In this article, we will review a door and window sensor from Aqara. So in this video, what we’ll do is we’ll look at some of the hardware features of the device, we’ll look at how to set it up in the Aqara app and in the Mi Home app. We’ll look at some of the things we can do with it in both of those apps as well as in Apple’s Home app. And at the end, I’ll give you our final thoughts on the device.
What’s in the Box
So let’s see what’s in the box. As you might have guessed, this is a door and window sensor, which is also known as a contact sensor that works over Zigbee, which means you will need the Aqara hub in order to have the device work either with HomeKit or without. It can also act as a trigger for the 120 decibel alarm which is included in the Aqara hub. It does have a 22 millimeter clearance between the main unit and the magnet with a user replaceable CR1632 battery, which should get you about two years of life before you need to replace the battery. It has a pretty wide operating temperature between negative ten degrees Celsius and 45 degrees Celsius, which is a little bit wider than we’ve seen in some other contact sensors, although the operating humidity is approximately the same.
Setting up the Device
Let’s get into setting up the device using either the Aqara app or the Mi Home app. So in order to use this device, we do need to connect it to an Aqara hub, and that’s easily done using the Aqara Home app or the Mi Home app by tapping the plus button at the top right, locating the device and waiting for this prompt ready to connect to child devices. So what we’ll do now is we’ll tap and hold the reset button on the top of the device itself for about 3 seconds until we get this prompt child device connected Bingo!! So either the Aqara app or the Me Home app will then walk you through the next steps of naming the device, putting it into a room and sharing it with people, going through all the terms and conditions. Now, let’s stick this thing to a door, shall we? So this does mount using double sided tape, which is included on the unit itself, but it also has some extras that are included in the box, which is a nice touch for all you Eagle Eye viewers out there.
Features in Aqara Home App
Let’s look at what we can do with this device in the Aqara Home app. So there are a few features in the Aqara Home app that are not available in Apple’s Home app and the first of which are activity logs. So, as you can see, we do have daily and weekly activity logs of wind. This sensor was open and closed. Unfortunately, these logs aren’t exportable, but we do have access to them through the Aqara app. We can also adjust how the contact sensor is represented in the Aqara Home app. Meaning we can change the name, what room it’s in, if it’s on the Home page, the icon, et cetera, et cetera. Now one of the best things in my opinion at least about the Aqara app are the conditions in its automation set. So not only are we able to set automations based on the sensor opening and closing, but also the sensor being open or closed. So not just actions, but rather states as well above and beyond that, we also have the ability to set conditions based on a duration of time that the sensor has been opened or closed, which really makes this powerful. And this is actually something I’d really like to see to come to HomeKit. One of the downsides, however, to this whole thing is that these automations and the scenes are only available if you’re signed into the Aqara Home app. However, if you want to use the security system features properly in HomeKit, you’ll need to sign out and sign into HomeKit mode. The great thing about this, however, is that all of your automations that you set up while signed into the Aqara Home app will still run in the background.
Using the Device in Mi Home App
Turning our attention now to the Mi Home app, there’s not a whole lot of difference between what we can do with the Aqara door window sensor between the two apps. And it looks pretty much the same, at least in terms of the settings. And that would make a lot of sense because it does seem that a lot of what’s going on in the Aqara Home app comes directly from the Mi Home app. Let’s look at our automations here. And the first thing that we notice is that the Mi Home app does use the if this, then that formula just like in the Aqara Home app which makes things a little bit easier for us in terms of setting up our rules and our conditions and these sorts of things. One thing that we do notice also is that in the Mi Home app we have reduced condition sets for the door and window sensor. I’m not exactly sure why that is, but it does seem to be the case. On a final note here you’ll notice as we go through setting up this automation that when we get to that part of the if this, then that formula that we don’t have any of our HomeKit accessories to control, this is a big downside for me. Although the Aqara Hub and the contact sensor are exposed to HomeKit, we can only control devices using the Mi Home app and the Aqara Home app that are connected either to the Hub and in the case of the Mi Home app, within the Mi Home system.
Using the Device in HomeKit App
Speaking of HomeKit, let’s look at what we can do with the contact sensor in Apple’s Home app. If we’re being completely honest, there’s not a lot to talk about when it comes to contact sensors in Apple’s Home app. Of course, we can get the notifications, we can see the state of the contact sensor, but that’s really about it. We can also set up automation. So we’ll add an automation, we’ll tap a sensor, detect something, and we can see that we have actions that we can base our automation on, whether they open or close. Now, we do have the option to add time conditions and people conditions, but those are really applicable to any other automation that we might add. So I would like to see some of the features that we saw with the Aqara Home app and the Mi Home apps added to HomeKit.
Our take on installation and performance
After having a few months to play with the Aqara door and window sensor, I can definitely say it is now my go to home kit contact sensor for a number of reasons, the first of which is its size. This thing is tiny. We can really attach it not only to windows and doors, but really any surface that has a stationary part and then also a moving part, which gives us quite a bit of flexibility being able to put it may be on washers and dryers to get notifications when our clothes are done. We can also maybe add it to cabinets and get any area that maybe one of the larger contact sensors just isn’t suitable for. Another reason why the Aqara window sensor has now become my Go to HomeKit contact sensor is its speed. This thing is blazingly fast because it does use Zigbee using the Aqara Hub. The connection is just super quick and it’s always been abig gripe of mine with some of the other HomeKit contact sensors is that they use Bluetooth, which is fine, but there is that kind of lag as the Bluetooth connection is made and it does take a few extra moments. You don’t have that issue with Zigbee.
Tips for mounting the Sensor
There are a couple of things about the Aqara Door window sensor that I wasn’t a big fan of, the first of which is not so much an issue with the Aqara window sensor, but just kind of contact sensors in general. And it’s the surfaces that you’re attaching them to. Now, if one of those surfaces happens to be steel, you’re going to have issues with connectivity. What I mean by that is that since it does use a magnet, if one of the surfaces of steel, it’s going to potentially give you a false reading. For example, my door jam of my doors in my house are made of steel. The doors are wood. So if the main unit of the contact sensor is on the door jam, it’s going to give me a false reading. This is easily remedied by simply swapping the main unit and the magnet of the contact sensor and you should be good to go. Another issue that I did encounter with the Aqara window sensor is that it doesn’t really factor in differences in the surfaces that you may be attaching it to. So for example, if you have a window or a door whose frame isn’t exactly flush with the door or the window itself, then you can have issues with the magnet and the main unit of the sensor kind of lining up correctly. So this is easily resolved by adding a bit of material between the adhesive that you have on the surface and then the adhesive that you have on the sensor itself. Not exactly an ideal fix, but it does work in a jiffy.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Aqara door and window sensor is a versatile and powerful device that offers a wide range of capabilities and features for both smart home enthusiasts and security-conscious users. The sensor’s hardware is well-designed and durable, with a wide operating temperature range and long battery life. Setting up the device is easy and straightforward, and the Aqara and Mi Home apps provide a user-friendly interface for controlling and automating the sensor. The sensor’s activity logs, automation capabilities, and integration with HomeKit make it an excellent choice for monitoring and securing doors and windows. Overall, the Aqara door and window sensor is a reliable and useful addition to any smart home ecosystem.
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