Things like Hue bulbs and are nice for those of us who are renters. My landlord would not be happy if I started replacing wall switches.
I’m using LIFX bulbs. I like them because they don’t require a hub.
I also use Elgato Eve Energy plugs. I use them for things like the humidifier and for some spot lights that have a binary on/off setting only.
I’m currently in the process of installing Lightwave RF dimmers.
I also use Sensibo for remote A/C activation. I live in really hot climate and it’s useful to turn on the AC when leaving the office to arrive to a cool home.
I will agree that smart lighting is probably the most appealing use case under smart homes.
How do you like the eve products? I am about to order a couple of energy plugs.
We now have:
- 56 hue bulbs and light strips - so much fun for lighting automation / scenes
- 2 eco bee thermostats with 8 sensors around the house
- Ring door bell at front door / security cam with light covering back yard
I returned the Chaimberlain myQ hub and bridge as it was about to give me a stroke setting it up. I would get the hub to work but them would freak out when trying to connect it to the bridge for HomeKit access.
So wish there was a solution for the garage and gate.
Hi Katie, we have an Orbi mesh system spread across the house. We are getting solid signal strength across 1/3 of an acre. The wemo switch is line of sight to the router. I’ll do some more testing though. With the Chamberlain, I chalked it up to a gen 1 product… But 
Yes, they are.
That’s why I did not mention the WeMo and Eve Motion sensors that I also bought. As soon as I got a Hue motion sensor I had to replace those two by Hue sensors. They are so much faster; the difference between delight and annoyance…
1 Like
The Eve Room and Weather are/were great, though I check their measurements way less than I thought I would.
The Eve Energy works great as a programmable switch. I have not (seriously) used it for measuring energy consumption yet.
The Eve Motion sensor I cannot recommend. It responds way too slow. The Philips Hue motion sensors work much faster.
Because the Eve products use Bluetooth instead of WiFi you will need a HomeKit hub (Apple TV or iPad connected to outlet) to use them remotely.
1 Like
I am just getting on the bandwagon but so far we have:
- Alexa/Amazon Echo - our hub
- Nest Thermostat
- Smart outlets (plugged into existing outlets) - control various lamps by voice w/Alexa or app
- Timer controlled exhaust fan in master bathroom (this might be my favorite - wife used to leave the fan on all day)
Future plans:
a) anyone know a way to trigger the Nest to exit “away” mode when my phone gets within “X distance” from our house. I have looked at IFTTT and Workflow and have come up empty so far. It would be nice to come home to a cool/warm house depending on the season without manually having to override on my drive home.
b) hook up a simple outdoor security camera just in case
c) automatic shutoff lightswitch for our kids’ bathroom - they leave the light on all the time
Nest has an ifttt recipe for this. gVLFvkXR It requires Nest be set to home though.
Thanks. I did look at IFTTT but obviously not far enough! Not sure this would totally work but might be worth a shot.
Late to the party… Our home nerdery is minimalist, but I can say, it works. Err lights turn off and on… on and off.
- Three Echo Dots and one Echo Plus — love these, foibles recognized
- Three Hue bulbs in desk lamps — use dimming frequently
- Two WeMo wall switches for overhead lights
All used with voice commands no automation now or planned. May add more wall switches for general overhead lighting but many are 3 way. (I don’t want to mess with them.) What we have covers “need areas” in our 2 bedroom condo.