The Best Home Automation Sensors

Home automation systems come in all shapes and sizes, from the primary system that uses some electrical wiring and plug-in modules to the hi-tech wireless setup that controls everything with a smartphone, tablet, remote control or voice command. One of the most important pieces is the smart sensor that monitors your home for changes, alerting you or triggering actions in response to these changes. Without this vital piece of hardware, your home wouldn’t be a “smart” one.

The best sensors can help you monitor your home’s security, prevent energy waste and automate routine tasks. They can help you track water leaks, fire breakouts, temperature fluctuations and more. Some can even differentiate between a resident, visitor or pet versus a burglar or unwanted intruder. Some are even capable of detecting falls, allowing elderly residents to get help in the event of an accident. Smart sensors can also control lights and appliances, turning them on and off according to your schedule and adjusting brightness depending on the time of day or programmed events like sunsets and sunrises.

In this article, we look at the best sensors that provide peace of mind, make your home energy efficient and allow you to automate your lighting and appliances. We’ve divided them into two categories: all-around sensors that are designed to coordinate a variety of smart devices and security-focused ones that include sirens.

Smart door and window sensors are essential to the home automation landscape because they can detect whether a door or window is opened, helping keep your home secure and safe. They’re also useful for regulating your home’s climate, turning on your heating or cooling in advance of your arrival and shutting off the lights when you’re leaving.

A motion sensor is another common smart home device, which can help you keep an eye on your house and keep it safe from intruders and pets by identifying different movements and triggering specific responses. Smart sensor technology can also be used to automate tasks like feeding your pets and watering your houseplants.

This HomeKit-compatible sensor from Eve packs a lot of functionality into an unobtrusive puck. It can act as a door sensor, a leak detector and a temperature sensor, plus it listens for your smoke alarms. You can customize the sensor’s monitoring plan in the app, which also records a simple log of when it was active. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work with other smart home hubs or alarm systems, which limits its potential. It does, however, come with a couple of other useful tools for your home: a battery life indicator and spacers to help you align the sensor’s magnet on thicker door frames.