While much of the technology in our homes is marching resolutely into the future, some parts remain stubbornly stuck in past. Many home appliances have added features like internet connectivity- we’ve seen everything from coffee makers to refrigerators to lighting, fans, and of course robot vacuums. Home automation is a huge area, and now you can add one more item to the list of things you can control from your smartphone.
The tado Smart AC Control is a small white box with a single aim- to bring your air conditioner into the 21st century. It’s built to work with most any variety of remote-controlled unit, including wall-hanging models, portable ones, and the traditional in-window kind as well. Compatible with Amazon’s Echo Alexa voice assistant and IFTTT, now you can manage your A/C with your voice even from the other room, or use their free app to be able to do much more. Originally a successful crowdfunding project, it raised over $200K on Kickstarter.
The hardware seems pretty great- small and cute, the tado can hide in just about any room, and serves as an IR repeater that picks up remote commands to be able to replay them. It’s similar to the all-in-one A/V remotes that you might use for your television, with a database of known models as well as the ability to learn others. And there is a nifty built-in set of subtle LEDs and hidden touch controls. But there are several downsides, largely around setup and the software. Teaching commands can take quite a while as there can be a surprisingly number of control options, but even with our simpler unit that lacks direct temperature settings you can’t really edit sets and the tado seemed to miss some commands requiring repeats. The first step in using the mobile app requires creating an account, but multiple attempts on iOS devices failed until we used a computer. When we did get it working, the app was fairly limited, and regularly our two test different units would fail to respond to remote commands.
Bottom line: if you’re looking for a way to turn your A/C on before you get home and give your old unit a new life, the tado Smart AC Control can get the job done, but getting it fully working will take some time and effort. There are easy ways for the system to improve, and they are clearly regularly updating Available now, online and in stores, expect to spend around $169.
