To continue our tests on accessible connected products but with characteristics that set them apart from the competition, the Alexians continue with a Meross MSS425 connected power strip (No, no! We have no action with them!). We chose this power strip because it has 3 individually controllable female plugs, a block of 4 USB plugs also controllable alone and it is also allows you to protect against surges! And all this for around 35 €! So, true to our research, it offers fairly rare options on the mid-range!
MEROSS MSS425: a multi-brand power strip!
If you are looking for this plug on sales sites, you might as well look for it via its reference because it is not available everywhere under the Meross brand, see nowhere. However, it does not change the characteristics which are the same in all cases. The Sino-American brand does not hide it. In our case, this is the GBLife multiple sockets that we tested, but no difference between the two models.
When you receive it, the plug will be delivered in a very basic white label box, with the visual of the plug, specific to mid-range or entry-level products… But we have learned that meross does not rely on the packaging, so let's open up! We find there a catch of very good quality, solid, quite nice with its island of 4 USB ports and its 3 European plugs. It also has a physical button on the top enclosing a small LED. It is of course used to give the status of the socket (on and off) depending on whether the logo is on in green or off. You will also have a quick start guide in English, quite succinct, inviting you to download the Meross app.
We cannot speak of a unusual design nor off-putting if not particularly attractive. The power strip Meross MSS425 will rather stand out for the quality of the finishes and its materials. The plastic used is quite thick and of a fairly satisfactory quality. She weighs almost 600 grams, which can give you an idea of the beast! I mentioned the LED in the physical button but there is also one LED per plug and another for the USB island. They are only visible when these parts are activated.
Its size is quite honorable: 26,5 cm long, 6,5 cm wide et 4 cm thick with a sacred clothe 1,8 m cable (or 2 good meters in all). As with the other products of the brand, the finishes are very good and I did not see any flaws (even with my lenses).
Regarding its technical characteristics, we are on the standard: 100-250V, 50/60 Hz and an intensity of 10A max at input and for output, 10A load max. The USB ports are 5V at 2,4 or 4A, so very good for fast charging. The male plug has 2 poles and the earth, so perfectly suited to our French wall sockets. The female plugs are themselves also in accordance with our standards and therefore with most of the male plugs of household appliances, computers… Above all, it is also designed to protect you against overloads. For Wi-Fi, no surprise, 2.4 GHz network only, IEEE802.11b / g / n.
A power strip that demonstrates independence
As with all Meross products, it is necessary touse the home app which is pretty well done. It is also very educational for the installation of devices. A real plus. And then we like it ...
We are not going to show you the application in detail because it was done in a previous test but it will allow you to configure routines very easily allowing you to turn on / off the outlet at such time (day, week ... repeatable ) or at a very specific time (sunrise, sunset, etc.) and / or switch it off after a certain period of use. You can also make scenes (with the catch eh…). What is remarkable is the fact that this will be possible for each socket independently and even for the USB block. So why not put a laptop on charge at night and turn off the unit after a while so as not to tire the battery? Note that you also have the possibility of switching off the LED so as not to be disturbed by its light at night!
Indeed, the big highlight of this multi-take is the fact that each female socket as well as the USB unit can be controlled independently. If you want to do it by the application, it is very simple because via a diagram. You click on the outlet to turn on or off.
On the other hand, in the app, apart from naming the outlet as a whole, you cannot give a name to each file. To do this, you have to go to the app Alexa (once you've activated the Meross skill and searched for devices). You will see 5 new sockets: the socket in its entirety, the 3 female sockets and the USB island. From there, you can rename them and thus control them as you see fit, by voice but also in routines.
MSS425E "MEROSS" connected power strip
€35.99
Most
- High performance application
- Independent control of outlets and islands
- Surge protection
The lessers
- The installation is quite simple but a bit long in terms of waiting time
- Monitoring of electricity consumption (at least overall) would have been welcome