Keeping an eye on your home's climate is crucial for ensuring the comfortability of everyone in your household. While smart thermostats are a great place to start, they only monitor the room in which they are installed.
For expanded coverage, you may want to consider a Matter-compatible temperature and humidity sensor. However, there are many to choose from, so we are here to help with this guide.
What is a Matter-compatible temperature and humidity sensor?
Unlike some smart thermostats with proprietary solutions, Matter-compatible temperature and humidity sensors put monitoring into your own hands. Simply place a Matter sensor into your desired room, and you will gain access to real-time updates via an on-device display, voice assistant, or app.
With up-to-date climate information, you can build automation or routines that include all sorts of devices - including thermostats, regardless of brand. For example, you can create an automation that automatically turns on a ceiling fan if the temperature rises above 75 degrees, or your home's heating if it drops below 68.
To differentiate themselves from competitors, some Matter sensors include extras that go above and beyond the basics. We have seen things such as motion sensing, air quality monitoring, programmable smart buttons, and even infrared capabilities that make Matter sensors a much better value.
With Matter, you also won't be tied to a single ecosystem, phone, or vendor. So you can rest easy knowing that you will always be able to access the most important metrics even when you decide to switch things up.
What to look for in Matter-compatible temperature and humidity sensors
Matter-compatible temperature and humidity sensors come in all shapes and sizes, with each having its own unique features. When shopping for a sensor, we suggest looking at three main factors: budget, features, and platform.
- Budget: Aside from the upfront price, you'll need to consider the overall cost of ownership when shopping for a sensor. Some sensors require an additional hub for operation, while others will need battery replacements.
- Features: On top of temperature and humidity, some Matter-compatible options offer extras like air quality monitoring and motion sensing. While these typically cost more, you may be able to save in the long run by removing the need for another device.
- Platform: While you won't need to worry about compatibility with the major smart home platforms, you may need to use a vendor's app to access additional features. This limitation also means that automation capabilities may be limited to devices from the same vendor.
The Top 5 Matter-compatible temperature and humidity sensors
With quite a few temperature and humidity sensors to choose from, it can be difficult to narrow in on the perfect one. Here are our top five recommendations.
arre Temperature Sensor
The arre Temperature Sensor is one of just a handful of options on the market that offers Matter-Over-Thread connectivity right out of the box. With Thread, this sensor does not have to rely on a specific hub; instead, it utilizes a Thread Border Router to connect to your smart home which we raved about in our review.
arre's sensor runs on a single coin-cell CR2032 battery with an estimated life of over one year. The sensor can be wall-mounted with the included hardware or sit on any flat surface with the removable magnetic stand.
arre Temperature Sensor
A smart environmental sensor that measures temperature, humidity, and air pressure with Matter and Thread support for seamless home automation.
Aside from temperature, the arre Temperature Sensor also measures humidity and air pressure. Plus, through a future update to the Matter 1.2 standard, arre will also be bringing air quality monitoring by enabling VOC measurements.
Aqara Climate Sensor W100
Aqara's Climate Sensor W100 provides more than just temperature and humidity readings, which led us to proclaim it as being "an important addition to the smart home ecosystem" in our review. That's because in addition to climate monitoring, the W100 features three physical on-device buttons that can be used to control other Matter devices and scenes.
The Aqara W100 is also incredibly easy to place around the home thanks to its wireless design, built-in stand, and wall mount support. Wire-free connectivity comes from Aqara's unique dual protocol architecture: Thread for direct-to-Matter pairing, and Zigbee 3.0, which requires an additional Aqara hub—like the company's flagship M3.
Aqara Climate Sensor W100
Aqara’s W100 is a dual-protocol indoor climate sensor with a display and smart control buttons for seamless home automation.
Regardless of your preferred connectivity method, the W100 provides extensive battery life (2.3 years via Thread, and 2.4 years when using ZigBee), all powered by a pair of CR2450 coin-cell batteries.
Eve Weather
The Eve Weather temperature and humidity sensor goes where other sensors won't—to the great outdoors with IPX4 water resistance. Coupled with its onboard display, the Eve Weather is an excellent choice for local environment monitoring when placed just outside your home on a porch or balcony.
As with arre and Aqara's offerings, the Eve Weather is a native Matter-over-Thread device, so it supports hassle-free pairing with your preferred smart home platform. All you need is a supported Border Router and the included CR2450 battery and you are good to go.
Eve Weather
The Eve Weather is a precision-engineered outdoor temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure sensor that supports the Matter standard through its Thread network technology.
With Matter compatibility, you can view measurements from Eve's sensor through Amazon's Alexa app, Apple Home, Samsung SmartThings, or Google Home. The Eve Home app—available on iOS and Android—offers additional details such as history logging, graphs, trends, and access to Barometric pressure measurements.
SwitchBot Hub 3
Despite its high initial cost, the SwitchBot Hub 3 packs in some handy extras that make it a worthy investment. The first of which is a large, easy-to-read 2.4" onboard display that puts your home's climate measurements front and center.
Another feature is built-in IR blaster functionality, which we used to control a TV in our hands-on review. It also works with older devices, such as window air conditioners or electric fireplaces, seamlessly integrating them into Matter.
SwitchBot Hub 3
A versatile smart home hub with real-time monitoring, intuitive controls, and voice assistant compatibility for seamless automation.
The SwitchBot Hub 3 also features multiple buttons and a digital dial underneath its display, which you can program to perform various smart actions.
Perhaps the best feature of the SwitchBot Hub 3 is that it doesn't require any batteries. Instead, the hub uses a standard USB-C outlet and Wi-Fi, so you will never have to worry about replacements.
Philips Hue Motion Sensor - requires Philips Hue Bridge
Another all-in-one solution, the Philips Hue Motion Sensor, combines temperature and humidity monitoring with one of the fastest and most reliable motion sensors around. Motion sensors are a smart home staple with security and automation benefits, so you may only need one device to cover multiple needs.
The Philips Hue Motion Sensor features a flexible magnetic mounting system that only requires a single screw when placed on a wall. The sensor runs on two AAA batteries, which should be good for up to two years before needing to be replaced.
Hue Bridge Pro
A more powerful Hue Bridge that supports 150 lights, doubles as a Matter border router, and comes with modernized hardware and USB-C power.
Of course, you will need a Philips Hue Smart Bridge to gain access to Matter and automation capabilities. That's because all Hue products use Zigbee for wireless connectivity, which, while rock-solid, is still another device to purchase and manage.
Monitor your home's climate with a Matter-compatible temperature and humidity sensor
Matter-compatible temperature and humidity sensors make keeping an eye on your home's climate a breeze. Whether through an onboard screen or your favorite app on your phone, the best Matter sensors can help you balance temperatures so everyone is comfortable year-round.
