Aqara today announced two new smart home safety products – a Smoke Detector for European markets and a Valve Controller T1 for global release. Both devices expand the company's home safety lineup with Matter compatibility and Apple HomeKit integration.
The Valve Controller T1 is designed to prevent water damage by retrofitting onto existing household water valves. It can automatically shut off water flow when linked to leak sensors and supports common pipe sizes from 1/2" to 1". The controller runs on four AA batteries with an estimated two-year battery life.
The new Smoke Detector, available exclusively in Europe, features an 85-decibel siren and smartphone notifications for smoke detection. When paired with Aqara cameras, homeowners can visually verify alarms remotely. The detector can also trigger other Aqara hub sirens and grouped smoke detectors for whole-home alerts.
Both products work with Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, and Google Home through Matter-over-Bridge support. This enables automated routines like flashing smart lights red during smoke detection or shutting down HVAC systems to prevent smoke circulation.
The Smoke Detector utilizes Zigbee protocol for efficient power usage, offering up to 10 years of battery life. Both devices can be managed through the Aqara Home app for configuration and monitoring.
The Valve Controller T1 is available now through Aqara's Amazon stores in the US and Europe. The Smoke Detector can be purchased from Aqara's European Amazon stores and select retailers.
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Well, I was hoping that might be an affordable alternative to the Nest Protect alarm, but it looks as if that's still head and shoulders above the competition (in terms of price, as much as features too, sadly). No carbon monoxide sensing, and (the biggie) no voice telling you which sensor has been triggered or needs its battery replacing. If there's a fire, the last thing I want to be doing is checking an app on my phone to find out what's going on.
Riddle me this: If the thing you keep on all the time at home, ie your router catches fire how will the smoke alarm let you know if you're out of the building?
It should alert you when smoke is detected, before your router catches fire.
