Setting up your smart home can mean a lot of different things. You could be choosing different devices, or you could be deciding how to use the smart home devices you just got. Just purchasing one device can open up an endless array of possibilities, as you can then connect that device to other devices or have it be used to automate actions by different gadgets.
Motion sensors are a genre of smart home device that may be underutilized. Many homes could benefit from using motion sensors to trigger automations around the home. This can be in the form of a push notification to let someone know that there is motion in front of the sensor. It can also sense motion, send a message to another device, and have that device perform an action, like turning on a light. I’ve tested out numerous motion sensors before and, while none of them have been exorbitantly expensive, the pricier ones have been worth it for me.
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The 8 Best Places in Your Home to Put Motion Sensors
Looking to add motion sensors to your home? Here’s where to start.
The most important feature is recognition
I’ve noticed the difference
When you’re using a motion sensor, you want it to pick up motion as soon as possible. This may seem like a basic need, but many motion sensors aren’t as quick to pick up as you might like. From my experience, it would take the motion sensor, on average, between one and four seconds to pick up motion.
When you’re hoping that the motion sensor’s alert will trigger another action in your home, four seconds can be a long time. This is especially the case if you DIY your own smart home setup. I used the Meross MS600 motion sensor which, for me, was the best one I’ve used. It costs over $40, making it the most expensive one I’ve used as well. It provided almost instant recognition of motion in the area that was set for it, meaning it found the motion inside the parameters it was capable of measuring. I used it in my dining room for a while and used it for the purpose of triggering the lights to turn on if it saw motion.
Seeing as it is a room that we rarely go into, it made sense to turn on the lights in there because the person who was going to be entering the room was likely going to be turning on the lights, anyway. The MS600 provided an almost instant alert to the smart plug that had a lamp plugged into it. The lamp would switch on very shortly after that, making the automation a success.
On the flip side of the equation, for me, was using the Govee Outdoor Motion Sensor. This is a sturdy motion sensor that can withstand tough temperatures to make outdoor lights work with their automation. Its main purpose is to connect to other Govee outdoor products and trigger automations. However, I found that it was frequently delayed in its recognition, or it wouldn’t register motion at all, causing the automations to either not work or work extremely late.
Ease of setup Matter(s)
Motion sensors are meant to communicate
You can use motion sensors for all kinds of reasons. But, at the end of the day, the motion it picks up is meant to trigger some form of alert. A lot of the time, this is going to be because it’s connected to another device, and you want the alert to tell the other device that motion was registered.
So, you probably want to look for devices that are easier to connect to other devices. It’s fine if you only want your motion sensor to alert you with a push notification to your phone that something has moved in front of it. For security purposes, that might be all that you need. But you can also take security to the next level by connecting other devices for a more encompassing setup.
One of the issues that can cause your setup to be less effective is that your Wi-Fi connection is slow. The motion sensor is almost definitely going to be connected to your other devices via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. So, if you have a poor connection, your device could be delayed in picking up the motion.
Another problem you might have is that your smart home ecosystem might not match the motion sensor’s capabilities. This has caused more problems in my home than I’d like. If it can’t be integrated into your devices list, whether you’re using Alexa, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings, or Apple HomeKit for your smart home, it’s basically useless to you. That’s why finding a device that can connect via Thread or Matter protocols is smart. These are smart home connectivity standards that help devices communicate with one another. If you have a Matter sensor like the Aqara Motion and Light Sensor P2, it can more seamlessly integrate into your home ecosystem. You don’t have to buy a specific brand’s motion sensor.
But it will need a Matter controller or a Thread Border Router to work, which is often a device that serves as a hub for connection. This can require you to purchase a new device if you’re setting up a Matter or Thread-based home.
Minimizing false alarms is so vital
My backyard light drives me nuts
Credit: Chris Hachey / MakeUseOf
I love having a Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Pro in my backyard. I rely on Ring for my home’s security purposes as I have motion sensors, cameras, video doorbells, and more from the brand.
The floodlight camera provides a great look at my backyard when I need to see a camera feed. It provides a bright light whenever I turn on the light, giving us plenty of backyard illumination.
But it also provides a bright light when it picks up motion in the backyard. This is to give my dog some light when he’s outside to go to the bathroom when it’s dark out. It also provides us with some light when we’re on the deck in the spring and summer.
However, the sensitivity of the light’s motion sensor is tough to get just right. On the one hand, I do want some motion to trigger the light to go on. But I can’t find the right balance between having it go off for people and having it not go on for the wind. During the winter, the furniture covers can ripple in the wind, causing the light to turn on in the middle of the night frequently. I’d rather it was turned on rather than not turned on, but then I get push notifications sent to my phone that there was motion in the backyard.
I’ve tried to adjust the sensitivity, but I struggle to find the right one, as sometimes it’s too light and other times it’s not enough. This isn’t necessarily Ring’s fault, as it could also be the furniture covers that I have might just be too big for the furniture. It’s just something to look out for if you have motion sensors for your outdoor cameras.
Motion sensors are tricky to get right
Motion sensors can make your life easier if you find ones that work well. You might not know you have the right one until you test a few. The more premium options that I’ve tried generally work well. Even my floodlight works well, but it also works a bit too well. Early recognition of motion is the most important feature for a motion sensor, and the more premium versions I’ve tried are generally the best. But you want ones that fit in well with your smart home ecosystem.
