meross Outdoor Smart Plug Work with HomeKit, Alexa, Google and SmartThings

Why it's worth it

The Meross MSS620HK has two independently controlled outlets and native support for Apple HomeKit, Alexa, Google Assistant, and SmartThings — no hub or bridge needed. Its sunrise and sunset scheduling handles shrinking December daylight for you.

Almost no outdoor plug speaks to as many ecosystems as this one does out of the box. HomeKit, Alexa, Google Assistant, and SmartThings, all native, all without a bridge. That matters in a mixed household — an iPhone user and an Echo user can both control the same lights from the interface they already use. Owners who deliberately avoid cloud accounts like that they can set it up and run it entirely inside Apple Home.

It supports sunrise and sunset scheduling, which is more useful in December than it sounds. Between the first of the month and the solstice, sunset in U.S. latitudes drifts by as much as half an hour. A fixed timer means you're either lighting up in daylight or leaving the house dark for twenty minutes each evening, and nudging the time every week. Geolocation scheduling just recalculates each day.

From our review of 8 outdoor smart plugs for christmas lights

What we like

• +Almost no outdoor plug speaks to as many ecosystems as this one does out of the box
• +It supports sunrise and sunset scheduling, which is more useful in December than it sounds
• +Like our top pick, the two sockets run independently, so a fountain and a light string, or a wreath and a walkway, can keep…

What to know

• –The weather sealing is IP44, not IP64
• –Longevity is the other worry