Qingping Temp & RH Monitor T

The Qingping Temp & RH Monitor T measures temperature and relative humidity and shows both on an E Ink display. The T in the name marks the Thread version.

E Ink is the right technology here. It draws almost no power, it holds the reading with the backlight off, and it stays readable across a room in daylight, which is where a small LCD gives up. Qingping quotes around eight months of battery life indoors.

Inside is a Sensirion sensor, from the Swiss firm whose parts turn up in a lot of laboratory-grade instruments. The quoted range is 0 to 50 °C and 0 to 99.9 per cent relative humidity in non-condensing conditions.

What works in Apple Home

• Report temperature and humidity as separate accessories.
• Trigger scenes and automations, for example a dehumidifier above a set humidity.
• Be read by Siri, and 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

Humidity sensors are sensitive to where you put them. Keep it away from radiators, sunny windowsills, extractor fans and outside doors, or you will be measuring the draught rather than the room.

The stated range rules out some jobs: this is a room monitor, not a freezer or a sauna sensor.

Specifications