best smartthings humidity sensor

Best SmartThings Humidity Sensor for Your Smart Home in 2022

A quick Google search for the best SmartThings humidity sensor results in a lot of out-dated information, and products that are no longer being made or supported. I’m looking at you, SmartSense temperature/humidity sensor.

After a bit of frustration, I decided to fill this void by doing some in-depth research of my own.

The reality is, there just aren’t that many truly compatible SmartThings humidity sensors out there.

But they do exist.


Aeotec
Multisensor 6
Centralite
Sensor
ZOOZ
4-in-1 Sensor
Product Image best smartthings humidity sensor Centralite Temperature and Humidity Sensor smartthings humidity sensor ZOOZ 4-in-1
SmartThings compatible yes yes

SmartThings (v2, v3, and Aeotec hubs only)
yes

Requires loading a custom device controller
Other sensor capabilities temperature, motion, light, UV, vibration temperature temperature, motion, light
Protocol Z wave plus ZigBee Z wave plus
Battery CR123A Lithium battery CR-2 Lithium battery CR123A Lithium battery
Rating 4.5 stars 4.2 stars 3.5 stars
Price Check Price on Amazon Check Price on Amazon Check Price on Amazon

Best SmartThings humidity sensor

In short, the best SmartThings humidity sensor is the Aeotec Multisensor 6. But before I get into exactly why that is, let’s cover some basics.

Relative Humidity (RH)

Smart humidity sensors measure the amount of humidity in the air, compared to how much there could be. Temperature is what determines how much humidity there could be.

The ratio of moisture currently in the air, to the highest amount of moisture there could be at a particular air temperature, is called relative humidity, (or RH). 

So RH is measured, and reported, as a percentage. 0% means the air is extremely dry. 100% means that the air is so moist that mist or dew is about to form. The ideal relative humidity in your home, for all around health and general comfort, is right around 40% (+/- 20%).

relative humidity RH scale
Source: ac-heatingconnect.com

Too much, or too little humidity can cause problems in your home, and for your health. For example, too much humidity and mold will start to grow. Too little humidity and your sinuses will suffer.

That’s why it’s important to constantly measure the humidity in your home and make any necessary adjustments.

1) Aeotec Multisensor 6

The best SmartThings humidity sensor for the job is the Aeotec Multisensor 6. This sensor uses Z-Wave Plus technology to monitor and report motion, temperature, humidity, light, UV, and vibration.

best smartthings humidity sensor

The humidity sensor has an RH range of 0% to 100% and an accuracy of +/- 5%. Based on reviews and the specs Aeotec provides, this is one of the more accurate SmartThings humidity sensors out there.

For even greater accuracy, this sensor can be calibrated for every room and every environment with manual calibrations wirelessly available for its temperature, humidity, light and UV measurements.

The sensor itself is crazy small (just 1.8in across) and can placed on a shelf or screwed into a wall. Because it’s so small, you really won’t even notice it’s there.

MultiSensor 6 can be powered by its CR123A battery or a USB cable. If you chose to power it with batteries, the estimated battery life is about 2 years.

Ultimately you’ll pay a bit more for the Aeotec Multisensor 6, but with humidity sensors you really do get what you pay for.

If your interested in purchasing the Aeotec Multisensor 6, SmartThings humidity sensor, you can buy it here on Amazon.

2) Centralite Temperature and Humidity Sensor

The Centralite Temperature and Humidity Sensor also uses ZigBee technology to measure both temperature and humidity.

While you don’t get the additional 4 sensor capabilities (motion, UV, light, vibration) the Aeotec Multisensor 6 offers, you do get the temperature sensor capability as a bonus!

Centralite Temperature and Humidity Sensor

A bit larger than the Aeotec Multisensor 6, this ‎3.5 x 3.46 inch sensor is still quite small and will likely blend in well.

When syncing with SmartThings you shouldn’t have any major issues. SmartThings should pick this sensor up no problem.

A complaint with these devices has been that Alexa doesn’t pick up the humidity readouts. If you’re using Alexa as your home automation “hub”, then this sensor might not be for you. If not, you should be fine.

If your interested in purchasing the Centralite Temperature and Humidity Sensor, SmartThings humidity sensor, you can buy it here on Amazon.

3) ZOOZ 4-in-1 Sensor

Last is the ZOOZ 4-in-1 Sensor, which once again uses Z-Wave Plus technology. This time to measure motion, temperature, humidity, and light levels.

smartthings humidity sensor ZOOZ 4-in-1

I’ll start by saying that this humidity sensor is last on my list simply because it isn’t compatible with SmartThings out-of-the-box.

It requires something called a custom device handler and from what I can tell if your tech savy enough and can follow basic instructions, this shouldn’t be too big a deal. But for some this might be a bridge too far.

If I haven’t scared you off, this humidity sensor is actually quite solid. You can change up the reporting thresholds for temperature, humidity, light & motion, to get precise and unique detection for your needs.

There were complaints in the past about battery life for this device but to ZOOZ’s credit they changed out the AAA batteries of ver 1.0 for a new CR123A battery, extending battery life significantly.

The device itself is compact and reliable.

If your interested in purchasing the ZOOZ 4-in-1 Sensor, SmartThings humidity sensor, you can buy it here on Amazon.

Humidity sensor use cases

Spaces in your home such as bathrooms, bedrooms and kitchens can be too humid, while other environments are often not humid enough.

You can use your SmartThings humidity sensor for incremental monitoring of humidity, enabling the intelligent automation of fans, motorized windows, dehumidifiers and humidifiers.

Imagine a scenario where your humidity sensor detects that your bedroom humidity has dropped to 10%. Your automation detects this low humidity reading and triggers a smart plug to turn on, which your humidifier is plugged into, effectively turning on your bedroom humidifier. Once the humidity rises to say, 35%, the humidity sensor tells the smart plug to turn off.

cheap home automation ideas

With automations like this you can constantly monitor and control the humidity levels in your home for maximum comfort and little to no effort.

Conclusion

Finding a quality compatible SmartThings humidity sensor in 2022 can be a real challenge. A lot of the products out there are either out of commission or simply don’t work well with SmartThings.

If you’re looking for a hassle free setup and a quality product, I’ve found the Aeotec Multisensor 6 to be the best all around SmartThings humidity sensor on the market.

Which humidity sensor do you recommend?

Aeotec
Multisensor 6
Centralite
Sensor
ZOOZ
4-in-1 Sensor
Product Image best smartthings humidity sensor Centralite Temperature and Humidity Sensor smartthings humidity sensor ZOOZ 4-in-1
SmartThings compatible yes yes

SmartThings (v2, v3, and Aeotec hubs only)
yes

Requires loading a custom device controller
Other sensor capabilities temperature, motion, light, UV, vibration temperature temperature, motion, light
Protocol Z wave plus ZigBee Z wave plus
Battery CR123A Lithium battery CR-2 Lithium battery CR123A Lithium battery
Rating 4.5 stars 4.2 stars 3.5 stars
Price Check Price on Amazon Check Price on Amazon Check Price on Amazon