Sell me on Xioami sensors

Devices & Integrations
1

I know the prices are awesome, but I’m concerned about a few things:

  1. Quality. Low price normally means bad quality. How do they stack up to the ST sensors, or Monoprice?
  2. This one sounds stupid, but I tend to not trust Chinese electronics. Call me paranoid, but I’ve heard too many horror stories of Chinese electronics having government backdoors. Yes, I’m aware the Chinese government probably doesn’t care what a guy in FL is doing, but still, I don’t like the idea of these phoning home.

If Xioami’s don’t work, what else should I be looking for?

2

I like the neo coolcam ones

3

If you search the boards, you’ll find that these sensors are cheap but can be problematic staying connected or just getting them to pair in the first place is a pain.

If you’re in the US, Lowe’s contact and motion sensors are pretty good and if there’s a problem, easy to return. Check the deals board for good prices.

3 Likes
4

I have 6 Xioami temperature sensors and 3 buttons, all of which have been connected for over a year and have not dropped off once. In fact 1 is in my attic and still works great even with the extreme temperature. Yes they are more work to get connected, but once connected they have been solid.

I am not sure about their motion/door sensors as I have not used these. But for the price I thought they were perfect for cheap small temperature sensors around the house.

5

I have 2 mi cubes to sell :wink:

On a more serious note, I gave up trying to get one connected to my system, I have a v1 hub so I’m not sure if that has something to do with it.

6

in my experience they aren’t worth the cheap cost.

  1. Harder to connect
  2. harder to stay connected
  3. don’t work with normal zigbee repeaters

unless you are the type that likes to fiddle with stuff, i would avoid.

2 Likes
7

Aren’t most smart home devices made in China? Regardless of brand, I mean.

8

Yes. :sunglasses: Even GE.

What I look for is UL or similar listing. I don’t worry so much about where the factory is as whether it was designed for operation in North America and tested by a third-party to appropriate safety standards. It’s not a guarantee, but it does set a minimum floor for me.

2 Likes
9

If you will be operating fewer than 33 battery powered zigbee devices ( also including Sengled lightbulbs in this count ) and they will all be within 1 hop of the hub, and you are running a V2 hub, and you are using the Aqara model of Xioami devices, you have the best chance of being happy with them. They may be fiddly to get paired, but they will probably stay paired and work OK.

If you don’t meet those restrictions, you are much more likely to run into problems with the devices. Which is why different people have reported such different experiences. The exact set up of your network is going to matter a lot.

2 Likes
10

Hi
I have 4 types of sensors from them.
I would recommend the contact(door sensor) and water sensor

However i cant really recommend their PIR nor their humidity sensor