- Ecosystems: Matter, Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home, SmartThings
Smart plugs are one of the most prolific devices in the smart home world. Type ‘smart plug’ into the search bar on Amazon and you’ll see hundreds of pages of results.
Many of those plugs will be from Chinese brands you’ve probably never heard of that make use of the likes of Smart Life and Tuya‘s excellent, brand-agnostic, platforms.
Read next: Meross Smart Garage Door Opener review
But there are some of those companies that are breaking out from the crowd and making a name for themselves. Companies like Meross.
I’ve written in the past about my addiction to cheap Chinese smart plugs and I’ve also delivered my verdict on Meross before; it’s one of my go-to brands when I need to make something dumb smart with a connected plug.
(Image credit: The Ambient)
Over the years, I’ve had multiple Meross plugs setup in my house, powering my Alexa Routines. But until now, that was all done via the Meross app and an Alexa skill.
That’s all changed with the new, Matter-enabled Meross Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini.
The addition of Matter to the Meross mix means that you can pair the Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini with whatever Matter controller you want, allowing you to access it via your choice of smart home platforms (or even multiple platforms).
I’ve had the Meross Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini Matter plugged in for a couple of weeks now, read on for my full review.
Design and build
- UK version (MSS315) on test
- EU and US Matter versions available too
The first thing to clarify here is that I’ve got the UK version of the Meross Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini Matter on test here, more specifically model number MSS315.
There are Matter versions of the Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini on sale in both the EU and the US too. The EU one goes by the same model number, the US variant – the MSS115 US – is actually slightly different as it doesn’t have the energy monitoring that the MSS315 does.
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For the UK version, it’s a pretty compact, no-frills smart plug, measuring in at just 2.4 x 1.9 x 1.3 inches (without the pins).
This is good, obviously, as you don’t want a big bulky smart plug that blocks other sockets or requires you to move furniture away from the wall more than you have to.
On the plug itself there’s a manual on/off button, which also features an LED light to tell you its status: green for on and red for off.
(Image credit: The Ambient)
In terms of safety, which is obviously a key concern for plugs, Meross tells it “uses flame-retardant materials and quality chips for safety, with overload protection.”
The Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini is certified BS1363 in the UK.
Setup
- 2.4GHz Wi-Fi
- Matter over Wi-Fi
Setup is where the new Matter version of the Meross Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini differs from the classic and HomeKit versions of the plug.
You’ve now got the flexibility, thanks to the Matter smart home initiative, to add the plug to whatever system you want, whether that be Alexa, Google Home, Apple Home, SmartThings, Homey or more.
You will, of course, need a Matter controller but I’ll take that as a given that you have if you’re reading The Ambient.
You can still add it through the Meross app initially, in fact the manual in the box tells you to do that, but I’d recommended adding it directly to your chosen smart home ecosystem using Matter… that’s kind of the point of it.
For me, that meant adding it as a Matter device to Alexa as that’s the system I use for most of my routines and automations.
And it was a doddle, I plugged it in and turned it on and the Alexa app recognized it immediately and asked me if I wanted to pair it.
I tapped to say yes and went through the simple step-by-step instructions on the app, which involved scanning the Matter QR code.
(Image credit: The Ambient)
It gave it the name ‘Third plug’ and I think that’s just Alexa keeping count of devices I’ve added through Matter. As with all Alexa-synced devices though, I was able to rename it.
Tapping into the device through Alexa I could see I had basic on/off controls and the ability to add the plug to Routines.
All of that worked as it should, absolutely no issues.
And there was also no issues when I used Matter’s Multi-Admin feature to add the Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini as a Matter device to my Apple Home through HomeKit.
Because you can only use the QR code for the first Matter pairing, this required grabbing a pairing code from the Alexa app first and then manually adding that in during the HomeKit pairing process.
(Image credit: The Ambient)
The Meross Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini is the best behaving device I’ve come across while testing Matter so far.
Unlike the Govee LED Strip Light M1 Matter, which is a great device but was buggy as heck for everything Matter related, the Meross Plug is a great example of how Matter should work.
Performance
- Energy data in Meross app
Like that Govee lightstrip though, you are limited to what you can do with Matter as not all features are supported when operating a device outside of its native app.
With a smart plug, there’s an argument that you’re not really missing much though – unlike a smart light where there’s a ton of scenes and effects you’d be missing out on if you go Matter only.
For the Meross Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini Matter, the main thing you won’t have access to if you don’t touch the Meross app is the energy consumption data, which is baked right into the device and displayed in the app.
You’re able to see kWh counters for the plug, grouped by week, month and year and you can even see bill details if you add in the kWh unit cost for your region.
(Image credit: The Ambient)
The Meross app also lets you set schedules and create routines but I let Alexa take care of all that.
If you do decide to use the Meross app and you’ve already added the Plug Mini as a Matter device in SmartThings, Google Home, Alexa, HomeKit or anywhere else, that’s not a problem as the Meross app will list it as an ‘unbound device’ and you can just tap a few steps to add it.
Using the native app also allows you to keep up to date with the latest firmware.
Final thoughts
One of the key concerns when adding more Wi-Fi devices, especially those from devices you’re not familiar with, is security.
The beauty of a Matter smart plug, like the Meross Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini Matter is that those worries are no longer needed as everything can be handled locally, with no need to rely on third-party vendor clouds.
This Meross device is the perfect example, in quite murky waters so far it has to be said, of a Matter device making the smart home simpler.
No frills, no fuss, just easy automations for your smart home.
How we test
When we publish our reviews, you can rest assured that they are the result of “living with” long term tests.
Smart plugs usually live within an ecosystem, or a range of products that – supposedly – all work in harmony. Therefore, it’s impossible to use a connected plug for a week and deliver a verdict.
Because we’re testing smart home kit all day, everyday, we know what matters and how a particular light compares to alternatives that you might also be considering.
Our reviews are comprehensive, objective and fair and, of course, we are never paid directly to review a device.
Read our full guide on How We Test to find out more.
FAQS
Is the Meross Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini Matter compatible?
There are a few versions of the Meross Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini. The one reviewed here, the MSS315 works via Matter over Wi-Fi.
Is the MSS315 on sale in the US?
No, the Meross Matter smart plug Stateside is the MSS115 US (no energy monitoring features)
Does the Meross Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini Matter use Thread?
No, it’s Matter over Wi-Fi.
Meross Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini (Matter MSS315): Specs
Input
- 100-240V~, 50/60Hz
Output
- 100-240V~, 50/60Hz, 13A Max.
Energy Monitor
- Yes
Button
- 1 x On/Off Button
- Press and hold for 5 seconds to initiate the factory reset process
LED
- 1 x Status LED
Dimensions (W x D x H)
- 2.4 x 1.9 x 1.3 inches (excluding plug pins)
Wireless Standards
- 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, Support 64/128 bit WEP, WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK/WPA3-PSK
Certifications
- CE, WEEE, UKCA
System Requirements
- Smartphone running iOS 16.1 or later, Android 8.1 or later
- Existing Wi-Fi network
Environment
- Operating Temperature: 0°C~40°C (32°F~104°F)
- Storage Temperature: -40°C~70°C (-40°F~158°F)
- Operating Humidity: 10%~90% non-condensing
- Storage Humidity: 5%~90% non-condensing
