Aqara presence sensor got a great discount! It works via Zigbee or Thread and is better than a motion sensor

A smart light that you have to wave at to keep it from leaving you in the dark can be surprisingly annoying. A regular motion sensor may not be enough when you sit down at the computer or get engrossed in a book on the couch. The Aqara FP300 adds a radar that can detect even small movements of a person at rest. And now it has reached a price where it makes sense to try smarter automation, perhaps even in a single room. Alza sells it for 888 CZK without a code.

Quick summary:
✅ Makes sense for: Lighting a study or living room where an ordinary motion sensor loses track of a sitting person.
⚠️ Consider: You need a compatible hub, or a Matter controller and Thread Border Router. A phone alone is not enough.
💡 You don’t need to run a power cable to it. You choose the sensor’s location based on the room’s view, not the power outlet.

It detects presence and you don’t need to run a cable to it

Inside, a classic infrared PIR sensor and a 60GHz mmWave radar work together. The first detects arrival, the second helps to recognize that a person has not yet left the room. The practical result is more interesting than the technology itself: a lamp can turn on when you come to your desk in the evening and stay on even if you then read quietly for several minutes.

The FP300 is powered by two replaceable CR2450 batteries. The rotating bracket allows installation on a wall, ceiling, or in a corner; the stated range is up to six meters. Aqara claims up to three years of battery life via Zigbee and up to two via Thread. These are values from manufacturer tests, which will be affected by settings and usage.

Additionally, it measures light, temperature, and humidity. You can set up automation so that it doesn’t turn on lights on a bright day, or so that air conditioning also reacts to a person’s presence. From one small box, you get data for several useful rules instead of just the information that someone moved in front of the sensor.

It offers the most options via Zigbee

The FP300 supports Zigbee and Matter over Thread. With an Aqara hub, you get more detailed settings in the manufacturer’s app, such as adjusting the detection distance or the reporting frequency of other sensors. Via Thread, it also integrates into compatible Apple, Google, or Home Assistant smart homes. Therefore, it makes sense to choose the connection method based on what you already use at home and how much you want to play with automations.

Do you use automatic lighting at home, or do you still prefer to rely on a switch?