Update 6/24
[ Intro: Would give -1* if I could! Hands down the worst product I've ever bought on Amazon (and that's a LOT). Sad to say since I had relatively positive experience with their smart plugs. Are all those 5* reviews fake or total smart home newbies?? I don't understand how they can give this 4 or 5*, unless they've never seen any brand of smart color bulb before, the top reviews certainly read that way to me. FWIW, have double digits of smart speakers (both Googles and alexas) and over 50 smart devices in my home, last I counted, ranging from simple things like bulbs, plugs, and tv's to security cameras, ac's, major kitchen appliances, etc., and I have tried 4 different brands of smart bulbs so far, of which this was by far the worst. I've been a big dreamer/proponent/tester of cheap color smart bulbs, but after so long testing and reading about different bulbs, this is my last experiment with the cheap bulbs (see conclusion below for a summary).]
The difficult setup was the first problem (see original review). Next it was relatively dim. Third was the occasional (around once per hour) random flicker off and on. I could live with those, maaaybe.
Then it took down the 2.4GHz band on my $200 TPLink router! You don't believe me? I didn't either, for the first couple months. All I observed was that I installed these on Wednesday, and Friday morning, I couldn't access most of the devices on my network (all the light bulbs and plugs). After carefully assessing each device, I realized it was the 2.4GHz band that had died (or otherwise become dysfunctional). The first time in almost 2 years with this otherwise perfect combination of router and smart home devices. I didn't think at the time it had to do with these bulbs -- it was a day apart, and how bad can a bulb be to take down a router? Surly a coincidence. It must be the 2.4GHz antenna of my router dying, or something like that.
Fast forward two weeks. Did a LOT of debugging on the router (rebooting, moving the router, changing antenna positioning, turning features like smart connect or airtime fairness on and off, using different combinations of the three bands, checking for firmware updates, changing frequency channels, changing channel widths, changing encryption standards, changing passwords, reconnecting devices, factory resetting, trying my old router as access point, trying my old router as main and newer router as AP, buying a backup router albeit cheaper and trying both combinations, all combinations of the above changes, etc etc.). Nothing worked. So I called TPLink, they had me do more tests, and ultimately they, too, were convinced their router was broken. So they sent me a new router, since mine was still under warranty.
Fast forward two more weeks (bc TPLink service is extremely slow). Received and installed the new router Saturday, everything's working, yay! Monday morning, the 2.4GHz band dies again. What?? What a coincidence it died just over 24 hours later just like the first time I installed Meross bulbs. What are the chances two TPLink routers die in exactly the same way, in exactly the same timeframe? So this time I got suspicious. Removed the bulbs. And guess what? Everything works again. Two days and I am still good, for once.
It's clear now the Meross bulbs were the problem, and I've returned them. (BTW, I also got no response from their customer service when I complained.) Despite my MS in computer science, I'm not entirely sure of the exact scientific cause (networking is notoriously hard to debug, and I wasn't going to waste further time trying). My best guess, assuming many others don't have this problem, is that there is an old wifi chip used, which is not compatible with some of the newer technologies on my fancier router. Some combination of the smart connect and airtime fairness, or perhaps the beam forming, probably made my router communicate exclusively with these bulbs (a danger with airtime fairness), so that my other 2.4 devices never got a chance to communicate with the router. That said, I wasn't able to make this work consistently even turning airtime fairness off, so I think the problem is bigger than this explanation; as I said, I don't know the full real answer.
(Yes TPLink is likely partially to blame for it, but well over 50 other wireless devices from quite a variety of manufacturers had no problems with it for almost 2 years.)
My recommendation? I've tried one more expensive brand, which is fine but more expensive to the point I don't think it's worth it, especially as their variety is too restricted. I've tried two comparably priced brands. While much better in the sense that they didn't bring down my entire network (!), they have their own problems. One is way too dim, and the other (my "main" brand so far) works well at first, but after a couple years I've discovered that they die at the rate of approximately 20%/year. At that rate, you may as well buy a more expensive brand and have it last 10 years. I did extensive AMZN research for other well-rated cheap bulbs, but if you do careful research you'll see the other leaders (Teckin, AL Above) are also packed with fake reviews (offering free bulb for 5* etc.), and that they also die at a fast rate. This is why I've given up on my dream of discount color smart bulbs, and although my home is currently completely outfit with them, I know they will die one by one over the coming couple of years. And money aside, they are a pain to replace since you have to reset it up with the right name, and across your smart speakers, etc. So our only choice is to go up the price chain.
For me, I've bought some WiZ bulbs to replace these, they arrive today and I'm excited to test them out! Should be much better. If these still fail, the next choices are then Sengled (~$21), then Kasa (~$25), and then we are in big trouble if we have to move to LIFX ($35) or Hue ($45). Replacing the ~40 bulbs at that price will not be worth it, at that point!!
Onward.
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Original review:
Inconsistent setup
So far I'm slightly disappointed. Installed two bulbs, but one cannot be seen by my Google homes. This is despite having other Meross products already, and many many bulbs. I've tried many things, and can't find a way to let Google see it, although the Meross app does see it. The bulbs are also not quite as bright as the old ones I was replacing.
| Brand | meross |
|---|---|
| Light Type | LED |
| Special Feature | Works with Apple HomeKit,Siri, Alexa, Echo, Google Home/ Mini,Nest Hub and SmartThings, WiFi Smart Bulb, Dimmable, RGBCW, 2700K-6500K, Party Color Change Bulb, App Remote Control,Timer Schedule, Sunlight, Sunrise, Sunset, DIY mode, Scene mode, Energy Saving, No Hub Required |
| Wattage | 9 watts |
| Bulb Shape Size | A19 |
| Bulb Base | E26 |
| Incandescent Equivalent Wattage | 60 Watts |
| Usage | Decorative lighting |
| Light Color | Multicolor, Cool White |
| Unit Count | 4 Count |
| Color Temperature | 6500 Kelvin |
| Number of Items | 4 |
| Shape | Bulb |
| Size | 4 Count (Pack of 1) |
| Connectivity Technology | Wi-Fi |
| Controller Type | Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa |
| Style | 4 Pack |
| Connectivity Protocol | Wi-Fi |
| Manufacturer | meross |
| Part Number | st-ting-l470 |
| Item Weight | 8.8 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 5.71 x 3.35 x 6.12 inches |
| Color | Multicolor |
| Item Package Quantity | 4 |
| Type of Bulb | LED |
| Certification | ce, fcc, etl, rohs |
| Special Features | Works with Apple HomeKit,Siri, Alexa, Echo, Google Home/ Mini,Nest Hub and SmartThings, WiFi Smart Bulb, Dimmable, RGBCW, 2700K-6500K, Party Color Change Bulb, App Remote Control,Timer Schedule, Sunlight, Sunrise, Sunset, DIY mode, Scene mode, Energy Saving, No Hub Required |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
