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Review: Aqara's HomeKit H1 Switches, Temperature Sensor, and Hub M2 Expand Any Smart Home With Easy Setup

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Aqara makes a range of HomeKit-compatible smart home devices for multiple regions around the world. This review takes a look at four of Aqara's latest products, including its Temperature and Humidity Sensor and the newly-released Hub M2, as well as the Wireless Remote Switch H1 and Smart Wall Switch H1, which launch today.

aqara-m2-hub-sensor-switches.jpeg

With these new accessories, I was able to add to the HomeKit setup I created with some of Aqara's devices earlier this year, and put the company's new additions to the smart home to the test.


While Aqara does have its own app for controlling and setting up the accessories, it is possible to control, automate, and manage them entirely through Apple's Home app.

M2 Hub

The Aqara Hub M2 serves as a smart home control center for a wide range of Aqara sensors, controllers, and other child devices using the Zigbee 3.0 protocol, which can connect up to 128 devices.

aqara-m2-hub.jpeg


In terms of design, the Hub M2 features glossy black plastic on the sides and matte black plastic on the top. The overall look is slim and pretty much as good as it gets for a smart home hub, although the matte top surface seemed to have attracted some smears out of the box. The bottom of the device features a thick rubberized base to help keep it still on surfaces and a convenient HomeKit pairing code sticker.

aqara-m2-hub-rear.jpeg

The rear of the Hub M2 offers an Ethernet RJ45 port, a micro-USB port for power, and a standard USB port. While it does come with a micro-USB cable that is around a meter long, it would be easy to connect a longer cable if needed. I was disappointed that the M2 did not come with a power adapter, meaning that I had to find another USB power adapter to use. Aqara also says that it is possible to power the Hub M2 from a 5V power bank.

The Hub M2 allows users to choose whether they would like to use the Ethernet RJ45 port, which Aqara says provides extra stability and faster response times, or a Wi-Fi connection if the Hub is not situated near an available Ethernet port.

aqara-m2-hub-top.jpeg

The Hub M2 seamlessly integrates with the Home app, initiated by a simple scan of the HomeKit code on the base. The initial pairing process was fast and any subsequent devices paired with the Hub M2 automatically appear in Apple's Home app for minimum hassle.

The Hub M2 also supports all four native HomeKit alarm modes and features a surprisingly loud built-in speaker. The speaker is not particularly clear, but its quality is adequate for brief alerts and can easily project across a large room. Like other Aqara hubs, the Hub M2 uses its speaker to talk you through the setup process and pairing other accessories, but it can also be used to deliver alerts through automations.

In addition, there are a number of features that are not directly usable through the Home app since Apple does not yet support them, such as the Hub M2's built-in IR transmitter, which can control existing IR home appliances such as TVs. However, it is possible to use the Hub M2's IR transmitter through Apple Shortcuts, which trigger an action in the Aqara app.

H1 Double Rocker Switches

Aqara today launches two new smart home double rocker switches for the European market, the Smart Wall Switch H1 and the Wireless Remote Switch H1. The switches support round European wall boxes and 86mm square wall boxes.

The Smart Wall Switch H1 is installed in place of a standard wall switch and can be used to make light switches, ceiling fans, and more, part of your smart home setup. It has a sturdy metal backplate and comes with screws for installation. The Smart Wall Switch H1 also features overheat protection, overload protection, and power monitoring.

I thought that the installation instructions for the Smart Wall Switch H1 could have been better, but most users will benefit from the assistance of a qualified electrician anyway.

The Wireless Remote Switch H1 shares the design of the Smart Wall Switch H1, but does not need to be wired into a wall socket to work. Instead of wired terminals, the back of the switch is flat and has two rubberized bars to help grip to a surface, and there is an adhesive pad included in the box for sticking the switch to a wall. Aqara also suggests that it is possible to drill through the back of the switch's plastic housing to screw it directly into a wall if desired.

Prying the back of the unit off to replace the battery was very difficult, even with a flathead screwdriver, but users will not need to do this very often at all since the Wireless Remote Switch H1 purportedly has a five-year battery life.

aqara-switches.jpeg

The switches feature a satin plastic finish, and are very clicky and tactile. There is a small blue LED toward the bottom of each rocker that flashes to confirm a click. The overall design is slim and discreet, which is ideal for a switch.

Both H1 switches connect using the latest Zigbee 3.0 protocol, and pair simply by holding down one of the rockers until it is detected by the Aqara hub.

You can configure the actions or scenes initiated by the H1's rocker switches in the Home app, or use the Aqara app if you wish to map complex actions such as long or double presses. A Smart Wall Switch H1 and a Wireless Remote Switch H1 can also be used in tandem to upgrade an existing two-way setup.

I personally preferred the versatility of the Wireless Remote Switch H1, but if you are looking for a permanent smart replacement for a wall light switch, the Smart Wall Switch H1 is an ideal solution.

Temperature and Humidity Sensor

Aqara's Temperature and Humidity Sensor is incredibly compact and light, featuring the same minimalist design as many of Aqara's other accessories, making it easy to tuck away inconspicuously.

aqara-temperature-sensor.jpeg


With a press of the small button on the top of the sensor, the blue LED flashes, and it almost instantly pairs with the Aqara hub and appears in the Home app.

The Home app is able to display temperature and humidity from the sensor, and it seemed to update without delay throughout the day. The sensor can also detect air quality, but the Home app does not yet support this data. The use of multiple sensors will show an average temperature in the Home app.

The Bottom Line

As with other Aqara accessories, the company continues to set high standards of design, easy pairing, and reliability. Aqara's support for HomeKit and focus on seamless integration in the Home app continues to surpass many other smart home brands, but the company clearly still recognizes the importance of fast pairing and good responsiveness on the network.

It is a shame that Apple's Home app does not yet support some Aqara features such as air quality or IR control, but it is good to know that the accessories themselves are future-proof in case support is added in the future.

The Hub M2 is the most fully-featured smart home hub I have used, and seems to be a must-have for any user with multiple Aqara accessories, even if it is slightly pricey relative to competitors at $57.99. The multifunction H1 rockers are ideal for upgrading manual wall switches to a smart setup, and the $19.99 Temperature and Humidity Sensor is affordable and reliable.

How to Buy

Aqara's full range of HomeKit accessories is available in the U.S. via Amazon.


The Smart Wall Switch H1 and Wireless Remote Switch H1 is unavailable in the United States as it is designed for the UK and EU market. For customers in these regions, Aqara's devices are available through third-party distributors.

Note: Aqara provided MacRumors with a Wireless Remote Switch H1, Smart Wall Switch H1, Temperature and Humidity Sensor, and M2 Hub for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.

Article Link: Review: Aqara's HomeKit H1 Switches, Temperature Sensor, and Hub M2 Expand Any Smart Home With Easy Setup
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/review/aqara-h1-switches-temperature-sensor-hub-m2/
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Scott6666 said:
So tired of hubs. Why can’t this stuff just work with what we have already in place?
Click to expand...

mattopotamus said:
Agreed. I have fully given up on the smart home outside of my thermostat and some echo devices. I have a box of over 100 hue lights that I have no interest in setting back up. It's just not worth the mild convenience it provides.
Click to expand...

JonnyBlaze said:
Yep I’ll echo this too, I’m only interested in smart home stuff that doesn’t need a separate hub. I have some Eve things and a Nanoleaf bulb, they’re good with HomeKit direct.
Click to expand...
I also came to complain about hubs. The whole point of HomeKit was to make it easy to set things up.
 
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I use Aqura for some things, Wemo for others, Lutron, and many others, and bring them all together through HomeBridge software to integrate into HomeKit.

Love it and it works flawlessly most of the time.
 
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Their M1 hub plugs directly into a wall outlet and works over WiFi. I prefer that over the M2 as it can be plugged into a wall socket out of the way. I have that and a bunch of door/window sensors. Work perfectly with HomeKit.
 
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I know most of these types of wireless products use some type of lithium watch battery.
Do those batteries have a longer life span than anything rechargeable?
I'd love something like this to have the watch battery as backup and offer a 3 month rechargeable battery for normal use.
 
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I actually came here to complain that IoT hubs need to support Power over Ethernet. It’s a lot better than power adapters. But I wanted to argue for the existsnce of standards based hubs.
Go for the hub if you want long term local control possibilities, reliability, and “set and forget” abilities.

Not a major concern as Apple Homekit Certification offers some limited protection against this (on the limited homekit supported categories of smart home devices)

Standards like Zigbee (and their attached hubs) do offer a bit of protection from turning good smart devices into “vaporware internet of trash” ewaste.

Any IoT device (hubless IoT) that foregoes the use of a standard, interoperable protocol such as zigbee, and relys on Wi-Fi or TCP/IP instead for communication usually:

- has the user download the app for the device for setup and use. This must be maintained for each iOS release. Otherwise, the existing version may work on each new iOS until some dependency gets deprecated. We cannot run older 32-bit apps for example.

- Setup process requires account signup.

- IoT device requires continuous internet access for things of no benefit like telemetry.

- In the event said company goes under, unit is usually bricked because app-based setup process calls home. Most of the time when the dead service fails to respond, there is no offline setup user flow. (This can also happen when the company loses interest in maintaining their APIs, or fails to version and deploy their proprietary cloud based API in a “nonbreaking” way.)

-Hubless Device manufacturers may not always release a software development kit, or release the details of how to make requests locally via an open API.

- Hubless Device manufacturers may push app updates that remove existing features, start to charge a fee for a previously free service, automatically apply device firmware upgrades as they see fit.

- Hubless Device manufacturers may only sell accessories and addons for their products while the product is still being produced, limiting future expansion.

Zigbee devices all run as high as the application layer of the “OSI Model;” meaning it must adhere to a well defined set standard way of communicating. With hubless IoT Wi-Fi devices, the application layer is proprietary; wholly defined by the device manufacturer and doesn’t have to adhere to any standard. It may only work with a select few different supported other-party devices as they intended with their partners and the relationship may not be maintained.

“Hubless IoT” is a device manufacturers’ walled playground paradise. They’ve got us stuck in their freak show. Enjoy the ride, thay will make all the decisions from here on out. They may force a future subscription, one never knows!

Consumers rejoice in “no hub!” even though it hinders the possible longevity of the device.

The best option for longevity is to go for an well supported IoT hub from a dependable company or setup a spare computer or raspberry pi with Homebridge and/or HomeAssistant.
I continue to use devices based on 90s era X10, 2000s Insteon, and now Z-Wave. All of this is controlled by a ISY-994/ZW that offers full local control, open APIs and an SDK. Their “Polyglot” nodeserver it connects and controls my Zigbee/Hue lights. I also use Homebridge.
 
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macsound1 said:
I know most of these types of wireless products use some type of lithium watch battery.
Do those batteries have a longer life span than anything rechargeable?
I'd love something like this to have the watch battery as backup and offer a 3 month rechargeable battery for normal use.
Click to expand...
The most commonly used size (CR2032) non rechargeable "coin cell" batteries are small, cheap, and hold 0.66Wh.

That's approximately 1/20th of the capacity of a typical smartphone battery.

You can't make a rechargeable battery that small at all. Safety standards require "smart" rechargeable lithium batteries with an integrated controller otherwise the risk is too high that the battery might burn down your home while connected to a charger. The circuitry required to prevent fires is non-trivial typically larger than a coin cell battery.

Ignoring that reality, there are also dozens (maybe hundreds) of types of "lithium" battery. Disposable batteries hold up to 6x more energy than a rechargeable one the same weight (depending on the type of rechargeable).

So you could charge every 3 months... Or it you could pay less, have a smaller device, and swap the battery every year or two.
 
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abhibeckert said:
The most commonly used size (CR2032) non rechargeable "coin cell" batteries are small, cheap, and hold 0.66Wh.

That's approximately 1/20th of the capacity of a typical smartphone battery.

You can't make a rechargeable battery that small at all. Safety standards require "smart" rechargeable lithium batteries with an integrated controller otherwise the risk is too high that the battery might burn down your home while connected to a charger. The circuitry required to prevent fires is non-trivial typically larger than a coin cell battery.

Ignoring that reality, there are also dozens (maybe hundreds) of types of "lithium" battery. Disposable batteries hold up to 6x more energy than a rechargeable one the same weight (depending on the type of rechargeable).

So you could charge every 3 months... Or it you could pay less, have a smaller device, and swap the battery every year or two.
Click to expand...
I mean, rechargeable earbud batteries are awfully small and seem like they could fit in something like a humidity sensor or smart switch.

I'm just suggesting the idea of having something you don't have to crack open every year or two, as long as you charge it occasionally.
I'm thinking of devices like tv remotes. Would I prefer to charge it every couple months or replace the batteries. Hands down I'd rather charge it.
But also having the coin cell battery, there would be a backup if say, the device was in a vacation home and not used all winter, it would still be paired when you came back in the spring but you could use it all summer on 1 or 2 charges.

Just an idea that would make things a little nicer.
 
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Lwio said:
Don’t care about the hub aspect but the ir blaster looks interesting. I have a lot of old gear and if homekit/Siri supported it would be nice.
Click to expand...
I have three of the Hub M2 IR blasters because they support Siri, I use the IR to control my AC by talking to my HomePod's, see screenshot
 

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I'm planning my new home and want to use smart home stuff everywhere and i will probably go with Aqara for switches, temp sensors and relay module(with door & window sensor) for my garage door. The non-ir hub has a light and speaker built-in, so yes, its an extra hub, but it can be actually used for a night light and alarms for example.

So my planned setup looks like this so far:
- All light switches are Aqara, so i don't need smart bulbs
- Aqara Temp & humidity sensor in all rooms and one outside
- Aqara relay module with door sensor for my garage door
- EufyCam 2 outdoor cameras(yes, one more hub...)
- Eufy video doorbell(works with the camera hub at least)
- Aqara door lock maybe, not sure if it will be compatible
- 2 large Homepod for stereo speakers and for remote control
- For some lights that i need to change colors, i will go with Ikea TRÅDFRI(yes, one more hub...)

What i'm missing is homekit control for my AC/heating, sliding entry gate(aqara relay would work here too, just range might not be enough to reach the hub) and EU type wall sockets.
 
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gaximus said:
I also came to complain about hubs. The whole point of HomeKit was to make it easy to set things up.
Click to expand...
Homekit is only a small eco-system in the world. Vendors need to adapt to all other eco-system (Google home, Aqara home, Alexa, MiHome .....)
 
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