SwitchBot Bot overview: Easy however restricted

I not too long ago had the chance to overview the SwitchBot Curtain 3 and was intrigued by an organization that appeared decided to automate issues I had by no means considered automating. The Bot is the little machine that began all of it for SwitchBot, being the corporate’s first product in 2016. I needed to test it out for myself and see the place it matches within the trendy landscape of smart devices. As of late you could find numerous ‘sensible’ devices, bulbs, switches, thermostats, home equipment, and extra, so the Bot appears designed to handle an issue that’s all of the extra unusual with every passing 12 months, however I needed to see for myself.

See Our Course of

How we test and review products at Pocket-lint

We do not do arm-chair analysis. We purchase and take a look at our personal merchandise, and we solely publish purchaser’s guides with merchandise we have truly reviewed.

Worth, specs, and availability

The SwitchBot Bot retails for just below $30. It is obtainable from Amazon and instantly from SwitchBot. Shoppers can discover it in single-, two-, and four-pack choices.

The Bot is a reasonably easy product, so there is not a lot in the way in which of specs. It runs on a single CR2 3V battery that SwitchBot claims will final 600 days and capabilities through Bluetooth when managed by the app. Whereas some customization and sensible management, like schedules, is feasible proper out of the field, extra performance, similar to management over Wi-Fi when away from dwelling, requires a further buy within the type of the SwitchBot Hub.

What I favored concerning the SwitchBot Bot

Simple to put in and dependable to make use of

The SwitchBot Bot was comparatively straightforward to put in, although the method varies barely relying on the kind of swap you are attempting to make use of it with. Very similar to I stated concerning the SwitchBot Curtain 3, the Bot capabilities precisely as meant. The Bot turned my hallway lights on and off through the contact of a button within the SwitchBot app. It labored easily and wasn’t obnoxiously loud.

The swap will be scheduled from the app, and I truly discovered an ideal use for it. Every night, I would go away the hallway mild on in order that the Roomba had sufficient mild to wash in a single day. Nonetheless, my spouse dislikes that when she wakes up every morning round 5 AM the hallway lights are on and vivid. So, I set the SwitchBot Bot to show off the sunshine every morning earlier than she wakes up however after the Roomba has accomplished its rounds.

What I did not like concerning the SwitchBot Bot

Cumbersome and unpleasant

The best downside for me was an aesthetic one. The Bot, whether or not put in on a lightweight swap, espresso maker, or some other machine, is unpleasant. Its blocky, cumbersome design stands proud like a sore thumb wherever it is positioned and may solely keep away from this consideration if put in out of sight.

Must you purchase the SwitchBot Bot?

Like most merchandise from SwitchBot, the Bot serves a particularly area of interest utility that may be a game-changer for individuals who discover a use for it and a head-scratcher for individuals who do not. You may discover a use case that makes excellent sense on your dwelling, like my scenario with the hallway lights, by which case the SwitchBot is an affordable resolution to your downside. I definitely wasn’t about to interchange each mild within the hallway with a sensible lightbulb or DIY {the electrical} work of changing the twin mild swap within the wall with a sensible swap. So, in my case, the SwitchBot Bot was excellent for a small set of duties, and so long as you could find a use for it, it is a well-designed and dependable product.