Elgato's Eve line of HomeKit-enabled accessories is one of the most complete solutions for providing a fully HomeKit-enabled home. The company offers a wall switch, motion sensor, contact sensor, plug and power meter, indoor and outdoor environment monitors, and the new Eve Degree temperature and humidity monitor. If you're the kind of person who prefers consistency, Elgato's Eve line may just be the perfect smart home solution for you.
I've been trying out the new Elgato Eve Degree in my home for a couple weeks now, and it feels like an iteration on the company's Eve Weather sensor. Eve Weather senses temperature, humidity, and air pressure. Eve Degree senses temperature, humidity, and air pressure. But where Eve Weather is a glossy white plastic sensor, Eve Degree is crafted in aluminum and acrylic glass. Where Eve Weather requires an app to view its sensor data, Eve Degree features a display with temperature and humidity readouts. Put simply, it's an exceptional upgrade to the Eve Weather sensor.
Design
The Eve Degree is reminiscent of an Apple product in that it features a beautiful aluminum enclosure and glossy black front. Heck, it even has chamfered edges like many of Apple's aluminum-enclosed products. It's certainly not something you'll feel the need to hide behind the sofa or behind a lawn ornament.
When I had the Eve Degree outside (it's IPX3 certified, so it can handle a little moisture), I chose to hang it just outside my back door (it includes an indentation for hanging with a nail or screw), so I could peek outside and see the temperature. Inside, it sat atop the shelf above my fireplace and looked at home next to the other decorations I've displayed.
The sensor is small and unassuming, but, despite its size, the screen is still large enough to read from a distance. The only complaint I have regarding the screen is it's quite reflective. It can be hard to read the display on particularly sunny days (of course, that's when I just check the app or bug Siri for the temperature).
Overall, I'm very pleased with the look and feel of the Eve Degree. It's thin, it's small, it's sleek in its aluminum-ness, and it's got a reasonably sized display — not much more I could ask for out of an environment sensor.
Specs
I thought I'd pull some specifications for you. Here's what you need to know about the Eve Degree:
Wireless connectivity
- Bluetooth LE (Low Energy)
Dimensions
- 2.1 x 2.1 x 0.6 in
Operating range
- -18 °C - 55 °C / 0 °F - 130 °F
- 0% - 100% Humidity
- 260 - 1260 mbar / 7.7 - 37.2 inHg
- IPX3 Certified
Accuracy
- ± 0.3 °C / ± 0.54 °F
- ± 3% Humidity
- ± 1 mbar / 0.03 inHg
Power
- The Eve Degree is battery powered — it requires a CR2450 battery.
Functionality and use
Thanks to Apple's simple HomeKit setup process, adding the Eve Degree to your smart home is easy and quick. You just tap to add an accessory in the Home app and scan the HomeKit code on the bottom of the Eve Degree. If you need help adding an accessory to the Home app, check out my guide here:
How to add Accessories in the Home app for iPhone and iPad
Once it's loaded up, you'll be able to see two separate readings — one for temperature and one for humidity. If you want to get access to the air pressure data, you'll need to download the free Eve app. If you've already set up your Degree using the Home app, you'll see it listed in the Eve app. Pretty nifty!
The Eve Degree — as well as Elgato's other Eve products — uses Bluetooth LE for connectivity. Your iPhone, iPad, or any fourth-generation Apple TV can be used to communicate with HomeKit-enabled Bluetooth LE accessories. The device will relay temperature and humidity readings to HomeKit and you can ask Siri to get that data for you: "Hey Siri, what's the temperature on my back porch?" "Hey Siri, how humid is my wine cellar?" "Hey Siri, how hot is it in my kitchen?"
If you've got other HomeKit-enabled accessories, you can also use the Eve Degree's readings for automations. Here are a couple examples:
- When the Eve Degree says the temperature in my living room is 75º, tell the ecobee thermostat to turn on the AC.
- When the Eve Degree says the humidity in my bedroom is 24%, tell the iDevices Smart Switch to turn on my humidifier.
- When the Eve Degree says the temperature outside is 90º, tell the window shades to close.
- When the Eve Degree says the humidity in the wine cellar is 74%, tell the Hue Light Strip to turn blue.
You can start to see all the possibilities when you've got a device that's constantly monitoring your environment. You needn't manually adjust your smart thermostat, keep checking on your wine, or ask Siri to close the window shades — you can use the Degree to help automate those tasks.
Bottom line
The Eve Degree is a well-designed, understated environment monitor that's excellent for adding automations to your smart home. The sensor's HomeKit integrations and Elgato's experience in smart home accessory making combine to make the Degree a great update to the Eve Weather sensor.
The device's aluminum enclosure, chamfered edges, and IPX3 certification make it a versatile device — it's equally at home inside as it is outside. If you want a hyper-local weather reading, stick the Degree outside in your backyard; if you want to keep an eye on your personal environment, place the Degree on a shelf inside your home.
Save for the occasional glare issues, the Eve Degree's screen is a nice touch. Maybe you don't have your phone nearby or you just don't feel like tapping or talking to see the temperature, you can just glance up at the screen to get your readout.
The Eve Degree retails at $69.95. Comparable environment sensors cost the same or more.
