SwitchBot Hub 2 Review: The $69 Matter Bridge That Earns a Spot on Every Desk
Key Features
Built-in Temp & Humidity
Tiny e-ink display on the front shows room temperature and humidity at a glance, no extra sensor needed.
Matter Compatible
One of the cheapest Matter bridges you can buy. Pairs with Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa, and SmartThings.
IR Blaster + 2 Smart Buttons
Built-in infrared replaces your TV, AC, and fan remotes. Two programmable buttons trigger any scene with a tap.
Ties Your SwitchBot Stuff Together
Required for remote access to SwitchBot Lock, Curtain, Blind Tilt, and Bot from outside your home network.
Our Experience
We picked up the Hub 2 to replace an older Hub Mini that wouldn’t expose our SwitchBot Curtains to Apple Home. Setup was quick, about 12 minutes including the firmware update and the Matter pairing dance. The hub showed up in Apple Home as a bridge, and every paired SwitchBot device followed it over without us touching them.
The temperature and humidity readout on the front is the kind of small touch that makes the price feel fair. We tied a SwitchBot Plug Mini to one of the touch buttons so a tap fires our morning espresso machine on its way to 200°F. The IR blaster handles our older Sony TV and a window-mount AC unit that originally came with three different remotes.
The one quirk: Matter compatibility doesn’t cover every SwitchBot device. Curtain and Lock work great; some sensors still need the SwitchBot app for full functionality.
Pros & Cons
What We Liked
- Cheap Matter bridge, fewer dongles on the shelf
- On-device temperature and humidity readout
- IR blaster handles TVs, ACs, and old cable boxes
- Touch buttons can trigger any HomeKit/Alexa scene
Worth Knowing
- Wired-only, needs a USB-C plug nearby
- Matter doesn’t expose every SwitchBot device yet
- Display is small and gets washed out in direct sun
Full Specifications
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Bluetooth 5.0, Matter |
| Power | USB-C, 5V |
| Display | E-ink, temperature + humidity |
| IR Range | Up to 30 ft, 360° horizontal |
| Sensors | Swiss-made Sensirion temp/humidity |
| Dimensions | 3.15 x 2.6 x 0.9 in |
| Works With | Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa, SmartThings, IFTTT |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need the Hub 2 for SwitchBot devices to work?
Is the Hub 2 better than the Hub Mini?
Does it work without Wi-Fi?
Final Verdict
The Hub 2 is the easiest entry point into Matter we’ve tested, especially if you already own a SwitchBot device or two. For under $70 you get a Matter bridge, IR blaster, climate sensor, and two programmable scene buttons in one small puck. If you’re building out a budget smart home and don’t want to commit to a $300 ecosystem, start here.
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