Review: SwitchBot Bot can make your home smarter the easy way

For such a simple device it's only limited in most part by your imagination

Turning your home into a 'smart home' can be an expensive - and time-consuming - business but there is a way of making your 'dumb' devices a little cleverer without breaking the bank. The SwitchBot Bot can be used to control buttons and switches from your smartphone, and for such a simple device it's only limited in most part by your imagination!

My first impression of the little white box is that it does seem a little simple and low-tech. However, in the end, this proved to be one of the Bot's greatest strengths. The device can be stuck pretty much anywhere you like and literally has a little arm that you can control through your phone to pop out and press a button. And that's pretty much it. It works with just about any rocker switch and button of any appliance (it won't do a touchscreen switch, though).

It also comes with a sticker that allows you to both switch on and off an old-fashioned light switch. Very simple, but that also means it's super reliable. Set-up is also easy dead easy using the mobile app as it's just a case of connecting via Bluetooth.

And then it's a case of deciding where you want to use it. No tools are required as it's just a case of sticking the Bot to whatever surface you want. I tried one using the switch mode on a hallway light and it worked brilliantly, while a second device was equally effective on a fan.

I did find one limitation as the button, while small, has some height to it. This meant I could not fit it to a light switch close to a door that would have swung and knocked it off.

Pick up a SwitchBot Hub 2 or Remote and you can control your SwitchBot remotely from anywhere and enable voice control, working well with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri and IFTTT. The Hub 2 also has the advantage of having infra-red that can control a huge number of devices (essentially anything that has an IR remote control) plus a thermometer/hygrometer which means you can trigger actions depending on the temperature or humidity.

Even without the Hub, you can schedule the Bot with built-in timers that can turn lights or home appliances on/off automatically even when you’re away.

The SwitchBot comes in white and black, and is available for £29.99. The Remote costs £19.99, while the Hub 2 is available for £79.99.