Netatmo smart valve discounted to a minimum in Czechia! But read reviews before buying…

Black Friday offers for smart homes are tempting. Alza has just discounted the thermostatic valve Netatmo Additional Smart Radiator Valve from 2,399 CZK to 1,249 CZK, which represents a 48 percent discount. The product has a rating of 4.2 out of five stars, but a detailed reading of over a hundred reviews reveals an unpleasant truth: behind the elegant design lies a not entirely perfect product.

What Netatmo promises: savings and convenience

The Netatmo Additional Smart Radiator Valve is a wireless thermostatic valve with WiFi connectivity, which, according to the manufacturer, saves up to 37% on heating costs. The valve features an E-Ink display that shows the current temperature, allows settings from 5 to 30 °C, and supports weekly programming. It is compatible with 90% of radiators and works with voice assistants Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and Siri.

The design by Philippe Starck with a translucent plexiglass cylinder looks elegant. The Home + Control app offers geolocation (automatic temperature reduction when you’re not home), open window detection, and heating scheduling based on daily routines. On paper, it’s a premium product for a modern home. In practice, however, it’s more complicated.

Displays disappear after two years

The most common complaint in reviews concerns the short lifespan of E-Ink displays. After two to three years, the display either completely disappears or becomes unreadable. “2 out of 3 valves – non-functional display after 3 years,” states one buyer. Tomáš from Prague confirms this: “After about 2.5 years, the displays fail.”

Adam from Roztoky, who has been operating the system for four heating seasons, notes: “After 2 years, the e-ink display failed on two of them. The thermostat also supposedly doesn’t have a long lifespan.” An anonymous customer adds: “The manufacturer should give a 5-year warranty on the OLED display. The display fails after about 3 years. THAT OLED DISPLAY.” The capital letters are in the original review, and the desperation is palpable.

Miloš from Benešov, who has been operating 30 Netatmo valves since 2015, summarizes it pragmatically: “Just after the warranty, at least 2 out of 10 need replacement, and that number grows over time. Replacing them with another manufacturer would be inefficient with this quantity.”

Batteries last weeks, not years

The valves operate on two AA batteries. The manufacturer presents this as an advantage – easy replacement without electricity. The reality, however, is different. Standard alkaline batteries last 2-3 months; some users report only weeks. Jan from Prague calculated: “Alkaline batteries last about 2 months, so with 6 valves, you could easily spend 400 CZK per month on batteries.”

Martin from Prague warns: “Battery life – especially with cheap batteries (IKEA, Alza) is only a matter of weeks.” Veronika from Prague confirms: “Very fast battery consumption.” An anonymous customer summarizes: “It eats batteries like nothing else.”

A solution exists – lithium AA batteries last 3+ years, but they are significantly more expensive. “Batteries last 3+ years, but you have to use lithium AA cells,” writes a satisfied user. Rechargeable NiMH cells don’t work well because the valve marks them as discharged at 1.3 V, while a fully charged cell has 1.5 V.

When batteries run out, you heat at full power

Here comes the biggest problem: when the batteries run out, the valve opens to maximum. Instead of saving, you suddenly heat at full power, and heating bills skyrocket. “After the batteries run out, the valve opens and heats at full power,” warns a reviewer with 12 valves.

An anonymous customer emphasizes: “The valve constantly disconnects and reports errors. When the batteries run out, the valve opens and heats at full power.” Adam from Roztoky confirms: “When the calibration problem disappears for a while, a ‘battery drain’ problem starts to appear, where the valve reports empty batteries and opens the valve fully. If you take out and put back the batteries, everything is fine again.”

Ondřej from Nová Paka considers this absurd: “After the valve runs out of battery, it turns the radiator on full, so if you’re not home and have district heating, you’re out of luck.”

Calibration errors and disconnections

In addition to batteries and displays, users are plagued by frequent calibration errors. The valve suddenly reports an error, the valve opens, and it heats at full power. Adam described his experience: “The biggest pain point is the constant errors the valves generate – every now and then, a calibration error occurs, after which the valve opens fully and heats your entire apartment while you’re away.”

An anonymous customer confirms: “Extreme unreliability – the valve constantly reports a calibration error or dead batteries (even when they’re not).” A company operating 12 valves writes: “None of them work correctly. The valve constantly disconnects and reports errors.”

A customer from Prague sums it up: “It works sometimes. It repeatedly disconnects, and the installation and reconnection process is complicated, taking up to an hour. For someone who wants to plug it in and have peace of mind, it’s a non-functional affair.”

Hidden costs: relay and batteries

The Netatmo valve is not standalone functional. It requires either a Netatmo Smart Thermostat or a Netatmo Smart Radiator Valves Starter Pack, which includes a relay for connection. This means additional costs beyond the price of individual valves. Adam from Roztoky also points out an architectural problem: “The entire architecture is designed so that the relay connects to the internet and serves as a gateway. So, if you have your boiler in the basement, expect connection problems.”

Add to that the monthly battery costs. If you use cheap alkaline batteries, you’ll pay roughly 400 CZK per month for six valves. Lithium batteries last for years but cost several times more. Jan from Prague also warns: “It only works via the NetAtmo cloud. Without an internet connection at home, forget about app control. And not even from a local network.”

For whom might it make sense?

If you already have a Netatmo ecosystem with a thermostat or starter pack at home, an additional valve for 1,249 CZK might make sense – especially if you invest in lithium batteries and expect the display to fail after three years. Zuzana from Prague has been using the valves for the second year and is satisfied: “It really saved us heating costs. We don’t heat rooms where we aren’t.”

An anonymous customer appreciates: “Thanks to these valves, I save a lot. I can set multiple time zones throughout the day and night and heat according to my style.” For those who want to start with a smart home from scratch, however, there are cheaper and more reliable alternatives from brands such as Aqara.

The discount is tempting, but think twice

The discount from 2,399 to 1,249 CZK looks appealing. But when you add up the cost of batteries, the risk of malfunctions, non-functional displays after two years, and calibration errors, it’s not a cheap purchase. Vít from Měšice summarized it: “Everything gradually failed, display, motor. Netatmo support terrible. No response. Never again. Replaced with Meross for a fraction of the price, which at least works.”

An anonymous customer, who spent two years restarting and replacing batteries on 8 valves, sums it up best: “The worst product I have ever bought in my life. They consume my energy and worsen my quality of life. I’m thinking of throwing them all away.”

If you are still considering purchasing, be prepared for higher operating costs, regular maintenance, and potential complaints. A complaint rate of 4.64% is significantly above average for smart home devices. And 79% of customers recommending the product? That’s a surprisingly low number in the premium thermostatic valve category.

Do you use Netatmo thermostatic valves? What are your experiences?