In the latest episode of our IoT podcast, Michael called our hotline with a general question. Specifically, he is looking for a HomeKit solution to activate light strips in his cabinets. The idea is to turn on the light strips when he opens the door, and Michael is looking for some suggestions for sensors and light strips.
Stacey and they both implemented similar solutions and have some ideas. Stacey's first thought was to use the Philips Hue light strips - a $ 80 investment for 80 inches of colored or white light - and her $ 39 motion sensors. To use them together, you will also need a Philips Hue bridge. If you don't have one, it will still be $ 59.99, but one can support up to 50 lights. Philips Hue is hired thread Importance support, so this equipment is somewhat ready for the future.
We've automated one of our cabinet lights and can recommend a less expensive option if Michael doesn't already have Philips Hue equipment. There are a number of HomeKit compatible light strips on the market to choose from and any of them will work with a HomeKit door / window sensor.
To choose the sensor, I would suggest the Eve Door / Window sensor, which is the same price as a Philips Hue motion sensor. Eve is already on the Thread train, so you have support for the latest generation Matter smart home protocol.
As for the smart light strips, Eve offers one for $ 80, and LIFX has one for $ 90. You can save money with the $ 35 Meross light strips or the $ 40 option from Nanoleaf. Prices will vary depending on the length of the band, as well as due to different features: white vs color, all one color or color gradient support etc ...
Any of these will work, but I'm a little biased about choosing Nanoleaf, because smart lights are everything I've been doing and making great products for a long time. But again, any smart lights supported by HomeKit will light up that closet.
Regardless of the choice of sensor and light, once you have the equipment, it's just a matter of setting up HomeKit automation to turn the lights on or off depending on the status of the sensor. So stop walking in dark and scary closets or leave the lights on when you leave the space.
To hear Michael's full question and our discussion on this topic, sign up for the IoT Podcast below:
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