Enter the smart home: part 9 – Bosch
26.5.2021
Translation: Patrik Stainbrook
Smart home products can automate your everyday life. And to help you navigate this jungle of providers, allow me to introduce you to the most common systems. Following telecom giant Gigaset, it’s all up to all-rounder Bosch now.
These days, monitoring your belongings to protect them isn’t just paranoia, but part of any well-equipped smart home. Smoke sensors warn you of impending danger so that you can react in time. Window and door sensors, motion detectors and sirens provide additional security within your home. Temperature, humidity and air pressure sensors also ensure that you always have the climate in your home under control and can react if values are too low or too high. Smart thermostats enable you to control your heating remotely and preheat your holiday home while you’re still en route. Ideally, you should choose a solution for your smart home system in which all products come from the same manufacturer. This way you avoid compatibility problems. The Bosch range includes devices for all the mentioned areas. After Homematic IP, Philips Hue, tado°, Netatmo, Devolo, Aqara, Eve Systems, and Gigaset, it’s time for part 9 in our now long-running series. Now, let’s see what Bosch can offer us up.
Warns of smoke, burglars and bad air
Bosch works with a hub called Controller for its Smarthome system. Apart from the smart intermediate plug, which is plugged into the socket, the additional devices that are available and connected to the control panel are all powered by batteries. Any communication runs via Wi-Fi, using the 868 MHz radio frequency. Up to 100 sensors can be operated per controller. As the Bosch hub is connected to a power supply and has to be connected to your router, you’ll need a free socket in both. The controller stores all data locally on the device. As a result, the system doesn’t rely on the cloud and works even without a stable Internet connection.
Bosch’s window and door contacts are a bit larger than most competing sensors, but quite slim and unobtrusive in design. They’ll notify you if someone is trespassing in your home. Besides, they notify the smart thermostat when you’re ventilating, so the heating doesn’t run in vain. You can also set heating controls from anywhere via your cell phone. In addition to the interaction with window and door sensors, you can, for example, give the heating a boost in winter at the push of a button.
The smoke detector doesn’t just alert your cell phone when smoke is forming. It’s also a siren, emitting shrill sounds when it receives a corresponding warning message from the door or window contacts, for example. In addition, the smoke detector has an emergency light that should serve as a guide in case of smoke development. The slightly more expensive Twinguard Smoke Detector from Bosch is also equipped with an air meter, unlike its cheaper counterpart. This provides data on temperature, humidity and air purity. The motion detector can distinguish between animals and humans, reporting intrusions to your cell phone as well as to the siren on the smoke detector.
What you’ll need
Nothing works without the controller, the control centre in a Bosch smart home. You need the hub to communicate and interact with the sensors. And it needs a free slot in your router and one in your power supply. Adding more products is relatively quick and easy with the Bosch Smart Home app. The app is available for iOS and Android. The apps tell you what products are in use at a glance, so you can react to any error messages and create automated routines. You also have remote access to your smart home when you’re out and about. In addition, thanks to compatibility with Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, you can combine your Bosch smart home products with other devices and smart homes that also support this standard. However, I believe and have experienced that products from the same manufacturer cause the least problems.
All smart Bosch products are really quick and easy to install, even without electrical know-how or any smart home experience. And the logically structured, straightforward app takes you through each step of the installation process. You won’t need any tools to get your Bosch smart home up and running, and you don’t have to worry about cable chaos, as apart from the Controller, all devices work wirelessly and on battery power. Just like the thermostat, which comes without cables. And while it does replace your existing wall thermostat and is connected with cables, it’s quickly put into operation. You can also add Bosch products to your existing smart home system of choice, as long as it’s compatible with Apple Homekit, Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa. For this, you won’t need any additional devices – apart from the smartphone you already own anyway – which favours a problem-free integration into other systems.
A small yet solid range
All products communicate with each other via Wi-Fi, which is why the Bosch Smarthome offers you a reliable connection – as long as you have a stable network at home that extends into all rooms. As Bosch offers a relatively manageable lineup of smart devices in addition to household and garden appliances, while being compatible with Apple, Amazon and Google, expanding your smart home to other areas and adding additional features is also child’s play. The high level of connectivity means that you can also make any processes, spaces and products smart that you can’t with Bosch. In addition, the hub, sensors and other accessories come in a classy design. In terms of price, they are at a high level – typical for many smart home products. So if you value high quality and a beautiful appearance, Bosch’s Smarthome is definitely worth considering.
Our community praises the integration into Apple Homekit: the whole thing runs latency-free and without further problems. With 20 sensors and detectors in use, both the Bosch Smart Home app and automation in the Apple Home app don’t cause any difficulties. Despite reinforced concrete ceilings and floor heating, say reviewers, the range is considerable, even distributed over several floors. The solid quality, quick start-up and nice workmanship are also a net positive. Again, the digitec and Galaxus communities did notice that the alarm system isn’t displayed in Homekit and can only be integrated there very awkwardly. In addition, alerts only appear via push messages – without a connected smartphone, the user won’t receive any notifications. Another point of criticism is that the base station doesn’t have a spare battery that would step in during a power outage. The window and door sensors lack sabotage contacts. These would ensure that they cannot be tampered with without setting off an alarm. Experienced burglars could at best bypass this layer of protection.
Possible alternatives
Eve Systems and Netatmo offer smoke hazard as well as door and window alarms, which you can fall back on if you don’t like Bosch’s products. Devolo also offers a motion detector and a humidity sensor. Price-wise, Eve Systems or Homematic IP are your most affordable options. Both Netatmo, Devolo and Eve offer more or less the same features to protect your belongings. There’s also a water sensor from Homematic IP that warns you in case of floods and informs you via your smartphone and a siren. However, since Homematic IP products require a bit more IT and electrical knowledge, I wouldn’t recommend them to you if you’re flirting with a simple plug-and-play solution such as Bosch.
If you can do without the smoke detector, the thermostat will provide enough information about the indoor climate. Preferably, you’d choose one from Bosch, but you can also switch to other manufacturers. Not only does a smart thermostat provide current data, it can also control your heating at the same time. This saves you electricity and money in the long run. Here, products from tado°, Netatmo, Devolo or Homematic IP are potential fallback options. As a replacement for Gigaset’s window and door contacts, I can recommend those from Eve Systems or Homematic IP. The Homematic IP sensors are a bit bigger and flashier, but offer the same protection for a lower price and can be embedded in the expandable Homematic smart home universe.
For smart home newcomers and feature fans alike
The smart home products from Bosch convince with a small but fine assortment, high-quality products as well as a noble design. Thanks to battery-powered sensors and detectors, no cable installations are necessary. The system supports Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit and Google Assistant. With Bosch devices, you can make monitoring your home smarter – from movements to hazards to temperature. Nothing works without the base station – the sensors and detectors require the central unit. The Bosch Elements app is clear and simple, runs smoothly, and always shows you all the products that are in operation in your smart home at a glance. You can easily add further hazard detectors, sensors and intermediary switches to your existing system via the app and simple plug-and-play features. If you’re an electronics pro and like to tinker with your system, I recommend a more advanced system – Homematic IP, for example. If, on the other hand, you want an easy-to-install, inconspicuous, inexpensive and yet high-quality entry-level smart home solution, Bosch is the right choice.
Homematic IP offers an easy entry into the smart home universe. Philips Hue is even easier to work with, with a focus on lighting. tado° plays to its strengths in the area of smart heating. Products from Netatmo monitor everything in and around your home. Devolo offers you not only an extensive smart home range but also powerful network products. With Aqara, you can rely on a Xiaomi subsidiary and a rather smaller player with inexpensive products. Eve Systems also relies on a manageable range, but still offers a suitable product for all important areas of your smart home. Gigaset boasts energy saving, compact, understated, affordable devices to make every room of your home smarter. Finally, Bosch impresses with a manageable range, simple plug-and-play setup and visually appealing products.
| Price | Range | Expandable | Beginner-friendly | User-friendly | Climate | Shutters | Home security | Lighting | Hazard detection | Amazon Alexa | Google Assistant | Apple Homekit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homematic IP | ++ | ++++ | ++++ | ++ | ++ | ++ | +++ | + | - | ++ | ++++ | ++++ | ++++ |
| Philips Hue | + | ++ | ++ | +++ | ++++ | - | - | - | ++++ | - | ++++ | ++++ | ++++ |
| tado° | + | + | ++ | ++ | ++ | ++ | - | - | - | - | ++++ | ++++ | ++++ |
| Netatmo | ++ | ++ | ++ | +++ | +++ | ++++ | - | ++++ | + | +++ | - | - | ++++ |
| Devolo | +++ | +++ | ++++ | +++ | ++ | + | ++ | ++ | - | ++ | ++++ | ++++ | - |
| Aqara | ++++ | ++ | +++ | ++++ | ++ | + | - | +++ | - | ++++ | - | ++++ | ++++ |
| Eve Systems | + | ++ | +++ | ++++ | +++ | + | - | +++ | + | +++ | - | - | ++++ |
| Gigaset | +++ | +++ | +++ | ++++ | +++ | ++ | - | +++ | + | +++ | ++++ | ++++ | - |
| Bosch | + | ++ | +++ | +++ | ++ | ++ | - | + | - | ++ | ++++ | ++++ | ++++ |
In the next part, I’ll show you how products from Somfy can turn your house into a (smart) home. If you want to join me on my mission and don’t want to miss any smart home articles, follow me by clicking on the «Follow author» button on my profile.
Image sources for teasers: siio.de and maclife.deHeader image: Bosch home automation system allows you to connect the heating too. Photo source: inside-digital.de
Raphael Knecht
Senior Editor
raphael.knecht@digitecgalaxus.chWhen I'm not stuffing my face with sweets, you'll catch me running around in the gym hall. I’m a passionate floorball player and coach. On rainy days, I tinker with my homebuilt PCs, robots or other gadgets. Music is always my trusted companion. I also enjoy tackling hilly terrain on my road bike and criss-crossing the country on my cross-country skis.