Aqara H1 switches - hub or no hub?

Devices & Integrations
1

Hi, I’m after some info and advice on the best way to install and integrate some aqara light switches into my smart home. I have a smartthings hub v2 , and I wanting to install some Aqara H1 (no neutral) switches. I’ve tried to do my own research on this, but a lot of the chat on here is regarding aqara sensors, not switches, so I’m not sure if that makes a difference? The deprecation of groovy and moving to edge also seems to make some information out dated.

Is anyone able to help me out with advice regarding the wall light switches? I think there are a couple of potential options:

  1. Use the aqara switches directly with smartthings hub
  2. Add an aqara hub and integrate the 2 hubs

I’m not sure if either of these are actually possible, and what the pros and cons of each are.

TIA

2

At the time of this posting, March 6, 2023, there is no easy way to integrate the two hubs. so all the forum topics up until now have been about using Aqara devices without their own hub, but using a SmartThings hub instead.

However—Matter is a new industrywide home automation standard, and both SmartThings and Aqara are planning to offer at least some support for it on some models.

Aqara is going to have at least one model hub with full two-way Matter support by acting as a “matter bridge.” You will be able to add your Aqara devices to that hub, then add the hub to your SmartThings account, and it will bring many (although not all) of its devices along with it. Simple, easy, no custom code required, and a local connection.

SmartThings has said that they currently only plan to offer one-way Matter support in. Their hubs will NOT be Matter bridges. So you’ll be (eventually) able to add Matter-certified devices from other companies to your SmartThings account, but you won’t be able to add your SmartThings/Aeotec hub to other companies’ Matter-certified apps.

Still, it’s good news for future ST/Aqara integrations, if everything works as it’s supposed to. But—none of that is here yet. So you may have to wait a few months to see how that all works out.

Which means the second option, integrating the two hubs, is not currently available but may become available via Matter before the end of 2023. We will just have to wait and see. :thinking:

2 Likes
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As far as using them directly without their own hub, it is possible for some models using custom code, but some community members have reported a very noticeable delay for some models in the SmartThings environment. See, for example,

How to pair Aqara Wireless Remote Switch H1 Double Rocker (WRS-R02)

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Thanks for this, very helpful. I’m in no rush, so will park this project for a few months and see what Matter brings to the table.

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because of unification (and my laziness), the driver waits one second to detect double press and hold events. Works for me perfectly for 1,5 yearsnow :man_shrugging:

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