For the UV sensor not working, it might be because it's pointed at a modern window. Modern windows have 2 or 3 panes with an e coating, which does a good job of blocking UV and heat radiation. I'd give it a try through an open window before writing it off. That being said, i have a few of those sensors and i have found everything other than motion is a bit unreliable. My favorite part of the aeotec sensor is the recessed mounting plate and that it can be hardwired, which is a must for me because I'm lazzzzzy and never want to change batteries
7:55 The UV won't change because your window is filtering it. Otherwise you'd get a sunburn just having your blinds open. Maybe you could use that as an alternative to a contact sensor to tell if windows or doors are open?
I opened the window and it still did the same thing with sun shining on something right outside the window. So I tested it again in direct sunlight and it worked but barely. The sensor was still pretty weak so I’m not sure how useful it would be.
@@SmartHomeSolver I'd be curious to see it pointing straight up outside and compare it to Accuweather's claimed UV Index. (although I can't think of a Use Case for knowing) Plus, Warp's correct, new windows have lots of UV protection built in.
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@@JoeAiello789 even just glass blocks uv light with no addons, but it can get better with additived or double or triple glass, as is now common.
I have been looking at sensors lately so this is definitely a timely video. As for your sensor pointed out the window not seeing a change in UV when the blinds open, windows have a UV filter either baked into the glass or applied as a film over it (or both). Move the sensor outside as a test and you should see a change.
I tested it in direct sunlight and the UV sensor did pick it up. I also tried it with the window open not in direct sunlight and it still didn’t pick up anything. I’m not sure how useful this would be with how weak the UV sensor is.
Thanks for watching! Links to all the sensors and SmartThings device handlers are in the description. Let me know what you’re using. **UPDATE:** Thanks for all the comments about the UV light. I did some more tests with it today to see if my window was filtering UV light. I opened the window on a bright sunny Arizona day and it still read 0. Then I tested it in direct sunlight with the window both open and closed. With the window open it was 3 out of 255, and closed it was 2 out of 255. So yes the window does filter out some UV rays, but unless the sensor is in direct sunlight it might not pick anything up. There maybe some use cases for the UV sensor, but for me it’s not sensitive enough.
Hey Reid, what sensor would you recommend for your mailbox? I am having issues connecting through my metal mailbox, but I only have a Wyze. I’ve tried both motion and contact.
@@0h2ezy Try the long range wireless YoLink sensors. YoLink sensors can work more than 1000 feet away and use 2 AAA batteries, the battery life more than 5 years. It uses the LoRa technology vs other wireless wifi, zigbee and zwave, YoLink is much longer range and lower power and more secure protocol.
Hey as far as the UV sensor goes... Of the total UV light, 95% is UVA (the aging kind), and 5% is UVB (the burning kind). Sensors are usually designed to read only one and calculate the other. Most UV doesn't make it through modern low emissivity window glass, which you no doubt have in AZ, and so that's probably skewing your test. It might be interesting to try an outdoor test on a bright sunny day to see how it compares to, say, the current UV index that the local weather provides. The upshot is that skin is mostly shielded from the (burning) effects of UV light by normal everyday window glass, so there's that. 🙂
I literally just thought about what am I going to do when I want another contact multi-purpose sensor now that smart things doesn't sell it thank you for this video and hopefully aotech gets their act together
Hey Reed, thank you for this breakdown on sensors. I have the ring security system with contact and motion sensors throughout the house. Please come up with a video on how we can properly use ring security with Alexa and ideas on how we can further advance our home automation. Thank you for your great content
Literally one of the only few channels left with honest video titles, no attention seeking channel thumbnails (cough) Paul Hibbert (/cough) and decent ‘to the point’ content with a little humour added in. Don’t buckle to the pressure for views on these subjects Reid and I’ll love (and support) you forever.
Perfect timing on this video. I'm tearing out a lot of the one-off devices I have and trying to consolidate on fewer brands just to make things easier. Sensors is one area that I was not looking forward to researching, so thanks for doing all of this for us!
I have good experience with Aqara motion sensors in my SmartThings system. They detect motion (2 minutes cool down) and light intensity, plus they're quite cheap. They are pretty cute looking and they come with a tiny adjustable bracket. I use them in my house to automatically switch on the hallway lights when motion is detected. But only when the light intensity in that space is below the 30 lux threshold I set. This way the light only switches on when needed at night, or during daytime in our dark dark winter months. Works like a charm!
Do you have a video showing different types of motion sensors, their patters, and coverage area? I’m interested to know exactly which ones have what and how/where they may be used for the best detection.
Impressed by the video and quality of the channel. Immediate sub. One question though. If I am starting to build smarter home, should I go for Zigbee or Z-Wave? You are recommending actually both of them. What are caveats of each other? What should I be looking for?
I recently bought qingping motion and light sensor and some Mijia temperature and humidity sensors. Both use bluetooth, but they work great on Home Assistant. Love your videos!
I'm super late to this but I want to advocate for Yolink sensors. Both their door and motion sensors are great. They have great range, fast reactions, and most importantly they're cheap. Highly recommended for those on a budget who while still being high quality. And they work with Alexa to set up routines so I have several around my home to turn on different thing at different times of the day.
Thanks for the great review and especially the real world examples of what you can set these up to do. I work with people with disabilities and there are so many useful applications that sensors can be used for to improve quality of life and safety.
I like the signal strength tip. Is there anyway to get access to this info without a Samsung SmartThings hub? I currently have Philips Hub, am going to be adding couple ZigBee light switches (connected to Echo Studio), setting up a Raspberry Pi, and probably either the Hue motion or Aeotec multisensor after watching your video.
7:00 Is there something like the HomeSeer HSM200, but that works with either Zigbee or Wifi? I really like the idea of this self-contained package, but I only have an Alexa Echo Zigbee hub or Wifi to work with and I don't really want to buy additional hubs.
like the features, setup was difficult for some of my devices (August Door lock, ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxhB5YOMNj04GuoAosExygP4cH-dKeb4aB Bose speaker)... but all switches and outlets (5), thermostat, tankless water heater. Unfortunately all I can do is turn on/off Bose. It doesn't support volume or changing channels, but I believe that is due to the particular speaker I have.... Worth getting if you already have other devices to use it with... I don't sit around and ask Alexa questions much so that doesn't really matter to me....
Idea put a ground cable on to a door with a battery or something and get Simon thing to check for grounded things and it should work if the person is isolated from ground it only needs to change a slight amount of charge that would make it to where the Moment you touch the handle the light turns on
I have been through a lot of motion sensors, and the Hue motion/light sensor is my favorite. It is reliable over the course of a year. The Aeotec are good when you need humidity, but for the price, they really eat through battery life quickly.. and they fail to accurately report battery life when using lithium batteries. For door sensors, I prefer the Aeotec recessed door sensor. It's very quick/responsive, and have exceptional battery life (on the 700 series model).
Visonic sensors have always been my favorite. They are TINY, no logo, super easy to pair, they can be modified to be water sensors, and they were only $10 each. The price eventually went up to $15 (still great) and they eventually sold out. Can barely find them anymore now :(
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Hi, until you publish an updated version of this video 😉, which contact sensor do you recommend today for someone who doesn't have a hub yet and plan on using google home? Thank you in advance.
Could you do a video on the Orro Smart Light Switch VS the Brilliant Smart Light Switch? I’m leaning more on the Orro because I’m not so keen on a camera in the Brilliant in the kids rooms…. I love how you have the intercom feature with each, and both can be used as a motion sensor (although extremely expensive). But the cost of each is pretty high. And there just is t enough videos out there to show all the feature and functions of each. Your videos are very informative and it’s just much easier to watch you inform us.
How about a video on outdoor sensors? Besides Hue, the options seem minimal. Specifically, I'm looking for a sensor to tell me when a backyard gate or carport storage room dooe is opened. Also, an outdoor sensor that can provide a door open/close status signal would get major upvotes. FYI - I live in Palm Springs, so extra points for sensors that can stand the heat).
I use the Aqara Motion Sensor, very satisfied. Also, with HomeSeer you can use BLRadar and create motion zones so you group sensors for given zone (I use three in my shop for example and if the entire zone is inactive for three minutes, it turns off the shop lights...lots of electricity savings).
Hi, how accurate is the temperature on the aeotec multipurpose sensor? at 3:21 you mention, that it is so precise, that it can be used as a thermostat. Thank you.
One thing I would love to see is being able to turn off the sensing part of a sensor when not using it. Like say you only care for movement at night, it would be great to be able to tell the sensor to stop looking for movement (or whatever it senses) at 8am and say at 10pm tell it to continue working. Otherwise in these use cases the sensor may be sending useless signals throughout the day, specially for high transit areas where it could potentially be sending signals as often as it's cool down period (which btw is another thing that would be great to have control of).
Thank you for the great video. I already have the Ring alarm (2nd Gen). Are you suggesting that I can buy additional door contacts and use them for others too though? Like it I had a ring contact in my wlak in wardrobe and set up siomething like 'if ring contact triggers, switch on my hue lights'?
7:58 Most windows blocks UVB. Depending on what the sensor is designed to detect, it's potentially normal that your not seeing any changes. Try it outside, without the filtering of the window, see what it does.
I mostly use sylvania motion and contact sensors. Both have temp sensors in them. They have been great and have a 18 month battery life but they are no longer made. I also have one samsung multi purpose sensor but that thing eats batteries quickly and is also problematic in the alexa app always showing unresponsive. Needing more sensors, Brian (AYL) pointed me to the linkind's that you showed. If connecting directly to the echo's zigbee hub they work great. The cool down time on the motion drops down to 30 seconds when using the echo hub. Linkind's sensors are all a bit larger than I like but the selection of zigbee sensors that reliably work with the echo hubs are quite limited.
Connecting the Linkind devices to SmartThings isn't all that difficult, either. I'm surprised Reed had enough problems with the motion detectors to mention it. Considering the steps I've had to take to get other devices to work (futzing with DHs, etc.) just having to pair something twice is relatively painless. I bought some (also thanks to Brian) to replace my ADT sensors when Samsung announced they were retiring the ADT co-branded system. They were inexpensive enough -- and Amazon's return policy is good, too -- that I figured they were worth a shot. I was pleasantly surprised at how well they work and that the cooldown period is so much shorter (1 minute vs. 3) than my old ADT detectors. The range of both motion and distance is considerably better, too -- in fact, I had to move one from where I had the ADT sensor because it kept detecting people walking in the hall outside the kitchen and switching on the light., which the old one never did. Time will tell if they're a good value or cheap crap, but so far I'm happy with them.
@@ToniHinton Hi Toni, I have the Linkind door sensors, and have issue connecting it.. with SmarThings app and with Alexa gen 4 there is limited functions. how did you add the device? using smarting's hub or directly to Alexa? or some other option I'm not familiar with?
@@Masadu6 I have some connected to Smartthings, and some others connected to Linkind's own hub. It's been a while since I set them up, but I recall the process with ST went smoothly, with one extra step to make it work right. When you first pair it with ST, it will be detected as a "thing". That's a generic device and so it will have little if any functionality. To get it to work properly you'll need to log into the IDE, go to the device, and change the device type from "thing" to "Smartsense Door/Window sensor". Then reset it (hold down the reset button for about 5 seconds, until the light is red) and then re-pair it. To be clear, you don't need to remove it, just re-pair it.
Aqara has a motion sensor too. If you like their contact sensor, I'd check out the motion sensor. I have a mixture of Hue and Aqara motion sensors set up with Hubitat. But I'll probably only be buying Aqara moving forward since they cost half as much as the Hue ones.
@@6foot7dad Hubitat. The Aqara sensors are not on the list of supported devices for Hubitat, but there is a forum post with instructions on how to get it working pretty easily.
You should review the NYCE ceiling motion sensor. I have gone through many Zigbee sensors for my SmartThings then my Hubitat hubs. The NYCE uses Zigbee and runs on two AA batteries. With lithium batteries, the sensors still show 100% battery capacity after three months of use. Previously I had SmartThings and Centralite sensors which went low on battery life at various times due to using button batteries. Of those two, Centralite was the best but now, for Zigbee motion sensors with very long battery life, I have switched over to NYCE and I'm thrilled with the redults.
Hi, thank you very much for this great overview! Please keep in mind that I am very new to this topic. I do have a question about the smartthings and ring contact sensors, do they need a corresponding bridge/hub from samsung/ring or can I connect them, or maybe one of them directly over my smartphone? Thank you very much in advance for your response!
I'd try the aqara motion sensor: nice design, small with a optional swivel arm, cheap and can do light and temperature. Cooldown is 2 minutes (or 5 seconds with small soldering job)
Awesome review! Do you recall which door sensor and Motion sensor had the quickest reaction time. I’m finding with my current door sensor it does take about 10 seconds to turn on the smart down light in the same room. Thanks in advance!
I'm a fan of Aqara sensors. They're tiny, cheap, fast and they're zigbee (using them with Home Assistant). The motion sensor cooldown time can be hacked from 1 min to 5 sec
Great Video.. I am a newbie in the home automation. So the thing which takes up my curiosity is the knowledge about hub's. To connect the sensors mentioned in your video, do I need a hub, if yes- 1.which is the best one to use, compatible to multiple brand devices or sensors for home automation?
4:10 The Motion Sensors from IKEA can directly connect to the smart things hub but can they connect directly to a google home without the hub? And can they be used in routines in the google home app?
Love the video's I cant seem to get my Aqara vibration sensor to do anything with smart things, I may need a differnt driver? I would love a video on navigating the new smartthings devices page.
Hi .. I love smart home projects and I also love your videos. So, I have a question. I bought an Echo Studio and did not find any information about the zigbee sensors that work with it. Do you have any videos that explain this?
Great channel, need to watch more. I am thinking of a "smart/dumb" solution, but the distance might be too far for smart home devices. Problem: when I am in the garden I cannot see nor hear who is entering my premises, front door is locked, but side door is in use by us, but accessible by that person (might just be a relative without harm) and walks in. Idea: motionsensor and a bell/horn, to let me know someone's coming. Any product idea's?
Just as I heads up, I just replaced 7 of those Sonoffs with Linkind. I had problems with the Sonoffs false triggering, and sometimes not triggering at all. They are really cheap and they perform as such.
Great review ! You mentioned that you’re usually setting your lights to turn off after 5 minutes of no motion - I was wondering which app/platform allows you to use a trigger that’s based on X minutes without motion ? Or are you just setting your lights up to go off within 5 minutes subject to motion detection ? Thanks !
I have a the same question and haven’t found any answer yet. It’s for the automation at 1:36 : if the fridge is open for 3 minutes then Alexa makes an announcement. But how do you set that up. Because for me, you can only do : if the the fridge is open, then make announcement. That’s means your gonna get an announcement every time you open the fridge.
Great video. Can any sensor send out the alert to remote smart phones only when there is NO movement within a period of time? say 12 hours duration. I am struggling to find one. ideally wifi sensor connecting to the home router.
Hi Reed thank you for your great work! I have purchased the Aqara door sensor after your recommendation. Question: can I prevent my blinds closing if the window is open or shut off my tado heating? If so how would I program that automation in homekit? Any help appreciated. Thank you, Ian
Hello! Great video! Can you please please tell me what door sensor would you recommend working with Alexa for my fridge? One that alerts me when the door it's open more than xx minutes...?? Please. Thanks
Good to see lots of options available so thanks for this Reed Have you updated the firmware on the Aotec sensor as that might fix the UV issue? At the last check it was up to v1.14 and the hub should tell you which version is being used They are very pricey I admit, but part of Aotec's appeal for me has been compatibility, ease of integration with different vendor hubs and the potential for over the air firmware updates Although at the time I bought these, there wasn't much competition and what really sold me was that they could be powered from USB Motion detection alone was no good for me and so with this model the lighting rules also taken into account the light level the sensor reports to decide whether the lights should come Aotec have since come out with a recessed mount for them which is also something to useful consider as well as they'll be less conspicuous The Aotec door/window sensor 7 has proven to be pretty quick and the battery life should be around 3 years. They can also get OTA updates But even though they're slim and blend in well on the inside of a recessed door where the frame isn't flush, the price would probably put most people off, especially given their purpose and what else you've shown is available
@@awstott An advice I can give You if You want to use Zigbee sensors or devices is a Conbee II USB Stick. They also have a site where all compatible devices are listed on. It's growing day to day. My house is running on the Conbee II stick and never had any connection issues. I'm using Temperature sensors from Xiaomi and Motion sensors from Ikea. The battery life on them is crazy. I have not changed a battery yet and it's been almost 2 years on the first sensor.
@@ZillionPrey I started down the zwave path - not sure that was the best option. I do have some Philips Hue stuff so I can connect some ziggbee devices that way. I do like the hue motion sensor - have some lighting automations using the light sensor in there that work pretty awesome.
@@awstott I wanted to change out some of my motion sensors with hue ones as well looking at the value (€) in my case, it's a pretty cheap devices that has Motion, Temperature and Light Sensing. I wanted to give Z-Wave a try but I can't find any cheap sensors or even lights here in Germany. Some things I am looking for in terms of Zigbee devices are hard to find :/ The ones I'm still seeking out are smoke and CO detectors.
Love the channel, only recently discovered as I'm in the process of buying a house and upping my game. I'm already all in on Google WiFi and Nest doorbells and x Yale locks. With the discontinuation of the Nest Detect products, what might you suggest for door/windows sensors. Obviously, I'm hoping not to add a new hub to the mix, but understand that might be the case. Thanks!
I have yet to see a differential pressure switch that would be able to tell you that a furnace/AC filter needs to be changed. That would be really useful.
Hey Reed, I was looking at a Ring Contact Sensor 6-pack but don't have a ring alarm system. Can I pair the Ring Contact Sensors to my SmartThings hub WITHOUT the need for the Ring Alarm Base Station? Love your channel!
Love your work. Hue sensors do not show up as an option to add to my smartthings system (now that I'm trashing all the older smarthings motion sensors that go offline weekly!)
Just picked up the homeseer hsm200 and REALLY would love to know how you set it up to show colors based on your home status. Even if it’s a link to a blog or something.
Nice video as usual. Do any of the door contact sensors become "unavailable" in home assistant after some hours of inactivity? I have some sengled sensors and they always become "unavailable" until I open the door/window to wake it up again. Happened Smartthings as well, so I know its a sensor issue. Makes it absolutely useless for automations. Annoys the hell out of me. Looking for sensors that dont fall asleep or become "unavailable". Thanks.
Can you please make a 2023 version of this video. I am sure everyone would love this.
Reviving this comment
I'm fa of this guy. I'm sure he'll do this for all of us at some point.
+1
+1
2024*
For the UV sensor not working, it might be because it's pointed at a modern window. Modern windows have 2 or 3 panes with an e coating, which does a good job of blocking UV and heat radiation. I'd give it a try through an open window before writing it off.
That being said, i have a few of those sensors and i have found everything other than motion is a bit unreliable. My favorite part of the aeotec sensor is the recessed mounting plate and that it can be hardwired, which is a must for me because I'm lazzzzzy and never want to change batteries
I believe you are correct, most glass blocks UV and IR light
7:55 The UV won't change because your window is filtering it. Otherwise you'd get a sunburn just having your blinds open. Maybe you could use that as an alternative to a contact sensor to tell if windows or doors are open?
Was thinking the same thing right away. But it's definitely not a common sensor to use in automations
I opened the window and it still did the same thing with sun shining on something right outside the window. So I tested it again in direct sunlight and it worked but barely. The sensor was still pretty weak so I’m not sure how useful it would be.
@@SmartHomeSolver I'd be curious to see it pointing straight up outside and compare it to Accuweather's claimed UV Index. (although I can't think of a Use Case for knowing) Plus, Warp's correct, new windows have lots of UV protection built in.
@@JoeAiello789 even just glass blocks uv light with no addons, but it can get better with additived or double or triple glass, as is now common.
Glass only blocks uvb and uvc rays but not uva which is also dangerous to the skin
I find myself coming back to this channel constantly, thanks for all the tips you have no idea how much you’ve helped me with my new home
You are like the Jedi of smart home tech. Great video
Have you tried the Aqara motion sensor? Probably the most attractive and smallest in my opinion.
Does it work with Alexa automatically to start routines or not ? planning on starting my smarthome when prime day hits this year.
Great job on covering most of the common sensors, you may want to consider including a water/leak sensor which is bery important to prevent leaks.
I have been looking at sensors lately so this is definitely a timely video. As for your sensor pointed out the window not seeing a change in UV when the blinds open, windows have a UV filter either baked into the glass or applied as a film over it (or both). Move the sensor outside as a test and you should see a change.
I tested it in direct sunlight and the UV sensor did pick it up. I also tried it with the window open not in direct sunlight and it still didn’t pick up anything. I’m not sure how useful this would be with how weak the UV sensor is.
@@SmartHomeSolver have you had a chance to look at the Konnected product for homes that prewired
Thanks for watching! Links to all the sensors and SmartThings device handlers are in the description. Let me know what you’re using.
**UPDATE:** Thanks for all the comments about the UV light. I did some more tests with it today to see if my window was filtering UV light. I opened the window on a bright sunny Arizona day and it still read 0. Then I tested it in direct sunlight with the window both open and closed. With the window open it was 3 out of 255, and closed it was 2 out of 255. So yes the window does filter out some UV rays, but unless the sensor is in direct sunlight it might not pick anything up. There maybe some use cases for the UV sensor, but for me it’s not sensitive enough.
Can you shout me out? You inspired me to make a smart home channel
@8:18 Your windows may have UV light filtering. That's causing the sensor to not detect a change.
Hey Reid, what sensor would you recommend for your mailbox? I am having issues connecting through my metal mailbox, but I only have a Wyze. I’ve tried both motion and contact.
@@0h2ezy Try the long range wireless YoLink sensors. YoLink sensors can work more than 1000 feet away and use 2 AAA batteries, the battery life more than 5 years. It uses the LoRa technology vs other wireless wifi, zigbee and zwave, YoLink is much longer range and lower power and more secure protocol.
Hey as far as the UV sensor goes... Of the total UV light, 95% is UVA (the aging kind), and 5% is UVB (the burning kind). Sensors are usually designed to read only one and calculate the other. Most UV doesn't make it through modern low emissivity window glass, which you no doubt have in AZ, and so that's probably skewing your test. It might be interesting to try an outdoor test on a bright sunny day to see how it compares to, say, the current UV index that the local weather provides. The upshot is that skin is mostly shielded from the (burning) effects of UV light by normal everyday window glass, so there's that. 🙂
I literally just thought about what am I going to do when I want another contact multi-purpose sensor now that smart things doesn't sell it thank you for this video and hopefully aotech gets their act together
Hey Reed, thank you for this breakdown on sensors. I have the ring security system with contact and motion sensors throughout the house. Please come up with a video on how we can properly use ring security with Alexa and ideas on how we can further advance our home automation. Thank you for your great content
i second this! Would be great to see ring security and alexa and what can be set up using this ecosystem for us novices
Literally one of the only few channels left with honest video titles, no attention seeking channel thumbnails (cough) Paul Hibbert (/cough) and decent ‘to the point’ content with a little humour added in. Don’t buckle to the pressure for views on these subjects Reid and I’ll love (and support) you forever.
Perfect timing on this video. I'm tearing out a lot of the one-off devices I have and trying to consolidate on fewer brands just to make things easier. Sensors is one area that I was not looking forward to researching, so thanks for doing all of this for us!
I appreciate a man who knows the difference between “less” and “fewer”
I have good experience with Aqara motion sensors in my SmartThings system.
They detect motion (2 minutes cool down) and light intensity, plus they're quite cheap. They are pretty cute looking and they come with a tiny adjustable bracket.
I use them in my house to automatically switch on the hallway lights when motion is detected.
But only when the light intensity in that space is below the 30 lux threshold I set.
This way the light only switches on when needed at night, or during daytime in our dark dark winter months.
Works like a charm!
Same here...was missing it in the test
Great video.
I found it amusing for you to easily see the garage door was open, but then have to actually walk to the garage to close it...
I was literally searching smart home sensor videos last night lol good timing
Dude that's how google and youtube works.. You search, google knows. You talk, google listen. You think, google creates a new startup to be first.
@@alissonfl He released the video hours after I searched for similar videos. You think he works for Google and UA-cam? Lol.
The throwing boxes at the beginning was pretty cool ngl
Seriously!
Like your videos Reed. One thing not mentioned is the Agara sensors require their hub to work, which adds to the cost.
I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS VIDEO!!!
The last part is always the best part!
Right!!!
Do you have a video showing different types of motion sensors, their patters, and coverage area? I’m interested to know exactly which ones have what and how/where they may be used for the best detection.
That intro was smooothhhh .... Amazing editing :)
Can you make a video on the settings you use for your motion sensors
Impressed by the video and quality of the channel. Immediate sub. One question though. If I am starting to build smarter home, should I go for Zigbee or Z-Wave? You are recommending actually both of them. What are caveats of each other? What should I be looking for?
I recently bought qingping motion and light sensor and some Mijia temperature and humidity sensors. Both use bluetooth, but they work great on Home Assistant.
Love your videos!
I'm super late to this but I want to advocate for Yolink sensors. Both their door and motion sensors are great. They have great range, fast reactions, and most importantly they're cheap. Highly recommended for those on a budget who while still being high quality. And they work with Alexa to set up routines so I have several around my home to turn on different thing at different times of the day.
Great video! The only thing is missing are outdoor sensors, for example if u want to use sensors in the garden or outdoor gates
Thanks for the great review and especially the real world examples of what you can set these up to do. I work with people with disabilities and there are so many useful applications that sensors can be used for to improve quality of life and safety.
How did you know? I was looking for smart home sensors today!
The range of products your review is exceptional, much more useful for making informed decisions, thank you!
I like the signal strength tip. Is there anyway to get access to this info without a Samsung SmartThings hub? I currently have Philips Hub, am going to be adding couple ZigBee light switches (connected to Echo Studio), setting up a Raspberry Pi, and probably either the Hue motion or Aeotec multisensor after watching your video.
8:00 have you tried outside? Glass can absorb nearly all UVB rays, which most UV indices measure.
I didn't try it outside but that's a good point about the glass.
I'm after some sensors so glad you uploaded this
7:00 Is there something like the HomeSeer HSM200, but that works with either Zigbee or Wifi? I really like the idea of this self-contained package, but I only have an Alexa Echo Zigbee hub or Wifi to work with and I don't really want to buy additional hubs.
like the features, setup was difficult for some of my devices (August Door lock, ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxhB5YOMNj04GuoAosExygP4cH-dKeb4aB Bose speaker)... but all switches and outlets (5), thermostat, tankless water heater. Unfortunately all I can do is turn on/off Bose. It doesn't support volume or changing channels, but I believe that is due to the particular speaker I have.... Worth getting if you already have other devices to use it with... I don't sit around and ask Alexa questions much so that doesn't really matter to me....
Idea put a ground cable on to a door with a battery or something and get Simon thing to check for grounded things and it should work if the person is isolated from ground it only needs to change a slight amount of charge that would make it to where the
Moment you touch the handle the light turns on
I have been through a lot of motion sensors, and the Hue motion/light sensor is my favorite. It is reliable over the course of a year. The Aeotec are good when you need humidity, but for the price, they really eat through battery life quickly.. and they fail to accurately report battery life when using lithium batteries. For door sensors, I prefer the Aeotec recessed door sensor. It's very quick/responsive, and have exceptional battery life (on the 700 series model).
Visonic sensors have always been my favorite. They are TINY, no logo, super easy to pair, they can be modified to be water sensors, and they were only $10 each. The price eventually went up to $15 (still great) and they eventually sold out. Can barely find them anymore now :(
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Hi, thanks for the video, I can also recommend you to check the aqara motions sensor, really good and not that pricy
Thanks Nir and I'll check those out!
Thanks friend, with so many sensors out there this helps narrow down what to buy
Hi, until you publish an updated version of this video 😉, which contact sensor do you recommend today for someone who doesn't have a hub yet and plan on using google home? Thank you in advance.
Thanks, good video. FYI Amazon says that Ecolink sensor is unavailable.
Yay!! Thank you! I’ve been wanting this video for a while!! You da best!!
Thank you for doing these excellent videos!! VERY helpful. I love that you keep it straight to the point.
Another GREAT vid!! Couldn't you use the motion sensor with vibration sense on a clothes dryer to know when the cycle is done?
Lots of folks do.
Can't wait for the 2024 Sensor Review!
What's that floating lamp at 09:00 ? Any links?
Great video my friend! Cheers from Portugal! 💪
OMG this is a video right in-time for me as I'm researching the motion sensors. Thx a lot.
Also, nice joke at 6:00.
2:43 Could you please make a video explaining how you set up the virtual switch to help with the smartthings hub?
Great Video, just what I needed. Quick question do you know if the Ring Motion sensor can also be used to trigger routines?
YEEEESSSSS I've been waiting for this one 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Could you do a video on the Orro Smart Light Switch VS the Brilliant Smart Light Switch? I’m leaning more on the Orro because I’m not so keen on a camera in the Brilliant in the kids rooms…. I love how you have the intercom feature with each, and both can be used as a motion sensor (although extremely expensive). But the cost of each is pretty high. And there just is t enough videos out there to show all the feature and functions of each. Your videos are very informative and it’s just much easier to watch you inform us.
Nice shot man !
I’m using all day long the Sonoff and they are a bit tricky to install first but after they really work well.
Thank you so much for all your helpful videos! Is there a way to get the Hue Motion Sense to trigger other brands of lights?
How about a video on outdoor sensors? Besides Hue, the options seem minimal. Specifically, I'm looking for a sensor to tell me when a backyard gate or carport storage room dooe is opened. Also, an outdoor sensor that can provide a door open/close status signal would get major upvotes. FYI - I live in Palm Springs, so extra points for sensors that can stand the heat).
I use the Aqara Motion Sensor, very satisfied. Also, with HomeSeer you can use BLRadar and create motion zones so you group sensors for given zone (I use three in my shop for example and if the entire zone is inactive for three minutes, it turns off the shop lights...lots of electricity savings).
Hi, how accurate is the temperature on the aeotec multipurpose sensor? at 3:21 you mention, that it is so precise, that it can be used as a thermostat. Thank you.
One thing I would love to see is being able to turn off the sensing part of a sensor when not using it. Like say you only care for movement at night, it would be great to be able to tell the sensor to stop looking for movement (or whatever it senses) at 8am and say at 10pm tell it to continue working. Otherwise in these use cases the sensor may be sending useless signals throughout the day, specially for high transit areas where it could potentially be sending signals as often as it's cool down period (which btw is another thing that would be great to have control of).
philips hue sensor does that
Hey Reed! What are your thoughts on Snegled multipurpose sensor?
Have tried Centralite sensors? Been very happy with their performance so far and at a reasonable price.
Thank you for the great video. I already have the Ring alarm (2nd Gen). Are you suggesting that I can buy additional door contacts and use them for others too though? Like it I had a ring contact in my wlak in wardrobe and set up siomething like 'if ring contact triggers, switch on my hue lights'?
7:58
Most windows blocks UVB. Depending on what the sensor is designed to detect, it's potentially normal that your not seeing any changes. Try it outside, without the filtering of the window, see what it does.
I mostly use sylvania motion and contact sensors. Both have temp sensors in them. They have been great and have a 18 month battery life but they are no longer made.
I also have one samsung multi purpose sensor but that thing eats batteries quickly and is also problematic in the alexa app always showing unresponsive.
Needing more sensors, Brian (AYL) pointed me to the linkind's that you showed. If connecting directly to the echo's zigbee hub they work great. The cool down time on the motion drops down to 30 seconds when using the echo hub. Linkind's sensors are all a bit larger than I like but the selection of zigbee sensors that reliably work with the echo hubs are quite limited.
Connecting the Linkind devices to SmartThings isn't all that difficult, either. I'm surprised Reed had enough problems with the motion detectors to mention it. Considering the steps I've had to take to get other devices to work (futzing with DHs, etc.) just having to pair something twice is relatively painless.
I bought some (also thanks to Brian) to replace my ADT sensors when Samsung announced they were retiring the ADT co-branded system. They were inexpensive enough -- and Amazon's return policy is good, too -- that I figured they were worth a shot. I was pleasantly surprised at how well they work and that the cooldown period is so much shorter (1 minute vs. 3) than my old ADT detectors. The range of both motion and distance is considerably better, too -- in fact, I had to move one from where I had the ADT sensor because it kept detecting people walking in the hall outside the kitchen and switching on the light., which the old one never did.
Time will tell if they're a good value or cheap crap, but so far I'm happy with them.
@@ToniHinton Hi Toni, I have the Linkind door sensors, and have issue connecting it.. with SmarThings app and with Alexa gen 4 there is limited functions.
how did you add the device?
using smarting's hub or directly to Alexa? or some other option I'm not familiar with?
@@Masadu6 I have some connected to Smartthings, and some others connected to Linkind's own hub. It's been a while since I set them up, but I recall the process with ST went smoothly, with one extra step to make it work right.
When you first pair it with ST, it will be detected as a "thing". That's a generic device and so it will have little if any functionality. To get it to work properly you'll need to log into the IDE, go to the device, and change the device type from "thing" to "Smartsense Door/Window sensor". Then reset it (hold down the reset button for about 5 seconds, until the light is red) and then re-pair it. To be clear, you don't need to remove it, just re-pair it.
Aqara has a motion sensor too. If you like their contact sensor, I'd check out the motion sensor. I have a mixture of Hue and Aqara motion sensors set up with Hubitat. But I'll probably only be buying Aqara moving forward since they cost half as much as the Hue ones.
Yes, you should defenetly have a look at the aqara motion sensor!
What physical hub are you using? I'm just getting started and it seems every brand needs its own hub.
@@6foot7dad Hubitat. The Aqara sensors are not on the list of supported devices for Hubitat, but there is a forum post with instructions on how to get it working pretty easily.
You should review the NYCE ceiling motion sensor. I have gone through many Zigbee sensors for my SmartThings then my Hubitat hubs. The NYCE uses Zigbee and runs on two AA batteries. With lithium batteries, the sensors still show 100% battery capacity after three months of use. Previously I had SmartThings and Centralite sensors which went low on battery life at various times due to using button batteries. Of those two, Centralite was the best but now, for Zigbee motion sensors with very long battery life, I have switched over to NYCE and I'm thrilled with the redults.
Great video! How'd you pair the ring sensor automations? Taking out the trash and the light turning on?
Hi, thank you very much for this great overview! Please keep in mind that I am very new to this topic. I do have a question about the smartthings and ring contact sensors, do they need a corresponding bridge/hub from samsung/ring or can I connect them, or maybe one of them directly over my smartphone? Thank you very much in advance for your response!
I have the sonoff for my laundry room. Works great for turning on the lights
I'd try the aqara motion sensor: nice design, small with a optional swivel arm, cheap and can do light and temperature. Cooldown is 2 minutes (or 5 seconds with small soldering job)
The range SUCKS, though. Not a huge problem with zigbee being a mesh, but the Xiaomi devices don't pair with either Phillips Hue or Tuya routers.
Awesome review! Do you recall which door sensor and Motion sensor had the quickest reaction time. I’m finding with my current door sensor it does take about 10 seconds to turn on the smart down light in the same room. Thanks in advance!
I'm a fan of Aqara sensors. They're tiny, cheap, fast and they're zigbee (using them with Home Assistant). The motion sensor cooldown time can be hacked from 1 min to 5 sec
Great Video..
I am a newbie in the home automation. So the thing which takes up my curiosity is the knowledge about hub's. To connect the sensors mentioned in your video, do I need a hub, if yes-
1.which is the best one to use, compatible to multiple brand devices or sensors for home automation?
4:10 The Motion Sensors from IKEA can directly connect to the smart things hub but can they connect directly to a google home without the hub? And can they be used in routines in the google home app?
0:10 Now *_THAT’S_* a COOL UNBOXING!
Love the video's I cant seem to get my Aqara vibration sensor to do anything with smart things, I may need a differnt driver?
I would love a video on navigating the new smartthings devices page.
Hi .. I love smart home projects and I also love your videos. So, I have a question.
I bought an Echo Studio and did not find any information about the zigbee sensors that work with it.
Do you have any videos that explain this?
Great channel, need to watch more. I am thinking of a "smart/dumb" solution, but the distance might be too far for smart home devices. Problem: when I am in the garden I cannot see nor hear who is entering my premises, front door is locked, but side door is in use by us, but accessible by that person (might just be a relative without harm) and walks in. Idea: motionsensor and a bell/horn, to let me know someone's coming. Any product idea's?
Just as I heads up, I just replaced 7 of those Sonoffs with Linkind. I had problems with the Sonoffs false triggering, and sometimes not triggering at all. They are really cheap and they perform as such.
I have the Linkind door sensors, and have issue connecting it.
how did you add the device?
using smarting's hub or directly to Alexa?
Great review ! You mentioned that you’re usually setting your lights to turn off after 5 minutes of no motion - I was wondering which app/platform allows you to use a trigger that’s based on X minutes without motion ? Or are you just setting your lights up to go off within 5 minutes subject to motion detection ? Thanks !
I think he use home assistance,you can make many automation
Smartthings and Alexa allow this in automations
I have a the same question and haven’t found any answer yet. It’s for the automation at 1:36 : if the fridge is open for 3 minutes then Alexa makes an announcement.
But how do you set that up. Because for me, you can only do : if the the fridge is open, then make announcement. That’s means your gonna get an announcement every time you open the fridge.
YEEEEEESSS!!!!! Thank You SO MUCH I have been looking for a video like this for a 👏🏾WHI👏🏾LE !!! Thank You!
Great video. Can any sensor send out the alert to remote smart phones only when there is NO movement within a period of time? say 12 hours duration. I am struggling to find one. ideally wifi sensor connecting to the home router.
Hi Reed thank you for your great work! I have purchased the Aqara door sensor after your recommendation. Question: can I prevent my blinds closing if the window is open or shut off my tado heating? If so how would I program that automation in homekit? Any help appreciated. Thank you, Ian
Hello! Great video! Can you please please tell me what door sensor would you recommend working with Alexa for my fridge? One that alerts me when the door it's open more than xx minutes...?? Please. Thanks
Good to see lots of options available so thanks for this Reed
Have you updated the firmware on the Aotec sensor as that might fix the UV issue?
At the last check it was up to v1.14 and the hub should tell you which version is being used
They are very pricey I admit, but part of Aotec's appeal for me has been compatibility, ease of integration with different vendor hubs and the potential for over the air firmware updates
Although at the time I bought these, there wasn't much competition and what really sold me was that they could be powered from USB
Motion detection alone was no good for me and so with this model the lighting rules also taken into account the light level the sensor reports to decide whether the lights should come
Aotec have since come out with a recessed mount for them which is also something to useful consider as well as they'll be less conspicuous
The Aotec door/window sensor 7 has proven to be pretty quick and the battery life should be around 3 years. They can also get OTA updates
But even though they're slim and blend in well on the inside of a recessed door where the frame isn't flush, the price would probably put most people off, especially given their purpose and what else you've shown is available
Great video! Random question: where did you get your peg board with shelves?
Thanks! I got it on Amazon amzn.to/3nZHecI and I’ve been really happy with them.
YES! He is using Home Assistant, welcome to the club :)
Would be nice to see how many of these sensors are compatible with HA too - lots of smart things info but I started down the HA path already.
@@awstott An advice I can give You if You want to use Zigbee sensors or devices is a Conbee II USB Stick.
They also have a site where all compatible devices are listed on. It's growing day to day.
My house is running on the Conbee II stick and never had any connection issues. I'm using Temperature sensors from Xiaomi and Motion sensors from Ikea. The battery life on them is crazy. I have not changed a battery yet and it's been almost 2 years on the first sensor.
@@ZillionPrey I started down the zwave path - not sure that was the best option. I do have some Philips Hue stuff so I can connect some ziggbee devices that way. I do like the hue motion sensor - have some lighting automations using the light sensor in there that work pretty awesome.
@@awstott I wanted to change out some of my motion sensors with hue ones as well looking at the value (€) in my case, it's a pretty cheap devices that has Motion, Temperature and Light Sensing.
I wanted to give Z-Wave a try but I can't find any cheap sensors or even lights here in Germany. Some things I am looking for in terms of Zigbee devices are hard to find :/
The ones I'm still seeking out are smoke and CO detectors.
Great video. Same again with heat/smoke/co2 detectors and sirens please. Frient and Neo Coolcam have good ST compatible products.
I need one what brand would you recommend 👍👊👌
Love the channel, only recently discovered as I'm in the process of buying a house and upping my game. I'm already all in on Google WiFi and Nest doorbells and x Yale locks. With the discontinuation of the Nest Detect products, what might you suggest for door/windows sensors. Obviously, I'm hoping not to add a new hub to the mix, but understand that might be the case. Thanks!
Did you tried the Shelly DoorWindow sensor? has a half second of delay, but works well, and the battery last for a year and a half!
As always.. great Video Reid, keep up the good work buddy..
I have yet to see a differential pressure switch that would be able to tell you that a furnace/AC filter needs to be changed. That would be really useful.
Hey Reed,
I was looking at a Ring Contact Sensor 6-pack but don't have a ring alarm system.
Can I pair the Ring Contact Sensors to my SmartThings hub WITHOUT the need for the Ring Alarm Base Station?
Love your channel!
Love your work. Hue sensors do not show up as an option to add to my smartthings system (now that I'm trashing all the older smarthings motion sensors that go offline weekly!)
Thanks for the video. It was quite helpful to chose from the range of contact and motion sensor. How do we connect them with my home automations hub?
Thanks for the detailed video. Any thoughts on Sonoff zigbee sensors?
Just picked up the homeseer hsm200 and REALLY would love to know how you set it up to show colors based on your home status. Even if it’s a link to a blog or something.
New to all of this. Great info. Keep them coming.
Nice video as usual. Do any of the door contact sensors become "unavailable" in home assistant after some hours of inactivity? I have some sengled sensors and they always become "unavailable" until I open the door/window to wake it up again. Happened Smartthings as well, so I know its a sensor issue. Makes it absolutely useless for automations. Annoys the hell out of me. Looking for sensors that dont fall asleep or become "unavailable". Thanks.