What you need to know
- Aqara's HomeKit-enabled light switches are now officially available in North America.
- Switches include single and double rocker variants, each with neutral wire-free options.
- To celebrate the launch you can get 20% off purchases with code AQARAMID.
After a brief Twitter announcement late last week pinpointing April 27th as the release date, Aqara has launched its HomeKit-enabled light switches in North America. The switches, which are available now on Amazon, include several unique features that make them worth considering, especially for those with older homes.
In total, Aqara has released 4 HomeKit light switches, each of which utilize ZigBee for connectivity to the required Aqara Hub. Starting things off is a single pole switch that comes in both neutral wire and neutral wire-free options. The neutral wire variant includes energy monitoring and acts as a ZigBee wireless repeater. The neutral-free option trades these extras for greater compatibility, as there are many homes that were built before having one in electrical boxes was required.
The other two light switches released today offer the two wiring options, but come in a double pole package. These unique two-button switches give owners the ability to combine wiring into one switch, which is well suited for homes where a single switch controls a light and a fan. Even if you don't have two switches to wire in, the extra pole should still act like a HomeKit button, toggling anything that you assign to it.
Also included with today's product launch is the Aqara Cube. While it is not HomeKit-enabled, the Cube acts as a remote that can toggle on and off Aqara accessories through gestures and taps. Gestures include shaking the cube for a quick action, and flipping the cube over a set amount of times, similar to the Nanoleaf Remote.
Pricing for Aqara's light switches start at $35.99 and can be purchased now from Aqara Direct through Amazon. To celebrate the launch, Aqara has provided our readers with a special promo code, AQARAMID, that takes 20% off at checkout on Amazon. This code is good starting today and is valid through May 2nd, 2020.
Take 20% off your purchase with promo code AQARAMID!
The Aqara light switch line includes options for all, including those that don't have a neutral wire in the electrical box. Single and double pole versions are available, and some can even monitor energy.
