SwitchBot Bot evaluation: Easy however restricted

I not too long ago had the chance to evaluation the SwitchBot Curtain 3 and was intrigued by an organization that appeared decided to automate issues I had by no means considered automating. The Bot is the little system that began all of it for SwitchBot, being the corporate’s first product in 2016. I needed to test it out for myself and see the place it matches within the fashionable landscape of smart devices. As of late you will discover numerous ‘sensible’ devices, bulbs, switches, thermostats, home equipment, and extra, so the Bot appears designed to deal with an issue that’s all of the extra unusual with every passing yr, however I wished to see for myself.

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Value, specs, and availability

The SwitchBot Bot retails for just below $30. It is accessible from Amazon and instantly from SwitchBot. Customers can discover it in single-, two-, and four-pack choices.

The Bot is a reasonably easy product, so there is not a lot in the best way of specs. It runs on a single CR2 3V battery that SwitchBot claims will final 600 days and features through Bluetooth when managed by the app. Whereas some customization and sensible management, like schedules, is feasible proper out of the field, extra performance, equivalent to management over Wi-Fi when away from residence, requires a further buy within the type of the SwitchBot Hub.

What I favored in regards to the SwitchBot Bot

Straightforward to put in and dependable to make use of

The SwitchBot Bot was comparatively simple to put in, although the method varies barely relying on the kind of swap you are attempting to make use of it with. Very similar to I stated in regards to the SwitchBot Curtain 3, the Bot features precisely as meant. The Bot turned my hallway lights on and off through the contact of a button within the SwitchBot app. It labored easily and wasn’t obnoxiously loud.

The swap may be scheduled from the app, and I truly discovered an ideal use for it. Every night, I would go away the hallway mild on in order that the Roomba had sufficient mild to wash in a single day. Nevertheless, my spouse dislikes that when she wakes up every morning round 5 AM the hallway lights are on and shiny. So, I set the SwitchBot Bot to show off the sunshine every morning earlier than she wakes up however after the Roomba has accomplished its rounds.

What I did not like in regards to the SwitchBot Bot

Cumbersome and unpleasant

The best downside for me was an aesthetic one. The Bot, whether or not put in on a lightweight swap, espresso maker, or every other system, is unpleasant. Its blocky, cumbersome design stands proud like a sore thumb wherever it is positioned and would possibly solely keep away from this consideration if put in out of sight.

Must you purchase the SwitchBot Bot?

Like most merchandise from SwitchBot, the Bot serves an especially area of interest software that may be a game-changer for individuals who discover a use for it and a head-scratcher for individuals who do not. You would possibly discover a use case that makes excellent sense to your residence, like my scenario with the hallway lights, by which case the SwitchBot is an affordable resolution to your downside. I definitely wasn’t about to switch each mild within the hallway with a wise lightbulb or DIY {the electrical} work of changing the twin mild swap within the wall with a wise swap. So, in my case, the SwitchBot Bot was excellent for a small set of duties, and so long as you will discover a use for it, it is a well-designed and dependable product.