meross3-Way Smart Switch 1 Pack, Neutral Wire Required, Compatible with Apple HomeKit, Alexa, Hey Google and SmartThings, Single Pole & 3 Way, 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, Remote and Voice Control, No Hub Required

To start with, I am very happy with my purchase thus far. It was priced right, easy to install (took about 5-10 min), and works very consistently.I have started to get more into smart devices recently, and had a problem I needed to solve. I own a 3-story townhome, with a deck on the 2nd/living room floor. There is a bright light over the deck, but there is no light switch near it or on the same floor. For whatever reason, it is controlled by (2) 3-way light switches: one on the top floor in the bedroom, and one on the bottom floor in the utility room. Why would the light be configured that way? I have no clue. To turn it on or off, I have to go either upstairs or downstairs. So here is where the idea of a smart 3-way light switch came up.The idea was to have it controllable while out on the deck, but still controllable from the light switches. Also, as I get more into the smart devices, I was wanting Apple HomeKit support as I am being heavily persuaded by loved ones to jump over to the Apple side of things and away from Android. Although I'm not fully convinced to make the jump, I wanted support for both options just in case.I purchased this 3-way switch from Meross for about $28, which was great compared to others I had seen that supported both Android/Alexa and Apple Homekit. You only need to replace one 3-way switch to make it smart, so I chose the one in the utility area on the bottom floor.At first I was a bit apprehensive due to not having messed with 3-way light switches before, and rarely have had to change a light switch (primarily rent). So a 3-way was a bit confusing to me. However, Meross made it quite simple with their instructions and wiring diagram. I have attached some photos, 2 of which I've added some notations for some guidance that I learned along the way. Also, your first step should be to shutoff the breaker in order to kill power to the light switch. Safety first.I was not familiar with "Traveler" wires that are used with 3-way switches. I found that these red and black "Traveler" wires connected to the original standard 3-way switch using brass-colored screws. This made them easy to identify. You just disconnect the wires from the original light switch and use the provided wire-nuts to connect them to the wires coming out of the new switch. So here is how it goes, referencing the marked-up wiring diagram and light switch photos I've attached:L = Live = Black wire connected to original light switchT1 & T2 = Traveler 1 & 2 = Red and Black wires connected to brass screws on original light switchN = Neutral = White wire. The neutral wires should be bundled/connected with a wire nut and stashed behind your original light switch, but not connected (mine wasn't). Just undo that wire-nut and add the white Neutral wire from the new switch, then screw on the wire nut again to bundle⏚ = Ground = Green wire connected to original light switch (If you have one. My original light switch didn't have one)Hopefully that gives enough detail for others (like myself) who have never done this before. Simple enough.So, a few notes: the plate that comes with this switch is slightly skinnier than your standard light switch wall plate. It didn't seem to be a big deal for me, but just something to keep in mind. Also, you have to use the cover plate that comes with the new switch. It is designed to snap onto the switch and doesn't screw on (likely because there are more to the internals of a smart switch to house the additional electronics you don't have with a standard switch). Just something else to be aware of.This was fun to do and really helped solve my problem. I brought it into my Alexa app and I can control the light from my phone or Echo now and don't have to stop drinking on the deck!ADDED BONUS: If you use Alexa and configure this as a "light", you can use it with Alexa Guard, which allows an "Away Mode" with automated lighting. The Alexa Guard will use sunrise and sunset times (based on your location) to know when it starts getting nighttime, and will use some logic to turn your lights on and off automatically to make it seem like someone is home. With my outdoor deck light, this is easy for anyone outside to see and will be a great deterrent and protection. I already have my neighbors confused on if I'm home or not. Working as intended!

Works very well. Using in HomeKit. Connected quickly and responds quickly. Only on/off no dimming. Only complaint is the size. A little big if you have a crowded box.

I had a heck of a time adding this switch using Homekit. It would connect to my WiFi no issue but would not connect to Homekit. I have an older WiFi access point (Ubiquiti AP-AC-LR) and found someone on the UniFi form that said these switches would not connect well to 2.4GHz channel 1 for some reason. I was in fact using channel 1 and I found that when pinging the switch, I would get significant packet loss. I changed the WiFi access point to Channel 3 (yes I know you should use channel 1,6 or 11 to minimize overlap) and it connected immediately to Homekit and I had zero packet loss when pinging. I had no issues with other smart switches with Channel 1. Not sure if it is an Access Point Issue or the Meross Switch issue. So if anybody else is having issues, make sure not to use Channel 1 for your 2.4GHz WiFi. After the change it has been working great.

I have slowly been converting all my sockets, bulbs, and switches in the house over to smart devices as these things aren’t cheap.I have tried two other brands besides this Meross brand and this brand’s devices are far and away the best of the bunch. I don’t use Alexa or Google devices so it’s only an Apple HomeKit home for me (much more secure) but that very much limits the choices of smart devices you have available to you. I cannot remember the name of the first brand I tried but it was awful. They were such a pain to pair and connect and were not wifi but bluetooth. The bluetooth technology doesn’t react as quickly as the wifi so when you push your button or flip your switch, you have a painfully long second or so before the light comes one and that’s just silly. The second brand I have is by a company called WeMo and their technology is WiFi enabled so that is good. What I can’t stand about their products is their tendency to simply randomly drop connection with the Smart Home interface and take a long time to recover or reconnect. Most often than not they just drop off the grid for no reason and I have to go about the long process of removing the device from the Home interface, factory resetting the device, and then reconnecting the device to the Home interface. This is such a pain!!!!I have had zero issues with products from this Meross brand and have been loving everything that I’ve bought by them thus far. These three-way switches are no exception. I actually pulled out a three-way WeMo switch from the wall because the physical button just gave out one day and to actuate the switch you had to use your whole thumb or palm and about 5lbs of pressure; it was time to go! This switch was easy enough to install if you have a basic understanding and confidence of working with electricity (be careful to shut the power off at the panel box and have the right tools!) Once installed these switches worked perfectly. They are a joy to press and have a very tactile feel to them. They paired with my Apple Home in minutes and I haven’t had a drop in connection since installing them.I now own multiple switches and multiple light bulbs by this company and will continue to shop their line of smart devices. I’ve had good luck with the Meross and I hope you do too!