Happy Saturday! Stop buying Hue!! 🤣 Buy Aqara stuff instead below!... BUY THE AQARA T1M CEILING LIGHT HERE: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. By buying through any of the links below I will earn commission at no extra cost to you :) UK: amzn.to/3TzR9qV US: amzn.to/4a9qXZF AQARA SPRING DEALS UP TO 27% OFF As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. By buying through any of the links below I will earn commission at no extra cost to you :) UK: amzn.to/4alw48X US: amzn.to/3TqN078 Also!… Checkout my mate for his review and for all things Apple HomeKit 😁
This light along with the G3 hub does not work for me as they seem not to talk to each other. I only bought these 2 items on your recommendation. Funnily enough, my ancient Phillips Hue setup is still working. I'm not a happy man.
Never pay for potential or promised future features. If the vendor cannot support something now, the changes are that the support will never come, not matter the marketing speech.
Maybe its a USA vs UK thing, but my Phillips Hue products are the most consistently reliable smart home hardware I've ever owned. I know you don't want to hear it Paul, but here goes: "IT JUST WORKS!"
I have 7 hue devices + hub. About 25 Tuya devices in the same location. Hue stuff was twice the price and not as bright. It is pretty reliable to be sure, but no more than the tuya stuff is.
I appreciate your insights Paul, always thoughtful. I began building a small Hue ecosystem 6 years ago because I’m an idiot and to me Hue and their app are idiot proof 😆. I still enjoy watching your videos to keep me up to date with the other options out there, specifically the Matter products. Thanks for another great video.
Nothing like watching Paul Hibbert videos on your laptop in a quiet public place with the volume up. I get strange looks when the Amish guy starts chanting "Home Assistant! Home Assistant!! Home Assistant!!!"
Matter is not a comparison to Zigbee. Zigbee is a wireless protocol, Matter is a connectivity standard. One does not replace the other. A device can be Zigbee and be Matter-enabled via a hub.
I feel like you’re both right. Matter is not a competitor for Zigbee but it was advertised as a be all and end all product in the same was Zigbee was originally advertised. So far it has not really ticked that box either
@@paulhibbert I mean I definitely have to interject here. Matter is supported over WiFi and Thread. If Aqara had built this with Thread instead of Zigbee then it would do matter out-of-the-box. However Thread obviously requires a Thread Border Router. Aqara - as you note - has MANY devices that have a Zigbee hub built in, so in terms of adoptability - obviously it makes the most sense to Aqara to release the product with the wireless communication technology that the majority of their customers are already going to have, than it does to release it with Thread and then deal with the massive amount of the non tech people who buy the light and discover that they don't have any way of connecting to it. If Thread Border Routers were more common (and it's likely they will probably start being added to set to boxes and ISP routers) it wouldn't be as much of a problem. What about WiFi then? Well let's be honest, how many smart bulbs or plugs that use WiFi - are actually *that* reliable? WiFi lights and plugs have an annoying habit of dropping off the WiFi network for absolutely no reason, and the cheap ESP chips that they use, still only support 2.4GHz - which is one of the main reasons that they tend to be not that reliable.
@@paulhibbert yeah, I do agree with this. I have a matter Tapo plug for example which lists power monitoring, but this in reality only works via the Tapo app. I know this is down to what the matter spec includes currently but a device that can ‘work with everything’ but one of the main features requires a separate app is… not progess.
Aquara shipped these to every single online influencer and everyone has released a video - and they’ve been out of stock everywhere for weeks. Super job on the launch, Aquara. I was ready to give them money but had to get the project done. Missed your shot Aquara.
So long as it connects to hues bridge I’m good as that shir works if internet goes down. No calling home for schedules and routines to work with hue bridge.
Lewis did this lamp two weeks ago. The CRI and Lumens are impressive and despite people moaning it is expensive, a DIY retrofit solution is expensive too. Here is s report of my orignal comment: Shelly Dimmer 30 Euro, 10 Philips 2700K Dim2warm CRI>90 50 Euro, 10 Lamp holder with bracket 25 Euro. Some solid core wires and Wagos 20 Euro. Some nice lamp with metal base plate and crap ultra blue flickering leds but a nice form XX Euro. Drill, rivet gun.... If you find a really nice lamp and just don't like the light quality then go for it. if not pay the 150 Euro for the Aqara. I recently did the DIY and love it.
@@timcxWe know Paul is an English youtuber secret Home Assistant nerd. Lewis is a Scottish youtuber Home Assistant nerd. Nope sorry no published details apart from the text above. I am not about to advise people on how to strip solid core and use push fit e14 lamp holders and Wagos and power drills and rivet guns in 230 Volt land.
For my lighting system I have a full ORVIBO system that I bought on a business trip to China. They offer ceiling, wall lights etc. with features that outclass this Aquara and any Hue lights. Even the wall switches (Mixpad D1) are entirely touchscreens that allow for any custom control of anything in your home. I really hope you can get your hand on some ORVIBO devices in the future and showcase them. They are also the only ones that have insane display wall hubs that can control anything and work fully with home assistant (if set up correctly).
I do like this light but I’m not sure how many people want this kind of centre light these days? Just my opinion. Bathrooms and kitchens tend to have an increasing number of spot lights, lounges and hallways often candelabra style fittings or wall lights. It’s great for the intended use case but the old round centre light is IMO a thing of the 70’s era.. perhaps it’s just me. :-)
Looks cool and £100 cheaper than the Hue version, especially like the fancy effects. Sidenote: Hue does the different light time of day thing as well. Great vid 👍👍
@@paulhibbertit's certainly possible to use a sensor to dmx for the newer aperture lights. The problem as ever is the software, sidus app is a pain, but even worse are all the DMX controllers which are just scripting languages it seems Do you know of any good ones? And I pulling your chain about Aperture. You are an absolutely stunning RU-vidr, for all I know you could be presenting for the gadget show and if I ever get well enough not to have to lie in bed regularly that I can stop screaming in pain to actually make some content then I hope on day to be as good as you
Nice one! Now I only have to find an excuse how I 'accidentally' put 4 of those in my shopping basket and slipped so unfortunately that I released the order...
what is the point in making a Matter device that only works with their Matter hub? Wasn't the whole point of Matter is that you can use any device with any hub you wish?
I got a load of Phillips hue switches for a tenner each on eBay. Then put a plastic faceplate on top of all my light switches. The hue switch does a good job. I know it's hue... but they are linked to HA using zigbee instead of the hue stuff. It keeps the other half happy....
So, i have had nothing but grief with all LED lighting. They are supposed to last years but within a year the electronics usually fail and you get the blinking LED scenario. We had one whole floor renovated on a house we owned and all the lights were replaced with LED. Every one of those lights have failed and i have had to replace at least 7 of them with traditional lights where i can screw in an LED bulb. That way when it fails it is easy to replace.
you have lots of video security videos. As of now, what system (one wired and one wireless) do you recommend right now? Also, I am replacing 70's era kitchen tube style lights like the school I went to. I would like your choices for replacing these with better working and looking led lights. I don't want to have to hire an electrician if possible.
After switching to the new M3 hub, I couldn't re-bind the T1M. The T1M Light says turn the light on/off 5 times. I wasn't thinking to do it RAPIDLY. That was my issue. This might help someone else.
Looks nice but still ridiculously expensive for a basic room light. A$299 here in Australia (US$193 inc tax). Plus as you recommend more for a smart switch. And due to our nanny state rules in 240V territory, more for an electrician.
Bought and installed one of these a few days ago. Was working great for two days Now suddenly its completely dead and won't turn on. Wired the old light back up and that works fine. Anyone know what the problem could be?
The one flaw I see is that it requires turning on and off the entire light for pairing mode. Where I'd use smart lights is circuits that are always on, and in fact, have no switch.
I was looking at the round Hue Surimu lamp with the main draw being the fact it is a big defused RGB Light. Seeing how much brighter this one is, how it integrates with HomeKit dynamic lighting, How much brighter it is, How much cheaper it is and lastly also how simply stunning the auxiliary light is I will go with this one and matching Hub and light switch 100% It is literally €20 for me to buy this lamp with hub and switch than it is to buy a small Hue Surimu lamp BEFORE adding accessory costs. Shows how scandalous hue is.
You mention using the Aqara Zigbee hub, I'm using a combo stick with Zigbee and Z-wave in my current smart home setup. Will this still work, or do I have to add Aqara's Zigbee hub to connect to it? Just want to make sure before I pull the trigger.
I have one question for the automation guys here: what is the easiest way to automate the lights on a ceiling lamp with 6 dumb bulbs to turn on the bulbs as first 1 then +2 +3 +4 +5 +6. bulbs are not smart and needs to stay that way because of design and the actual classic dual swith only does 1+2 and 3+4+5+6 :)
I agree on the Google stuff. I used to have a speaker in every room but now I only use the hub for family pictures. The people at Google are like people with ADHD. "Oh look a new thing!" And then suddenly forget about the old stuff. I do have Hue though. It just works! Wife acceptance factor is a thing here 😋
Please please tell me that thing has a good IP rating. I've not been able to sort my bathroom out as it has a non smart ceiling light and a bloody pull cord. The smart ceiling lights are never IP rated for bathrooms and I've yet to find a smart pull cord at all. Hopefully this will finally let me sort the bloody bathroom light which we forget to turn off constantly
Hi Paul, tahnks for a great video once more! Sadly I have so far been unable to kick that nasty Hue Habit... But maybe I could reduce my HH a bit? Do the Aqara lights work on the Hue bridge, especially with iConnectHue, and if they do, can you keep most of the functionality?
It’s Kevin, you dolt! But yeah, Winnie was a massive tease…. I’ve got loads of those Aqara light switches, they are a very lovely thing and I’ve had visitors tell me how nice they look
I'd love to install us in my laundry room. Do they make a wall switch that's compatible with this? I need to replace the thumb switch in the laundry room with something that won't kill a power to this smart light when the switch is thrown
Hello, I have hue, Aqara fp2, Govee, nest, google, Alexa, and Lutron Casseta, nividia shields.I have a lot of motion sensors as well. Only routines is really turning on home theater. I also have iPhones. Is the Aqara ecosystem best to run everything in? I bought and returned homey pro. It seems good but not USA ready and I don’t right that in depth of routines. I use google and Alexa . Would Aqara hub make everything integrate and easier? Thank you
Aye, it ain’t cheap sadly, but perhaps that’s reassuring. I know Shane had a super cheap Tuya equivalent in his ceiling before and he’s of course swapped it for this
Just gotta wait for Amazon to get more in stock then "accidentally" buy one and hope the wife doesn't notice.... She also does that red eye glowing thing..... 😂
I can't help but note that you did not film anything on the fly this week. Perhaps next week you could instead do one off the cuff (which should in no way be mixed rapid squelching noises).
I have spent thousands on smart home products over 10 years. All of my Philips hue products still work as when I bought them. All of the non Philips hue product are intermittent or no longer supported. I spent $1000 on flic products based on your recommendations…. And they no longer support Alexa routines … and are unused. Software support is more important than the initial cost. I’m buying more Philips hue
"Please stop buying Phillips Hue." Already done, but thanks for reminding me why I won't buy them. Aqara is better than Hue: I am not shocked in the least. Way to go Aqara (again.) You hear "Kelvin" and think of "the Wonder Years." I hear "Kelvin" and can't help thinking of J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movies. Workarounds: I don't immediately sigh in resignation when yet another mention of having to work around a system to get it to do what it should happens, but it is disappointing. I do wish equipment makers would try harder to work with other stuff. The only thing I don't like about this light is the modern look. For our decor, I'd like to see something like this in a vintage style. (Yes, even with the "red-alert band.") Thanks again for a great review. If I wasn't already watching Aqara, I'd be watching them now.
The US Amazon link is not working. I think that is because the product is not available at this moment. I searched for AQARA T1M and it showed me aqara cameras. No ceiling light. Hopefully it will be available soon. Or maybe in my reality they don’t make this product. It’s so annoying getting videos from other realities. It makes life so confusing.
Is it really 3450 lumens? That's around 300W in old money (tungsten bulbs). i.e. incredibly bright. I assume their measurement of 3450 relates to the white light and not any other colour? Having a "red alert" scene is absolutely compulsory. Never gets tiring. A bit like your jokes, Paul. 🤣😉
Have you got names for "It Just Works! gall', "Puritan boy", "H A H A Fan Zellot (and his 'wife')", the guy who loses the point, and Munchy Mumbles" so that you can reference them as "not actual Patreons"? An alternative to the putting a smart switch in place of the light switch is to hide an Aquara or Shelly relay behind the switch, wire it up so that it detects the switch being thrown, and then toggles the light as appropriate, and then also responds the home automation tools so that the light just continues to work even if your wife turns it off at the physical switch. Yeah, it's not as humiliating as sitting in the dark, but it might do the trick. And no I'm not suggesting that you should be looking at playing with your house wiring again, invite your dad over. Offer him an upgrade to his TV... or something else.
You must have missed the video where I gave a run down of all the issues I’ve had with Hue. 😂 The main issue is the lack of brightness compared to FAR cheaper products, I once did a video comparing their stuff to Lidl’s supermarket brand, and the supermarket brand was significantly brighter on my lux meter 🤣 Other issues include the time I tried to set one of my lights to a Halloween theme in the Hue app and it froze ALL my Hue lights. In order to fix it their customer service team nonchalantly took me through resetting my account without apology at which point I had to recreate ever scene and automation. When I complained they shrugged it off as an issue with the “third party” Halloween theme that I found in THEIR app and genuinely refused to apologise. I’m not exaggerating, their customer service team refused to apologise 😳 The ONLY LED strip I own with a dead LED including the 5 quid ones off Amazon is Hue. There are so many more examples, but the main reason I hate them is their disgusting levels of corporate greed. They do everything they can to lock you into their ecosystem and force you to use their products. For example, if you buy any 3rd party product then it arbitrarily doesn’t work with their entertainment system, nor will they advertise it to Apple HomeKit. There’s no technical reason, they’re just greedy. Their stuff can’t be reset without purchasing their remote in some cases, which is utter madness. I could go on, but I think you get the picture; Way too expensive for mostly inferior products, and general greediness. If you google for “the Phoebus cartel” you’ll find that they have been this way for well over a hundred years, and used to work together with other manufacturers to intentionally reduce the lifespan of light bulbs to force us all to buy more! Disgusting organisation with garbage products.
@paulhibbert Can't disagree with any of what you said Paul, especially the brightness. When I started buy Hue there wasn't as much choice for this type if system. Zigbee was just being set up in Scotland. But I have bought Govee and they aren't much brighter.
Hey Paul. Just heard that a fellow youtuber JoeBlogs has been hacked, probably in the same way as your channel did last year. Do you have any tips for how he can get back up again? I am sure he would appreciate help.
😫 all he can do is contact RU-vid creator support and ask them to help. He is entirely at their mercy unfortunately if his google account has been stolen from him and he can’t recover it using the usual options
@@paulhibbertyou should start setting videos to private instead of unlisted because I've seen so many of your videos early because you put them in a playlist 😂 it like a reward.
Sorry Paul.. I've got the Hue Surimu circle light.. and believe me you should try it.. yes it's more expensive but my god it lights my place up so bright it hurts my eyes.. plus it dose all the colours. A notification light means nothing.. I'm trying not to be a fanboy here just trying to be honest.
hi Paul I'm moving away from Philips hue there app stoped working going to move to govee lights and just have smartthings home assistant to get local control after Yale broken there £200 smart lock with software update will be considering adding aqara to as I think the present sensor that can detect a somebody falling over could be very useful if it works as I have epilepsy so may detect me if I have a seizure to let my wife know so we will see how real world testing goes
I’m still wary of any of these companies that have been using zigbee but then tying it down to only their own products Forcing you to choose which ecosystem you want to buy into Aqara do have some competitively priced gear but frankly I don’t want yet another hub to go with my smartlife, apple etc bridges Until I see this Matter promise fulfilled I’m not going to get yet more apps
Thank goodness it’s out of stock in the Uk or I would have made yet another impulse buy based on one of your recommendations and my husband would have divorced me. Amazon have saved my marriage and as for you “Get thee behind me devil.”
It’s a shame none of these smart lights have a switched input to control them from a regular light switch. Powering them off is not an answer, neither is relying on smart hubs for your lights to work. Smart bulbs in table lights is one thing, but for ceiling lights I can hear the complaints from the rest of the household now.
Hey, Paul. I don't know if you remember me. I told you a while back I was falsely accused of sexual harassment when I refused to sleep with a colleague. Well, I have a court date to take this company to court. 31st of May. It's to get the NDA annulled. I have every confidence the agreement will be annulled as I had no legal advice or representation. That is a legal requirement to make the agreement binding.
@@paulhibbert It's even crazier when I'm allowed to tell everyone the name of the company which I obviously cannot do right now. But this is a company that everyone uses without their knowledge.
