SwitchBot
We are living in 2021, we were proposed to have flying cars by now, but what's the next best thing? An autonomous smart home. This is where SwitchBot comes in.
Make your home smart in seconds.
We are living in 2021, we were proposed to have flying cars by now, but what's the next best thing? An autonomous smart home. This is where SwitchBot comes in.
SwitchBot was kind enough to send me a special SwitchBot Curtain Combo to unbiasedly review, which came with 2 Rod curtain openers, the Remote, Hub Mini, Thermometer & Hygrometer, plus 2 solar panels.
I am going to briefly describe how they all work and how they connect together to provide a smart home experience.
The primary function I was most excited about was automated curtain opening and closing, as a 90's child, we used to see these in really extravagant homes and hotels where it was an incredible expensive option for the rich.
Now you are telling me we can have this at our fingertips as a relatively cheap addition to our home? Hell yes!
It is really easy to use too, the installation was simpler than I could imagine, well documented in their manuals and support so I could just go step by step.
My type of curtain was ''Rod' but they also cater for all types such as I Rail and U Rail. So it was a simple case of attaching the SwitchBot to the rod of the curtain, going into the phone app and setting the limits for how far left and right it has to go to fully close and open.
Once that is done, it's a tap of a button away to set it on it's way.
You can also set it to have a delay, or even schedule it to specific days / times if so needed. My personal favourite is the Light Sensing which was currently in beta, this enables the curtains to automatically open as the Sun comes up, then close as Dusk approaches. Best way to wake up in the morning!
Another really cool feature is the use of the SwitchBot Solar Panel, these plug in to the USB-C port of the SwitchBot Curtain and can enable them to indefinitely stay charged by using the Sun to recharge them on a daily basis.
For those of you who want a bit more manual control you can also use the included SwitchBot Remote which is a wireless control to open and close the curtains. I have this attached via 3M tape to the side of the bed cabinet, so it's easily in reach. Two buttons, one to open and one to close, easy.
One surprising thing I wasn't expecting in the bundle is the SwitchBot Meter which measures temperature and humidity in the room. I stuck this to the wall with the 3M and let it run for a couple of days and checked in on the app, being able to see times and dates with the fluctuation in temperature and humidity over the course of the day.
Very interesting and for those with children or installing it in a room with sensitive material, this is a gamechanger, being able to be alerted when either fluctuates or hit's certain limits, then exporting the full data for analytical use elsewhere.
This is a great record keeper as a 24/7 monitor, as well as allowing you to keep up to date with the data from afar via the app.
The piece that brings all of these devices together is the SwitchBot Hub Mini, which is a seamless way to connect the SwitchBot ecosystem and your other home appliances to the internet.
The Switchbot Hub Mini can mimic your device signals, such as those for air conditioners, TVs, radios, pretty much any remote device.
That enables you to then set Scenes that automatically control devices or manually turn on and off devices over the internet.
Never again will you wonder if you turned off the Air conditioner or TV, you can see that on app and even turn it on or off as you leave / approach home.
Walk in the door with your favourite song playing, kettle boiling and ready to relax.
I've linked the temperature of the Meter to the closing of the curtains, so if it get's too hot it closes the curtains during the day. Helps to keep a better ambient temperature and is much more pleasing than a sweltering room in Summer.
Overall I have been very impressed by all the SwitchBot appliances, everything ran pretty effortlessly and is easily accessible via the app. This is the type of smart home technology we have been waiting for, no longer is it stupidly expensive and takes a team of IT technicians to set up.
Everything can be done by the consumer and accessed from your smartphone, I am thoroughly impressed. You always have the great SwitchBot tech support on hand in the app also, so you can't go wrong really.
I'd recommend the Curtain Combo if you want to wake up to the gorgeous sunshine and open up the possibility of automating more of your home, it costs $247 or £178 at time of writing.
If you are looking to improve your quality of life at home with some automation, SwitchBot should be at the forefront of your mind, you can find more about them at their website https://www.switch-bot.com.