Homey Professional 2026 evaluation – The Ambient

Product identify: Introduction

• Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Ethernet (by way of adpator)
• Ecosystems: Zigbee, Z-Wave, Thread, Matter, IR and 433MHz

Going from a strong sensible residence system with restricted assist, to one of the crucial versatile and well-supported methods, Homey has, in my eyes, change into the perfect total system for controlling a wise residence. With the Homey Professional 2026 lovers get a bit extra of what they want: a extra highly effective hub that may deal with extra gadgets and apps.

It’s a fundamental tweak on the Early 2023 model of the hub, however is it value upgrading to or, in the event you’re new to Homey, shopping for new? Learn my full evaluation to search out out.

Design and protocol assist

• Ethernet by way of adaptor
• Helps Zigbee, Thread, Matter, IR and 433MHz gadgets

There’s no exterior distinction between the Homey Professional Early 2023 hub and the Homey Professional 2026 that I’ve on evaluation right here. That’s a little bit of a disgrace, because it looks like a missed alternative to offer the unit a tweak.

Specifically, whereas dual-band Wi-Fi 5 is in-built, there’s nonetheless no Ethernet port, one thing that the Homey Professional mini has (though that entry-level hub doesn’t have Wi-Fi). There’s the non-compulsory Ethernet adaptor, however it will be neater to have a wired connection as commonplace.

I like to recommend shopping for the Ethernet adaptor. I choose wired connections for gadgets like this, as you get a extra steady connection. I might join the Homey Professional 2026 to Wi-Fi first, although.

As soon as related to Wi-Fi, you possibly can plug the Ethernet adaptor in, and the hub will swap to the wired connection. Then, you probably have a problem, the Professional 2026 can fall again to Wi-Fi.

Protocol assist is identical on the Homey Professional 2026 as for the Professional Early 2023, which is to say that there’s assist for all the things: Zigbee, Thread, Matter, 433MHz and InfraRed. And, there’s cloud assist for an excellent wider vary of gadgets that don’t assist a direct connection.

So, what’s totally different? The Homey Professional 2026 has double the RAM: 4GB versus 2GB on the older one. That will increase the app restrict to 100+ from 60 on the older one. For giant houses with loads of sensible gadgets (or rising houses), the brand new restrict provides extra flexibility.

Options and in-use

• Helps 100+ apps
• Exceptionally highly effective Flows
• Getting Thread to work can require some thought

It’s straightforward so as to add the Homey Professional 2026 to the app. In case you’ve bought an older hub, you possibly can again it up (I pay a budget month-to-month payment for the cloud backup service because it makes life simpler) after which restore. All gadgets will reconnect, though you do want to offer them time.

In any other case, in the event you’re ranging from scratch, you possibly can add the hub after which comply with the Wizard by means of to create the organisation of your private home, which let me create flooring after which rooms, following the structure of my residence.

For probably the most half, including gadgets is straightforward, however it’s value speaking about Thread gadgets. Because of the means that the radios are arrange, Zigbee and Thread are shared. Presently, it’s not attainable for the Homey Professional 2026 to hitch an current Thread community, so vary will be restricted.

Inserting the Homey Professional 2026 in my backyard workplace, I couldn’t straight join Matter over Thread gadgets that had been inside my residence. Transferring the Professional 2026 to the again of my kitchen, my home was lined however my Ultion Nuki 2025 sensible lock wouldn’t join.

Having extra plug-in Thread gadgets related to the Homey Professional 2026 would assist enhance the mesh community, however these are surprisingly uncommon: all of my Thread gadgets that aren’t hubs are battery powered.

There’s a second limitation with Thread. Preliminary connections are made by way of Bluetooth, so the Professional 2026 must be inside Bluetooth vary first. It’s not all the time attainable to maneuver a tool that shut.

There are alternatives. In case you actually wish to, you possibly can run two Homey Professional gadgets. This creates two separate cases, however the HomeyLink app can be utilized to bridge them collectively, so you possibly can management a number of gadgets from one interface.

In an excellent world, Homey would launch an up to date model of the Bridge that has Thread assist (the present one presents Z-Wave and IR), for vary extension.

Secondly, you possibly can join your Thread gadgets to a different system first, after which add secondary management by way of Homey. I do that methodology, connecting gadgets to Apple House, after which sharing them to Homey.

On this means, all of my gadgets, comparable to my Tado X heating system and Ultion Nuki 2025 sensible lock, have a steady connection. This methodology additionally offers me a backup management. Ought to Homey go down, I can nonetheless distant management by way of Apple House.

Gadget assist is great. Clearly, something with Matter will be related, however the vary of official and unofficial apps now covers all of my gadgets. For instance, utilizing the neighborhood Ring app, I can add my Ring Alarm (2^nd-gen). I now now not want a Raspberry Pi working HomeBridge for Apple House, as Homey does all the things.

It’s an exceptionally highly effective system, too. At its most elementary, the straightforward interface offers every system its personal tile, so I can activate a light-weight, unlock my door or shut my blinds, for instance.

It’s with automations (or Flows as Homey calls them) that issues get very highly effective. There decisions for simplicity. For instance, after I unlock my workplace door, my blinds open, and the Ring alarm turns off (and the alternative occurs after I lock the door).

However, Flows even have an And possibility, permitting extra flexibility. So, I can use this feature to activate my backyard lights when my workplace door locks and it’s after sundown. That means, my backyard lights activate to mild the best way again to my home solely when it’s getting darkish.

Homey Professional additionally exposes extra triggers from gadgets. Connecting a Tado X temperature sensor to House, I both get the choice to look at for a temperature change, or to examine when the heating is turned on or off (it varies by day and system as to which is introduced). With Homey I get each of those triggers, plus the choice to look at for humidity adjustments and extra.

By way of the web site, there’s additionally a complicated Movement creator, utilizing stream charts to craft exceptionally highly effective flows: a number of triggers and actions, plus the flexibility to attend for a number of issues to occur. Add in customized variables and Homey will do all the things from the most straightforward to probably the most advanced.

Flows run quick, too. As quickly as I unlock my workplace, the blind springs into motion. And, it’s all very dependable to. In actual fact, I’ve moved all of my routines to Homey, because it offers me the entire management and system assist that I want.