SwitchBot Hub 2 Overview – Apple HomeKit / Matter Suitable Sensible Residence Hub

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SwitchBot made a reputation for itself with the SwitchBot Bot, which is an reasonably priced good button pressor. It’s a easy but modern method to make dumb electronics good. A number of different random manufacturers have tried to tear off the perfect, however nobody has competed with SwitchBot for this intelligent little system.

I’ve beforehand reviewed just a few merchandise from SwitchBot, together with the SwitchBot Bot, Sensible Humidifier and the good curtain bot.

I’ve been proud of all of the merchandise and the model has continued to develop the product vary to change into a extra thorough good house resolution.

Current launches have included the SwitchBot Blind Tilt and the SwitchBot Lock.

SwitchBot Hub 2

The latest launch is the SwitchBot Hub 2, which is a major improve from the unique Hub. This now combines 4 capabilities in a single, appearing as a hub, thermometer/hygrometer, twin good button and an IR good distant management.

The IR distant management perform permits the hub to manage previous infrared home equipment and will help make them smarter, what’s extra, you may as well join different SwitchBot merchandise by way of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to construct a extra full good house expertise.

The opposite massive function is that this helps HomeKit by way of Matter.

In the mean time, the Matter help is a bit restricted. The SwitchBot Curtain and SwitchBot Blind Tilt merchandise are already formally supported by Hub 2 with Matter, however the different Bluetooth-based merchandise will obtain an replace at a later date.

Elements of this assessment are unfinished, as I want to cowl the Matter and Residence Assistant integration in additional element and ideally when the opposite Bluetooth equipment have been up to date with Matter. I’ll both replace this assessment or publish a brand new put up particularly for these options.

Specification

• Sensible Residence Hub
• Helps Homekit by way of Matter
• Sensible Temperature and Humidity Meter
• Sensible Alerts
• IR Distant Management Hub
• Works when Community connection is down
• Air conditioner distant management standing synchronisation
• Constructed-in Sensible Buttons

Set-Up

The preliminary set-up is just like most IoT gadgets. This has Bluetooth, so the app will routinely detect the hub. You then place it into pairing mode, present the two.4GHz SSID particulars and watch for it to pair up.

I had some points getting the hub to connect with my router at first. I assumed it may be the identical DNS points I had with my Arlo Professional 5 assessment, however utilizing Google DNS I skilled the identical points. After unplugging it and powering it again up, I used to be capable of join the primary time.

I did expertise some intermittent WiFi points with the hub, however after I switched to the Google Nest WiFi Professional, I have never observed any points.

Switchbot Hub 2 – Matter / HomeKit / Google Residence

Switchbot appears to be pushing the HomeKit by way of Matter help with this hub, however Matter ought to work with a number of ecosystems; that is the entire level of it.

I do not personally use Apple and, due to this fact HomeKit. This could work with Amazon Alexa, Apple Residence, Google Residence, and Samsung SmartThings.

If you wish to use Matter, you have to to enter the settings and improve the firmware.

Although I write about good house tech loads and have lined Matter earlier than, that is the primary time making an attempt it.

As soon as the improve is full, you’ll be given a QR code that may be scanned to pair up with different Matter-enabled ecosystems. Or you possibly can copy the 12-digit code for handbook entry into any app.

I arrange the hub inside Google Residence and was knowledgeable that I wanted a appropriate good house hub. Your telephone cannot be a Matter Hub. You’ll due to this fact want one thing just like the Apple HomePod Mini or Google Nest is required.

I ended up shopping for the Nest Wi-Fi Professional as it really works as a Matter hub, and I assessment a number of Wi-Fi routers, so it was a very good excuse to purchase it.  

As I do not use Google Residence extensively, and that is the primary Matter system I’ve used, the performance is a bit underwhelming. With the Switchbot merchandise I’ve, it’s simply the hub that works with Matter. As soon as issues just like the buttons and bot are enabled, the performance ought to be loads higher.

I can view the temperature and humidity inside Google Residence, and the Switchbot exhibits up as an choice when making a routine, however the potential to create helpful routines is considerably poor. At the least in comparison with different good house ecosystems.  

Residence Assistant

I had hoped I’d have the ability to simply combine the SwitchBot Hub 2 into my Residence Assistant system.

Residence Assistant would not natively recognise any of the SwitchBot gadgets, however it’s listed inside the integrations.

Residence Assistant has a devoted web page for SwitchBot, and to combine SwitchBot gadgets, you have to to have a working Bluetooth arrange on the system working Residence Assistant.

My Residence Assistant set up is on my TerraMaster NAS, which is working Unraid, so I do not natively have Bluetooth. I’ve ordered a Bluetooth dongle to see if I can get it to work this manner.

It appears to be like like individuals have had success with the Pi Zero W, Pi 3B+ and Pi 4B.

Homey Bridge

Moreover, I’m in the midst of reviewing the brand new Homey Bridge. This does help various SwitchBot gadgets, and it appears to be like prefer it ought to help the hub over Wi-Fi, however I wasn’t capable of get it to recognise the system. That is virtually actually as a result of the brand new hub hasn’t been built-in with Homey correctly but.

App / Hub Options

These are all of the options inside the Switchbot app slightly than what is feasible when utilizing the Hub with Matter.

Temperature & Humidity Monitoring

This function works precisely like the present SwitchBot Meter, and I truly actually prefer it.

Clearly, the performance is a great distance off fancy indoor air high quality screens just like the Airthings View Plus, however I like the best way this screens temperature, humidity and lightweight with historic graphs.

I used this type of performance when testing heated garments racks and dehumidifiers. Having the ability to set off occasions primarily based on temperature or humidity is yet one more helpful options of house automation.

At first, I did expertise some points getting the temperature and humidity triggers to indicate beneath the scene settings. I believe this was because of the hub having WiFi connectivity points. Since pairing it with my Nest Wifi Professional, it has labored completely.

On this case, you can use a SwitchBot Bot to change on a plug to change on a dehumidifier.

IR Distant Management

The IR distant management mapping works as anticipated. You have got the choice to pick pre-applied profiles, or you possibly can manually attempt to program the hub together with your IR distant. I managed to arrange my Edifier speaker, after which the speaker performance grew to become obtainable inside the scene settings.

I haven’t got a lot use for it on this situation, however I’ll virtually actually map the IR distant for my pedestal fan and automate it through the summer time. Many transportable air-con items use IR remotes as effectively, and this might be good for that.

Button Mapping

This works precisely as you’ll anticipate. It’s the similar because the performance of the SwitchBot Distant.

In my system, I arrange a fundamental perform for it to change on or off lights. After I had curtains in my bed room, I used to make use of the Switchbot button to open/shut the Switchbot Curtain

Worth and Different Choices

The SwitchBot Hub 2 prices £80 vs £35 for the older SwitchBot Hub Mini.

That is fairly a bit worth hike, however the brand new hub has a number of capabilities constructed into one. The SwitchBot Meter would price you £17, and the SwitchBot Distant is £20.

Then the SwitchBot Hub 2 is appropriate with Matter, not like the Hub Mini. Due to this fact I would strongly counsel getting the Hub 2 over the Mini.

I would say Aqara is the best-competing product; the Aqara Sensible Hub M2 is beneath £50 and is Matter enabled with an IR controller, and works with HomeKit. It lacks the extra sensors and buttons of the SwitchBot Hub 2, however they’ve loads of reasonably priced sensors, switches, and a good indoor air high quality monitor. Aqara would not have something just like the SwitchBot Bot.

Total

In case you are an present SwitchBot person, then the Hub 2 is a worthy improve, and if you wish to put money into SwitchBot, the Hub 2 is effectively price the additional cash in comparison with the Hub Mini.

I would say the principle enchantment of SwitchBot is that if their particular vary of merchandise appeals to you.

As I mentioned in my earlier SwitchBot LED Strip Mild assessment, I desire TP-Hyperlink Tapo for lighting, and so they have glorious good plugs. I desire Aqara for common house automation options, and so they have glorious no-neutral gentle switches and good thermostatic radiator valves. I then use the Yale Linus for my good lock.

SwitchBot has a number of distinctive merchandise that these manufacturers lack. This consists of:

• SwitchBot Blind Tilt
• SwitchBot Curtain & Curtain Rod 2
• SwitchBot Bot
• SwitchBot Lock (Aqara does have locks, however not within the UK)
• SwitchBot Sensible Humidifier

Final replace on 2023-04-04 / Affiliate hyperlinks / Photos from Amazon Product Promoting API