8 SmartThings Motion Sensors Reviewed! FULL Comparison

[@paulhibbert]

Ooooooh the Zigbeeeeeeeeee!!!!

[@AutomateYourLife]

Ohhhhh nooooo

[@pokastore1760]

Can someone review bulbs that dim at certain times of days (say through your google routines) but don’t come on if they are off as a lot of them do as its very annoying. Say I want all bulbs at 50% brightness at 18:00 some brands will also turn the bulb on and not just set the brightness to 50% for when I turn the bulb on or a sensor turns a bulb on. LIFX is the best I found so far but pairing the damn things are so annoying

[@CCCC-tq8yo]

Who is Paul again?

[@diegowlp]

Paul you are the best!

[@CCCC-tq8yo]

@@diegowlp who is Paul

[@robertscott3686]

Ohh the zigbee! There, I said it!

[@AutomateYourLife]

LOL arrrrgh!!! 🤣🤣

[@oldsklminitrk]

You beat me to it!

[@ChrisS-oo6fl]

Home assistant...Home Assistant...Home Assistant!!

[@luisnouel3407]

Oh, I forgot...OH the zigbee 🤣🤣🤣 would you do a similar video with other sensors?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Yessir! It's on the list :)

[@mikkybricks]

Oooooh, the Zigbeeeeeee

[@AutomateYourLife]

lol! OH NOOOO!

[@BBalasa]

Great Review with fine details , I was particularly interested in the cool down period. You generally dont get that information from the product catalogue.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Right? And that's SUCH a big deal! Glad folks are finding this format useful.

[@Zedve]

Hey there. Sorry but i will need to correct (or not) some things about the Aqara motion sensor. I'm using Homey and not SmartThings. But the cooldown time on homey, you can program this from 1 sec to almost endless. The Aqara motion sensor also works fine on repeater. Pairing, no problems discovered. Here on homey it is not cloud connected. I can control it localy. For my bathroom automation, i needed a motion sensor that i can program with a very small cooldown time. This one did the trick. No soldering needed. Just a setting in homey. Hope i helped out in some way with my bad english.

[@AutomateYourLife]

That's a great feature with Honey there having that option. Must be something with ST then!

[@Zedve]

Definitely check this product out. I think you will like it. homey.app

[@jeremygilroy5593]

Hey, I believe ur a fellow Albertian....I'm in Calgary. Come back to this video as I was having a problem with my ERIA motion sensor. I picked it up as per your recommendation but I had a lot of problems with it falsing and causing my alarm system to go off. I've come back to it resetting it and trying again and wondering what driver you're using that you find works the best. Also an you also point me in the direction of the best video to use for understanding on how to load edge drivers into my V2 and V3 hubs? Again I'm a big fan of your videos and watch everyone, each one is very informative

[@AutomateYourLife]

Hmmmmmm, this sucks. Sorry man. It sounds like to me that you've got a bad one if it thinks it's seeing things that aren't there. The other option is you've got it pointed at something that's providing heat that's moving. Remember, PIR sees infrared, which can be heat in some cases. So my advice would be to try and take it out of the alarm system for a bit and then point it at a wall to see if it's falsely triggering. If it still is, I'd talk to Eria direct and get a new one. As for Edge: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iX_MZ3V_nbyCq5I Thanks too! And hi!

[@jeremygilroy5593]

@@AutomateYourLife Hey Brian, thanks for responding so quickly. I did take the motion sensor out of the security and that's why I'm doing every add back in with new drivers. Can you recommend the best device handler for the ERIA motion sensor. What specific handler are you using? Are you using one of the edge drivers for the ERIA?

[@ThorsteinnTB]

Philips hue sensors do have illuminaton sensor as well. I use one in combination with Smartthings sensor in a hall with two light zones to decide if any of the zones should turn on. I had IKEA sensors in my kitchen to adjust the lights in each working space, but I replaced them with vibration sensors in the table. The IKEA sensors are now doing a great job in rooms where I dont have to worry about cooldown time or illuminaton.

[@AutomateYourLife]

What are you using for your DH for your Hue? I don't have illumination still and haven't found another that's as fast in terms of its response. So I'd love to take some code and pop together a new DH with Illumination and the response rate I have. :)

[@ThorsteinnTB]

​@@AutomateYourLife the DH I am using is written by Bogdan Alexe. github.com/bogdanalexe90/hueMotionSensor/blob/master/devicetypes/bogdanalexe90/hue-motion-sensor.src/hue-motion-sensor.groovy In line 19 You have to change "generic-motion" to "generic-motion-4" and if you are using the outdoor sensor, you need to change the modell to SML002 in line 29. Only thing I worry about is the possibility to update the firmware.

[@migithot71]

@@ThorsteinnTB @automate your life this makes the Hue great value for money in the UK (£35). To get light, temperature and motion the aeotec tri sensor comes in at £44 but this might get better firmware and SmartThings support. The hue however does have the option for native use with HomeKit through the hue bridge of course it doesn’t work with SmartThings then but you have both options!

[@SW-tech]

Thanks Brian, your thoroughness and dedication is epic! Very useful too, I'll check out the Aotech 👍

[@AutomateYourLife]

Enjoy!! That's a pretty crazy sensor.

[@TristynRusselo]

PRO TIP : for users with pets, mount the motion sensor at or above waist height (or above dog's height) and angle the sensor towards the ceiling. I stick the magent of samsung motion sensors on the top screw of a wall switch and angle the sensor about 30 degrees from horizontal, this allows the sensor to see straight across the room at 4.5 feet high. anything below that level is not seen. Flat (horizontal) on a table/counter top works too.

[@BusinessButlers]

I have two Aqara motion sensors and using the most recommended Device Handler for SmartThings, the sensor is pretty much instantaneous and not a 2 minute delay. I suspect therefore that the delay is set by the handler and is not hard wired into the device. I have one in my living room and it is set to turn on an uplighter if I detects my entering the room. I dozed off in my chair and since I didn't move, it switched off the uplighter (another routine ( set up) . I was not fully asleep so I waved my hands immediately and it switched the uplighter back on straight away. I do not know for certain if that isn't a feature of the Alexa Routines I used where you can specify the time period if motion is not deteted before triggering the routine action step. So I am pretty satisfied that my little Aqara motion sensors are doing great. The only disapointments of Aquara products and SmartThings is that the prominsing little multifunction button they have will not detect all 11 of the different triggers and Alexa cannot see it at all, so it is practically useless except if you do the routine within SmartThings but v few of my Wifi devices (plugs, switches, bulbs) are linked to SmartThings so I cannot use those in a SmartThings routine. Oh and the dinky little temperature and humidity sensor works well, is visible in Alexa BUT it cannot currently be used as a trigger in Alexa routines (whereas the Aqara motion sensors and their door/window sensor can be used as triggers.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Oh I think what you're confusing there is the difference between a cooldown and a delay. The response is instantaneous, but I have a cooldown of 2 minutes to re-see another motion trigger. Some others have said that it's been 1 minute for them, but I've had others tell me 2 minutes is what they experience as well. Sounds like you're ready for our next video about these sensors in Alexa!

[@mikkybricks]

I love my Aqara sensors. Bought them from Aliexpress and took 35days to get delivered. Ooh the Zigbee

[@AutomateYourLife]

With SmartThings Michael? I haven't had a great response from those.

[@mikkybricks]

Thanks for letting me know about the cool-off period...i was already beginning to think it was a malfunctioning unit when it doesn't activate my kitchen lights sometimes after being in and out of the coverage area

[@millschristophe9865]

Oooooh the ZIGBEE

[@mikkybricks]

@@AutomateYourLife i have them integrated with smartthings to light up my kitchen counters when motion is detected between 4pm and 7am. I got 2 on Aliexpress for the price one 1 on amazon.ca The device handler was pretty neat and integration was seamless.

[@bimodal]

@@AutomateYourLife I use 7 of them with ST, many of them via repeaters. The IKEA repeaters (range extenders or sockets) work a treat with Xiaomi kit (over 20 of the aqara door/window sensors, too) but any other repeaters will cause problems.

[@lance3198]

That had to be an exhausting video to make! Really informative and well timed as one of the top performers isn't available.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Bang on comment Lance. I'm bushed...going to nap, but I'm so happy this is hitting the mark for so many!

[@hometechUK]

I so want a motion sensor but Google stops me from getting one, untill a motion sensor can trigger a Google Routine. Will this ever happen, this year?

[@plumberken2008]

I want this too, a motion or a contact sensor

[@AutomateYourLife]

It must.

[@WalkingEmDry]

Hue motion with the latest edge driver is a thing of beauty

[@AutomateYourLife]

Oh man, I gotta redo this video!

[@NikiHeyligenGrana]

Great video, very useful. Could you do a similar video on the SmartThings Multipurpose Sensor and alternatives? I'm not really happy with the Fibaro alternative and the SmartThings one is no longer available, so I'm wondering what you think :).

[@AutomateYourLife]

Yep! It's on the schedule!😀 Thanks!

[@coy9898]

Have u heard anything about the future of smart things now that Samsung is working a lot more with google? I watched your videos on hubs but smart things seemed like the best option cause I’m primarily in the google ecosystem.

[@AutomateYourLife]

I've always promoted a SmartThings 1st approach to automation. And our next video will be all about this! :) You're on to the right path in my opinion!

[@TristynRusselo]

i bought a bunch of Aqara sensors, returned them after a week. The device handlers were horrible. very unreliable. pairing sucked, never able to pair the button device. did not try their motion. i had the button, temp/humidity, leak detector.

[@AutomateYourLife]

That's not far off what I've experienced in lots of cases. I had some luck with the motion, but it was varied at best.

[@houstonshomeautomation3524]

Whe worst OOOHH cool down is if you use the smart THE things camera as a motion sensor. No lie the cooldown time is ZIGBY!!! at LEAST 3 minutes

[@AutomateYourLife]

Wait a second...is there a hidden message!?

[@zandadoum]

this certainly speaks against smartthings... zigbee devices that require cloud? not working when internet goes down? what? that doesn't make any sense. they require a HUB and nothing else. maybe your hub requires cloud? time to move to home assistant maybe with a bit of DIY in the mix? pure offline (aka: home LAN) with any of those devices. also: if you have trouble with connecting your endpoint sensors through a routing device like a powerplug... maybe try a different brand? i know that phillips hue zigbee devices don't like xiaomi routers, but they work just fine with silvercrest (LIDL) for example.

[@AutomateYourLife]

SmartThings is going 100% local this year and many of the automations still work locally. You just have to know how to use it.

[@frostythebeerman6324]

I'm a newbie, and you are jumping from different company to different company, knowing a bit more today, what you're not telling us, is that if you go with any of these devices, the maker wants you to buy *THEIR* hub. Case and point the Aqara motion sensor. It will not work with any hub. You must buy their hub. So once you choose a device you're buying into that company's eco-system. A few days ago when I watched this video for the first time, I thought any and all devices you had there would work with any hub, and that includes my Amazon Echo Show 10 2nd gen. It has a Zigbee hub.... but it will not see that Aqara motion sensor for example. It would be awesome if you did a totally beginner video and really break it down for dummies like me who are so new to this. Thanks for reading this !

[@AutomateYourLife]

Hey Frosty, So this video is specifically for using these motion sensors WITH SmartThings. The Aqara sensor didn't perform amazing here, but some folks have got it working. There's a video on my channel that shows motion sensors with Amazon. I used the Echo 4th Gen, but it's the same zigbee hub as your Amazon Echo Show 10. Watch this one instead: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a3-QenSIadFqi80

[@StephanHeinrichsen]

I'm not a SmartThings user, but how can a locally connected Zigbee device, be a cloud device? That doesn't make any sense. Using Homey and Hubitat this seems foreign to me. EDIT: Using the Ikea sensor in Deconz, there's a cooldown of 60 seconds, which is the lowest I have seen, so I suspect your hubs support are very poor.

[@AutomateYourLife]

It's not truly cloud connected in most cases. They're taking a special device handler that's stored in what's called the IDE. You gotta know how SmartThings works to get it really

[@jimplanchet5457]

Tried to buy the product. What a nightmare. Site crashes, redacts the information I submit, and recycles and denies my efforts. Seems this device is OUT of Bulgaria, with no real local support (Las Vegas address, tried calling, tried emailing, no good). Seems like the Las Vegas contact is rich irony, dealing with them is a crapshoot!

[@AutomateYourLife]

Which product Jim?

[@nos4nus1]

Q: What about the Wyze motion sensor? Is it possible to use the Ring motion sensor? I want to put sensors in my bathrooms, kitchen, laundry and garage. And...do I have to use ST? Because I stuck with a Wink hub (for now)

[@AutomateYourLife]

All the answers to Wyze/Ring are dependent on the hub you use, so it's tough for me to answer. Wyze doesn't go into anything but Wyze, and they don't even sell the basic sensor anymore. Sooo...drop the idea of that one entirely

[@BlackMamba-tg9lj]

The Eria is unreliable. I own it but don't use it anymore. I was having issues with it disconnecting, or resetting. Aduro tried to help and gave me all sort of developer lever solutions but even those did not last and the sensor went back to doing its own thing. I do not recommend it to anyone who wants a long-time review. I have owned it for 2+ years and it has never worked reliably, but they refused to replace because it acted up after the 90 day period..

[@AutomateYourLife]

It's still working for me...very strange. That's no good for you though

[@heidijakobsen766]

I'm confused. We have Philips Hue system but would like a cheaper sensor. But when I look at several videos, they said it wasn't compatible with hue bulbs. Is that a general thing with these sensors?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Hue only really allows their own sensors in to their app and platform. That's why I use another hub like SmartThings to allow me to bring it all together in their app instead. I can control Hue lights in the SmartThings app and through their hub, with these (and many more) sensors.

[@olegvorkunov5400]

The problem I see with all these sensors is resolution. For example, sensor placed about 8 ft away and detected full body movement. Then you sit 8 ft away from sensor and if you try move you hand a little, sensor does not detect motion, unless you get up and walk one step. That make these sensor useless for room presents detection. I cannot find anything else, which could do such a thing.

[@AutomateYourLife]

The Samsung one I find really good this way if you're looking to catch detail. Otherwise, yes, a presence sensor is not what this video is about and you'll need to keep looking.

[@stevencjones5236]

Why not GE ZW6302 Motion Sensor? Of sensors I've tried, it has fastest response time, and can be powered via Micro-USB to avoid using batteries.

[@AutomateYourLife]

I'll put that on the list for the next one too!

[@kjartanB]

The aqara sensors work great, the problem isn't them it's the Smartthings junk, before I threw the hub in the trash it took me pressing the button repeatedly to pair, connecting them with for example hubitat or home assistant takes only pressing the button for 5 seconds and few second wait no pressing the button like a madman, and they are local with other hubs/system than Smartthings, they are also extremely stable, battery in some of mine are still working after 2+ years

[@AutomateYourLife]

Good stuff. Glad you love your Aqara gear :)

[@Tiraz7]

Are there any Google Home updates that will help with the google timers and alarms? Like for instance If i set a timer in room A and then i go to room B. I cannot check my timer there. I'll have to go back to room A to check my timer... So annoying this needs to get updated I mean with so many people working from home people setting lunch and break timers and cannot check their timers as they go around the house.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Nothing I've heard yet. There's a new interface coming in for those alarms, but that's it.

[@nstg8]

You missed the ZooZ 4-in-1 sensor. Way better than any of the others you reviewed. Also... OOOOOH THE ZIGBEE!!!!

[@AutomateYourLife]

It's coming...it's COMING! I can't do all the best sensors in one video! Well I could, but then it'd be like 4 hours. ;)

[@trinoalfaro]

Hi, Bryan ! As usual, a very informative video. Please, help me with this question: Which of the mentioned motion sensors work with the zigbee hub that’s included with the Amazon Echo 4th gen ?

[@AutomateYourLife]

That's an upcoming video! I will flip these all over now and put them into Alexa :)

[@dnoland77]

@@AutomateYourLife Please do. Since Sylvania quit making their zigbee sensors, I have been unable to find a good replacement. Wyze is way too slow to respond.

[@theimpulse77]

New to home automation and I'm working on getting my head around everything. When you talk about the Aqara sensor not working well, does that mean in this situation because you're pairing it to a Smartthings hub? Would it possibly work better if it were paired to an Aqara hub?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Exactly! Those Aqara sensors work great with an Aqara hub :) However, this situation has changed a bit and soon enough the Aqara ones will work with SmartThings. We'll see how well though!

[@theimpulse77]

@@AutomateYourLife Awesome thanks! I have an Aqara hub on the way with some of their stuff and I want to get into the SmartThings system soon. This whole thing is crazy! lol

[@_andytang_]

Thank you for this great video. I've been struggling to find motion sensors to buy and use, then this video pops up!

[@AutomateYourLife]

Glad I could help!

[@rafaeldelange]

Is the Aeotec Tri sensor working as good as the Smartthings V3 sensor? Or does it have the same lag as the 6 in 1? I cannot buy the V3 anymore anywhere. What is the best alterative for the V3?

[@AutomateYourLife]

I did just do a 30 minute review of a bunch of them! It should be in here for you to figure. Also, it's going to depend on your exact use case, which I broke down towards the end. The Tri Sensor is very similar to the Aeotec in this video, so I'd follow that part of the review and just take out the extra sensors and I think you'll get the flavor there.

[@ChrisSavageEngineer]

Here's an interesting question...the Google Home Hub has a light sensor in it which dims the display based on ambient room light. Can that sensor be read by other devices to control lights?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Sadly, Google has never opened that option up. You'll be disappointed all over the place when you ask about Google sensors on their products

[@alvinleongcf]

Hey Brian, going to use smartthings with hue lights. Deciding to use hue motion sensors or smartthings motion sensor or smartthings multipurpose sensors? Any difference in setting the automations within these 3 devices? Would it be more settings using the hue sensors since it is hue lights?

[@AutomateYourLife]

If you have an ST Motion Sensor or multipurpose sensor, they natively are local devices. The Hue Motion sensor can be local with an edge driver now, but that takes some research and a few moments of your time. Hue Sensor for Hue lights doesn't mean anything if you're using ST...other than the stats I mention here.

[@PhillyDjHook]

I Googled *_Sensors capable with Samsung SmartThings_* and this video came up. I was so happy to see you at the top of the list. Even tho I already saw this video, I forgot about it and I need it now.

[@AutomateYourLife]

There's a second one in the series! Z-Wave ones! kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZmGXlXadmrGGn7M

[@PhillyDjHook]

@@AutomateYourLife Watching it now. It just came on next. Glad I didn't stop the 1st video and just went shopping LOL. Do you know if the Samsung SmartThings motion sensor, got an update, to make it have a faster cool down then 20 seconds?

[@mihaeladog7187]

“They’re not working when the internet goes down”😂😂😂 If course they don’t , they are wi fi dependent sensors .

[@AutomateYourLife]

These are all Zigbee. Situation is very different now :)

[@ContentComposer]

If I add Philips Hue motion sensor to Smartthings, is there any more a possibility to return it to Philips hue hub later?

[@AutomateYourLife]

I've done it many times! And to Alexa!

[@pdmark311]

the HUE motion sensor is much better than the Smartthings. you can't use the smart things for ambient light like HUE can.

[@AutomateYourLife]

😀

[@BoardGameQC]

Can someone help me? I'm fairly now to Smartghings and to Smart home devices. I want a smart sensor for my hallway, and I want the lights to turn off maybe a few seconds after motion is not detected. But I want them to be turned on again if motion is detect after the lights go off. What devices should I be looking for? Thanks :)

[@AutomateYourLife]

You want the shortest cooldown time possible. So when you look at the screens in this video, that's what you pick :)

[@BoardGameQC]

@@AutomateYourLife thank you! Really appreciate your help! Is there one that you would personally recommend for that? My two concerns are integration with ST and battery life

[@iordan02]

My usage of the Multisensor 6 is seriously impaired by the fact that, apart from the motion sensor, all the other sensors send out reports only once every hour when the multisensor is battery-powered. You say you used it in very complex automations. Do you always use it connected with the USB cable?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Hey Alex - Did you turn down that setting to 8 minutes? That might help!

[@iordan02]

@@AutomateYourLife which parameter are you referring? Parameters 41-45 are the ones that set a threshold for automatic reporting for each sensor, but that only works when the MultiSensor is plugged in (according to the manual). For the Aeotec TriSensor this feature works just fine on battery, but not for the MultiSensor.

[@foo2332]

I have the new model from Aqaura ("P1") with adjustable cooldown (down to 1 second!) and connected it through multiple routers all the long way from the house to the carport: Conbee II -> Lidl Plug -> Lidl plug -> Ledvance Bulb -> Aqara P1 Motion sensor So the signal to switch on the carport light on motion is traveling a really long way: Aqara -> Ledvance -> Lidl -> Lidl -> Conbee -> HomeAssistant -> Node-RED (switching decision) -> HomeAssistant -> Conbee -> Lidl -> Lidl -> two Ledvance bulbs. It is switching reliably and nearly instant. I paired all the devices directly next to the conbee and then brought them out to their mounting positions, the mesh formed without problems and the Aqara found its nearest router and its long routing path automatically. Btw the same is true for Aqara door sensors and Aqara climate sensors, after some time they automatically find the next Lidl-Plug or Ikea-Plug and route just fine, I also observed that they will change their routes on their own after a day or so when they find a better router (I observed this when adding a few additional plugs around the house for xmas LED-light strings). No problems so far with Aqara devices and routing.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Glad you're having luck with that one :)

[@niravniel561]

Myabe its not related to this video, but can you recommend on a security siren that work Zigbee (my whole devices are zigbee) and have some different chime that I can use, for door open etc ? thanks for the help

[@AutomateYourLife]

I actually haven't tested a zigbee siren. I have a couple of Z-Wave ones and I'm actually testing a Zooz one that I'm SUPER excited about.

[@niravniel561]

@@AutomateYourLife Zooz is DOME siren ? I read that it need a specific DH in order to work with few chime, is that correct?

[@SirCharlesLikesChurros]

Which one has the shortest cooldown? And is there a non-battery motion sensor that can just be plugged in to an outlet? I'm guessing if there is, that one would have like 1 second cooldown right?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Soooo this video has all the cooldowns in it doesn't it? Plus there's a spreadsheet. There's also a plug in one in this video. If you can't find what you want here, check this other video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZmGXlXadmrGGn7M

[@SirCharlesLikesChurros]

@@AutomateYourLife The video was great, but it is pretty old(in tech perspective hahaha) so I thought I'd asked in case there was a new brand that had come out with a better cooldown or if any of the ones you showed had gotten a better cooldown after a software update or new version release.

[@garybenhart]

Why did you review/compare the Aeotec Multisensor 6 ($ 60.99) instead of the Aeotec TriSensor ($ 44.99), which is a more comparable device to the zigbee devices that were included in your review? The Aeotec TriSensor only measures motion, temperature and light.

[@AutomateYourLife]

ehhhh, I like the multi!

[@DELCOJAWN]

@@AutomateYourLife Sounds like Gary wants to buy you the TriSensor for your next sensor review to me....lol

[@garybenhart]

Unfortunately, a novice smart home viewer will watch this video and easily think that z-wave devices are a lot more expensive than zigbee devices, like double or triple the price. That can easily happen when you don't carefully review/compare similar products. Many of the products being reviewed here are also off-brands (certainly not Aeotec).

[@BBalasa]

Superb Review of the range of sensors , my second view gave me more answers than my first view.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Great that it's helping you still. It really does take a bit of time to get through this stuff and pick the right thing! Glad you're putting in the time to get it right.

[@antben]

Which one would you recommend to monitor the amount of time per day of human presence in a room? Thanks

[@AutomateYourLife]

I think you want a presence sensor to know that :) So none!

[@oleksandrilyin2447]

whats up u know who do same thing what u do and his live at new york im need find some one here im want information

[@AutomateYourLife]

nobody I know

[@StarkillerRadio]

Just by suggesting Paul, you just made his ego grow bigger than Justin Trudeau's

[@AutomateYourLife]

ahahahahhaha, I don't mind that!

[@mr.t595]

Hi , do you know if ikea work direct with echo plus? ( no through ikea hub)

[@AutomateYourLife]

I do know! Answer: Saturday.

[@DELCOJAWN]

Thanks Brian...this topic definitely needed some coverage. 👍

[@AutomateYourLife]

You bet! Thanks John!

[@TristynRusselo]

TP-Kasa (tp link) is going to be releasing a bunch of SmartThings replacements. The were announced for CES. They even are going to release a wall switch /motion sensor combo.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Yessir!

[@millschristophe9865]

Can ya tell w/us what a good motion sensor w/out a need for a Hub ? Thanks 🙏🏻

[@AutomateYourLife]

Sadly, none. WiFi consumes too much battery in most cases. Here's the reason you need a hub in most cases to do anything with a motion sensor anyways: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b4jPiH2Gf7lkm9U You could try HomeKit but even then, you probably want a hub to handle the Bluetooth sensors there. I'd used an Onvis one for some time but definitely liked it better when I had a HomeKit Hub.

[@faengelm]

The Echo Flex with motion sensor doesn't need a hub, but only works with Alexa. You could use an Alexa Routine to set a virtual switch as an interface to SmartThings

[@AutomateYourLife]

@@faengelm That's actually a REALLY great suggestion!

[@360_tours]

nothing lasts a few years. After being triggered so many times it wont last that long

[@AutomateYourLife]

My Hue sensor's is at 89% battery since this video and it's triggered at least 20 times a day. That's a low estimate too!

[@WatchRob]

This video is 4 months old, when do the new Aeotec SmartThings sensors come out!!

[@AutomateYourLife]

Ohhhh you know what Rob. I just saw them a few days ago at Best Buy but then they were pulled. It's soon.

[@WatchRob]

@@AutomateYourLife Amen! I have been waiting to add a couple multipurpose sensors and a motion sensor for my garage. Thanks and keep us posted! And keep up the great work!

[@richardglazer7813]

Have you tried the Shelly motion detector. Supposedly it does not go to sleep.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Haven't! Shipping is $70 USD up to Canada and I won't do that.

[@diegowlp]

Quick question people, I have the Echo with Hub (4th gen), will all of these work?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Stay tuned. Video on it's way :)

[@diegowlp]

​@@AutomateYourLife I bought this SONOFF one, took me 90 minutes to finally hook into alexa's hub.

[@raymondbailey2142]

Looking for a way to set up motion sensors with out my cats turning the lights on and off when they walk in/out of the room.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Something I'm working on actually.

[@raymondbailey2142]

@@AutomateYourLife I'm wondering about giving the sensors tunnel vision by putting them in some sort of closure that blocks the bottom and sides of it thereby narrowing its field of vision?

[@karllaun2427]

Is there a SmartThings sensor suitable for use outdoors? I want to use one for my front porch to turn on the light and notify when someone approaches. It would be sheltered for the most part.

[@AutomateYourLife]

There is. I'm actually testing one at the moment. Most sensors like these will give you false readings though outdoors, as there's a lot of IR light changes outdoors right?

[@fvntn]

Could you please tell us the name?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Zooz

[@102179mark]

You didn't mention (I don't think) the illumination sensor in the Phillips hue sensor. Does it not come through when linking to Smartthings? I purchased one of the Aeotec Multi Sense 6 sensors. The delay in the triggering automatiins drives me absolutely mad. Also the illumination sensor in it, in my experience is useless. It rarely registers anything. I wanted something to trigger only when it's dark, and well....it doesn't. Also it has adjustable range... but the range is too far apart. One setting it doesn't trigger until you're right up on it (granted now that I think about it that might be due to the delay), and the other goes too far and turns on the lights when someone walks down the hallway across the door opening. I will say I do love the wired aspect of it though. I have it plugged into the USB port on the back of a Wyze cam and it works great.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Yeah so a number of folks have talked about the illumination on the Hue Sensor, but I don't have it in ST. Might look for another option for my device handler, but it's not there for me now! As for the Aeotec, that's some great experience you shared there! Lots of folks will benefit from that.

[@ojw629]

Where can I buy the SmartThings motion sensor? Is it the same as the aotec

[@AutomateYourLife]

Yep! Just get the Aeotec one. Samsung stopped making it themselves and pushed it to Aeotec.

[@RobReacts1]

I use the Aqara motion sensors. They can take a few attempts to connect to ST hub but work so well and only cost like £10 or less!

[@AutomateYourLife]

Some people just seem to have such great success with these. I just haven't and I wonder if it's my sensors specifically!

[@RobReacts1]

@@AutomateYourLife my thing also was that I couldn't justify £20+ on a motion sensor. But your certainly right about them being tricky to pair. I had to get a device handler and they just take a few tries pressing the tiny button.

[@MIkeDeltaVictor]

On the tradfri, I can't get smartthings to locate the motion sensor. Can it directly or do I need the ikea hub?

[@AutomateYourLife]

You don't need the Ikea hub! Just having an issue with that one for some reason

[@MIkeDeltaVictor]

@@AutomateYourLife I bought the last 2 left. Hopefully for the purposes of making sure my trip wasn't in vain, I'll try the 2nd one. A rival reviewer stated it cannot work with IFTTT but I dont see why not if its merely a routine.

[@MIkeDeltaVictor]

How do you reset it?

[@MIkeDeltaVictor]

Update, they both are now recognized by the ST hub and thus are in my alexa/echo. But one now doesnt reset after detecting motion. It doesn't reset into no motion after 40 minutes. And there is no motion. Also, will birds be an issue for outside use?

[@wktaylor11]

When can we expect to get the Aeotech sensors? Im looking to get a Sonoff since I dont have a phillips hue bridge.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Aeotec Sensors are available in many markets today. Just go on a search! There are lots of links in the description and I think in general you'll find that sensors are hard to get today.

[@wktaylor11]

@@AutomateYourLife I wondered if it might be a chip shortage/supply chain issue thing. Almost everything I see is unavailable for Aeotech. Thank you for answering, I really like your videos, they are super helpful!!!! I have the V2 hub, do I need to worry about upgrading it to the V3 next year, or will this one do everything I need?

[@AutomateYourLife]

@@wktaylor11 You should be good for now...I can't tell you for sure, but I think you may see a reason next year to upgrade to a new Aeotec. Still, hold until we see where the new Edge program goes out to and what happens with Matter and SmartThings

[@Fly2kill1]

I’m just going to wait for the Aeotec rebrands come here.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Let's hope they're everything we're after!

[@Fly2kill1]

@@AutomateYourLife going off Aeotec’s site they are 100% clones.

[@grandiora]

@@Fly2kill1 But I think they will be Z-wave instead. The Amazon Echo hub wont be able to connect.

[@Fly2kill1]

@@grandiora I use SmartThings.

[@remcowetzels]

Hi i have a question about the cooldown period. With the hubitat I have the possibility to set the cool down period of my aqara sensors but what is the best time?

[@aidanbazan7769]

Can anyone confirm if the IKEA motion sensor is local now, or still cloud based?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Once you use the Edge driver, it is local :)

[@aidanbazan7769]

@@AutomateYourLife yes but are ikea drivers edge?

[@firasf4178]

Can we get the same video for door sensors! Keep up the good work!

[@AutomateYourLife]

Yep! It's been a long time coming but we're working on it.

[@DnMcDy]

The motion sensor attachment that is for the Echo Flex has proven by different members of my family that temperature affects their connectivity. Cold temperatures of a garage or shed in the winter makes them flakey. Delete and Reintall is the only fix each time. Inside a heated house, they work flawlessly. I don't use hubs, only WiFi devices. Hubs are two propriety and only facilitate corporate greed.

[@AutomateYourLife]

PIR struggles outdoors or in colder conditions for suuuuuuuure! So I'm just gonna poke a liiiiiiitttle hole in what you said. You'll use the Echo Flex, from Amazon, the biggest company on the planet, but not a hub?! Like Hubitat is about 15 people I think.

[@HydroKyl240COG]

I’ve been dying for this video, bruh.

[@AutomateYourLife]

I figured there was a few out there! :)

[@krzybynature]

How did Zooz's ZSE18 get ignored? It's the only one that can take over the official ST motion sensor and can even be plugged in via micro usb. It's about the same price too. :/

[@AutomateYourLife]

Can't do everything! There are some other favorites in the comments here, so I guess we'll have to look at a part 2!

[@RonKJeffries]

Useful review. I wish you had done a crisp summary in a table. Zigbee vs Zwave , Price Other sensors e.g. temperature, light Sleep time between motion events Range Angle of view

[@AutomateYourLife]

automatelife.net/8-samsung-smartthings-motion-sensor-options-compared/ :)

[@richchapman5011]

I brought a Philips sensor as it has the light level sensor built in that I brought for a hallway as in the winter time the SmartThings sensor wasn’t an ideal solution. I use it via the hue hub thought. The only thing Is the call down time. You mentioned approx 20 secs but the one I have seems a lot longer than that. Have you came across this using the Philips hub? Yet again Brian another great video, well done mate.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Hey Rich - I haven't actually tried it in the Hue Hub itself! LOL! Soooo, I don't know that cooldown time! I imagine Philips isn't as interested in making automations change all that often because they're only focused on lighting. That's where Samsung has a broader focus and may use the full capabilities of the sensor.

[@londonerr7430]

Which ones are quickest to respond to turn on the lights?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Watch the demos if you want to really get down to it, but most of these are the same. There's 1 or 2 that react a little slower, and I state that in the video.

[@craigw4644]

Use Home Assistant, take them all out of the cloud.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Takes too much time!

[@xterra4hire]

What are good cheap window and door sensors for smartthings

[@AutomateYourLife]

Coming :)

[@budparker8083]

The linkind motion sensor has a 20 sec cool down. Very reliable too. However I don't use smartthings. I connected thru echo 4. Ooh the zigbee.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Yeah that's different :)

[@MrKenstar2]

Great job but half hour videos are too long , i leave

[@AutomateYourLife]

Come back and watch when you need more info!

[@HeyTechi]

For the price, it's hard to beat the IKEA sensor! Plus, it works for us HomeKit enthusiasts! Great video!

[@AutomateYourLife]

Hey Techi - How are you bringing the Ikea sensor into HK? What's your method?

[@WndSks]

The IKEA sensor can be paired with an IKEA bulb without a hub. Useful for small rooms/closets etc. The bulb can be paired with their sensor and remote at the same time without a hub.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Good stuff for a direct pairing, and I think that's one of the reasons behind the 3 minute cooldown! :)

[@manosponos]

i started with Ikea , but as soon as i reallized that i through my money , i bought a copy of aeon sensors straight from china (6 to 1 sensors ) and i need one only sensor in every room, and there is need only for door sensors .... so 1 aeon zwave in every room and you have all the info . Ikea turns out very bad in battery life ... use them only in places with minimun movement (like storage rooms)

[@AutomateYourLife]

There ya go! Experience right here.

[@mitchelldarragh]

I have 5 ewelink sonoff motion sensors there's a inbuilt handler (search by brand). works with a repeater no temp no sensitivity or cool off setting. But works better than my flakey aqara motion sensors.

[@AutomateYourLife]

I tried that one! Didn't work for me. Time to give that another go! Thanks for sharing. :)

[@arkainnovationtaha2853]

Like anything else, you see the $10 products and $50 products which all look like they do the same thing. Thanks for making the differences clear and sharing suggestions about what part of the house they make more sense to use.

[@AutomateYourLife]

You are so welcome! Thank you!

[@HughD]

Great job, Brian. You've got some sharp viewers because if I make comments w/o reading theirs first, I'll find any issues of mine have likely been addressed. I like the idea of trying these with the new Echo. It's also good to see which ones show up in the Alexa app as available for routines. YoLink has their LoRa sensor which takes care of almost all range issues. It doesn't show up in SmartThings but does in Alexa and IFTTT. We like having a motion sensor in the mailbox and have Alexa announce it when it's opened. It's a residential metal box at the street at the end of our driveway about 40 feet from the house. Zigbee and Zwave won't work because of the metal box and that's a community rules thing. Ring has a Zwave motion/mailbox sensor, too, with an antenna that is stuck to the outside rear of the mailbox for range purposes. I also like having a motion sensor in my car which has to stay outside in the driveway because I have too many toys. Of course, you can use some camera motion sensors as triggers for Alexa, too. Keep up the good work, Brian! Hmmm...90K subscribers...you're getting close!!!

[@AutomateYourLife]

You're bang on with the whole sharp viewers comment. Man...the comments here (yours included) are very technical and very adept. I better have my stuff together! As for the LoRa stuff...I gotta call those guys! They left me a number finally.

[@EsotericArctos]

The Philips Sensor also has a Light Sensor as well. Not sure on the others. Did the light sensor come into Samsung as well? I find my hue sensors also have had batteries last over 2 years. I know they are expensive but they seem to still be pretty decent.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Sadly, the hue sensor didn't come in with the light. It looks like there's a few folks who figured it out though in the comments. I'm thinking I could make some adjustments in the device handler, so it sounds like it's possible. I'm glad to hear that battery setup goes for so long! It seems so rock solid.

[@EsotericArctos]

@@AutomateYourLife Despite PAul Hibberts dislike of Hue, the products are reliable and they do just work. Just darn expensive.

[@AutomateYourLife]

@@EsotericArctos they do just work...and well

[@EsotericArctos]

@@AutomateYourLife I've worked out what causes the Hue Sensor red light to flash when it detects motion. It is something to do with Philips customisation of ZigBee ZLL / 3.0. If the Hue Sensor is connected directly to the SmartThings (or other non hue bridge) it has some kind of incomplete message that causes the red led to flash. As soon as there is a link to a hue device on the network, even when not using the hue bridge the red LED will not flash. Something weird in the way Philips have customised this. It doesn't affect how they work though.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Oh wow!!! Now that I hear that... Alexa's hub didn't cause that to occur even once, so that's a very interesting distinction!

[@sussexpropertyphotographer]

Sonoff motion sensor is just that it doesn't do temp or humidity and smart things detects it as a sonoff motion sensor without selecting any other device handlers via ide (well it did for me) that said my cool down time seems to be around the 8 minute mark not sure how you get yours down to 1 minute

[@AutomateYourLife]

Oh interesting...maybe I've got to try things out again and see! These kinds of device handlers can change over time as companies introduce their own device handlers. It wasn't that long ago I did mine, but that sensor is relatively new so I could see things changing quickly with it.

[@sussexpropertyphotographer]

@@AutomateYourLife github.com/pablopoo/smartthings/blob/master/sonoff-zigbee-snzb-02.groovy temp sensor DH or mine just shows up as a zigbee motion sensor by default

[@thejoshchannel]

Can you check the SmartThings Motion Sensor again? In my tests, the cool down is 15 seconds. I have timed when the app shows no motion and it was 15 seconds. I could be wrong, but that was my test results.

[@AutomateYourLife]

That's actually the stated cooldown in specifications, so I know you're right technically. What happened though was I experienced 20 seconds solidly and I couldn't ignore it. So I'm happy you're getting 15, but I wasn't after a fresh pairing and working with it.

[@amywhitaker3961]

I recently added a couple of Philips Hue sensors to my Hubitat platform and they work great. They also give me a lux reading along with motion and temperature. Maybe Smartthings doesn’t support the lux aspect? Ooooh the Zigbee! 🤪

[@AutomateYourLife]

Hey Amy, yeahhhhhhh the zigbeeeeeeeeeeeeeee... ;) I just don't know why everyone else is getting the Lux in and I'm not. I've done something wrong clearly!

[@mikehatley736]

smartthings battery is actually a CR-2

[@AutomateYourLife]

oh gosh...now I gotta look Mike!

[@J-ce3oi]

I really wanted someone I trust to do a video on these thank you! I am actually looking to replace my Philips hue motion used to work very well but recently became unresponsive around 30% of the time. I am considering a ceiling mounted motion sensor I feel like I need the fastest and biggest angle for the stairs otherwise you'll be half way down when it turns on :) Thanks for the video!

[@AutomateYourLife]

I'm so happy to fulfill both of those things (trust and the video)! So I actually do a few to cover my stairs. I have one on the underside of a railing and one at the corner. Was considering a 3rd to cover the top but that's just a design thing :)

[@_dvarapala]

Great video as always, but you left out my favorite (oh the) Zigbee motion sensor, the NYCE NCZ-3043. It's fast, accurate, and claims to get FIVE YEARS out of 2 AAA batteries.

[@AutomateYourLife]

The who what now?! New one for me to look up and try out!

[@MrOzzy281]

Why did Samsung stop producing the v3 sensor?

[@AutomateYourLife]

I think this will help ya kzbin.info/www/bejne/hIfTmpebp7Ohb68

[@MrOzzy281]

@@AutomateYourLife thanks. I have a v3 motion sensor, is there a way to use this without buying the ST hub? I only really want to connect it to my WiFi as a security thing linked to an app on my phone for notifications. When I try to add it to the ST app it says I need a hub, is it supported on other apps?

[@rdy4trvl]

Shelly has a new motion sensor coming to market. An announcement with product details is Feb 10 according to Shelly Facebook page.

[@AutomateYourLife]

We'll watch for it! Lots of love for Shelly! I want to see FCC IDs though. Sometimes I don't see that with Shelly or a few others like Sonoff.

[@berylwhite2983]

Sonoff plugs work really well with Miss a wow we got a college education in sensors today! Someone did their homework. That is an excellent video congratulations! That one there is good enough for a Pulitzer Prize

[@AutomateYourLife]

A Pulitzer! I'll wait for mine! :)

[@faengelm]

Very comprehensive review. I appreciated the side by side comparison and timeline for review. Is there a reason you left out the Fibaro "eyeball" ? I know this was a SmartThings hub focused review, but could you do another one focused on Amazon Echo Zigbee hubs ?

[@AutomateYourLife]

That's on the list to do Frank! I'm gonna take most of these and see if I can do a similar video on the Echoes! I'm sure we'll learn a lot!

[@AutomateYourLife]

As for the eyeball - 1. They didn't respond and 2. They didn't have any stock that I could just buy some and 3. Some frustration from some of our Patrons and friends of the channel with those not working in ST right now. Odd stuff actually.

[@gtampako]

Give a try to RF PIR sensor coupled with RF bridge. They do their job pretty cheap. Flashed with Tasmota.

[@AutomateYourLife]

👍👍

[@camolotrzr4204]

still no CAD price beside the USD prices, very disappointing. thumb down.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Put on a happy face would ya. 1.3 x price

[@gnospanker]

I've found the best replacement for the Smartthings sensor is the Zooz ZSE18. I've got one and it has been very reliable. I do prefer the form factor of the Samsung the best though. If I need to buy any more motion sensors before Aeotec gets the Samsung form factor out in the US I won't hesitate. Also, thanks staying committed to Smartthings! While I haven't liked the changes they've made recently it isn't enough for met to completely switch to something else.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Thanks Justin! Good suggestion for everyone!

[@stigs1073]

Why didn't you bring the Fibaro motion sensor in this test?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Had to save something for the next one 😃

[@stigs1073]

@@AutomateYourLife great! when is the next video?