Meross MSL450 Ambient Light Review: Affordable Smart Light
As you might be aware from our reviews, Meross is a brand that specializes in crafting intelligent gadgets, focusing on lighting solutions. Over these six years in operation, the company, as indicated by its motto centered around creating uncomplicated devices to enhance consumers’ lives, has presented us with a diverse array of products, ranging from LED strips to intelligent lightbulbs and even encompassing thermostats and assorted doorbells.
Today, as we delve into this assessment, we’ll introduce the Meross MSL450 Ambient Light. This moniker conceals an intelligent ambient light ideally suited for augmenting the ambiance of our bedrooms or study spaces. This, as per the norm, embodies a device that is both user-friendly and effortlessly intuitive in its operation.
Table of Contents
Unboxing
Meross MSL450 Ambient Light comes in elegant white packaging, showcasing the product and its standout features. Upon opening, the lamp is securely nestled between two shockproof foam blocks. The package contains the light, the USB Type C cable, the power supply, a warranty, and a concise manual.
The lamp itself has a tube-like design with softly curved edges. Its compact dimensions (18x10cm) and satin white hue exude elegance, even when unused. This thoughtfully chosen design ensures the lamp seamlessly blends into any setting, making it a triumph.
Design
The Meross MSL450 Ambient Light stands at a height of around four inches and weighs approximately 1.23 pounds. This compact lamp design works perfectly whether you place it on hanging shelves, a desk, or a nightstand, ensuring it doesn’t occupy excessive space.
To power the lamp, you can use a detachable cord that connects to the light using a USB-C port and then plugs into a charging brick via USB-A. This clever USB-C connection feature also allows you to acquire and attach a longer cord, which is helpful if the provided one falls short of reaching a power outlet.
Crafted primarily from plastic, the Meross MSL450 Ambient Light has LED lighting technology. Offering an impressive spectrum of 16 million RGBCW colors, this lamp connects to Homekit using a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi link.
Convenient touch controls grace the top of the lamp, providing an alternative means of managing the lamp’s settings when you prefer not to use the app. Additionally, a front-facing LED indicator light denotes its power status and whether it’s currently switched on or off.
Controls
The models also showcase variations in their functioning. For instance, in the MSL 420 version, you’ll find a pair of front-facing buttons, whereas the Meross MSL450 Ambient Light iteration employs a duo of touch-sensitive buttons positioned on the upper surface.
Meross took a consolidated approach with the MSL 450 model, both control mechanisms. This entails the presence of buttons on the front and touch-sensitive controls on the top, providing you with comprehensive command over the LED light settings.
Functions
The Meross MSL450 Ambient Light offers a versatile dimming feature, allowing you to choose and set it to any color that suits your mood. You can simply instruct Siri to adjust the brightness to your desired percentage, and it will smoothly adapt to that level of intelligence.
When interacting with the lamp’s touch controls located on its upper surface, the duration of your touch determines the action it takes. A quick touch will power the lamp on or off and cycle through its main color options. On the other hand, prolonged contact will finely adjust the brightness from its lowest to its highest setting.
While these touch-based functions provide convenience, you’ll discover that managing the lamp through Siri’s voice commands or the Home app is even more effortless. This method grants you the ability to attain your preferred lighting settings effortlessly.
On the lamp’s front, you’ll notice two buttons. By tapping the “M” button, you can toggle between different working modes, while the Timer button enables you to set a timer or reset the lamp entirely. Depending on the intended use, the lamp’s brightness might only illuminate part of the room. While it can provide ample illumination, acquiring a second lamp could be necessary if you seek a brighter lighting solution.
APP Control
As mentioned earlier, and you might have noticed from other reviews, the core of the Meross devices’ functionality lies within their companion app. Getting the app and the device to work together is a breeze, just as expected. All you need to do is link your smartphone or tablet to your home Wi-Fi, then pick the product you want to connect. The app takes care of everything automatically, and in just a few simple steps, the pairing process is good to go.
Now, talking about the app itself – as we’ve discussed, it might not be top-tier, somewhat causing a bit of confusion with sections that don’t seem active (like the one that’s supposed to showcase the store’s best sellers) or ones that appear to have been left behind, such as the forum.
Nevertheless, the part that should catch your interest is the hub for controlling these devices, which you can access right from home. By choosing the device you want to manage, you can power it on and delve into its various functions.
For instance, let’s consider our Meross MSL450 Ambient Light. With this, you can directly adjust the White light or opt for your preferred color from a nifty color wheel, all while deciding how bright you want it to shine.
Read Also: Yeelight Cube Smart ARGB Table Lamp Review
Meross MSL450 Ambient Light Verdict
The Meross MSL450 Ambient Light is an excellent addition to your desk or nightstand, though it might need more illumination for an entire room. Nevertheless, it remains an impressive bright lamp with a wealth of customization options.
Setting up the integration with HomeKit is a breeze, and the performance is nearly flawless when instructing Siri to carry out commands. These commands synergize seamlessly with Scenes configured alongside other intelligent accessories, creating a cohesive experience.
While the price point might be steep for some individuals, typically between $30 to $40 depending on the specific model, it still stands as one of the more affordable options among HomeKit-compatible devices.
If your quest is for an intelligent lamp with abundant customization features, all wrapped up in a compact and lightweight design. The Meross Smart WiFi Lamp presents itself as one of the prime choices.
