[ad_1]
Philips Hue now also offers a smart contact sensor for doors and windows. You can read what the sensor can do, how much it costs and who it is particularly worthwhile for in the test report.
Philips Hue Secure contact sensor in test
No reviews yet
Design and workmanship
8.0
NETZWELT may receive a commission from the retailer for links on this page. More information.
More security and comfort in the smart home – but not at a budget price
With the smart contact sensor, Philips Hue is not only adding to its new range of security technology: the slim product also makes it easier to automate networked lighting in the smart home. Whether you want to chase away burglars or switch on the lights automatically when you return home – both are possible with the Philips Hue Secure contact sensor for windows and doors. However, the easy-to-install accessory is quite expensive and relies on a separately available Hue Bridge, which drives up the price of the setup even further.
We liked that
- Slim design
- Easy installation
- Can be operated with the Hue app
- Can be networked with lighting
- For doors and windows
We didn’t like that
- High price
- Rare battery size
- Automation unreliable
- Only available in two colors
- Hue Bridge required
Philips Hue is still the first port of call for smart lighting systems in all imaginable colors and shapes – and the Dutch provider is now expanding its range even further: With smart security technology, Philips is connecting its core offering relatively seamlessly under the name Hue Secure. The link between security and lighting technology creates a special added value that is rarely found in this variety of forms from other manufacturers.
The Philips Hue Secure contact sensor can be purchased in single and double packs. However, the accessory is of little use without a Hue Bridge. (Source: Richard W. Schaber)
In addition to Wi-Fi-based security cameras, the Philips Hue Secure product range also includes a multifunctional contact sensor. This can be used on doors and windows alike and, together with Philips Hue lights and smart speakers, forms an alarm system that protects your private rooms from unauthorized access. In addition, a sensor on the apartment door can also be used to create routines for more convenience in the smart home. The latter is not without its pitfalls, however.
installation
Unlike other products in the smart home sector, the Philips Hue Secure contact sensor is really easy to install. Both parts included in the delivery are equipped with an adhesive surface and can therefore be attached without tools, technical know-how or drilling holes.
Luckily, the thickness of the door leaf and the width of the window frame hardly play a role. The Philips Hue contact sensor also works if the main unit and the contact surface do not quite line up. A clearance of up to two centimeters allows the smart gadget to be installed on almost any normal apartment or room door as well as windows of different designs.
Unfortunately, Philips Hue currently only supplies its contact sensor in white and black, which makes it difficult to install the smart security hardware discreetly in many places.
Furnishings
If you are already using Philips Hue lamps, setting up the contact sensor is completed in no time. After a short pairing, you can continue in the smartphone app, which is also used to manage the manufacturer’s smart lamps. A separately available Hue Bridge must be docked here – if this is not already available, this is a not insignificant cost factor.
The contact sensor is easy to install – no tools are required. (Source: Richard W. Schaber)
When commissioning the sensor, it is also important that it is programmed according to its intended use. In other words: What should happen when the Philips Hue Secure contact sensor is triggered? From the unobtrusive notification on your smartphone to the doomsday alarm with light and sound, there are several ways for the system to react to the opening and closing of equipped doors and windows.
Operation
Once you have added the contact sensor via the Philips Hue app, you can define in the “Security” area which actions should be triggered when the sensor is activated. The sensor is then activated either actively via the app or as part of an automation, which you can also design using smart control centers such as Apple HomeKit.
However, the complete automation of processes in the smart home is not always immediately successful. In particular, the completely intelligent detection of your presence and absence in the secured area is not free of errors, neither by Philips Hue itself nor by smart partner services. Especially when several house residents pass the doorbell to one another, otherwise comfortable routines tend to go haywire.
The Philips Hue door sensor works most reliably when it is manually activated and deactivated. This way, your smart home, including lighting, won’t become a poltergeist and annoy you with unwanted hauntings like the TV suddenly turning off when someone takes out the trash.
Philips Hue Secure or IKEA: Is the high price for the contact sensor worth it?
If you already own Philips Hue products, you probably know that the manufacturer’s smart lighting and the available accessories are sometimes extremely expensive compared to competitor products. The same goes for the contact sensor for windows and doors, which also needs a Hue Bridge as a Zigbee radio control center to do its job.
Changing the battery in the Philips Hue Secure Contact Sensor is much easier than getting a replacement battery. The device works with a less common size. (Source: Richard W. Schaber)
While comparable items from the Smart Home range from IKEA or nameless Chinese manufacturers are available on Amazon for as little as 10 euros, Philips Hue sets the price of its Secure contact sensor at around 40 euros, once again making an unmistakable mark.
But does security in a smart home really require a sensor that costs four times as much as competitor products? There is actually no general answer to that. However, if you are already relying on the expensive Philips Hue setup for smart lighting, it is better to stick with the manufacturer – because the interaction with the lights is particularly difficult to program with a contact sensor from a third-party manufacturer, especially for beginners in the smart home sector.
However, if you want to protect countless windows in your house against burglary, you will need a sensor for each one. This calculation can quickly lead to a total price in the mid-three-digit range for a detached house.
Philips Hue Secure contact sensor
No reviews yet
Design and workmanship
8.0
NETZWELT may receive a commission from the retailer for links on this page. More information.
Transparency note: The test device was provided to us by Signify for one month and then returned.
Not to your liking? Are you looking for suitable alternatives? We have an extensive list of Philips Hue Secure contact sensor alternatives for you in our door and window contact overview.
Philips Hue Secure Contact Sensor: Datasheet
Here you can find the technical data for the Philips Hue Secure Contact Sensor. You can easily compare the size, weight and other properties with other products.
| Dimensions | 7x2x2cm |
| material | plastic |
| Fastening | Adhesive strips or screws |
| Location | Doors, windows |
| Colors | black-and-white |
| battery | CR2 |
| Connection protocol | Zigbee |
| App | from iOS 15, Android 10.0 |
| Required accessories | Philips Hue Bridge (sold separately) |
| Smart home compatibility | Apple Home / Siri, Amazon Alexa, Google Home / Assistant |
Don’t miss anything with the NETWORK-Newsletter
Every Friday: The most informative and entertaining summary from the world of technology!
[ad_2]
Source link -67