We review the Meross Smoke Sensor, compatible with HomeKit, to improve the security of your home in a very simple way and for little money.
A smoke detector can be the difference between a scare and a disaster, and for little money and with a very simple installation you can have it at home completely compatible with your HomeKit network, which means you will receive alerts on your mobile wherever you are. In this Meross kit that we are analyzing today, everything necessary to install it from scratch is included, including the small bridge or “hub” necessary for its configuration.
Characteristic
- Photoelectric sensor
- Operation with 2 replaceable AA batteries (1 year autonomy)
- 85dB alarm
- Sensitivity to temperature 54ºC – 70ºC
- 2.4GHz Wi-Fi Hub Connectivity
- Hub to connect up to 16 devices
- Compatible with HomeKit and SmartThings
- Box contents: alarm, hub, 2xAA batteries, plugs and screws to fix, USB-A to microUSB cable, USB-A charger
Installation and configuration
For smoke detector installation it is necessary to have the Meross hub. You can buy the complete kit, like the one we review here, or just the smoke detector if you already have a hub (supports up to 16 devices). While the hub does need a nearby outlet to connect it to the mains (the charger and cable are included in the box), the smoke detector works on batteries, which are replaceable (2xAA) and have a range of up to one year with normal use.
The configuration is done from the Meross application, first adding the hub and then adding the smoke sensor. The hub is the one that includes the HomeKit code, while accessories that connect to it automatically are added to HomeKit automatically as long as they are compatible. The configuration process is very simple, and the application gives you very clear instructions in Spanish.
Functioning
There is not much to do with a smoke detector, just put it in the right place and let it do its thing. It is important to place it in a suitable place: close enough to any possible risk element so that it detects any accident as soon as possible. but close enough to cause false alarms. For example, if we place it just above where we cook, it will continuously detect smoke, which is not desirable. In my case I have placed it just above the kitchen door, about 4 meters from where I cook.
This smoke detector doesn’t just do that, it also detects temperature rises, sometimes precursors to smoke. If the room temperature is too high (54ºC to 70ºC) the alarm will go off, as if there were smoke. And if we add several smoke detectors, when the alarm goes off in one of them, it will go off in all of them, to make sure that the whole house knows about the danger.
In case of detecting smoke or increases in temperature not only will the alarm sound, we will also receive notification on our devices in which we have the Casa app (also in the Meross app). It will not be a normal notification, it will be one of the important ones that skip Do Not Disturb mode to make sure we receive it. There is not much more to do in HomeKit with this accessory, although we can create some automation to improve the alarm system, such as turning on a red light, for example.
Editor’s opinion
Meross offers us a smoke (and heat) detector that, like conventional ones, has an integrated alarm to warn us of danger, but also has integration with HomEKit, which means that it will warn us wherever we are, directly in our iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad or any other connected device with the home app. Easy to set up, easy to install and with conventional replaceable batteries, you couldn’t ask for anything more. You can buy it at amazon (link) by €49.99 (with Hub) or €45.99 (without Hub)
- Publisher Rating
- Rating 4.5 stars
- Exceptional
€45.99 a €49.99
- Smoke detector
- Review of: louis padilla
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pros
- discreet design
- 2 replaceable AA batteries
- HomeKit-compatible
- smoke and heat detection
Cons
- Requires a bridge to work