Aqara Smart Hub E1 Review – A new affordable HomeKit compatible Zigbee smart home hub
This week, Aqara announced their latest Hub E1 and is the most affordable hub they have launched on Amazon to date.
Currently, this would make it the firth hub they have on Amazon but they have around eight different hubs in total, which seems a little excessive.
The new Smart Hub E1 is priced at just £29.99, being about £25 cheaper than the other Aqara options. It has a USB dongle design, so the overall installation can be as discrete as possible, you just need to plug it into any USB socket.
The Hub E1 not only expands your Zigbee network but also acts as a Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz repeater and makes the coverage of other Aqara hubs and other Wi-Fi devices more stable.
If you have used an Aqara Hub or read a review of one before, there is nothing particularily new here, but this little hub provides a new alternative and affordable way to set up a smart home.
With this offering the same overall experience as the Aqara Camera Hub G2H, I have not set up the automation using the different sensors and devices available.
- Note: Aqara Hub E1 can connect up to 128 Aqara devices (*use of repeaters such as the Aqara Smart Wall Switch(With Neutral) is required). Zigbee 3.0 Support (**Not third-party zigbee device) , enjoy the benefits of the fastest, most stable, and energy-efficient smart home technology. Note: Not all Aqara child devices are compatible with all platforms. Please see details for each device.
- Flexible and Small Size: The Hub E1 shaft angle can be changed within 210 degrees, which makes its placing extremely flexible. The Smart Hub E1 is compact and very easy to carry, size: 4.25” x 1.18” x 0.3”, weight: 58 grams. Occupies less space and can be placed almost anywhere.
- All-Round Compatibility: Makes Aqara child devices connected to it compatible with most popular ecosystems and voice assistants such as HomeKit, Alexa, Google, and IFTTT. (*The Hub E1 is not an end device, and it cannot be controlled by third-party ecosystems. In contrast, it exposes the supported Aqara child devices to such ecosystems and/or makes them controllable by voice.)
- Powered by USB-A: A regular USB-A port is integrated into the Hub's housing so that it can be powered from almost any USB-equipped device such as a power bank, power strip, outlet, PC, or even a router.
- Wi-Fi Repeater Function: The Hub E1 not only expands your Zigbee network but also acts as a Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz repeater and makes the coverage of other Aqara hubs and other Wi-Fi devices more stable. Please note: Only 2 devices are supported. Zigbee2MQTT and comparable third-party USB dongles are not officially supported by Aqara. Full product functionality may be limited or unavailable.
Specification
- USB-A Dongle design
- Zigbee 3.0 Proto
- Wi-Fi repeater function (2.4Ghz)
- 128 Device support
- Product Size: 108*30*8mm
- Wireless Protocol: Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 b/g/n2.4GHz , Zigbee 3.0
- Input Voltage: 5V / 0.5A
Set-Up
The E1 has the same set-up procedure as any other Aqara hub. Once you plug it in, you will need to select add a new device, then select the E1. It will scan the hub, and when identified, you need to provide the password for a 2.4Ghz network. With this hub, it didn’t seem to pass over the data automatically, so I had to connect to the WiFI SSID of the hub.
Apart from that, everything was quick and simple.
Home Assistant
I also use Home Assistant running on Docker, and adding the E1 to this is also simple. Home Assistant automatically identifies the hub, and you will need to add the code which is printed on the hub itself.
2.4Ghz Repeater
One neat feature of this little E1 hub is the ability to act as a 2.4Ghz repeater. While I prefer to avoid repeaters in general, this seems like a useful way to expand your 2.4Ghz network for IoT devices.
Within the hub settings, you can go to: More Settings > Wi-Fi Repeater than enable the hotspot. This will create a new unique SSID.
Compatible Devices
I don’t have a huge number of Aqara devices, but I tested this with:
- Single Switch Module T1 (one with and one without neutral, review soon)
- Motion Sensor
- Smart Wall Switch H1
- Water Leak Sensor
- Temperature and Humidity Sensor
- Roller Shade Driver E1
All the devices worked as expected with no problems with signal or connectivity.
Price and Alternative Options
The Aqara Hub E1 is currently priced at £29.99, which is incredibly affordable for a smart home hub.
The Aqara M2 is £54.99
The Aqara Security Camera and hub is currently £55.24
The Aqara M1S is currently £66
For competing brands, your best bet is the Aeotec SmartThings hub which is £99.99
Overall
The Aqara Hub E1 is an excellent affordable way to get into using Zigbee based smart home systems. The USB connectivity is handy for someone looking for an easy discrete installation, you could plug this into the back of anything with a USB port and you also have the benefit of the 2.4Ghz wireless Repeater.
I personally prefer the reliability that Ethernet offers, and this is why I like the Aqara Hub M2. That also has an IR transmitter to control A/V equipment and a speaker for alerts, but I rarely use these. That hub supports the same number of Zigbee devices. If you just want a no-frill Zigbee hub, then the new E1 makes a lot of sense.
Aqara Smart Hub E1 Review Rate
-
Overall - 80%
80%
Summary
The Aqara Smart Hub E1 offers the exact performance and device compatibility as the other Aqara hubs in a smaller and more convenient form factor compared to the excellent M2 Smart Hub just without the Ethernet connectivity and IR.
I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
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