The ideal HomeKit accessories are ones that run themselves. Turning off and on lights from an app is a nice feature, but it’s a similar level of effort to using a light switch. The real magic is when you can “set it and forget it.” The THIRDREALITY Smart Color Night Light is the perfect example of this reality when you need a night light for a kid’s room or to light up a hallway/stairwell at night. Once installed, you can turn on an automation and never think about it again.
HomeKit Weekly is a series focused on smart home accessories, automation tips and tricks, and everything to do with Apple’s smart home framework.
The THIRDREALITY Smart Night Light is a good example of the benefits that Matter is bringing to Apple’s smart home platform. I went looking for a new night light to light up the top of our stairs so if our kids woke up in the middle of the night, they’d have some light to see their way down the steps without turning on overhead lights. I did a quick search for a Matter night light on Amazon, and this was the top result.
Matter brings a simple installation
Matter builds upon the simplicity that HomeKit pioneered with the QR code-based device onboarding. THIRDREALITY did its users a huge benefit by printing the QR code on the side instead of putting it on the backside. When it’s on the back, you end up having to do the dance of scanning and quickly plugging in. By putting it on the side, users will plug it into an electrical outlet, open the Home app, go to Add Device, and then scan the QR code. It’ll take you longer to break open the packaging than it will to add it to HomeKit.
Automation options for THIRDREALITY Smart Night Light
There are two types of automations that you can leverage with the THIRDREALITY Smart Night Light inside of Apple’s Home app. You can do time-based automations using the time of day as the trigger, or you can leverage the device’s light sensor to only turn on when the light falls below a certain threshold.
To get started, go to the device’s settings and look for “Add Automation.” If you want to use the time-based one, go to “A Time of Day Occurs.” I chose Sunrise as when I want it to turn off and Sunset as when I want it to come on. I picked 100% brightness when Sunset hits. The benefit of choosing Sunset/Sunrise over a specific time is that HomeKit can adjust its timing automatically as the year changes and this time shifts (especially after the spring and fall time change for daylight savings time).
You can also leverage the device for a light sensor and only turn it on when necessary. You’ll choose “A Sensor Detects Something.” I find it easiest to dive into the device’s individual sensors and create it from there. You’ll be able to pick to turn on/off the device when it rises/falls a certain lux. Obviously, you’ll want to experiment to determine where your threshold lies.
Wrap-up
I really like the THIRDREALITY Smart Night Light for a few reasons:
- Matter enabled
- Low cost
- Just enough light to be a perfect night light in a kid’s room or a hallway
We’ve had it the past month, and I don’t think it’s so bright that it keeps anyone up. However, it does add enough light where I’d feel confident it would add some safety for someone coming down the steps or give a young child some added security at night. You can buy it from Amazon.
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