Best motion sensors and home security tools without cameras

Kenny is very reliable. I tested this in a drawer and a cabinet, and it always alerted me when I opened them. It also keeps a record of the times listed. While the alerts travel through the cloud, the maker of Kinisium says it doesn’t collect data, and you can turn off recording entirely if you prefer. The Kini also has a Stasis mode, so you can reverse it and have it alert you when there’s been no movement for a set period. This makes it a versatile monitoring device, and you can use this mode to make sure an elderly relative opens their medicine cabinet every day or check what time a dog walker opened the door. Kenny is also compatible with It crumbled For automation, there is also a web integration that can send notifications to a custom URL.

More motion sensors

There are plenty of other motion sensors that can alert you to movement or presence in an area or room Trigger lightingBut what’s right for you depends on your stream Smart home setup.

I really like the Eve motion sensorBut if you want to trigger alerts, you need a smart home hub, and you have to set up an automation system. It is a reliable sensor that works indoors or outdoors. I tested this using the Google Home system.

the Skin Presence Sensor FP2 ($83) It has many features, including multi-zone and person detection, and is compatible with all major smart home ecosystems, though it’s not always very accurate in determining the number of people in a room. And more affordable Aqara FP300 ($50) It is a good enough detector for most people and can also track light, temperature and humidity.

the Switchbot presence sensor ($30) It’s the least expensive sensor I’ve tested and has a similar feature set, but you’ll need a Switchbot hub if you want alerts, and there’s a gap between detection and alerting.

The Philips Hue outdoor motion sensor is excellent, but only if you already have a Hue setup, because it needs a Hue Bridge to connect to it. I installed the sensor in my backyard and tested it with the Bridge Pro. It reliably detects people with few false positives. I configured my outdoor sensor to turn on my backyard light strip (not Hue) after sunset and send me a notification when it turns on between specific hours (midnight and 6 a.m.) using Google Gemini.

There is also a Philips Hue indoor motion sensor and Contact Sensor ($40) For doors and windows. Both are very reliable and can be configured to trigger alerts.

Intelligent light sensor

As an interesting alternative to dedicated motion sensors, you can also use some smart lights to detect presence and movement indoors.

Wiz Space Sense

If you have a few Wiz lights, you can try them out SpaceSensewhich uses Wi-Fi to detect motion in rooms. I wasn’t very impressed when I tried SpaceSensebut how effectively it works depends on how many Wiz lights you have and where they are located. I’ve also been testing it as a way to turn on lights automatically, and there is some lag that limits its usefulness in this regard. But as a security alert that can tell you there’s movement in your home when you’re away, it can be very useful. If you already have Wiz Lights, you can try it too, as it doesn’t require a subscription.

Philips Hue MotionAware

Signify is the parent company of Wiz and Philips Hue, and Motion Aware It’s very similar to SpaceSense, but uses Zigbee instead of Wi-Fi. Again, how well it works depends on how many Philips Hue bulbs you have and their design. Unfortunately, it requires a subscription if you want to receive alerts. MotionAware can turn on the lights at no additional cost, but if you want motion alerts, you have to pay $1 per month or $10 per year. It’s also included in Hue Secure subscriptions starting at $4 per month.

More security system alternatives

SimpliSafe

8-Piece Wireless Home Security System

You might consider a modular security system. We love the Simplisafe systemwhich provides a base station, a keyboard, and a set of sensors. You can also find modular systems from security proponents such as ADT and LivelySecurity camera makers love it Yuffie and Arlo.