How To Set Up Sensibo
Tom's Guide Verdict
A low price, easy setup and robust smart-home integration make the Sensibo Sky a sensible improver for your air conditioner.
Pros
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Like shooting fish in a barrel to set
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Has robust scheduling, geofencing
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Works with Alexa, Google Assistant and IFTTT
Cons
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No controls or display on device
There are at present a number of smart air conditioners on the market place, but what if you already take a window, wall or portable AC unit? The Sensibo Sky ($119) is an cheap and effective manner to add some smarts to your window air conditioner.
Not but does this niggling device allow you control your A/C remotely using your smartphone, merely information technology also integrates well with Alexa and Google Assistant. Plus, Sensibo's app is pretty robust on its own, which is why it's one of the best smart thermostats for those with window units.
How it works
The Sensibo device is a pocket-sized piece of rounded black plastic that measures 3.2 ten 2.2 ten 0.8 inches; the upper third has a sleeky finish and the Sensibo logo, while the lower 2-thirds is matte. Inside this unobtrusive box is an infrared transmitter and a thermometer.
The Sensibo connects to your dwelling Wi-Fi network so that by using the Sensibo app on your smartphone, you lot can send commands to plough your air conditioner on and off, set schedules and more, from wherever you lot happen to exist.
MORE: What Are Smart Air Conditioners (and Are They Worth It?)
Sensibo is like in many means to the equally inexpensive Cielo Breez (opens in new tab); however, that device is larger, at v.3 10 ii.viii x 0.9 inches, and has a screen on the front, so you can view the room temperature and humidity; two buttons below allow you adjust the thermostat without having to pull out your phone. Sensibo'due south device has no physical controls, so you lot take to use its app in club to come across and alter the temperature.
The Sensibo should piece of work with most major air-conditioner brands, including LG, Carrier, Frigidaire, Samsung and more. Information technology will also piece of work with window, in-wall, split and portable units. However, it volition work just with those units that tin can be controlled using a remote.
Setup
Setting upwards the Sensibo was a fairly painless matter. Subsequently plugging in the unit (you can purchase a battery pack separately), I then launched the Sensibo app on my smartphone, and went through the process of pairing the device with my home Wi-Fi network (it connects to merely the 2.4GHz band).
Afterwards that, the app instructed me to point my air-conditioner'due south remote at the Sensibo, and press the power button on the remote. The Sensibo recognized the remote — for a Frigidaire air conditioner — immediately.
MORE: Nest 3 vs. Ecobee4 - Which Smart Thermostat Wins?
The same cannot be said for the Cielo. Its setup process requires you to know the model number of the remote you lot're using, and select it from a drop-down menu. Moreover, the menu listed only three different remotes from Frigidaire. Since the model number of my remote is non actually on the remote itself, I had to try all three options — none of which worked.
Performance
After I set up the Sensibo, I went through its app to schedule the air conditioner to turn on and off when I wanted, and was pleased with all the options that Sensibo offers.
For starters, the dwelling house screen of the app lets y'all manually turn the unit of measurement on and off — it worked instantaneously — arrange the loftier and low temperatures and switch the air- conditioner's modes.
Climate React Mode is an automated feature that triggers the air conditioner if the Sensibo detects certain environmental criteria. What's overnice is that this can be either temperature, humidity or "Feels Like" — a combination of the two. So, for case, if the temperature hits lxxx degrees, you lot can have the Sensibo turn on your air conditioner to 72 degrees, with the fan on medium. So, when the room reaches a certain temperature, the Sensibo can once over again modify the air-conditioner's setting.
MORE: The All-time Products That Work With Amazon Alexa
There are a few other bang-up features in Sensibo's app. You lot can ready multiple schedules for the the air conditioner become on, even setting specific temperatures for each schedule. As well, it has geofencing, which will turn the unit on automatically when y'all (well, your phone) arrives dwelling, and plough it off when you lot leave.
You lot can set things upward using either the mobile app or through Sensibo's web portal.
Smart Home Compatibility
Sensibo works with Alexa, Google Assistant/Home and IFTTT, the latter of which can be used to connect it to other smart-home systems, such as SmartThings.
After enabling the Sensibo skill and letting Alexa discover the Sensibo amid its smart-home devices, yous can add the Sensibo to Alexa Routines to have it plow on and off at set times, or by speaking a command. Even so, yous tin conform the temperature only by voice, and only when the air conditioner is running. Setting this all up took almost a minute, and the air conditioner responded almost instantly when I told Alexa to turn it on.
Bottom Line
While I wish at that place were a way on the device itself to meet and control the temperature, the Sensibo Sky is an piece of cake manner to contain an otherwise dumb air conditioner into your smart dwelling. I like that Sensibo's app offers several methods of control, and that it works with Alexa, Google and IFTTT. Provided yous have a uniform air conditioner, the Sensibo adds a lot of functionality for not that much money.
Credit: Tom'south Guide
Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/us/sensibo-sky,review-5683.html
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