Aqara Door and Window Sensor P2 evaluation: Easy but efficient

Key Takeaways

You do not have to lay our a fortune on safety — DIY good house safety is reasonably priced and efficient with Aqara gadgets and different integrations.
Aqara Door and Window Sensor P2 gives Matter and Thread connectivity, straightforward set up, good battery life, however it’s kind of pricier.
Aqara Hub M3 integration permits for customized alarms and push notifications, making Aqara Door and Window Sensor P2 an intuitive buy.

Protecting your property safe is on the forefront of many householders’ minds. Fortunately, you do not have to spend an arm and a leg to put in a safety system or infrared digital camera at each flip. These days, you possibly can create your personal good house safety system with a mix of various gadgets, reminiscent of smart security cameras, movement sensors, and door and window sensors. Aqara gives a wide range of gadgets that you simply use to safe your total house. Plus, most of the merchandise could be automated to supply additional ranges of safety.

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I have been testing out the Aqara Door and Window Sensor P2 to see the way it integrates with the brand new Aqara Hub M3. However it may be utilized in a number of methods, because it may also be related by Thread and Matter. This enables it to be built-in into your good house system extra simply as it will possibly talk along with your different gadgets. Listed here are my different ideas concerning the Aqara Door and Window Sensor P2.

Aqara Door and Window Sensor P2

Beneficial

The Aqara Door and Window Sensor P2 gives Matter and Thread connectivity. It may also be related with Bluetooth, providing loads of methods for it to safe your property.

Compatibility: Bluuetooth, Matter, Threead
Weight: 1.41 ounces
Colours: White
Dimensions: 3.03″ x 1.32″ x 0.87″
Battery: 1400mAh

Execs

Straightforward to put in
Automations easy to arrange
Good battery life

Cons

Pricier than different choices in the marketplace
Greater than different sensors

Worth, availability, and specs

A bit larger than others in the marketplace

The Aqara Door and Window Sensor P2 has been in the marketplace for a little bit over a 12 months. It retails for $30, and should you go to Aqara’s web site, it brings you to Amazon. You may as well buy it at Greatest Purchase and a few retailers. It is a little bit bit costlier than another door and window sensors in the marketplace, nevertheless it does supply extra connectivity choices than, say, the Ring Contact Sensor.

You could discover that additionally it is a little bit bit larger than different extra discreet sensors. This did not hassle me, because the white shade blends in properly with the window frames and door frames I put it on. However if you wish to use this on a cupboard or fridge, it could be way more noticeable. Possibly, you are making an attempt to see who’s sneaking snacks from the fridge and need to put a sensor on it — the P2 may not be the one to decide on, because it’s moderately apparent.

Aqara Door and Window Sensor P2

Compatibility: Bluuetooth, Matter, Threead
Weight: 1.41 ounces
Colours: White
Dimensions: 3.03″ x 1.32″ x 0.87″
Battery: 1400mAh

Design

Rounded, just like different P2 choices

Aqara opted for a extra rounded look on its gadgets for the latest iterations. Whenever you open the field, you may see there’s one bigger important unit and one accent unit. There’s additionally a small rectangular magnet — that is available in a separate pouch — that can be utilized for set up somewhere else round your property. However should you’re inserting it on a wood body as a door or window sensor, the 2 items ought to suffice.

I’ve discovered that it sticks very properly but additionally is not so sticky that it’s going to rip paint off of your wooden.

You will see the 2 items are magnetized and can stick to 1 one other should you maintain them collectively. There are little indentations on both facet that should present the very best connection throughout set up. The again of every unit has adhesive, and I’ve discovered that it sticks very properly but additionally is not so sticky that it’s going to rip paint off of your wooden. So, should you set up it someplace and understand you need to transfer it to a different location, you need to be in a position to take action with out issues.

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You want a Matter-compatible app in an effort to set up this and set it up. I opted to make the most of Amazon Alexa, as I’ve an Echo Show 8, which serves as a Thread-based router. I discovered that setting it up and connecting it to the Alexa app was easy — the flexibility to ask Alexa whether or not a window was open made it particularly efficient. Nonetheless, it does not work to ship push notifications to your system with the Alexa app. That is just like the Movement and Mild Sensor P2, which integrates higher with Google or Apple HomeKit than Amazon Alexa.

Software program and Options

Does much more with the Aqara Hub

As a result of I’ve the Aqara Hub M3, which I’ve additionally been testing, I related the Door and Window Sensor P2 to it as properly. This allowed me to sync up the automations much more and make the most of the Hub as the bottom for my safety system. The Hub M3 can play particular alarm sounds when the door or window registers as open, and I can even have it ship me push notifications. Creating the automations can take some getting used to within the Aqara House app — however when you get it down, you’ll customise the sound that the Hub makes or go for a special motion when the sensor detects motion of the door or window.

When it is synced within the Aqara House app, you possibly can simply pull up the app and see whether or not or not the sensor is open or closed as properly, in case you are not close to a sensible speaker you employ for voice instructions. You may as well see this info in different Matter-based apps, so you do not want the Aqara Hub for this. What I discovered was that, whereas it has Matter expertise and may combine into your good house ecosystem, you are going to get essentially the most out of it with an Aqara-based router.

The battery life is claimed to run for a very long time — I have been testing it out for a few week and have had no points to this point.

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Competitors

Depends upon your property ecosystem

I’ve had hassle with the Ring sensors staying placed on a door or window body, and the Aqara choice simply feels sturdier.

There are many door and window sensors in the marketplace. So, relying on what you have already got in your house, you possibly can go for ones from Philips, Zigbee, YoLink, and Ring. I’ve a Ring safety system in my house and Ring Alarm Contact Sensors (2nd Gen) on the home windows and doorways downstairs. What I like extra concerning the Aqara Door and Window Sensor P2 is how straightforward it was to put in in comparison with the Ring Contact Sensor. I’ve had hassle with the Ring sensors staying placed on a door or window body, and the Aqara choice simply feels sturdier. The Ring Contact Sensor is barely $20 however does not have Matter or Thread connectivity.