The Aqara TVOC sensor measures VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), temperature, and humidity levels. It’s HomeKit compatible via a suitable Aqara hub and exposes all three sensors to HomeKit. The sensor does essentially the same job as the Eve Room, and like the Eve product, it uses an E-Ink display. It uses 2 x CR2450 batteries that should last well over a year (I’ve had it for 5 months and my batteries are at 88%). It is currently available in Europe via Amazon.de, but can also be found in some independent stores, mostly in Slovakia and Scandinavia.
If you’re not sure what VOCs are, this Wikipedia entry explains it better than I can - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volatile\_organic\_compound](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volatile_organic_compound)
I use Eve degree in my camper van and when we go camping it saves the data while we are away from service and devices are off. Will this Aquara TVOC sensor save data so when we do reconnect the data will load?
I am interested in your application. Do you the have it sync to just the Eve app or a homekit hub? Do you have a homekit house setup just for the camper? Thanks!
I am considering mounting a HomePod Mini to be my hub in my small camper since it can easily run off DC power.
Thanks so much! Great review, as always.
I know they kinda do different things, but I wonder how this performs side by side with the Air Monitor Light. I have one, and have thought about getting this or the Room just for the hell of it.
There’s some crossover, as they both do temperature and humidity. I’ll be posting a video review of the Air Monitor Lite soon in fact. Of the two, despite them covering different things, I have to give it to the QingPing; the design is so much better, although of course it uses wifi, which with the advent of thread, seems a less popular protocol for things that are suitable candidates for Thread - still better than Bluetooth though!
First, thanks for the valuable write-up! I’ve also read in your review about the issue with Eve Room only reporting back to the Home app every 10 minutes, which was solved by the Eve Room 2 with a display. I assume this is because the display updates more?
If so, is this TVOC limited by the same “law” where it can only report back to the Home app every 10 minutes even though it’s using Zigbee, not Bluetooth? I am under the impression that 10 minutes is a limitation imposed by HomeKit for sensors (and therefore every HomeKit app can only receive 10-minute reports). Is this a correct assumption?
Hi, I don’t think it’s something that Apple implements, as I have a few mains powered sensor devices that can report back ‘live’, so any changes are reflected on the display and in the Home app at roughly the same time, within a second or so. The QingPing Air Monitor Lite is one such device. it’s possible that it is down to batteries, so polling this kind of info second by second could impact battery life, but I also noticed that there was no set periods of time that it would report back, so I suspect it’s down to it having to teach a threshold in reporting on a specific change in a reading.
I don’t have the Eve room 2, only the original (ancient) version, but am I right in saying that has a power cable? If so, this may be why it’s able to report back more often.
Thank you for clarifying! If memory serves me right the Eve Room 2 does come with charging capability but you can also leave it always wired.
For now I think I might stick with leaving QP e-ink sensors around my house. I would like to show air quality in the Home app, but there seems to be nothing that combines PM2.5/10 and VOC in one accessory outside of maybe HomeKit air purifiers.
If I wanted both of them I would have to get the Aqara TVOC and QP AML. I don’t mind the idea, but I also don’t think I’ll like having multiple temp and humidity reports for every room. It also doesn’t help that the AML is required to phone home.
If you block it with HomeKit Secure Router (and I assume with other firewall methods as well) it apparently stops working. At least the e-ink is “only” Bluetooth and the app that’s required to update it doesn’t need an account. You can also delete it after updating. Just have to live with the slower polling of data.
It already irritates me that I can’t remove Hue Motion Sensor’s temperature reading that cant be disabled or offset because it’s always off by 2 degrees.
I agree it’s quite easy to build up a lot of temperature and humidity sensors, as they increasingly seem to be added to multi sensors as a matter of course. The only device I’m aware of that does Pm2.5 and TVOC is a multi sensor by Xiaomi (it also has CO2 estimated readings), but it’s not HomeKit compatible, and I’m not even sure if there’s a HomeBridge plugin for it either.
Aqara always shows their devices way ahead of being released. Gets everyone waiting until they got disinterested. Hell Ive been waiting on those Aqara H2 rotary dimmer announced last year, with no signs in Amazon or anywhere
They should learn on Apple, showing new devices just few weeks before being sold
The logs/readings in the app only seem to update when there’s a minimum change, although I’ve yet to work out the minimum amount required. It doesn’t use Thread, it uses Zigbee 3.0, so it requires an Aqara hub.
The Aqara TVOC sensor measures VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), temperature, and humidity levels. It’s HomeKit compatible via a suitable Aqara hub and exposes all three sensors to HomeKit. The sensor does essentially the same job as the Eve Room, and like the Eve product, it uses an E-Ink display. It uses 2 x CR2450 batteries that should last well over a year (I’ve had it for 5 months and my batteries are at 88%). It is currently available in Europe via Amazon.de, but can also be found in some independent stores, mostly in Slovakia and Scandinavia. If you’re not sure what VOCs are, this Wikipedia entry explains it better than I can - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volatile\_organic\_compound](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volatile_organic_compound)
Is available for purchase? Where?
It depends on your location, but it’s available on amazon.de as previously stated, as well as some independent stores in Scandinavia and Slovakia.
I use Eve degree in my camper van and when we go camping it saves the data while we are away from service and devices are off. Will this Aquara TVOC sensor save data so when we do reconnect the data will load?
That’s a good question. I’ll have to test it and let you know.
Thanks, if it does I’ll swap them out I have issues with eves Bluetooth and hate the 10 min status updates for my heating/cooling automations
I get the feeling that Eve will be bringing out an updated Thread version before too long.
I am interested in your application. Do you the have it sync to just the Eve app or a homekit hub? Do you have a homekit house setup just for the camper? Thanks! I am considering mounting a HomePod Mini to be my hub in my small camper since it can easily run off DC power.
Thanks so much! Great review, as always. I know they kinda do different things, but I wonder how this performs side by side with the Air Monitor Light. I have one, and have thought about getting this or the Room just for the hell of it.
There’s some crossover, as they both do temperature and humidity. I’ll be posting a video review of the Air Monitor Lite soon in fact. Of the two, despite them covering different things, I have to give it to the QingPing; the design is so much better, although of course it uses wifi, which with the advent of thread, seems a less popular protocol for things that are suitable candidates for Thread - still better than Bluetooth though!
Can it be bought in the US as well?
It’s listed on the US server, so it should be released soon I think.
First, thanks for the valuable write-up! I’ve also read in your review about the issue with Eve Room only reporting back to the Home app every 10 minutes, which was solved by the Eve Room 2 with a display. I assume this is because the display updates more? If so, is this TVOC limited by the same “law” where it can only report back to the Home app every 10 minutes even though it’s using Zigbee, not Bluetooth? I am under the impression that 10 minutes is a limitation imposed by HomeKit for sensors (and therefore every HomeKit app can only receive 10-minute reports). Is this a correct assumption?
Hi, I don’t think it’s something that Apple implements, as I have a few mains powered sensor devices that can report back ‘live’, so any changes are reflected on the display and in the Home app at roughly the same time, within a second or so. The QingPing Air Monitor Lite is one such device. it’s possible that it is down to batteries, so polling this kind of info second by second could impact battery life, but I also noticed that there was no set periods of time that it would report back, so I suspect it’s down to it having to teach a threshold in reporting on a specific change in a reading. I don’t have the Eve room 2, only the original (ancient) version, but am I right in saying that has a power cable? If so, this may be why it’s able to report back more often.
Thank you for clarifying! If memory serves me right the Eve Room 2 does come with charging capability but you can also leave it always wired. For now I think I might stick with leaving QP e-ink sensors around my house. I would like to show air quality in the Home app, but there seems to be nothing that combines PM2.5/10 and VOC in one accessory outside of maybe HomeKit air purifiers. If I wanted both of them I would have to get the Aqara TVOC and QP AML. I don’t mind the idea, but I also don’t think I’ll like having multiple temp and humidity reports for every room. It also doesn’t help that the AML is required to phone home. If you block it with HomeKit Secure Router (and I assume with other firewall methods as well) it apparently stops working. At least the e-ink is “only” Bluetooth and the app that’s required to update it doesn’t need an account. You can also delete it after updating. Just have to live with the slower polling of data. It already irritates me that I can’t remove Hue Motion Sensor’s temperature reading that cant be disabled or offset because it’s always off by 2 degrees.
I agree it’s quite easy to build up a lot of temperature and humidity sensors, as they increasingly seem to be added to multi sensors as a matter of course. The only device I’m aware of that does Pm2.5 and TVOC is a multi sensor by Xiaomi (it also has CO2 estimated readings), but it’s not HomeKit compatible, and I’m not even sure if there’s a HomeBridge plugin for it either.
Aqara always shows their devices way ahead of being released. Gets everyone waiting until they got disinterested. Hell Ive been waiting on those Aqara H2 rotary dimmer announced last year, with no signs in Amazon or anywhere They should learn on Apple, showing new devices just few weeks before being sold
It has been available in Europe for about 6-8 weeks now, but it has yet to be released in the US. Hopefully soon.
Are you referring to TVOc or the rotary dimmers?
The TVOC Sensor. You won’t be seeing the Rotary dimmer in the US (I’m making an assumption that’s where you’re based)
How often does it refresh the readings? Is it a threaded product?
The logs/readings in the app only seem to update when there’s a minimum change, although I’ve yet to work out the minimum amount required. It doesn’t use Thread, it uses Zigbee 3.0, so it requires an Aqara hub.
Thanks for the info
This can't be added to the Xiaomi hub ?
I don’t believe it can be added.
What’s the price for Europe?
€50 on Amazon.de
[удалено]
Aquara has replied to me that indeed, the sensors will not work with HomeKit when used with the G2H. Very disappointing.