SwitchBot Home Devices

Ever since the Simpsons moved into their fully automated home, courtesy of supervillain but brilliant boss Hank Scorpio, the idea of a sci-fi assisted house has appealed to me. With smart hubs such as Alexa and app-controlled household products, we’re finally living in that reality, and the items from SwitchBot are perfect, affordable additions to this way of life that when combined can turn your home into a much more streamlined, intelligent, hands-free experience.

SwitchBot sent an exciting package of goodies over to us so we could run around the house, connect everything up and see what kind of difference they made. Here’s what we were sent:

SwitchBot Hub Mini
$39

https://www.switch-bot.com/products/switchbot-Hub-mini

The SwitchBot Hub Mini is at the heart of the other SwitchBot products. This Hub isn’t just a device for streamlining the control of your SwitchBot devices – this surprisingly affordable product actually streamlines most household devices, including your TV, air conditioner and anything else that would usually be controlled by a remote. The Hub can mimic the signal of those remotes, allowing you to orchestrate everything from your phone via the app or with voice commands.

Considering how cheap it is, I was really surprised at how much you can sync up, using this Hub. If you already have an AI assistant such as Alexa, Google assistant or Siri, the SwitchBot Hub can work with these, too. It’s a quick and cost-effective way to hook more devices up to a central system. You’ll definitely want it if you’re going to buy a few of the other SwitchBot products, though it does also function without.

SwitchBot Curtain – Rod
$99

https://www.switch-bot.com/products/switchbot-curtain

The SwitchBot Curtain allows you to control the opening and closing of your curtains from the ease of an app. At first, I wasn’t sure how useful that was, but I was soon converted: you can set your curtains to open and close at a certain time every day, to respond to the light levels outside, or you can open them manually using a slider on the app. The slider means you can select exactly how open you’d like your curtains, too – it's surprisingly useful! For example, you can tell your curtains to open during the daytime in winter, but to be closed in summer, and you can have them partially open if you want to keep the heat out/in but still want some light to reach your plants.

We received two of the SwitchBot Curtain devices, which meant we could hook them up to two windows with a single curtain each, or one window with a pair of curtains. That is one draw-back with this system – if you want the automated curtain life, I suggest having single curtains that pull shut all the way across your window, or else you’ll be paying double for every window you want to rig up.

The SwitchBot Curtain is available in three designs, depending on what kind of curtain rail you have. Check carefully to make sure you order the right one before purchasing – they seem to have most types of curtain rails covered, but not all. Available in white and black, you can select the device that will best blend in, but they’re not the smallest or most subtle. Then again, I quickly stopped noticing it, and you really do notice the ease it creates.

This device is handy whether you have limited mobility around your home or you’d just like things to run smoothly and automatically around you. It’s especially worthwhile if you’re rigging other devices up to the SwitchBot Hub too – I wouldn’t see much point in having slick windows if I had to do everything else myself! However, if you’re less mobile and don’t want to have to keep heading to the curtains every time the light levels change, this is invaluable. You can even voice-activate the SmartBot Curtain for that extra sci-fi feeling of ease, and with an 8-month battery life and re-chargable batteries, they’re rarely going to need any upkeep from you at all. Plus, there’s an optional SwitchBot Solar Panel. Once plugged into the SwitchBot Curtain, you will never have to recharge again.

SwitchBot Remote
$19

https://www.switch-bot.com/products/switchbot-remote

The SwitchBot remote is a simple add-on device that lets you open or close your curtains with the touch of a button.  I would recommend this product for people who want the ease of automated curtains but are less comfortable using their phones for everything. As a cheap add-on that can either be wall mounted or hand held, if that’s you, or you’re setting up a home system for a parent or grandparent, this won’t break the bank and could really improve someone’s experience.

SwitchBot Solar Panel
$25

https://www.switch-bot.com/products/switchbot-solar-panel

The SwitchBot Solar Panel is another direct companion for the SwitchBot Curtain. The SwitchBot Solar Panel attaches to your curtain bots to keep them fully powered, meaning you don’t ever need to worry about them failing.

These solar panels attach easily, and something I was pleased to find was that they also attach in different ways, depending on your curtain and what feels most secure. For example, you can either attached it directly to the SwitchBot Curtain, or you can fix it to the curtain fabric itself.

This add-on is a great idea - I always approve of a green power solution, and attached to curtains, you know that these panels are going to have plenty of access to sunlight! However, the SwitchBot Curtain already has an 8-month battery life and a rechargeable battery, so these panels are by no means necessary. They’re a very convenient and eco-friendly addition, and not very costly, but added on top of the cost of the curtain bot itself, you have to decide how much each of your automated curtains are worth to you. However, if you’re setting up a home system for someone else and want it to be as easy as possible for them, then I would definitely recommend them.

SwitchBot Thermometer and Hygrometer
$19

https://www.switch-bot.com/products/switchbot-meter

This product is a little different to the others in our bundle. In essence, this is a straight-up thermometer and humidity monitor - something I first got to know about through my wife’s brief obsession with buying calatheas and other temperamental house plants, but which you might also be in the need for to keep an eye on the health of your pets, your newborn, or the wellbeing of instruments and other valuable items.

Unlike the cheap humidity meter I have, this one gives a reading to your phone and can send you alerts if the temperature and humidity in the area it is set up changes outside of what you have told it are the correct parameters. It also keeps track of the data for 36 days, so if that calathea is looking peaky, you can check your data history and find out why.

This product is fairly useful as a stand-alone, and for the low price, I would definitely recommend it over a meter that doesn’t send you alerts. However, it really is best when paired with the SwitchBot Hub. Then, as well as monitoring the situation and sending you alerts, you can use the Hub to tell your air conditioning to turn on and off when the reading hits certain levels, etc.
 

Overall:

With SwitchBot products, this is one of those cases where ‘more is more’. The more you can hook up to your Hub, the more value and use you get out of every product. Apart from the SwitchBot Curtain, each individual item is also very affordable, and most of these, you only need to buy one of.  If you’re looking to automate your home, this is a really user-friendly, cost-effective way to do so, and is really worth checking out.

4.5/5

Pros
Intuitive & easy to use
All app controlled
Gives you loads of options and control
Works well together to create a wider experience
Helpful if you have limitations in your mobility
Cost effective
Button options if you don’t want to use your phone
Voice control options

Cons
SwitchBot Curtain could be expensive if you needed several
SwitchBot Curtains aren’t very small or subtle in appearance
Only come in white or black