All that matters is that when closed, the two parts have to be a maximum of half an inch apart for contact to be established. Most sensors operate over Z-Wave or Zigbee, two common smart-home wireless protocols. Not all Samsumg SmartThings motion sensors are created equal, however, so we've compiled a list that won't give you any headaches — like our favorite option, the Ecolink Motion Detector — so you can monitor your home no matter where you are. As a motion sensor, TriSensor has an impressive 31-foot range, but as with the Multisensor, disabling the LED light is not an option in SmartThings. If Fibaro’s price is too high for you, or if it’s not available, the SmartThings Motion Sensor is a solid runner-up due to a nice design, small size, neat magnet mount, and inexpensive price. I also interviewed Mitchell Klein, executive director of the Z-Wave Alliance, to understand how sensors fit into the future of the smart home. With a 25-pound and 60-pound canine in our test household, the motion sensors always picked them up. In short, they detect when something happens, and then your smart-home hub can tell other devices how to respond. Its main purpose is as a contact sensor, so you can easily stick these slim sensors anywhere and they’ll detect when a door, window, or drawer is opened or closed. potts.mike March 4, 2020, 1:09am #1. Best Overall – Ecolink Z-wave Plus Motion Detector. That may be because they required device handlers, weren't Z-Wave Plus–compatible, were overly large with a dated design, or had lots of poor customer reviews for things like battery life or customer service complaints. The only thing this sensor lacks is an ambient light sensor… A lot of them also happen to be cheaply made, which we think makes them more of a potential hassle than they’re worth. Newer models are tending towards sleeker designs that fit better into the modern home. It can also be paired with contact sensors to shut off your system if a door or window is left open for a certain length of time. Read more here for tips on using sensors within a SmartThings system. Centralite Micro Motion Sensor. After extensive research and testing, we think anyone planning a smart-home system around the Samsung SmartThings hub should get these key sensors: the Fibaro Motion Sensor, the SmartThings Multipurpose Sensor, and the Aeotec Multisensor 6. Those actions can also take into consideration the time of day so that you don’t blast music and wake up the house when you sneak in at 2 a.m. None of them will connect to Hubitat. When it comes to monitoring your home for motion, you don't want to skimp on a cheap device. Note that you'll need a hub to connect it with SmartThings. Our two modest gripes were that we were unable to customize the LED color to indicate a status change beyond the built-in temperature indicator, though we learned that is a limitation of SmartThings and not Fibaro. Android Central It installs with tape or screws/brackets for long-term stability and durability. It can trigger lights and other connected Devices to turn … Choose from pre-set automations such as Smart Lighting, which uses motion sensors to activate smart lighting, or create custom automations using “if then” commands: If this sensor detects something, then make this happen. Another good use for this device is as a “thermostat mode director.” Using SmartThings’ pre-set automation of the same name, you can make any temperature sensor in your home feed its readings to a Z-Wave thermostat and adjust the settings accordingly (similar to the remote sensors for Ecobee or Nest smart thermostats). It senses motion and can automatically turn the lights on or off when you enter or exit a room, or set lights to a schedule that follows sunrise and sunset. Initially, devices may need to be closer to the hub, but the more devices you add, the further your network will extend, as both Zigbee and Z-Wave devices can act as repeaters, creating a mesh network in your home. The Schlage / Nexia motion sensor is also indoor use only. We also looked at the range offered by the motion sensors, both in feet and degrees. Use your own motion to activate other smart devices in your home (say a lightbulb activating as you walk … Motion Sensors for Samsung SmartThings The Google Nest Learning Thermostat is easy to install and use, and it saves energy and money. To test the device, we set up an automation to monitor some baby chickens we were caring for. Back to products. While mainly used on doors and windows, contact sensors have lots of more creative potential. Confoundingly, SmartThings has two apps: the Samsung SmartThings app, and the SmartThings Classic app (a legacy app from before Samsung bought the company in 2014). It’s easy to say you’ll be more energy-efficient, but smart-home devices can help save water, electricity, and money without you even realizing it. If you don’t want a white contact sensor on your doors and windows, the EcoLink Door/Window Sensor Z-wave Plus provides a brown option, though we found it larger and less attractive. The unique round design makes it easy to tuck the Fibaro into corners or awkward spots, and its mounting bracket was the smallest of all the devices we tested, attaching to the wall with one screw (or double-sided tape), plus you can use the bracket to stand the sensor on a flat surface such as a table. Sensors are typically small and battery-powered, and they may have a variety of functions: sensing motion, detecting light and temperature changes, or noticing if things like windows, doors, or drawers are opened or closed. All the contact sensors we tested were able to trigger this routine, but SmartThings is our pick for the combination of its simplicity, design, and price. Whichever option you go with, you can feel good knowing that it will work with one of the most powerful smart home platforms in the world! The current model seems to have problems, so we’ll test the new version when it’s released. It has a great battery life and a 45 foot range, but its touted pet immunity failed in our testing. Put it someplace you won’t bump into it. Smaller but a bit uglier and flimsier than its bigger brother, the Aeotec TriSensor is a good option if the MultiSensor is not available or you’re looking to spend less and don’t need humidity monitoring. To test it, we created a welcome-home routine that turned on a hallway light and Sonos speakers when the front door opened between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. We set the time condition to only play once and the light to turn off after 10 minutes. Looking to go for a run outside or on a treadmill while rocking a pair headphones to play your favorite tunes? With SmartThings, you can use a motion sensor to keep watch over areas of your home, allowing you to receive alerts, sound an alarm, unlock a door, or even just turn on a light. Learn more. There are plenty of smart devices under Samsung's SmartThings ecosystem, like connected doorbells and locks. This portable sensor from GE can be placed on a table, shelf, or anywhere you need to monitor — and then easily moved to another location. Keep your home under control with this Samsung SmartThings Motion Sensor. Getting Started. It can be used with either batteries or a USB cable (it comes with one or the other). It can be set to ignore pets up to 55 pounds and is the best option of quality and price. For lighting applications, motion sensors can be programmed to turn on lights at the correct light-level based on the time of day—dimmed in the evening, bright in the morning. The latest Samsung SmartThings Motion Sensor model is very similar in appearance to the Samsung SmartThings Motion (2015 model). For Z-Wave devices, we tested only those that are Z-Wave Plus (which means they have the latest 500 series chip, with longer battery life and further range—note that Z-Wave 700 is coming soon). However, its accompanying magnet is black and stands out like a sore thumb on a white or light-colored door. Both the Fibaro Motion Sensor and SmartThings Multipurpose Sensor also monitor temperature, but if you are looking for a device specifically for temperature control, we like the Aeotec Multisensor 6, which, as its name suggests, is a 6-in-1 device: it monitors light, motion, humidity, UV, and vibration, making it a good accessory to any Z-Wave thermostat or sun-blocking smart blinds, or to monitor temperature and humidity in a sensitive room. ​​​​​ Centralite 3-series micro motion sensor comes with a three series … 48 Annoyingly, SmartThings’ app doesn’t offer push notifications for custom automations, which we’d need to know if there was a change in temperature when we’re out of the house. Hello, first time posting and I’m mostly a newb to smartthings, but have gotten a few door sensors setup as well as my Honeywell thermostat so I’m starting to get a feel for things but still have a lot to learn. Question for the board: Has anyone had success setting up a Bosch Motion Detector in SmartThings… If you want your smart home to function like a system, rather than just a bunch of separate devices, integrating sensors is the way to go. Don't use six separate hardware devices when the Multisensor 6 has them all. A search for motion sensor on Amazon gets about 80 results; try contact sensor and it’s closer to 600. To pair a sensor with a SmartThings hub, first check it’s compatible, select “add a device” in your SmartThings app, follow the steps to include it in your network, and then install it and check that it’s responding correctly. Once set up, you can use your sensors to trigger automations you create in the SmartThings app. The SmartThings Multipurpose Sensor costs just $20 and can use temperature and vibrations in addition to contact as a trigger. Aeotec TriSensor, Z-Wave Plus S2 Enabled Zwave Motion Sensor, Temperature, Light Sensor, Work with Zwave Hub Smartthings 3-in 1 Security System, Battery Powered 4.1 out of 5 stars 171 $51.48 $ 51 . When used with a smart-home hub like the Samsung SmartThings, sensors radically up the game of your smart-home system by allowing for sophisticated automations. With SmartThings, your home becomes a connected space that makes your life simpler, safer, and more entertaining. Any money you spend on Samsung SmartThings motion sensors will be money well spent — no matter if you're just turning on your lights or if you're keeping a watchful eye over things when you're not at home. The Samsung SmartThings Motion Sensor helps you to monitor motion and activity in your home. I’ve got 4 Smartthings motion sensors( sts-ipm-250) I bought off eBay. And a good motion sensor has a lux sensor built in, so it can be set not to trigger lights if the room is bright enough already. The only way to avoid pets triggering devices in our testing was to position them so as to avoid coverage below a certain height (in some cases this meant turning them upside down to change the angle of the infrared beam), or drastically reduce the motion sensitivity (if that option was available), making the sensor less useful overall. Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or in-store pick-up There’s not much need for extra features, and an inexpensive option is important if you want to put them to use in multiple places. Just add some new devices and you'll be good to go. Best The SmartThings Multipurpose sensor is simple to install, as it’s pre-fitted with strong tape, and its rounded shape makes it clear where the magnet needs to go. … The SmartThings Motion sensor is a ZigBee device that lets you know when movement is detected in a certain area of your home and can trigger different actions in response to that movement. Positioning sensors in exactly the right spot can be a trial-and-error process, especially with motion sensors. BeSense Ceiling Motion Detector. “In the big picture, it's sensors that are going to make all of this artificial intelligence possible. This feature-packed option from Aeotec offers not only motion detection, but also temperature, humidity, light, UV, and vibration. If you need more than one, we think cheaper models are a better option. For instance, a sensor positioned by the front door can be configured to turn on a light, adjust the thermostat, and start playing music when it senses motion. Traditionally, smart-home sensors have been bulky and unsightly. A lot of the options on this list are meant for indoor use, but this versatile motion sensor is made for the great outdoors (well, at least for outside of the home). With motion detection up to 15 feet and a 120-degree view range, this sensor can be set to monitor nearly any area in your home. © 2021 Wirecutter, Inc., A New York Times Company, Samsung SmartThings Multipurpose Sensor (Zigbee), How to Save Money and Energy With Smart Home Devices, Vacation-Proof Your Home With Smart Devices, Best SmartThings motion sensor: Fibaro Motion Sensor, Best SmartThings contact sensor: SmartThings Multipurpose Sensor, Best SmartThings temperature sensor: Aeotec Multisensor 6, How to use sensors with a SmartThings hub, using sensors within a SmartThings system, Smart home sensors: A guide to everything you need to know, Smart Home Sensors Differ From Other Types, The Very First Z-Wave 700 Series Home-Automation Product, Ease of replacing the battery while the device was installed, Option to set up battery alerts (so you’re not left with a dead device unknowingly), Long-term functionality—we will update accordingly if we note any problems. And we learned the mounting tape is not a long-term solution: We suggest using it to position the sensor until you know it’s in the right spot, then install it using the provided screw and drywall anchor. Not all functionality from the Classic app has migrated to Samsung’s app, so to access some device settings, such as motion sensitivity, you may need to also use the Classic app. This versatile sensor monitors light, motion, humidity, UV, and vibration, making it apt for controlling a thermostat or monitoring a sensitive space. Of course, it never hurts to go with a first-party option like the Samsung SmartThings Motion Sensor, or a mobile option like the GE Z-Wave Plus Wireless Smart Sensor. It claims a 23-foot range, more than enough for any in-home application, plus you can adjust motion sensitivity (crucial if you have pets) and other parameters in the SmartThings Classic app. For example, you can use one so that if motion is detected in a hallway between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., it will turn on hallway lights, adjust a thermostat, and play music from connected speakers. Support. *At the time of publishing, the price was $60. The Fibaro fits virtually anywhere and is easy to adjust—something you may need to do a few times in order to get the ideal positioning. The Samsung SmartThings motion sensor can monitor movement in your home and send you alerts if there's unexpected activity when you're away. Get access to helpful solutions, how-to guides, owners' manuals, and product specifications for your Samsung SmartThings Motion Sensor from Samsung US Support. Unlike the Fibaro, there’s no light sensor, and you can’t adjust any settings such as sensitivity or range (it covers 15 feet with 120 degree field of view). Learn More. There is no vibration sensor, but as a contact sensor it performed well and claims an impressive 3-year battery life, a year longer than the SmartThings (we have not been able to confirm that yet). In researching this guide I spent over six months living with sensors and the SmartThings home automation platform, scoured hundreds of owner reviews and forums, and read multiple manuals, articles, and reports to understand the technology behind these devices. These smart-home devices don’t need permanent installation, so you can take them with you when you move. There are a number of different types of smart-home sensors, but for this guide we focused on three main categories: motion sensors, contact sensors, and temperature sensors. We mounted the sensor to the side of the brooder, directly under the heat lamp, and set two custom routines: one to tell us if the temperature was equal to or below 94 degrees (our Sonos speaker would say “Chicks are cool” and a lamp turned blue), and one to tell us if the temperature was equal to or above 103 degrees (the speaker would say “Chicks are hot” and the lamp turned red). Changes in temperature and humidity can trigger a thermostat to adjust, a smart-plug enabled fan or heater to turn on, or smart blinds to lower or raise. When he's not writing about smart home gadgets and wearables, he's defending his relationship with his smart voice assistants to his family. It doesn’t come with both; you need to choose which you want when you purchase it (or buy the additional mount separately). There are a lot of ring models with similar names, but one that does have SmartThings integration is the floodlight combined with the camera combined with the motion sensor. It alerts me when there is a motion outside my house and is expecially helpful when you are away from your home. Your evening wind-down just got easier. The one downside we encountered was when testing the vibration sensor feature for use in a SmartThings’ Door Knocker automation, which sends a push notification if someone knocks on your door. We're always working on something new and we'd be happy to keep you up to date with … There are a lot of cases for the Galaxy Tab A that aim to keep your device protected while looking good at the same time. Some motion and contact sensors have temperature sensors built-in, so depending on where you want to measure temperature, you might not have to buy a separate device. A large, configurable LED provides an extra layer of information without your needing to open an app. It also allows a slightly wider gap than the SmartThings Multipurpose, up to 5/8 inch, but the small magnet has to be placed in precisely the right spot for the contact to occur, making it more finicky. A hub connects otherwise-incompatible smart-home devices but for most people they’re no longer necessary—Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri do the job fine. SmartThings. We set up similar routines and actions for each device and went about daily life with a family of four people and two pets. I didn’t buy the hub Sonoff and I knew that it was a risk but I had faith … Well, door/window sensor work fine, without problem, but the temp sensor is seen as motion sensor … They integrate with other smart devices to trigger things like lights, plugs, speakers, and thermostats based on condition changes. We also liked the ability to set a motion detection blind time (so a routine set to run more than once wouldn’t trigger just a few seconds later), which only the Aeotec Tri-sensor and Multisensor also offered (see the competition section). To test the sensors, we installed them in a 4-bedroom, 2,500 square foot home with three exterior doors. It detects both motion and temperature and is water resistant. Aeotec TriSensor, Z-Wave Plus S2 Enabled Zwave Motion Sensor, Temperature, Light Sensor, Work with Zwave Hub Smartthings 3-in 1 Security System, Battery Powered 4.1 out of 5 stars 165 $44.99 $ 44 . Aeotec offers a more traditional door/window sensor (Gen 5) but it’s not Z-Wave Plus–compatible. Jeramy is proud to help Keep Austin Weird and loves hiking in the hill country of central Texas with a breakfast taco in each hand. Each of our test sensors triggered this with no issues, but Fibaro’s form factor and LED indicator made it a stand out. It’s good-looking, with an unobtrusive shape, and is one of the smallest contact sensors we tested. Find out more and save 10% on smart home. A door that knows when to lock itself "I put a SmartThings Multipurpose Sensor … Today I received the two new device Sonoff I ordered one month ago, temp sensor SNZB-02 and door/window sensor SNZB-04. Take these steps to protect your home from mishaps and intruders when you leave for vacation. It also has temperature and vibration sensors inside, so it can alert you or act as a trigger to other smart devices if a room or area is too hot or too cold. It can be recess mounted as well, making it good for controlling your thermostat, but we think the MultiSensor’s USB power option gives it an advantage, as it’s a device you’ll want to set and forget. That way you can adjust easily to make sure you’re detecting what you need before making the installation more permanent. BeSense Ceiling Motion Detector. With SmartThings, you can use a motion sensor to keep watch over areas of your home, allowing you to receive alerts, sound an alarm, unlock a door, or even just turn on a light. Out for a run? The most expensive device we tested, Fibaro’s Z-Wave motion sensor has a 23-foot range and adjustable motion sensitivity to tailor it to your home. and blinks on movement, winking at you like an eyeball when you walk past (in a non-creepy way). We have found the best options that money can buy while keeping the Tab A safe from life. This does … Its versatile design means you can also mount it in the ceiling or power it with a USB cable and an AC adapter and never have to worry about the battery running out. We found that the best sensors in each category can function as multiple products, often adding three or more detection abilities in one device: More than half of the contact and motion sensors we tested also monitored temperature, some could sense light intensity (lux) and UV, and others could sense vibration and humidity, giving you lots of potential trigger points to make your home super smart. Thanks to their small size and long battery life, sensors can generally be placed anywhere. Product requires ADT Security Hub to work with ADT Professional … Editor’s Rating: 4.6/5. Aeotec’s MultiSensor 6 does it all (except let you turn off its piercing LED light). Here’s a quick rundown of what each of those types of sensors can do: Small, battery-powered devices that can mount to a wall or ceiling or sit on a flat surface, motion sensors are useful for triggering lights and/or smart-home routines where multiple devices are daisy-chained together. SMARTTHINGS … 2021. Less than 2 inches in diameter, this 4-in-1 sensor detects motion, temperature, light (measured as lux), and vibration, and it has a cool-looking, colorful LED indicator. Aeotec TriSensor, Z-Wave Plus S2 Enabled Zwave Motion Sensor, Temperature, Light Sensor, Work with Zwave Hub Smartthings 3-in 1 Security System, Battery Powered 4.0 out of 5 stars 158 $44.99 $ 44 . We also found the magnetic mount was weak, so it was easy to knock off when positioned at standing height. They’re used because they’re energy efficient (and so support long battery life) but also rely on a mesh wireless connection, which means each device shares its connection with the sensors closest to it so nothing goes out of range (a huge issue with many wireless devices). You're in luck because we picked the best you can choose from. (If you’re interested primarily in sensors for a DIY home security system, see The Best Home Security System; other environmental sensors are covered in these Wirecutter guides: The Best Smart Smoke Detector and The Best Water Leak Detector.). Motion sensors can also trigger based on the lack of motion, so lights will turn off if no one is in the room. We tried this automation with all the devices that monitor temperature and liked Aeotec’s Multisensor 6 best due to its adjustable mount and the ability to sense humidity. Motion Sensor. SmartThings Hub (2018) $ 69.99. We determined that, in most cases, devices offering both tape and hardware mounting options were best, because you can use the tape to find the right spot and then secure the sensor properly with hardware once you know you want it to stay. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. This triangle-shaped sensor is as thin as a piece of cardboard and fits snugly in the upper corner of a door, making it very unobtrusive. Wirecutter is reader-supported. Here are a couple of tips to learn which model you have! … That makes it extremely versatile: you can just as easily keep tabs on the doors and windows of a rental property as a precious liquor cabinet. This new technology will extend the battery life of Z-Wave devices to upwards of 10 years while also increasing their range. Learn more. Temperature sensors can also alert you to an exterior door that has been left open or monitor a space that needs to be climate-controlled (a baby’s room, a wine cellar, or an artist’s studio). LEARN MORE. Devices with the new Z-Wave 700 chip will arrive by the end of the year, according to Mitchell Klein of the Z-Wave Alliance. While you may not be living with baby chicks in your bathroom, this type of automation could also be applied to a greenhouse or a wine cellar, beer cave, gallery, or any similar area where slight changes in temperature could be problematic or even catastrophic. It covers a 180-degree view range and can be placed up to 150 feet away from your SmartThings hub. One early device with a 700 chip is a contact sensor from Sensitive. Smartthings … “To get a smart home, you need sensors.”. As a journalist and editor for two decades, I write about the smart home and connected living for Dwell Magazine, The Ambient, U.S. News World & Report, Success Magazine, and Digitized House, among others. The Smartthings Motion sensor is great if you have a strong ZigBee network and want to add motion sensing and a temperature monitoring to a room in your SmartHome. There were a number of devices we considered but discounted because they didn’t meet one or more of our requirements. Mitchell Klein, executive director, Z-Wave Alliance, phone interview, February 22, 2019, Hugh Langley, Smart home sensors: A guide to everything you need to know, The Ambient, April 22, 2019, Cees Links, Smart Home Sensors Differ From Other Types, Sensors Mag, January 13, 2017, Julie Jacobson, The Very First Z-Wave 700 Series Home-Automation Product, CEPro, January 9, 2019. To narrow down our testing for this guide, we focused only on sensors that are natively compatible with SmartThings (meaning you don’t need to use device handlers—code you input in a web browser to allow your device to talk to your hub properly). We set a custom automation for all the motion sensors we tested: If motion is detected, between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. (only once per day), then turn on the living room and kitchen lights and radio and kettle (all connected to smart plugs). The Ecolink Z-Wave Plus Motion Detector is large and has a fixed 4-5 minute reset time, which really only makes it suitable as a security device since it will ignore you for large chunks of time after triggering once. For instance, if you want both a motion and temperature sensor in one room, you can do that with one device. That can be as simple as sending an alert to let you know that a door opened, or more complex, like having a pet door closing trigger a smart-home routine. With stiff competition in the mid-range market, it's clear that Samsung wants to compete and the S20 FE is fantastic. SmartThings Motion Sensor. A hub also wirelessly connects your devices together and to the internet, which lets you interact with or control them from outside your home. The Smartthings Motion sensor works great, I have some in my house, but it is indoor rated only. 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Connected devices to upwards of 10 years while also increasing their range alerts me when is..., humidity, light, UV, and size as top priorities market... To turn … Build a smart home size and long battery life sensors! This Samsung SmartThings Android Central 2021 6 gets full marks for ingenuity square foot with... Your big moments at standing height sensor at best buy have problems, so was! Is expecially helpful when you leave for vacation need sensors. ” more efficient plugs,,! Is easy to knock off when positioned at standing height need sensors. ”, set guest passcode with SmartThings battery! Life and a 45 foot range, but also temperature, light, and vibration—and its versatile design for... Use only humidity, light, UV, and temperature sensors act like the eyes ears. Fe and the S20 FE is fantastic and temperature and is expecially helpful when you are away from home! The coolest looking, most functional motion sensor is also one of the bunch smartthings motion sensor...