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Aqara Door and Window Sensor
Private Smart Home
Our verdict
Eighteen dollars for the sensor that makes everything else worth having: it tells the house when a door or window opens.
In stock · Last verified: 2026-08-28
We send you to Amazon and open your local store. A specific product may not be available in every country — if not, Amazon shows you a similar option.
Best for
- Triggering lights when a door opens
- Knowing a window was left open
- Adding automation cheaply, one room at a time
Not ideal for
- Homes without a Zigbee hub
- People wanting the newer Thread protocol
Pros
- Under 20 dollars per sensor
- 6,000+ ratings at 4.4 stars
- Coin cell lasts a year or more
- Small enough to disappear on a frame
Cons
- Requires a Zigbee hub, sold separately
- Zigbee, not Thread or Matter
- The adhesive needs a clean surface to hold
Key specifications
| Protocol | Zigbee |
|---|---|
| Hub required | Yes |
| Battery | Coin cell, 1+ year |
| Rating | 4.4 stars |
| Typical price | 17.99 USD |
Alternatives
Aqara · Aqara Smart Home Hub M3
The larger Aqara hub: keeps automations running locally and adds an infrared blaster.
Comparison →TP-Link Tapo · Tapo Matter Smart Plug Mini
A cheap Matter plug that works with any of these hubs.
Comparison →View full analysis
Why we recommend it
Hubs and cameras get the attention, but a smart home that does nothing until you open an app is not doing very much. Sensors are what turn it into automation, and a contact sensor is the cheapest and most useful of them. Door opens, hall light comes on. Window left open when the heating starts, you get told. This Aqara is the long-standing version, Zigbee and not Thread, tiny, running for a year or two on a coin cell, and carrying six thousand ratings at 4.4 stars. It needs a Zigbee hub, and that is the honest catch and the reason it sits near the end of this list instead of the top.
Buying advice
Buy three, not one. A single sensor is a novelty; three turn a hub into something the household actually notices. Clean the frame with alcohol before sticking them on, because the usual complaint about every sensor of this kind is that it fell off, and the usual cause is dust.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a hub?
- Yes, a Zigbee hub. The Aqara M3 or M100 both work, as does Home Assistant with the SONOFF dongle.
- How long does the battery last?
- Typically a year or more on the coin cell, depending on how often the door is used.
- Will it work with Apple Home?
- Through a hub that exposes it via Matter, yes. Not on its own.