This DIY Bed Sensor is super easy to make…and works in HomeKit!

Today I'll show you how you can make your own pressure sensor that works in HomeKit. We'll just need a few inexpensive products (see below) to make it happen. What automations would you create with something like this?

Sponsored by Aqara

Door & Window Sensor

Water Leak Sensor

Check out more Aqara devices

Bed Sensor that I used

NOTE: This description contains affiliate links that allow you to find the items mentioned in this video at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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SOCIAL
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🎥 RECOMMENDED
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▶ 10 FUN Ways to Automate Your Home!

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CHAPTERS
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0:00 Chapters
0:45 Automation Ideas
1:52 What You'll Need
3:25 Before You Start
4:22 Method 1: Water Sensor
5:34 Method 2: Door Sensor
7:29 Using/Testing Your Pressure Sensor
8:46 Final Thoughts

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#HomeKit #SmartHome #Aqara

[Christopher_Ago]

I want to put 1 on my toilet seat. When I sit down it will turn the bathroom fan on! 😂

[waylinnelson]

This would be a great idea at my dads house to make sure he’s getting out of bed everyday and let it notify that’s he’s up and moving around.

[moniquem]

I love that Aqara sponsors you to hack their products 🤣😂

[SimonLYW]

These exact projects are what got me into HomeAssistant, you're able to read a return value and use it to make these sensors much more precise and then pass those states back into HomeKit, especially for uses like under a mattress or couch seat.

I personally use these for adding context to occupancy, so while a motion sensor or mmWave sensor may be able to inform that I'm in say the living room, one of these sensors can show that I'm sat on the sofa and have automations work differently depending on that state. Say, turn the lights off when no motion is detected, unless someone is sat on the Sofa.

Turn on the bedroom light when motion is detected, unless someone is already in bed etc etc.

[dankelley]

Shane really like your ideas & how you can innovate to make sensors more adaptable.

[KimvanderMaat]

Hi Shane, Thnx for the incredible good and simple solution here. It opens up a lot of different ways of looking at using sensors !!

[JayLurk]

I got the aqara water leak and same pad you got. Works okay. Quick to detect pressure, slow to show clear/no weight

[danoliver]

Brilliant. I did this with my hardwired door contacts at my house. Instead of having the Aqara sensor sticking on all the doors I have them stuck in the old alarm panel and they’re so fast and reliable. That’s probably how I’d to a gate sensor too. Use an outdoor rated contact sensor and wire it to an Aqara sensor in the house or in a weatherproof box. Kinda solves the range issue if it’s a gate far away. Could work for a mailbox too. 😅

[Dr_Cole]

I love it. Great idea and I love mixing up the content on your channel!

[RayPee]

On the same source for my office chair, I preferred to use an FSR sensor (more reliable over time) with the Onvis CT3 for the Thread network, it's extremely easy to open too !
I'd like to try it with the Eve Door & Window for the Matter part, it should be much better, maybe within the week if I find a cheap or second-hand one.

[dnsxwdn]

This is super cool! Already made my non smart door chime smart with one of Aqara door and window sensors. Maybe I’ll try your idea too!

[Delyn]

Just when I think I'm all done with big projects you come through with this GOLD. So sick

[shebyjlo]

Amaziiiing Shane i will do this for sureeee

[shiPham]

Wow how easy it it to make 😮 gotta try one in next week then

[Chas]

Loved this video. Started my HomeKit by watching your videos. This one was inspirational. We take care of my wife’s mom who is very elderly, can’t hear without her hearing aids and can hardly see. Using your suggestions I bought a chair sensor mat and a bed sensor mat, connected them to the Aqara door/window sensors and took the extra step of getting an Aqara light strip which I installed under the fireplace box behind the grate.

Now, when mom is in bed we have one color; when she is in her chair (where she seems to spend most of her waking time) we get another color. If she is not in either we get yet a third color so we know she is mobile. If for some reason both bed and chair sensors are “occupies” we get one of those changing color effects.

So much easier to have an unobtrusive indicator of where she is in her rooms without constantly looking in. With the number of caregivers out there taking care of elderly relatives it’s kind of amazing there isn’t more information about using smart home devices like these to make everyone’s life just a little bit easier.

Now, if I can figure out how to create an automation to notify us when she gets up in the morning (usually within the same couple of hours) without giving false notice when she just gets up to go to the bathroom (and won’t keep going off throughout the day) that would be really helpful!

Thanks again for your videos.

Regards,
Charlie

[fhuserjr]

Did something similar with the water sensor and a bilge pump switch. It monitors my pool water level and let’s me know when it’s low. But as you mentioned, it’s always telling me there’s a leak😂 That use of the window sensor is awesome!

[sigjudge]

Haha dude. I was just researching a bed sensor for sleep scene and blind automations throughout the day. Thank you!

[karaehrenfeldt]

I would totally use this so I know when my toddlers get out of bed! Freaks me out thinking about them awake and wandering around the house while I’m sleeping

[Bigglare]

Brilliant use of the water sensor. Takes me back to 1999 using the X-10 powerflash modules. I was thinking could use the sensor with a normal doorbell button. Make a simple Door Bell routine to play audio when pressed. $22 vs $220 doorbell cam. Needless to say i ordered one of those water sensors for my Aqara M(attter)2 hub. And to test with all my other zigbee hubs.

[rrsttt]

I do something similar with my CPAP, I have it hooked up to a power monitoring outlet. If it starts drawing power at night, it turns off any lights that are left on, if it powers off at night it turns my lamp on.