A simple and competent start of the smart home

When it comes to smart homes and getting started, there are a plethora of solutions to choose from. We've taken a closer look at one of the simplest ways to do this.

Homey is a well-known name when it comes to smart home They stood out with their spherical-shaped gate when they were first launched. What sets this device apart is its ability to connect to a variety of smart home products from different manufacturers. It's a bit like 'one hub to rule them all' and this is achieved by supporting many different communication protocols. Thanks to this, it will be possible to avoid a lot of hubs and gateways from the respective manufacturers. As well as the ability to allow connected devices to communicate with each other without problems. Now this wasn't a universal solution but it was a good step along the way.

Last year, a lite version of Homey Pro was launched Which provided an easier way to get started with a smart home. The big difference (besides the design) was that this doesn't manage connected devices locally but via the cloud. The other big difference was that where Homey Pro had no additional fees or subscriptions, this is exactly what Homey Bridge had. Up to 5 units are free, after which a cost of SEK 35 per month is added. It may seem that it is not very high and the question is whether it is worth it to get a cheaper smart home solution?

We received a package from Athom (parent company of Homey) It has a home bridge and some different accessories to get you started. So what do you think of Homey Bridge? Read on and take part in our review of this product.

This is the Homi Bridge

In order to test the Homi Bridge, we obtained… A collection of smart tools where different protocols are used for communication. The idea with this, of course, is to demonstrate, among other things, the possibilities of being able to combine Zigbee and Z-Wave in a hybrid environment. The package contains a mixed range of products from Frient, Fibaro, Trust, Ikea and Aqara. Water leak detector, motion sensor, smart plug, light source and magnetic connection were the different product types that were included in addition to the Homey Bridge.

Homey Bridge is a truly deliciously designed product There is no need to be ashamed or try to hide. The very different design of their first spherical gate is much smaller and made of what appears to be a slightly more exclusive material. At least the feeling you get is different compared to a plastic ball.

In the package we find a home bridgeA micro-USB power cable with an attached power adapter and some documentation. The top is made of glossy black plastic with the company logo discreetly placed in the middle.

Homey Bridge supports a variety of protocols Which at the time of writing; Wi-Fi, ZigBee, Z-Wave, Bluetooth, 433MHz, IR (Infrared).

As a clear contrast to the black plastic Up top, the Homey Bridge features an aluminum finish throughout that pairs well with the black finish. Under the aluminum-coloured area, they've added an LED that lights up in the same color spectrum we're used to from the Homey Pro – namely a multi-coloured ring that wraps around the device and gives it a little life where it stands.

For those who don't want this light show So it is possible to turn this off in the app. Overall, it has a good sense of quality even though it's plastic that was used in manufacturing, so there are a few extra points for creating something that gives the impression of being a little more expensive. One thing to keep in mind is that the black plastic on top quickly attracts dust, so it should be wiped down a little from time to time for a nicer impression in the home…

Homi bridge installation

It is relatively easy to install and get started With Homie. Start by creating an account and answering a few questions about you and your home. The user is then guided through several steps to configure the property. By limiting your residence as much as possible, you also give the system a good prerequisite to provide smart home functionality.

A good rule of thumb when it comes to smart home He brought as much as possible from the beginning. It's usually not just three or four rooms, and then that's it because after a while, when you get a little addicted, you want more out of your smart home. Take what's inside and outside your home and then fill it with the rooms inside.

By letting the system know where you are You are also given opportunities to automate your homecoming. After a while, it's time to actually plug the Homey Bridge in and tell it where it is (or should be) in the house.

When everything is ready, the first page (dashboard) opens. And then it's time to add apps to the app if you say so. Specifically, Homey is designed with apps for each brand, which in this case means Ikea, Friant, Fibaro, Trust and Aqara apps need to be added. After the products are also installed via apps where they are linked to the products that appear when in pairing mode or via available cloud services. For Sonos, for example, you can connect your Sonos account to the Sonos app in Homey, where the connected speakers appear.

It is also possible to create variables that can help To create more powerful flows. By the way, “Flows” are Homey's own automations that are created based on certain criteria, something we'll come back to later in the review.

After a while, the devices were connected to Homey Via their applications. In the application, it is possible to customize part of the start page based on your own desires and the overview you want as a user.

By clicking on the panels above the overview So more insight into how this happened and what happened is given. Sort of a quick review of the “Lights”, “Activity” and “Energy” areas.

The app looks and language is polished Overall good, which indicates that Homey wants to provide a good user experience. Unfortunately, this is not always clear in the world of smart homes…

Use of Homi Bridge in daily life

After installing the various products that came with it We can say that there are no problems at all to make these coexist in a smart home. A motion sensor from Fibaro that uses Z-Wave powers a light source from Ikea that powers Zigbee, and is a clear example of the different communication protocols now working together without issues. Just like the Freenet water leak detector that uses Zigbee, it turns on a light bulb connected to a Trust smart plug that uses 433MHz, when water is detected on the bathroom floor.

Simplicity is precisely what many users appreciate With Homi products. For those of you looking to start with something simple, Homey Bridge is a perfectly good solution. What brings down the overall rating is that it quickly starts to cost in the form of a monthly fee in the form of Homey Premium. Admittedly, this seems low at 35 kroner, but in a year this will be 420 kroner, which should already be added to the cost of the hardware. It certainly won't be much but it is worth considering the possibility of investing more money in the big brother Homey Pro and at the same time having access to local control and support for more communication protocols. However, as a new customer, you are given a free 3 months of Homey Premium so you can try it out in peace and quiet.

Homey's great strength is its many options And the possibilities when it comes to creating “flows” (automation). Here, only imagination sets the limits and everything is more or less based on the same principle as in IFTTT (If This Then That). Creating a flow is easy and the various options available are displayed as you progress. Start by choosing “When” and then add a “Card” as it is called in Homey which can be a zone, an app or a “Presence” which can then be defined based on when someone is home or leaves home.

If variables are created, they can be used as well And of course it is possible to create flows based on time, sunrise or sunset. However, it can also happen when a connected device is energized or powered on, such as if a window is opened where there is a magnetic connection.

In this test we create the flow Who says that when At 21:41 And Nobody sleeps Then the connected IKEA light source must be activated/turned on. As you can see, there are different options for what should happen with the light source, which is perfect for novice users who don't know exactly what is possible.

We choose to activate the light source without delay Because it must be ignited immediately. When everything is ready, your flow summary is displayed and of course you can add more criteria if desired under “And…” which could be that no one is asleep and that the Aqara magnetic contact is in the closed position. Then name your flow and start enjoying a smarter home.

With the solution from Homey, there is also the possibility To control and control the smart home via the web interface. The possibility to create flows and have an overview of connected products via the web interface is practical, as it is often easier to manage than via the mobile app, especially when the number of devices is prominent. Keep in mind that “streams” through the Homey Bridge only work as long as the device is connected to the internet because it is cloud-based unlike the Homey Pro which can handle everything locally independent of an internet connection.

Through the web interface it is possible to see the “Modules”“Streams” and “Insights,” the latter of which can provide more information about power usage, temperature, battery health, and more. It should be noted that 'Insights' is only available via Homey Premium for SEK 35 per month, which also allows for an unlimited number of connected devices.

Through “Insights” you can get statistics for specific time periods It is very broad on everything from the last hour to the last two years. Statistics in particular are something that may not be at the top of your list when you're just starting out with a smart home, but after a while they can become more useful if you want to see the energy consumption of certain products or how the temperature in rooms changes over time. .

The gang behind Homie thought for a bit as they did so It is possible to use Homey Bridge as an extender for Homey Pro. If you are sitting in a larger house with Homey Pro and having some range issues in the house due to building materials or other things that can interfere with the signals, Homey Bridge can solve all these problems by extending the range in the home – Smart .

By the way, it should be added that colleague They are good at providing their products and solutions with new capabilities and functionality, and this on a regular basis. In other words, it gives more opportunities for a smarter home, which is appreciated!