Qingping Motion & Light Sensor T

The Qingping Motion & Light Sensor T pairs a passive infrared motion detector with an ambient light sensor in a small battery-powered body. The T in the name marks the Thread version.

The light reading is what makes it worth choosing over a plain motion sensor. It lets an automation check that the room is actually dark before it turns a light on, so the hall lamp stops coming on at noon every time somebody walks past.

What works in Apple Home

• Report motion and ambient light level as separate accessories.
• Trigger scenes and automations, and be read by Siri.
• Report its own battery level.

Connectivity

Thread is the reason to prefer this over an older Bluetooth sensor. Bluetooth accessories talk to one hub and get slower and less reliable the further away they sit. Thread accessories form a mesh, where every mains-powered Thread device passes messages along, so a sensor at the far end of the house responds as quickly as one in the hall.

You need a Thread border router for it: a HomePod mini, a HomePod (2nd generation) or an Apple TV 4K.

Before you buy

You can set how long the sensor holds the motion state, anywhere from five seconds to five minutes. Short holds make lights flicker off while you are still in the room. Long holds waste energy. Around one to two minutes suits most hallways.

Passive infrared detects movement across its field of view better than movement straight towards it, so mount it to look across a doorway rather than along the line people walk.

For a room where people sit still, a radar presence sensor such as the Aqara Presence Sensor FP2 is the better tool.

Specifications