I've been using the Meross Outdoor Dimmer Plug for my backyard string lights, and it's been a rollercoaster of 'wow, this is genius' and 'why won’t you just work?!' moments.

The good: When it works, it’s magical. I love dimming my patio lights to 30% for cozy dinners using just my voice ('Hey Siri, make it moody'). The weatherproof design survived a surprise rainstorm, and sunrise/sunset automation means my lights greet me every evening without fail. The physical button is handy when my phone’s not around—though I wish one press could jump straight to 100% brightness.

The bad: Setup was infuriating. Like other reviewers, I wrestled with 2.4GHz WiFi compatibility for hours before it finally connected. One of my two plugs occasionally drops offline for no apparent reason. Customer service? Ghosted after requesting excessive troubleshooting videos—for a $40 device!

Pro tip: This shines (pun intended) for simple setups like holiday lights or landscape lighting. But if you need rock-solid reliability or advanced configurations, proceed with caution. It’s either going to be your favorite smart home gadget or end up in the return pile—there’s no in-between.