Philips Hue Smart Motion Sensor (Installation-Free Exclusive for Philips Hue Lights), White, Model:473389

The motion detection has a good range and I like that you can configure different day and night settings as well as being able to configure motion sensitivity and ambient light sensitivity individually. You can also configure the time out for day and night individually. If you just set them up, the defaults are good enough. The mount is magnetic, so drilling is not necessary if you have a central place to put it on metal. They also have a barometer and thermometer in them, but these are not currently utilized by the app.I set up one of these in the bathroom and one in my home office. In the bathroom, I have the sensor paired with two lights and have set the ambient light sensor and motion detection high. The lights do not come on during the day when not needed but when the ambient light is low, the lights come on full brightness. At night, the lights are set to 5% brightness (nightlight) and turn on to 50% when motion is detected. In the home office, the lights are set to full white during the day and a dim amber at night only when I am present.My only complaint is the price. $35 seems quite high (even for Hue). I bought two at full price but I keep checking for a sale so I can add a third.

Note that this review is based on one I already have owned for about three years, and used via a non-Philips hub.This is a solid product. I am not running a Philips Hue hub; I am using the built-in capability that is offered with the Hubitat Elevation home automation hub. It has - via an app - the ability to use Philips Hue devices without the need for Philips' own separate hub. It replaced a Zooz sensor that ate a wierd type of battery at a prodigeous rate.Motion detection is very good, it provides other information like ambient light brightness, and temperature. Battery life is incredible! The factory set of batteries ran just about two years before failing, and as they are AAA, are easy and cheap to buy.Do I suggest this sensor? Yes, if you are in the Philips Hue system, or if you do as I have done: using a hub that will work with Philips Hue devices. The one I just purchased is being used for some little experiments, and I am sure it will work very well for its eventual task.

The Good: This is a GREAT device. I could not believe how easy it was to set up with the hub without even reading a single instruction. You basically open up the Philips Hue app, go to accessories, click the + button and remove the tape on the back of the sensor unit to pair.The motion detection works superbly. It is so cool to enter a room and have the lights automatically turn on.Here's the rub -- and why you just can't have everything with this motion detector...It's terrific for if you want to simply enter the room, grab something real quick, and then exit. The lights turn on automatically and then after a set amount of time (which you can manually select), the lights dim and then turn off.However....It's a pain-in-the-neck if you want the lights to automatically turn on when you enter a room and then decide to stay in it. You cannot override the auto turn-off function unless you have your mobile device in your pocket and turn the sensor off. So, say you want to do some work in your office. The lights will automatically turn on as you enter, however as you sit in your chair to do work, the lights will automatically turn off on you. Not good.Truly, I hope I am missing something that lets you more easily override the auto-off function without having to resort to finding your phone and tablet and adjusting the settings.Outside of this glaring issue, this is a really great device!

If I had to use one word to sum up my experience with the Hue Motion Sensor, it would be "conflicted". For I have desired a product that can do what the Hue Motion Sensor does for a very long time. Yet now that I have it, I find myself wanting more.The Hue Motion sensor does exactly what it was marketed to do, and it does its job surprisingly well. The installation was a breeze, setup was easy, and after getting used to its capabilities and limitations for a day or two, it was surprisingly easy to setup the behavior exactly as the way you like it. My lights in each room turn on instantaneously when I walk in, and shut off after a predefined amount of inactivity. It’s highly flexible too, as a piece of strong magnet simply attaches to the back (screw is optional) and sticks to all metal surfaces and some wall corners with metal beams. My favorite location to place the sensor is right over the top screw of my light switch, and it provides the best FOV for the sensor in multiple locations of my home. This kind of setup/function experience cannot be said for a significant portion of the smart home market, even Apple’s own HomeKit is significantly less reliable compared to this product.If you love it so much why give it 3 stars? Well, as much as I love how the sensors automate my lights in each room, that is literally all it is able to do. With how far smart home technologies have come and the sheer number of tools at the manufactures’ disposal, one does not simply release a premium-priced product without offering a hint of these functionalities. The Hue Sensor is akin to releasing a high-end TV without Netflix integration in the modern age. So if you would like to use your Hue Sensor to trigger notifications to your phone, or complete a series of home automation actions, you’d be better off looking elsewhere.Am I keeping the Hue Sensors I’ve purchased? Probably, as it helped realized a long time dream of mine while being able to function flawlessly. Am I happy about this purchase? Not really, as the super-limited capabilities at such a steep price point is not at all justified. The advice here is to keep waiting if you are looking for the best bang for your buck.2 Year Edit: Almost 2 years later, I am revising my review from 3 stars to 5 stars. Most of the above concerns were completely eliminated by the integration of HomeKit, which fixed all of my previous grips!