If you want to use air pressure monitoring in your smart home, a barometer for Home Assistant is just the thing. With these sensors, you can record weather data in real time and use it for automations. In this article, I’ll introduce you to the best barometers that are compatible with Home Assistant and show you how to integrate them into your system. Let’s get started with our introduction to Home Assistant barometers.
Why integrate a barometer into Home Assistant?
The integration of a barometer in Home Assistant opens up numerous possibilities for automation and analysis. By continuously monitoring the air pressure, you can not only better predict the weather, but also control intelligent processes. For example: If the air pressure suddenly drops, this could indicate an imminent change in the weather. In this case, your smart home could automatically retract awnings, close windows or warn you via push message.
Another advantage is the storage and analysis of air pressure data. Over a longer period of time, patterns can be identified that you can analyze in conjunction with other weather data. This is not only exciting for weather enthusiasts, but also practical for optimizing long-term automations.
The 5 best barometers for Home Assistant in detail
There are numerous barometers on the market, but not all of them are equally suitable for Home Assistant. Here are five models that impress with their compatibility and functionality.
1. aqara temperature and humidity sensor
The Aqara temperature and humidity sensor is more than just an ordinary smart home device. In addition to the accurate measurement of temperature and humidity, this sensor offers a rare but extremely practical function: the measurement of air pressure.
- Perfect for Home Assistant: Thanks to Zigbee integration, the sensor can be easily integrated into Home Assistant. The user interface gives you comprehensive insights into air pressure, temperature and humidity values and can be used for complex automation.
- Compact and energy-saving: The battery-powered sensor (CR2032, battery life up to 2 years) is small, lightweight and can be flexibly mounted on walls, furniture or inconspicuously in rooms.
Technical details:
- Protocol: Zigbee 3.0
- Measuring ranges
- Temperature: -20 to 50 °C
- Humidity: 0-100 %
- Air pressure: 30-110 kPa
- Power supply: CR2032 battery (runs for up to 2 years)
- Compatibility: Aqara Hub, HomeKit, Home Assistant and many other platforms
2. netatmo weather station – premium option
With its extensive sensor technology, the Netatmo Weather Station not only provides temperature, humidity and CO2 values, but also stands out with its precise air pressure measurement. This function makes the Netatmo weather station a first-class choice for barometer solutions in Home Assistant.
3rd BME280 sensor – The DIY solution
The BME280 from Bosch is a compact sensor that measures air pressure, temperature and humidity. It is ideal for hobbyists who want to implement their own projects and can be easily connected to a Raspberry Pi or an ESPHome device.
Which barometer suits you?
Choosing the right barometer depends on your requirements:
- For hobbyists: The BME280 is ideal if you want to implement your own projects.
- For comprehensive weather data: The Netatmo weather stations offer a wide range of measurement functions.
- For Zigbee systems: The Aqara air pressure sensor is perfect for a Zigbee-based smart home.
Setting up a barometer in Home Assistant
No matter which barometer you choose, integration into Home Assistant is simple:
- Connect the device: Make sure your barometer is accessible either via Wi-Fi, Zigbee or a wired connection.
- Add integration: In Home Assistant, go to Settings > Integrations, search for the appropriate device and add it.
- Check data: Check in the developer tool whether the air pressure data is displayed correctly.
- Create dashboards: Visualize the air pressure curve in a dashboard.
- Set up automations: Use the air pressure data to control actions in your smart home.
Practical automation ideas
- Storm warning: Close awnings automatically if the air pressure drops rapidly.
- Irrigation: Only switch on the garden irrigation when the air pressure remains constant – a sign of good weather.
- Notifications: Be informed about sudden weather changes, e.g. on your smartphone.
A barometer for Home Assistant is a worthwhile addition to your smart home. Whether you want more precise weather forecasts or want to create automations based on air pressure data – you are guaranteed to find the right solution with the devices presented here. If you want to measure the weather, you should take a look at the weather stations for Home Assistant.