Wyze is getting into the mesh router business

The budget smart home company’s Wi-Fi 6E router starts at $173.99, while the Wi-Fi 6 model is just $93.99. No monthly subscription required.

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Budget smart home company Wyze has announced a pair of mesh Wi-Fi routers — the Wyze Mesh Router and Wyze Mesh Router Pro. The Pro version is a tri-band Wi-Fi 6E model with support for faster speeds and connectivity with more devices, while the other is a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router. 

With a starting price of $173.99 plus shipping for a single base station (rising to $273.99 for a two-pack), the Wyze Mesh Router Pro looks set to be among the most affordable Wi-Fi 6E-compatible mesh routers on the market. It’s got a lower price than Google’s recently announced Nest Wifi Pro (which starts at $199), Eero’s Pro 6E ($299), and the two-pack variant is a hair more affordable than TP-Link’s Deco XE75 ($299.99 for a two-pack). 

The Wyze Mesh Router Pro doesn’t match the specs of more premium models, but there are no huge omissions here. Each router comes equipped with one 2.5Gbps ethernet port and one 1Gbps ethernet port (it supports wired ethernet backhaul), and Wyze says that they can connect to over 75 devices and cover 2,000 square feet each. Compared to the TP-Link Deco XE75, that’s a slightly smaller coverage area and a lower promise about the number of devices you’ll be able to connect.

There’s no sign of the Thread connectivity offered in Google’s Nest Wifi Pro, and the Pro model of Wyze’s mesh router is only offered in a fairly ugly black plastic. 

Stepping down to the non-Pro Wyze Mesh Router ($93.99 plus shipping for a single router or $173.99 for a two-pack) drops the wireless standard to Wi-Fi 6, and there’s no sign of the 2.5Gbps ethernet port found on the Pro. Coverage drops to 1,500 square feet per router, and Wyze’s promise for the number of devices you can connect drops from over 75 to over 50. At least this more affordable model is available in white. 

The Wyze Mesh Router ships this month, while the Mesh Router Pro will ship in January.