The Best Door Sensor For Home Assistant
The Home Assistant Ecosystem
Home assistant is the top choice for home automation platforms for users who like to have total control of their home automations while still maintaining their security and privacy by running their devices on their own network instead of a third party servers. Door sensors can fit into your smart home by communicating with your hub with the z wave protocol. We'll show you the best door sensor for home assistant.
How Door Sensors Work
Other than differences in which wireless protocol they use all door sensors work the same. They are two piece devices that are typically adhered to the door and frame with double sided tape. Some devices will also have screws as a mounting option for wood doors for a more secure and permanent install. The smaller piece of the device contains no electronics and requires no batteries and is only a shell holding a magnet. The magnet interacts with a magnetic actuated switch in the other half of the device. When the magnet is near the other half the device reads closed. When the door open the magnetic field goes away and the device reads open. You can use this switch for all kinds of home automations,
What Can I Automate With a Door Sensor
Door sensors can be used for many functions. A simple automation would be to use your door sensor as a simple security device for a door that is usually left closed. You can trigger home assistant to send an alert any time a door is open. They also are great for work from home parents to alert them if their children leave the house.
You can also use your door sensor to help conserve energy. You can set home assistant to start a timer when a door opens and your heating or cooling is running. If your predetermined timer comes to an end without the door being closed you can then have home assistant turn off your HVAC system to prevent your house from heating the entire neighborhood.
Which Sensor Is Right For Me
In picking the best door sensor for home assistant you first need to audit the devices you already have on your home automation network. If most of your devices are z wave you should continue with z wave devices and get a z wave door sensor. The same goes for networks that use zigbee devices. You want to keep most of your devices the same because the networks communicate as a mesh and each device can help the other talk to your hub, increasing your network quality and reliability.
The Best Budget Door Sensor For Home Assistant Using Z Wave
Zooz 700 Series Z-Wave Plus Open|Close XS Sensor ZSE41
The zooz sensor is our top budget choice for a few reasons. Zooz is a committed partner in the z wave alliance which means you should have long term support. Second, this sensor is using the latest z wave 7 protocol which is great for future proofing your home automation setup. Z wave 7 devices have higher bandwidth and better battery life than the older versions of the protocol while still maintaining backwards compatibility with older devices. This device is regularly available for under $30 making it a great budget price. Check current pricing on amazon.
The Overall Best Door Sensor For Home Assistant Using Z Wave
Aeotec 3-1 Door Window Sensor 7 Pro
Aeotec 3-1 sensor is our top overall choice for the best door sensor for home assistant. In addition to the magnetic switch that all door sensors have the Aeotec 3-1 sensor also has a tilt sensor. This sensor could then be used to monitor a garage door, a mailbox door or a doggy door that wouldn't be possible with a regular magnet sensor. The device is also made by Aeotec which has a long history of making quality z wave devices. Like the zooz the device is also using the latest z wave 7 protocol which gives you better power consumption and wireless speed. On top of all those additional features you can also hard wire the sensor if you happen to have low voltage wiring at your door frame from an old security system. The device is regularly available for $45 which is a great deal considering all the features it provides. Check current pricing on Amazon
The Best Budget Door Sensor For Home Assistant Using Zigbee
Aqara Door and Window Sensor
The Aqara Door and Window Sensor packs all the standard door sensor features in a very attractive price point. The device comes highly reviewed on Amazon with nearly 2000 reviews and a 4.5 star rating. The door sensor allows up to a 22mm gap which is over 3/4 of an inch. This can be useful if your door trim shape would leave you with a large gap. Some sensors can only do a gap of 1/4 inch so 22mm is quite impressive. The Aqara sensor is very budget friendly coming in around $18 but is sometimes found on sale for $15. Check current pricing on amazon.
The Overall Best Door Sensor For Home Assistant Using Zigbe
Aeotec SmartThings Door/Window Sensor
LIke our z wave pick Aeotec takes the top place for zigbee window and door sensors. Aeotec's history in the smart home field and known quality makes them a smart choice for most devices in either protocol. The Aeotec zigbee window and door sensor does not have all the advance features that the z wave device has but it has a lower price point to make up for the more basic features., regularly available for around $36. Check current pricing on amazon.