Best dimmable bulb with a built-in motion / presence sensor

Devices & Integrations
1

Hi all,

Could someone recommend a dimmable bulb with a build in motion or / and presence sensor that would work with smart things?

Many thanks,
MP

2

A “presence sensor” In the SmartThings context normally means a device that comes and goes from the home, so that the system can tell when you are “home” or “away.” So I don’t think that’s what you mean here since a bulb stays place in one location all the time.

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You might be thinking of “occupancy sensor“ which is a term that has been used in lighting for a long time and is really the same thing as a motion sensor. It just means somebody is moving around in the vicinity of the light.

For some technical reasons, there are almost no light bulbs that have motion sensors built into them because when the sensor is that close to the bulb it tends to get hot and motion sensors in this price range are almost always actually “passive infrared” or PIR sensors which aren’t really measuring motion at all. They are measuring very small changes in heat as it moves across the lens. So it’s just really really hard to have a smart bulb that also has a PIR sensor in it.

There are definitely light fixtures that have “motion” sensors built-in. And there are also switches. Just that extra couple of inches give you a lot more options in terms of the engineering. :sunglasses:

Could you tell us a little more about the exact use case you are thinking of? Will it be indoors or outdoors? Is this to fit into an existing fixture? Would you be OK if they were two different devices, the smart Bulb and a separate motion sensor located a few feet away from the bulb so you don’t get the same issues with the heat?

3

Thanks for the answer.

You are right. I mean an occupancy sensor. What I want to do is relatively simple. It is for a bathroom that I am currently finishing off. There is no existing fixture. I want to avoid buying a separate motion sensor and a bulb. I would like ST integration and I would like it to work like this:

  • the light should switch on automatically when someone enters the bathroom
  • the light should stay on when someone is in the bathroom
  • the light should switch off automatically when someone leaves the bathroom
  • the light should be dimmed to a level that I can configure if it is within certain hours of the day (the hours I should be able to configure too).

Many thanks for your help.

4

What country are you in? The device selection does vary somewhat.

If you are in the US, there is a GE brand smart switch that works well with smartthings and has an occupancy sensor built into it.

Here is the manufacturer site with the full specifications. But shop around, it usually sells for a little under the list price. :sunglasses:

1 Like
5

I think Sengled is the only option right now with SmartThings compatibility.

1 Like
6

Many thanks. I am in the UK. The options seem limited here.
For example, I can’t find the Sengled bulb although this is exactly what I would like.

7

You want the Sengled element line to go with SmartThings. But I’m not sure they offer the motion sensing element model in the UK. You might need to check with the manufacturer.

https://www.smartthings.com/gb/products/-/filter/brands/sengled

https://eu.sengled.com/en/products/security/element-plus/index.html

8

Thanks for your help @JDRoberts

Unfortunately I can’t find the the motion sensing element model in the uk.