A few months ago I was really excited ... our contractor was putting the finishing touches on our new heat pump unit. We'd selected an advanced model with some pretty cool energy savings features that drew inspiration from the mini-split systems that were common in wall-mounted systems but weren't quite standard yet for systems like ours that were built in. I held my Google Nest thermostat in hand and was excited to have that installed to complete our smart home network. Until the installer shared with me that while Google's tech was great, it was never really designed to offer the full set of features found on our new unit. On the other hand, Sensibo Air PRO was exactly what we needed.
What Does Sensibo Air PRO Do?
At this point, you might think I'm crazy - how is Sensibo doing stuff that the mighty Google can't do with one of the best smart thermostats out there? Well, the simple answer is that the folks at Senisbo aren't just offering a controller for the AC / Heat Pump; they are actually offering a controller for the thermostat that came with it - and merging it with the indoor air quality sensors that I've already been using in their sister product Sensibo Elements.
Think of it this way - while most smart home thermostats can do basic functions like routines if someone is in the home or not and raise/lower the temperature remotely - Sensibo can actually tell if the pollutant level is too high in the home and offer to run the fan more frequently.
Likewise, in my case, one of the efficiency features I selected for our new system was that I wanted a variable-speed fan. Not just on or off, but one that I could select the speed for so that I could both generate an increased push of hot air when I needed it ... but also that I could potentially generate continual circulation without that disruptive on/off with associated fan noise.
Traditional thermostats can do that since they just aren't designed to.
How Does Sensibo Air PRO Work Then?
One of the greatest things about Sensibo Air PRO is that it works seamlessly with our system. Though it requires some strategic planning, once you've picked the spot to mount it, it operates like another remote control for your system. Pretty much everything you can do with the handheld remote that came with our new AC / Heat Pump can be done with Sensibo since it replicates the signals and sends them directly to the wall-mounted controller.
What Does Sensibo Air Pro Measure?
Like the Senisobo Elements that we've been enjoying using for the past few months, Senisbo Air PRO measures a full suite of environmental conditions - Temperature, Humidity, CO2, and TVOC (Total Volatile Organic Compounds). However, instead of just sitting there with a warning light and a nice-looking graph showing you that the CO2 levels or TVOC numbers have gone up, you can either reach out to your Senisbo air filtration system or run the fan on your AC to restore a healthy environment.
In addition to this, you can also set programs such as Presence React to respond when someone gets close to the house.
For instance, right now, I'm sitting in Toledo, OH, at Jim's house - tomorrow, though, I might be making the trek over to check the condo and pick up some mail. Using Sensibo as well as the integration with Google Home, I can have it set to respond to my arrival by raising the temperature from 64 to 72 so it's nice to warm when I step through the door.
For those who want to take things a step further, Sensibo offers different room sensors that you buy separately but will come together to create a more comprehensive view of your home's environment.
Sensibo Air PRO can be purchased on their website or Amazon.com.
