It’s been a long time in the making, but Den Automation finally started fulfilling their pre-orders earlier this month. I received my pre-ordered items, an order I placed in March 2018, last Monday. I’ve been looking forward to getting my hands on some Den gear since I first heard about the company in 2017. I love to dabble in home automation and the idea of a light switch that was a drop in replacement for a “dumb” light switch sparked joy!
I should point out that I’m an investor in Den Automation, holding a few shares that I bought through Seedrs.
So, what did I buy?
- Smart Hub (required to control everything else)
- Four One-Gang switches
- One Double Gang socket
Den, as a thank you, threw in a remote too. That was a nice surprise.
The packaging looks nice and reminds me a little of Nest product packaging, with a nice sleeve surrounding the box.
The Smart Hub
The Smart Hub is the brains of the operation.
The hub itself was a little smaller than I expected. It was very light in weight. If I’m honest, it does feel a little cheap, but I’m only comparing that a Google WiFi unit that I had close at hand. That said, it didn’t feel flimsy and the connectors were solid when I plugged in the power and Ethernet cables. I was surprised that the power connector on the hub itself wasn’t USB. I was also surprised the Smart Hub required an Ethernet connection.
UPDATE: 28 Jan 2019 I’ve installed four light switches and they feel solid now that they are on the wall. After a few operations I couldn’t tell the difference. The Hub is also in position and I’ll hopefully never touch it again, so comments on its weight seem silly now.
The Smart Switch
This particular device was the reason I love Den’s concept. Smart WiFi switches are nothing new, but most are either touch based or require a neutral connection (like Sonoff’s offerings). I like the old fashioned rocker switch. Familiar and reliable. Lightwave RF have offered WiFi switches for a long time, but I’ve never taken to their push button design.
On lifting the switch out and flicking the rocker a few time, I have to admit I felt a little disappointed. The rocker lacked the weight I’m used to. I handed it to my wife and she agreed. Of course, it’s easy to criticise something like this and, weighting aside, we agreed to reserve final judgement until I’d installed them. Having something that can flick itself on and off is *never* going to as solid as something manual.
The spacing plate is provided in case the backing box isn’t deep enough. it was well packaged, being hidden under the insert. This meant it didn’t get in the way of the Switch itself and the box was opened.
I read some of Den Automation’s early tweets and the use of Earth is crucial to the operation of their light switches, so I’m glad the included some extra cabling.
The Smart Socket
I ordered a Smart Socket just to try it out. I currently use one Sonoff Smart Plug to controlling power to my TV. It’s used a lot (the standby on my ten year old telly draws more wattage than I’d care to admit). The sockets in my house are brushed steel downstairs, but the sockets behind my TV aren’t visible, so I think this is a natural place. It will mean I turn off both my Apple TV and the TV itself.
One of the things that Den have done in this space is something I personally find very clever. They have created a concept of Smart Tags. These little tags fit over a plug and can be used to identify an appliance or item.
I haven’t tested them out yet, but the idea is as following. You pair a tag with an appliance i.e. a hair dryer. When you plug it in, the socket *knows* what’s plugged in. The example Den give is around hair straighteners and a person leaving them plugged in and turned on. I think it’s innovative, but requires every socket in your house to be a Den Socket (I don’t know if they have a patent on this idea).
As a neat touch, Den also put a Smart Tag on the power supply for the Smart Hub. That made me smile!
The Remote
As a gesture of goodwill, for the numerous delays in shipping, Den chucked in a free remote.
It seems to just be an on or off type deal, but I don’t know anything beyond that. I assume you can pair it to one or more sockets or switches in the Den App. Once I get everything setup, I’ll be sure to write more about it.
Summary
The packaging was nice and well presented, but the items themselves felt a little cheap. It’s hard to explain. I have put this feeling down to the type of plastic and how it feels. The weight of the items also feeds into that feeling too. I know it’s pointless to try and gauge quality by the weight or feel of something and I’ll reserve judgement until I’ve installed them and used them.
I’ll do another post on the setup once I get more time.
I’m happy to answer any questions you might have. I think it’s fantastic that a small UK startup are producing products like this and that they have finally shipping is a testament to their hard work and determination. I’ve played no part in the development of the product, nor do I personally know anyone involved, but I can appreciate the monumental effort required to deliver hardware and software, especially consumer facing.
I take my hat off to Yasser and his team.
Tomas McGuinness 