Eve Motion 2 is the latest Homekit-compatible motion sensor from Elgato, a well-known accessories maker dedicated to Apple ecosystem. I am a long time user of the first generation model and excited to try this new sensor.

Compared to the first generation model, Eve Motion 2 has slightly smaller form factor and uses AAA batteries instead of AA. It has Thread support and built-in light level (lux) sensor. Finally, the biggest differentiator is the fact that the new model is actually cheaper than the old model, at least based on the official price.

Initial setup is easy, just like any other Eve accessories. Once set-up, we can see movement status and light level from both the Eve and Apple Home apps.

Movement sensor is accurate. So far I have not seen false detection, something I got almost everyday with camera-based motion sensor. The light sensor, however, does not seem to be accurate, in my opinion. I put the sensor in a home-office room with 2000 lumens LED light, it is brighter than most rooms, and it shows 60 to 65 lux with text showing “dim”. Bringing the sensor closer to my ceiling light increased the sensor reading to about 150 lux but that’s about it.

Based on its strange reading, I concluded that I cannot rely on the lux numbers, but its abilities to differentiate when the light is off (goes to 0 lux and showing “dark”) is still useful for automation. For example, we can set that the motion sensor will only trigger in the dark.

The Thread compatibility might be useful in the future, but so far I only have 2 Thread devices in my home, so it is very useful just yet. I can see the devices under “Settings” in Eve app.

Some people complain about the plastic material. I do not personally mind. I think the product still looks solid and the build quality is not bad. If using plastic and AAA batteries (instead of rechargeable battery) keep the cost down, then I am all for it.

A simple smart home sensor that is fast and reliable. If I ignore the strange numbers in the light level sensor, this product works as expected and is helpful for my home automation.