To measure the temperature and humidity of our home or a specific room in the house we can rely, in addition to the classic column or digital thermometers and hygrometers, also to the new smart thermometers, able to connect to the phone or directly to the Internet to communicate the data collected through a convenient app, so as to be able to manage the home temperature based on the values that will be communicated to us.In this guide we will show you then how smart thermometers work and which models to buy online, so that we can make our home, our room or our office even smarter (especially if we also have other home automation devices to control the heating and air conditioning system).
Better smart thermometers
As mentioned in the introduction we will first show you which technologies the smart thermometers currently on the market use, how to connect them to our smartphone or the Internet and finally we will find the classic buying guide, so that we can choose the model that best suits our needs.How a smart thermometer works
The smart thermometer integrates sensors capable of reveal in real time the temperature and humidity of the room in which it is placed, so as to immediately know the climatic conditions of the same through the integrated display or using the app combined with the smart thermometer.These devices can connect to the phone via Bluetooth or connect directly to the Internet via wireless (in many cases with protocol Zigbee), so as to be able to monitor the situation even when we are away from home, as well as interface with other home automation devices in the house).
More expensive models can work like real weather stations, using data taken from external sensors (sold separately) or information from the Internet to show the weather forecast.
Obviously in order to manage these thermometers we will have to also download the combined app, so as to have access to all the functions of the device such as the notifications in case of sudden changes in temperature and humidity (very useful if we have small children and babies).
All the models that we will report to you they are portable, we can therefore place them anywhere and one or more batteries are enough to make them work (without necessarily having to resort to the home electrical network, which would require an additional expense for the electrician).
Buying Guide
After having briefly seen the characteristics of smart thermometers, in this chapter we will show you which are the best models that you can buy online on Amazon, currently the best site for home automation devices also due to the extended warranty (which we have talked about in our guide The Amazon guarantee reimburses the money spent within two years).The first model that we can see is theORIA Igrometro Termometro, available on Amazon for less than € 20.
This small device can be placed anywhere even hung, thanks to the fabric hook on the back. Thanks to the Bluetooth 5.0 connection we can use it to monitor temperature and humidity through the dedicated app, up to a distance of 20 meters (indicative).
The thermometer also keeps an accurate record of the recorded values and it is also possible to export them to a convenient CSV file.
The app to manage this device is Sensor Blue, available free for Android and iPhone.
As a valid alternative to the product seen above we can focus on Xiaomi Mi Temperature And Humidity Monitor, available on Amazon for less than € 20.
Also in this case we will have a small smart thermometer that shows, on a high contrast screen, both the room temperature and the humidity; in addition to the screen, we can record and monitor environmental data via smartphone, by downloading the Xiaomi Home app and connecting via Bluetooth.
The device can also be used in a home with other home automation devices: all we have to do is get close to the thermometer, make the connection and take advantage of the Xiaomi Home routines, so as to be able to automatically turn on the heating and air conditioning when certain values are reached. temperature and humidity.
If we haven't downloaded the app yet Xiaomi Home we can do it for free on Android devices and on iPhone / iPad.
If, on the other hand, we are looking for something even smarter, we can see it Xiaomi Aqara Smart, available on Amazon for less than € 25.
This enhanced version of the Xiaomi thermostat allows you to integrate all the features seen in the previous device without using Bluetooth but using the Wi-Fi network (specifically the ZigBee Wireless protocol, which we can integrate using a Hub such as the Aqara Hub Mi Gateway).
With it we can therefore monitor the temperature and humidity inside Xiaomi Home (the same app seen previously) even when we are away from home, so that we can start the temperature routines automatically even in our absence. The alert mode is very useful, which allows you to receive alert notifications on the phone whenever the temperature or humidity exceeds a certain value.
If we want to integrate it into a home with other home automation devices, in addition to Xiaomi Home we can integrate it into Apple HomeKit, so that it can be used on the specific iPhone app.
Are we looking for a highly configurable smart thermometer for home automation? We can take a look at the KKmoon Zigbee Humidity and temperature sensor, available on Amazon for less than € 30.
This device can be connected wirelessly to Zigbee, so as to be able to communicate with all the other devices that use the same protocol and are connected to the same reference hub (if we don't have a Zigbee hub, we should immediately get one like the KKmoon Tuya ZigBee Smart. Gateway Hub).
The thermometer shows the temperature and humidity on the high contrast screen and, once connected to the wireless network, it is possible to monitor the climatic data even outside the home, by downloading the management app Tuya Smart on Android and iPhone devices.
Also through the app it is possible to automate some simple routines, so as to turn on the heating or air conditioning automatically if the temperature or humidity in the house varies too much with respect to the reference value.
Conclusions
If we are creating a house full of home automation devices, one or more smart thermometers cannot be missing, so that we can coordinate the heating or air conditioning of the house together with the main thermostat (which is usually placed in one room, so it cannot monitor the temperature of the other rooms).The devices we have shown you are excellent to keep the temperature and humidity under control in the room of children, babies or in the rooms where we store paintings, food or valuables (which can be damaged by sudden changes in temperature and humidity) .
If we have not yet placed a smart thermostat in our home, we can fix it immediately by reading our guide Smart thermostat and automatic control of heating and air conditioning.
Don't we know anything about home automation? It is never too late to start! In this regard we can immediately deepen the topic by reading our articles on Domotica (Smart Home): the best devices to install and use and how Automate lights, sockets and thermostats to save money.
Better smart thermometers: temperature and humidity at home
