IKEA now has its VALLHORN wireless motion sensor available in Spain, which can also be configured through the Alexa app.
At the end of November last year IKEA announced the upcoming arrival of three new sensors for the smart home. Two of them are already available in Spain and in We have tested the VALLHORN wireless motion sensor to check the value of using it in conjunction with other products such as light bulbs, smart speakers or other devices.
The VALLHORN wireless motion sensor It is available at IKEA Spain for 9.99 euros. A simple and ideal purchase to install a sensor in the home capable of identifying the person’s movement and thus turning on or off the lights in any room of the house from a basic configuration.
Works under the Zegbee protocol, so it can be used with the Alexa app to create all kinds of configurations; especially because from manual configuration or from the IKEA Home app, customization is limited to a series of modes and ignition times. We hope that IKEA updates its app to be able to push the use of a sensor to the limit that works very well, although we must take into account where it is going to be placed, since it is very sensitive to any movement and can cause false ignitions in the night.
Its main characteristics These are all to become an element for the smart home of great value, especially if you know how to configure:
What is it for?
If you do not have the DIRIGERA hub (which allows you to control all the Swedish company’s smart devices from the mobile app) or Alexa at home, it can be used with manual configuration to change between 1 or 5 minutes so that the light bulb turns off when detecting movement, or switch to day or night mode. In this way, this sensor is perfectly suitable for turning on the lights of any instance; and if several are already used, even better.
Of course, even using the DIRIGERA hub Your customization is limited and allows all this:
But the interesting thing is that thanks to the Zegbee protocol it allows it to be recognized by Alexa and thus can be used with her routines. These open a sea of ​​possibilitiessince all types of experiences can be created, from a first detection in the morning to Alexa say what temperature it is or simply report with the newsletter through an Echo smart speaker.
From the Alexa app, customization is maximum, since if you have IKEA light bulbs, you can configure a routine so that when the sensor identifies movement, On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, the light from the bulb (if it is colored) is of a warmer toneand if it is during the week go to a colder one.
Another of its best examples of use is to enjoy all the options provided by the configuration offered by the Amazon assistant, since it allows once movement is detected to not use the routine again for x hours. That is, if you enter the kitchen for the first time in the morning, Alexa will announce the temperature so that this routine is not performed again in the next 12 hours.
How to install
If IKEA has always been identified for something, it is for the ease of installation or assembly of its extensive repertoire of products for the home in every possible category. The same thing happens with your new motion sensor, since, apart from going almost unnoticed due to its design and color, installing it in the home is very simple.
The same thing happens when you open it to insert the batteries or configure any of its options when you do not have the DIRIGERA hub; the central hub for managing all IKEA smart devices in the home. With a simple flathead screwdriver can be disassembled in two parts; the first to go through the manual configuration (which we will explain below from , and the second to install the batteries.
In the box in which the sensor comes An adhesive strip is included to attach it to any surfaceapart from the fact that it also has holes to use two screws so it can be placed on any wall to ensure that it does not fall over time.
In the declaration of conformity included in the VALLHORN sensor box, you can scan the QR code with your mobile phone to download the user manual and assembly instructions. With three simple steps you can configure the sensor with any of the IKEA smart light bulbs you have in your home.
IKEA also explains, from the instructions, how important the location where the sensor will be placed is, since being so sensitive to any light change can generate false positives. It gives some visual examples to show in which environments it should not be placed, and then the radius of the motion sensor depending on the surface of the room where it is placed. Can change from 60 to 120 degrees depending on whether the room is 10 or 5 meters long respectively.
Another important point is the height where it is placed, since if a person is located right below, when it is placed two meters high on a wall, it will not be detected. With this said, and from our experience of use, there is a big difference between placing it in one location or another, as it can result in it being a great experience, or simply giving false alarms.
One of the recommendations is place it at a convex angle just above the doorbeing the obligatory step for anyone to go to the kitchen or another room in the home.
Must take into account other aspects so that its operation is normal and at the same time it does not generate any type of dissatisfaction, since, for example, it cannot be allowed to receive direct sunlight. These are some important points before your installation or purchase:
How to configure
Like the rest of the IKEA catalog of smart light bulbs or other sensors, the VALLHORN motion sensor can be connected to the DIRIGERA hub; It can be said that it is the ideal way to configure it for basic use, although without this hub you can also switch between the different modes it offers. These are the three possible configuration options:
Thanks to the QR code that is available on the small sensor box, you can access the instructions for use of VALLHORN. The IKEA smart light bulb turns on and then press the pairing button for 10 seconds to pair both devices. Now, every time the sensor identifies movement, the associated smart bulb will turn on or up to 10 that can be paired.
Also, It is very easy to remove the sensor to access the pairing mode or the aforementioned configuration, as well as to install the two batteries that it needs for its operation; It is recommended that they be rechargeable, since at the moment from EL ESPAÑOL – El Androide Libre we have not been able to verify how long they last with daily use.
The new IKEA motion sensor It is ideal to use in conjunction with the DIRIGERA hub, since through the IKEA app it can be configured with some available modes that are not present in manual configuration. In the following image you can see that configuration perfectly:
The best thing about configuring it with the DIRIGERA hub is that after pairing it, You will simply have to select the room and the bulbs to turn on once you identify movement. And this will be all, for a simple configuration the use of the DIRIGERA hub is the best option.
Through the Alexa app, customization is greater, although the first routine will have to be configured for when the sensor identifies movement and another for when it does not detect it. There is an important point: at the moment the sensor It can only be used with the IKEA HOME app or the Alexa app. That is, it cannot be used in both at the same time, or one or the other; unlike their smart light bulbs that can be used at the same time from both apps.
Identifying the sensor with Alexa is easy and it is done the same as other devices. Once you identify it, you have to go through the routines to create the two mentioned: one to turn on the light bulbs and another to turn them off when there is no movement. The routines, as mentioned, allow you to fully customize the experience to include other smart devices you have at home.
I buy it?
It is a type of home device that configured with Alexa can offer multiple very satisfactory experiences, and as long as it is well located so that it does not activate randomly. Starting from here, even from its manual configuration or with the DIRIGERA Hub, it is a product that will add a lot of value to home automation, but especially with the Alexa app.
The fact that it is wireless and its price is 9.99 euros, apart from being an IKEA product, always related to a great quality-price ratio, is another point that adds to your possible purchase. And yes, in our opinion it is a motion sensor that we recommend for the entire range of options it can provide from its basic configuration, to easily pair it with IKEA smart light bulbs; with the DIRIGERA Hub, so that from the app it can be linked in a simple way with other products of the Swedish company; and with Alexa, to generate multiple experiences even linked to Amazon’s own Echo smart speakers.
