XIAOMI AQARA: ASSESSMENT AFTER A YEAR OF USE

Today I will give you a little feedback on my Xiaomi Aqara sensors after a year of use. Is the promise of reliable and easy-to-install low-cost sensors being baked? This is what we will see in this article.

Easy installation and integration

Installation of sensors in the rooms

For Xiaomi / Aqara temperature and humidity sensor

there are two models that exist.

Well, I used squares, but apparently there is no noticeable difference.

For the installation nothing simpler: a double face is already present at the back of the sensor, no wires (and yes it’s on battery!). So we take off the double side and stick it where we want.

Then the Xiaomi Aqara door/window sensor

There are 2 models but from what I could read there is no noticeable difference.

Always with double sided and battery included, the larger part is glued to the door jamb and the smaller piece (which seems to be a simple magnet) to the moving part.

I really appreciated the discretion and ease of installation of these small modules. Garage door, bay window, front door,… whatever the type of window or door you will always find a way to position the sensor.

In terms of discretion, the day you put them down you only see that, but you get used to it quickly. My friends are often surprised when I tell them that I have sensors on all doors and windows, on white PVC it’s very discreet.

Information feedback in Mi Home app

So, now that the sensors are installed in the rooms, it will be necessary to collect the information. All this information goes through the Xiaomi gateway (not necessarily but we will talk about it again, let’s say it’s the easiest). You therefore need a Aqara gateway that you will have ideally connected in the middle of your home.

This gateway centralizes the feedback from the Aqara sensors and will make them accessible on your wifi network. It will also allow you as a bonus under jeedom:

• -Recover ambient light
• -Play a predefined sound (siren for example)
• -Flashing or illuminating with the color and intensity of your choice (convenient for making visual notifications)

Well, once she’s plugged in, she’ll talk to you in Chinese/English. Don’t panic! Don’t panic! You can do anything with the English application. So you need to download Mi Home to your smartphone, create an xiaomi account and follow the steps that are well explained (in English though).

Once your Mi Home application is connected to your gateway, simply add equipment to Mi Home, press a small button on the sensor, and you pair your sensors one by one with the gateway. A bit like adding a Bluetooth speaker to a smartphone.

From there, we normally have all its sensors that go back to the Mi Home application. Nothing very complicated for anyone who is not allergic to English.

Sensor range

So I don’t have precise data on the range of the Aqara sensors. In my experience, if you put the gateway in the middle of the house it should cover about 140 m² without any problem. On my side when I moved I had a problem because the signal was bad from one end of the house to the other with sensors in the basement.

So I bought an xiaomi plug that looks like a zigbee repeater and will therefore increase the coverage of the gateway like the trendy little devices that extend your wifi coverage. I plugged in the plug, added it to Mi Home, and… that’s it! My farthest sensors were reporting the information.

After that you can also add a second gateway. Especially if you are starting to have a lot of sensors because a gateway I can only manage 31 sensors max. The jeedom plugin manages several gateways.

Reliability and batteries

When you buy Chinese on batteries, you wonder if it will be reliable and how long the batteries will last (especially if the batteries are supplied as standard!)

As far as reliability is concerned, I’m completely amazed. After more than a year with a dozen sensors and now more than 6 months with a 20 groin I haven’t noticed any failure!

As for battery level, here again I am pleasantly surprised, with the original batteries I do not have a sensor below 55% of batteries. So I would say that the batteries will have to be changed every 2 and a half years!!!!

Conclusion

If you do not want to wire, solder and are looking for discreet and easy to install sensors, the Xiaomi Aqara (this is the name of the product range) is for you. The only thing that’s a little unfortunate is that the plugs connected are not in compliance with the CE standard. I strongly advise you not to play the sorcerer and / or DIY apprentice with 220V on a product that is not designed to work in France! If your house catches fire because of these devices I’m not even sure your insurance will cover you!

However, Xiaomi has decided to Conquer Europe in recent months, with smartphones to start with, but we should see the home automation range coming on stream quite quickly.