Meross Smart Fast Charging Power Strip MSP843P Review
The smart power strip that can charge a laptop
Verdict
The Meross Smart Fast Charging Power Strip MSP843P isn’t just another smart power strip: its 65W USB-C ports can double up as a laptop charger, helping keep desk clutter down. With three standard power sockets, too, it’s flexible for controlling other devices.
Pros
- Powerful USB ports
- Four individual power sockets
- Excellent compatibility
Cons
- App a little limited
- No individual physical controls
Availability
- UKRRP: £69.99
Key Features
- CompatibilityWorks with Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and more
- SocketsFour individually-controllable power sockets plus two USB-C ports (65W) and one USB port
Introduction
Half the battle with any office setup is trying to keep everything neat and avoid a big pile of cables and chargers. The Meross Smart Fast Charging Power Strip MSP843P goes some way to doing this, offering four individually controllable power sockets, plus USB ports that can power a laptop directly.
Compatible with HomeKit, SmartThings, Alexa, Google Home and more, this is a very flexible power strip for those that need the extra power its USB-C ports can deliver.
Design
- Three power sockets
- Two USB-C and one USB
- Wall mountable
Externally, the Meross Smart Fast Charging Power Strip MSP843P looks like any other smart power strip. It has three standard power sockets, neatly spaced so that you can plug in multiple devices without blocking a socket.
There are also three USB ports at the end: two USB-C and one USB Type A for charging peripherals. This model supports power of up to 65W on one of the USB-C ports, so you can charge a compatible laptop without needing to use its regular power adaptor.
This power strip is wall mountable, with mounting points for screws at the back of it. That’s handy, as it is nice to have it out of the way. The rival Hey! Smart Power Bar doesn’t have a wall mounting option, aside from using a double-sided sticky pad.
There’s a single power button on this model, which turns every plug and the USB ports on or off. I would slightly prefer a button for each plug, as I had on the TP-Link Kasa KP303 Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip but that’s a minor complaint in everyday use.
Features and performance
- Connects via Wi-Fi
- HomeKit compatible
- Works with Alexa, Google Home and SmartThings
Using 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, the Meross Smart Fast Charging Power Strip MSP843P connects to your home network without the need for hubs and bridges. Its default control is via the simple Meross app.
At its most basic, the app controls each power socket individually, while the three USB ports can have their power toggled as a group.
Effectively, each plug and the USB ports appear and can be operated as its own individual smart plug, giving the same level of control that I got with the Meross Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini. It’s worth renaming the sockets, so it’s clear what each one controls.
Meross gives two types of automation. First, there are standard schedules, letting me set on and off times. Next, there are ‘Auto off after X min’ automations. Here, a plug can be set to turn off after a set run time in minutes, but this has to be set per day.
For example, on a Wednesday, a plug turns off after 50 minutes once it has been turned on. Setting this feature could be useful for a plug where you have a charger: say, knowing that a battery charger will turn off automatically after four hours when a device is fully charged.
I would like the option to set an ad-hoc timer, not tied to a day. To do this, the Meross Smart Fast Charging Power Strip MSP843P has to be added to a different platform, such as SmartThings.
Connectivity is excellent with this smart strip. As well as SmartThings, the MSP843P is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, giving voice and routine control over each socket and the USB ports.
There’s also a HomeKit code printed on the bottom, so it can be integrated with the Apple Home app. Each plug and the USB ports appear individually in the Home app, and can be controlled in Automations or via voice using your phone or a HomePod or HomePod Mini.
This level of compatibility is excellent to see, as the Meross Smart Fast Charging Power Strip MSP843P can be controlled in the way you want it, using the system you want.
I found the smart sockets to be as responsive as individual smart plugs, only overall, they take up much less room.
Having 65W USB-C ports is also highly convenient. I use a MacBook Air for work, so being able to drop it into a laptop stand and have it charge without having to pull out the regular power adaptor is really useful.
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Should you buy it?
Ease of use: If you need multiple smart plugs and could use the 65W USB-C ports for a laptop, this is a neat all-in-one smart power strip.
You won’t use USB-C: If you don’t need the high-power USB-C output, there are cheaper smart power strips that will suit your needs.
Final Thoughts
Considering the range of systems it works with, the Meross Smart Fast Charging Power Strip MSP843P is the most flexible smart power strip that I have tested. It’s also excellent value, considering it’s a proper laptop/fast phone charger as well.
That said, if you won’t use the 65W power output, then a power strip with regular USB ports could make more sense, such as the Hey! Smart Power Bar. Otherwise, check out my guide to the best smart plugs.
How we test
Unlike other sites, we test every smart light we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
Tested for at least a week
We test compatibility with the main smart systems (HomeKit, Alexa, Google Assistant, SmartThings, IFTTT and more) to see how easy each light is to automate
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FAQs
No, although its wide compatibility means that this isn’t such an issue.
They can deliver 65W, so enough to charge a laptop.
Full specs
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Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
