Updated 2019 Review (five stars)
This switch works perfectly and gets the little things right. Now that my house if full of Homekit devices from a lot of brands, I can much more accurately review a product and better judge its performance.
The fact that this switch uses bluetooth instead of wifi brings on a whole lot of trade offs. It increases the latency of the device, but it also uses less power and doesn't clog up my wifi. Typically, I have everything setup to use automations that run... automatically. If some device is delayed by 7 seconds, it has no effect on the outcome of that automation. When using this switch as a trigger for an automation, it works flawlessly, and with about the same latency as a wifi device. Bluetooth also means it will work even if my router is malfunctioning, but the range is limited to the bluetooth reach of my phone and AppleTVs. If you are all in on Homekit, you are also likely all in on Apple, and this should not be an issue.
I really appreciate the indicator light on this switch. I also have wall switches from Sylvania (great, but has a rocker paddle with on/off and that is now a deal breaker for my wife), Koogeek, and Insignia (do not buy Insignia homekit stuff from best buy, total junk). All three of these other brands have indicator lights that are not programmable. They all illuminate green when on, and they turn off when off (Sylvania turns dim blue when off) when off. The Eve switch allows you to make its green light be: 1. always off, 2. on when the light is on, or 3 on when the light is off. I use option 3 so that it is easier to find in the dark. If it was in my bedroom, I would probably choose option 2, and/or use the other feature of choosing from one of three levels of brightness.
One thing that I'm a little frustrated with about this device's app, and many others including iDevices, Koogeek, and Sylvania is that they try to be your "everything" homekit app. They show you all of your devices and have no real filter to just show the devices from this specific company. The main thing I use a device specific app for is adjusting settings for that specific brands devices, and for firmware updates. I have the native Home app, and several third party apps that are great for generally controlling arbitrary hardware. When I go into the Eve app, I want to check for Eve firmware updates and possibly change device specific settings.
Pros:
* Bluetooth - Does not clog up your wifi, uses less energy when doing nothing.
* Programmable indicator light.
* Simple touch to change the state of the switch (instead of discrete on/off switches).
* No moving parts to wear out
* Reliable
Cons: (this list is really hard to fill, so I'm super nitpicking)
* Doesn't look like a normal Decora switch (maybe a pro to some)
* Bluetooth can lag 1-7 seconds
* Does not track power consumption, but it can be inferred from the bulb rating and the time kept in the app.
Original 2017 (four stars) Review
This switch works perfectly fine, but being bluetooth, and not having any sort of physical button make it not as transparent as it could be. I basically bought this because I was too impatient to wait for the dimmer switch from iDevices (IMO the gold standard in HomeKit). Also, this was 1/2 the price of the wifi switch from iDevices.
Basically, the capacitive or whatever it uses for sensing the on/off works well enough, but we have a lot of misfires. The bluetooth LE nature of the device means that it changes state about 3-6 seconds after requested from the phone. When touching it, it switches state immediately, unless you don't touch it just right, and then you have to touch it again.
It is also a bit baffling how they include on/off monitoring, but not power monitoring.
This was a great addition to our HomeKit home, but it is not perfect.
I'm looking forward to the similarly priced switch I just preordered from Koogeek, which is wifi, rather than bluetooth.
| Operation Mode | ON-OFF |
|---|---|
| Current Rating | 15 Amps |
| Operating Voltage | 120 Volts (AC) |
| Contact Type | Normally Closed |
| Connector Type | Wire |
| Brand | Eve |
| Item dimensions L x W x H | 3.3 x 3.3 x 1.6 inches |
| Actuator Type | Push Button |
| Contact Material | Wire |
| International Protection Rating | IP30 |
| Number of Positions | 2 |
| Lower Temperature Rating | 32 Degrees Fahrenheit |
| Upper Temperature Rating | 104 Degrees Fahrenheit |
| Controller Type | homekit, iOS |
| Control Method | App |
| Connectivity Protocol | Bluetooth |
| Color | White |
| Wattage | 1800 watts |
| Unit Count | 1.0 Count |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Manufacturer | Eve Systems LLC |
| Part Number | 10027805 |
| Item Weight | 3.68 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 3.3 x 3.3 x 1.6 inches |
| Item model number | 10027805 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Style | Eve Light Switch |
| Voltage | 120 Volts |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Included Components | Eve Light Switch, Plastic Frame, Mount Plate, screw (4), wire nut (4) |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Warranty Description | 1 year |
