Battery motion sensor · exact-product guide
SwitchBot Motion Sensor: coverage, hub limits and Canadian buying guide
Motion Sensor combines passive motion and ambient-light readings with an adjustable magnetic base. It can start SwitchBot scenes such as lighting or camera activation, but placement, heat sources, pets, hub availability and the delay before declaring a room vacant determine whether the automation feels reliable.
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Paid CJ affiliate link; commission never changes our analysis. Verified September 1, 2026.Short answer
A good fit for room-level lighting and occupancy routines when the sensor can face the walking path within its published 30 ft, 110° horizontal and 55° vertical envelope. Plan a compatible hub for remote notifications and multi-device scenes, and do not treat a single PIR sensor as proof that a room is truly empty.
Verified specifications
The facts that change the decision
- Exact priced variant
- One Motion Sensor
- Published range
- Up to 30 ft (about 9 m)
- Published coverage
- 110° horizontal · 55° vertical
- Additional sensor
- Ambient-light reading with adjustable bright/dark threshold
- Mounting
- Magnetic adjustable base fits the bottom or side
- Power
- 2 × AAA alkaline batteries included · up to three years
- Hub-dependent functions
- Remote notifications and ecosystem scenes outside nearby Bluetooth operation
Good fit
This product may fit if…
- A clear mounting point faces the main walking path rather than a heat source or window.
- The automation can tolerate the configured absence delay and does not create a safety risk if motion is missed.
- A compatible hub is available for the remote or cross-device behaviour you actually want.
- You will tune sensitivity and test people, pets, sitting positions and nighttime lighting separately.
Stop before buying
Do not order yet if…
- The sensor would control a heater, dangerous appliance, lock or other safety-critical load by itself.
- The room requires reliable detection of a motionless seated or sleeping person.
- The only mounting point faces sunlight, heating airflow, moving curtains or another likely false-trigger source.
- You need remote alerts but do not plan to add a compatible SwitchBot hub.
Installation
Five-step verification plan
- 1
Map the entry path, seated areas, pets, windows, curtains and HVAC outlets in the exact room.
- 2
Temporarily place the magnetic base and aim the sensor across movement rather than directly at a heat source.
- 3
Add it in the SwitchBot app, update firmware and choose sensitivity plus the bright/dark threshold.
- 4
Connect the compatible hub if needed and test every linked scene by day, at night and while someone remains seated.
- 5
Observe several normal days before allowing the sensor to turn devices off automatically.
After installation
What ownership requires
- Recheck aim and sensitivity after moving furniture, changing curtains or adding a pet.
- Replace both AAA batteries together after a low-power warning and retest every automation.
- Keep a manual control path for lights and appliances so a missed event never traps the household in a broken routine.
FAQ
Questions before buying
Does Motion Sensor need a hub?
Nearby Bluetooth setup and reading are possible without one, but remote notifications and scenes involving other devices require a compatible SwitchBot hub.
Will it detect someone sitting still?
Not reliably enough to assume continuous occupancy. It is a motion sensor; a dedicated presence sensor is the better product class for subtle stationary movement.
Can it replace an alarm system?
No. It is a smart-home motion input, not a monitored or certified security system.
Verified compatibility
Useful companion products
Add these products only for the function described on the page. A hub is not automatically required for every use.
SwitchBot Hub 3
Matter bridge, infrared remote, scene controller and indoor climate display for a connected SwitchBot home.