HomeKit Smart plugs are one of the easiest ways to get started with smart home technology as they are usually low cost, easy to install, and work great with the lamps you already have in your home. A recent addition to my smart home environment is the Meross dual smart plug with HomeKit compatibility.
HomeKit Weekly is a series focused on smart home accessories, automation tips and tricks, and everything to do with Apple’s smart home framework.
The Meross dual smart plug is similar to their other smart plug, with the main difference being that it included two outlets in the product instead of one. This product is convenient if you have an outlet behind your bed but have lamps on each side of the bed. Using a product like this will keep you from buying two separate products or needing a surge protector for just two items.
Use cases for dual smart plug outlets
Because each outlet is independently controlled in HomeKit, you can set up automations for each of them. I plan to use this Meross plug with my Christmas decorations next year. We put our Christmas tree right next to a place where there is a lamp I have controlled with HomeKit, so next year I’ll be able to plug the tree right into one of these smart plugs with dual outlets and still independently control the lamp and the Christmas tree. I use the lamp with my abode alarm sensor motion detector to turn on when detecting motion in the morning.
Because the Christmas tree will be on a different outlet, the motion sensor won’t turn the tree on. I use a HomeKit automation to turn the tree on at 4 p.m. and automatically turn it off at 11 p.m.
Installation
Like many of Meross’s products, you don’t even have to use their app to set up the device. It has a HomeKit code right on top, which I appreciate so it’s easier to scan while it’s already plugged in.
Once you scan the code, the Home app runs through its process of adding it to your HomeKit environment; you get to pick a room to put it in and then name the product.
Like I mentioned earlier, you’ll gain independent control over each outlet, so you can build entirely different automations and HomeKit scenes using each one depending on what you plug into them.
Wrap up on Meross Dual Smart Plug
The Meross Dual Smart Plug is simple, low cost, and gets the job done. For HomeKit fans, it’s an easy product to add to your library for when you control multiple items that are plugged into the same power outlet.
