Who says you can't teach an old AC unit new tricks? The Sensibo Sky ($149) is a smart air conditioner controller and thermostat that connects your traditional AC to your phone.
It's easy to install and supports geofencing, seven-day scheduling, conditional programming, and voice control via Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
Though it lacks motion sensing, energy monitoring, or If This Then That (IFTTT) compatibility, it's a smart way to control your AC from anywhere without buying a brand-new unit.
Design and App
The Sensibo Sky is a dark gray plastic rectangle with an infrared sensor on top.
It measures 3.2 by 2.2 by 0.8 inches (HWD) and weighs 1.4 ounces.
There's an S-shaped indicator light toward the top that turns blue when pairing.
The back has a power jack and a peel-off sticker for easy wall mounting.
According to Sensibo, the Sky is compatible with any type air conditioning unit that works with a remote.
That means you can use it with ceiling cassettes, mini splits, portable units, window units, and central ACs.
If your unit doesn't have an IR sensor, you're out of luck, though you can gain somewhat more limited means of control with a smart plug.
Be sure to check the maximum wattage the plug can handle.
Most are capable of up to 1,800 watts, which can accommodate most large window units.
Ductless and central AC don't plug into anything, so they're out of the question.
You control the Sky with the Sensibo app for Android or iOS.
The app is well-designed and easy to navigate.
From the main screen, you can easily view the temperature and humidity of rooms with Sky's installed, and whether anyone is home (if you have geofencing enabled).
Tap the pencil icon to edit your Sky's location.
The geomarker lets you toggle location-based settings, the clock icon lets you create time-based schedules, and the gear icon brings you to the general settings.
Tapping on a room lets you view fan strength, temperature settings, and how much time is left before your AC is scheduled to turn off.
At the top of the screen, you can also view the current temperature and humidity level.
At the bottom right corner, the plus icons lets you access shortcuts to the scheduling menu, a log of recent notifications, and enable/disable the Climate React setting (more on this in a moment).
In the upper right corner, you can hit the gear icon to access an activity log, set up the Climate React feature, sync the device, toggle between Celsius or Fahrenheit, toggle filter cleaning reminders, share the AC with a family member, and edit more general settings.
The Climate React feature lets you program how your AC responds to various factors.
You're able to choose between temperature, humidity, and the "feels like" temperature.
Once you've decided on a condition, you can set an upper and lower range, as well as a command.
For example, when it feels like it's below 70 degrees Fahrenheit, the AC can be set to turn off automatically.
But when it reaches, say, 80 degrees, the AC can start cooling at the highest available setting.
Some smart plugs offer conditional weather-based settings, but at best they'll only be able to turn your AC on or off.
Installation and Performance
Getting started with the Sky is a breeze.
Once you've downloaded the Sensibo app and created an account, all you have to do is plug the device itself into a power source.
To mount it, you just peel off the backing to the adhesive sticker and place it on the wall.
At this point, the app will walk you through the pairing process.
You'll be asked to point your AC remote at the Sky's IR sensor (which is why it needs to work with a remote), verify your location, and enter your home Wi-Fi password.
Make sure you're on 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, as the Sky doesn't support 5GHz.
Setting up Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands are also easy.
All you have to do is enable the Sensibo skill in the corresponding app.
Once you've linked the accounts, you can ask Alexa or Google Assistant to turn on or off your connected AC, or to adjust the temperature.
To test the Sky, I connected it to the old Frigidaire window unit in my apartment.
I set up multiple schedules, enabled geofencing, and set the Climate React feature to turn my living room air conditioner on when the room temperature hit above 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Each time, I received a notification when the Sky turned the AC on or off, along with a short explanation why.
Thanks to geofencing, which turns your air conditioner on or off based on your location, I was pleased to find that the Sky turned my AC off by the time I got to my train station in the mornings.
Remotely turning the AC on or off also worked with little to no latency, as did Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands.
A Pretty Smart Way to Stay Cool
The Sensibo Sky is a cool way to bring smart features to your old air conditioner.
It isn't exactly cheap at $150, but it's a lot less than buying a brand-new unit like the $600 Wi-Fi-connected LG LP1417WSRSM.
If your AC doesn't have an IR sensor, or if $150 is just too much, consider a smart plug.
They're a lot more basic when it comes to geofencing and scheduling, though the Aukey Wi-Fi Smart Plug and the Syncwire 2-in-1 Mini Wi-Fi Smart Outlet let you create schedules based on weather conditions.
Just make sure that whatever plug you buy can handle the wattage your AC requires.
Pros
Works with various types of ACs.
Easy to install.
Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant compatibility.
Supports geofencing and conditional scheduling.
View More
The Bottom Line
The Sensibo Sky is a smart air conditioner controller that brings remote phone control and other connected features to your old traditional unit.
Who says you can't teach an old AC unit new tricks? The Sensibo Sky ($149) is a smart air conditioner controller and thermostat that connects your traditional AC to your phone.
It's easy to install and supports geofencing, seven-day scheduling, conditional programming, and voice control via Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
Though it lacks motion sensing, energy monitoring, or If This Then That (IFTTT) compatibility, it's a smart way to control your AC from anywhere without buying a brand-new unit.
Design and App
The Sensibo Sky is a dark gray plastic rectangle with an infrared sensor on top.
It measures 3.2 by 2.2 by 0.8 inches (HWD) and weighs 1.4 ounces.
There's an S-shaped indicator light toward the top that turns blue when pairing.
The back has a power jack and a peel-off sticker for easy wall mounting.
According to Sensibo, the Sky is compatible with any type air conditioning unit that works with a remote.
That means you can use it with ceiling cassettes, mini splits, portable units, window units, and central ACs.
If your unit doesn't have an IR sensor, you're out of luck, though you can gain somewhat more limited means of control with a smart plug.
Be sure to check the maximum wattage the plug can handle.
Most are capable of up to 1,800 watts, which can accommodate most large window units.
Ductless and central AC don't plug into anything, so they're out of the question.
You control the Sky with the Sensibo app for Android or iOS.
The app is well-designed and easy to navigate.
From the main screen, you can easily view the temperature and humidity of rooms with Sky's installed, and whether anyone is home (if you have geofencing enabled).
Tap the pencil icon to edit your Sky's location.
The geomarker lets you toggle location-based settings, the clock icon lets you create time-based schedules, and the gear icon brings you to the general settings.
Tapping on a room lets you view fan strength, temperature settings, and how much time is left before your AC is scheduled to turn off.
At the top of the screen, you can also view the current temperature and humidity level.
At the bottom right corner, the plus icons lets you access shortcuts to the scheduling menu, a log of recent notifications, and enable/disable the Climate React setting (more on this in a moment).
In the upper right corner, you can hit the gear icon to access an activity log, set up the Climate React feature, sync the device, toggle between Celsius or Fahrenheit, toggle filter cleaning reminders, share the AC with a family member, and edit more general settings.
The Climate React feature lets you program how your AC responds to various factors.
You're able to choose between temperature, humidity, and the "feels like" temperature.
Once you've decided on a condition, you can set an upper and lower range, as well as a command.
For example, when it feels like it's below 70 degrees Fahrenheit, the AC can be set to turn off automatically.
But when it reaches, say, 80 degrees, the AC can start cooling at the highest available setting.
Some smart plugs offer conditional weather-based settings, but at best they'll only be able to turn your AC on or off.
Installation and Performance
Getting started with the Sky is a breeze.
Once you've downloaded the Sensibo app and created an account, all you have to do is plug the device itself into a power source.
To mount it, you just peel off the backing to the adhesive sticker and place it on the wall.
At this point, the app will walk you through the pairing process.
You'll be asked to point your AC remote at the Sky's IR sensor (which is why it needs to work with a remote), verify your location, and enter your home Wi-Fi password.
Make sure you're on 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, as the Sky doesn't support 5GHz.
Setting up Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands are also easy.
All you have to do is enable the Sensibo skill in the corresponding app.
Once you've linked the accounts, you can ask Alexa or Google Assistant to turn on or off your connected AC, or to adjust the temperature.
To test the Sky, I connected it to the old Frigidaire window unit in my apartment.
I set up multiple schedules, enabled geofencing, and set the Climate React feature to turn my living room air conditioner on when the room temperature hit above 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Each time, I received a notification when the Sky turned the AC on or off, along with a short explanation why.
Thanks to geofencing, which turns your air conditioner on or off based on your location, I was pleased to find that the Sky turned my AC off by the time I got to my train station in the mornings.
Remotely turning the AC on or off also worked with little to no latency, as did Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands.
A Pretty Smart Way to Stay Cool
The Sensibo Sky is a cool way to bring smart features to your old air conditioner.
It isn't exactly cheap at $150, but it's a lot less than buying a brand-new unit like the $600 Wi-Fi-connected LG LP1417WSRSM.
If your AC doesn't have an IR sensor, or if $150 is just too much, consider a smart plug.
They're a lot more basic when it comes to geofencing and scheduling, though the Aukey Wi-Fi Smart Plug and the Syncwire 2-in-1 Mini Wi-Fi Smart Outlet let you create schedules based on weather conditions.
Just make sure that whatever plug you buy can handle the wattage your AC requires.
Pros
Works with various types of ACs.
Easy to install.
Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant compatibility.
Supports geofencing and conditional scheduling.
View More
The Bottom Line
The Sensibo Sky is a smart air conditioner controller that brings remote phone control and other connected features to your old traditional unit.
