Welcome HomeKit fans to HomeKit Versus, the series where we pit popular products from our favorite smart home platform against each other to see who comes out on top.

In our debut bout, we’re heading into the wild for a HomeKit outdoor smart plug rumble in the jungle.  In the red corner, we have the OG go-to for exterior dumb device domination,  the iDevices Outdoor Switch.  And in the blue corner, it’s the new kid on the block Meross with their Outdoor Smart Plug. As always this will be a clean and fair fight and you can find links to both of today’s contenders throughout the article.  So, without further delay, let’s get it on!  Round 1 looks at design.

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Round 1: Design

From the outside, these two weather-resistant smart plugs share a similar connector with a single outlet leading to a boxy body with two outlets, though the iDevices Outdoor Switch is a might larger.  I can say that both accessories have a similar build quality and feel like they can withstand the elements decently.  In the 3 years I’ve been abusing the iDevices model with the oppressively hot weather where I live it has held up just fine and the Meross Outdoor Plug has survived a vicious summer and below-freezing winter temperatures.

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Both controllers have a physical button which controls power to the entire unit.  However, the two outlets of the Meross Outdoor Plug are individually controllable in their app and in HomeKit, whereas the iDevices Outdoor Switch is either all or nothing.

Both units are capable of power throughputs of 10A or 1200W, which seems to be pretty standard.  So, while you won’t likely be using these to control your pool pump, you’ll be able to run most any other device you might think of connecting to them..

Lastly, I wanted to note that the Meross plug includes a rubber gasket that covers either or both of the inputs when not in use.  Considering this is meant for exterior use, this seems like a no-brainer, but the iDevices plug doesn’t have a solution for this.  

So, this safety feature, along with a more compact housing, and the two individually-controllable outlets means this round goes to Meross.  Next up, we go to the apps.

Round 2: App Features

Within HomeKit, a smart plug is by and large just a smart plug, so we won’t bother with that here, but we can compare the manufacturers’ apps.  

The iDevices Connected app does offer a relatively robust interface that integrates your other HomeKit devices.  We also get current, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, and all time energy monitoring, as well as an average estimated cost of running devices connected to it, though I’ve wasn’t able to find how this can be adjusted.

The Meross app really isn’t anything to write home about.  in addition to being able to control the two outlets separately, we can also toggle the power state LED indicator.  Furthermore, we can enabled widgets for the Today View for either or both of the outlets.

Experience excels in this one with Round 2 going to iDevices.  Our last round is all about the overall value.

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Round 3: Value  

The iDevices Outdoor Switch came onto a relatively fresh and burgeoning HomeKit scene and therefore was able to really set its own price.  The market has changed dramatically since then however., but the price of their switch hasn’t.  While energy monitoring is a feature that does require additional hardware, we’ve seen others make this work at lower prices.

The Outdoor Plug from Meross was their first HomeKit product that I’m aware of and they have opted for a largely stripped down approach without compromising quality, at least in my experience; there are reports of users having difficulties with getting devices to connect.  In my mind, the ability to control the two outlets separately just makes sense and they managed to do it at a very reasonable price.  

These two points being considered, Round 3 goes to Meross.

Final Score Card

Looking back at our score card, Round 1 went to Meross with it’s compact housing and safety feature, iDevices took Round 2 with their energy monitoring, and the value proposition offered but the Meross Outdoor Plug stole Round 3 meaning that the inaugural HomeKit Versus title goes to the Meross Outdoor Smart Plug.

If you disagree with the judge’s score card, leave a comment down below.  Also if you’re interested in purchasing one of these out door smart plugs, consider using our links. It helps us continue to make this content and you pay nothing extra. Win-win!

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