Aqara HUB M1S, a control unit, a night light and an alarm in one accessory

We analyze the Aqara Hub M1s bridge, an accessory with which we will be able to add more Aqara devices to our home automation network and this also acts as a night light and alarm for the security system that we can configure thanks to it, and all this being compatible with Homekit.

Central accessories, night light and alarm

This Aqara Hub M1S has one main objective: to be the bridge through which to add up to 128 Aqara accessories, using the Zigbee 3.0 protocol. Many Aqara devices, such as the G2H camera that we review in this article, connect directly to our HomeKit hub, but there are others that require their own central, this M1S, to be able to connect. It is the mission of this bridge that we are analyzing today.

The fact that it uses the Zigbee 3.0 protocol means that the devices that we can link can use one or more batteries to work, without having to worry about changing them for a long time, thanks to its low consumption

. It also solves many of Bluetooth’s range issues, being able to place accessories at a greater distance than with conventional Bluetooth.

It also has an RGB light that we can turn on and off by automations, varying the color and intensity. The light is designed as a ring that surrounds the entire device, with a translucent plastic that serves as a diffuser. It is not a luminaire that can illuminate a room, but rather a perfect light companion To be placed in a hallway to be able to cross it at night without having to turn on other lights, or as a nightlight for a room for the little ones at home. It also has a light sensor that allows you to vary the intensity according to the ambient light.

And we can’t forget that it has a speaker, but we can’t use it to listen to music, but rather it is a speaker for an alarm system that we can create using this base and other Aqara accessories. Soon we’ll have another article and video on the channel explaining how we can make this alarm system, subscription-free, just our way, and for a lot less money than you might imagine.

Setting

The configuration of this hub is done like any other HomeKit product. We can do this directly from the Home app, but I always recommend using the manufacturer’s native app

, because there may still be some features that Home does not have, or just a formal update is available, which we will always have to do from the Aqara app (link). There isn’t too much of a mystery in there, we follow the steps as seen in the video and in a minute everything will be set to work. To connect, use the WiFi network, as usual, only 2.4Ghz.

Once configured in the Aqara app, it will be set up at home at the same time, so we won’t have to do the task twice. If it was only a bridge there would be nothing to do with this device, but as we have already told you, it is a light and an alarm, so We have features within the app, which we can control from the Aqara app or the Home app. The same as I told you before that for the configuration I prefer to use the native one, to control the accessories I always use Home.

We can see light and alarm as one box, or separate them in device settings. Light control is what you would expect from any RGB bulb. We can adjust the intensity, color and change them from the app or via Siri. We can include it in automations and environments. The alarm allows us to use four different situations: Home, Away from home, Night and Off. We will go into the details of the alarm in an article dedicated solely to this subject.

Editorial review

Aqara wanted his M1S HUB to be more than just a bridge, and he gave it two handy features. A simple but effective guide light and control unit for your own alarm system that you can create with other Aqara accessories. With good connectivity, quick response and a fairly discreet design, this Aqara Hub M1S is a perfect accessory for home automation enthusiasts, as it opens the doors to dozens of Aqara devices that have very affordable prices. The power station is priced at 48 $ on Amazon (connect)