One ring to rule them all.
There really is n’t a well smart release arrangement than Flic , and the Flic Twist controller sum up even more varied ways to ensure your gadgets . It ’s a glorious companion to sassy light , blind , and any other twist where you might require to sic a level or volume , rather than have the binary on / off restraint you ’re define to with a clit . That say , it ’s more complex to configure and use than Flic buttons , which persist a more straightforward pick for less engaged exploiter .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Flic ’s buttons are the perfect path to connect a physical ascendancy to your impertinent home devices , simplifying their exercise . The Flic Twist is a more sophisticated option , adding a rotating ring and blank indicator , allowing you to manage multiple devices and have more mealy control over each . Its applications are restrain only by your imagination – it ’s almost literally one ring to dominate them all .
While Flic button can be link with a Bluetooth smartphone or laptop , the Flic Twist requires aFlic hub – although you’re able to bribe it without if you already have one . There ’s a choice of two : the Flic Hub LR is idealistic for more advanced or demanding diligence , and offers wire Ethernet , audio outputs , Homekit musical accompaniment and the IR chargeman . If you may do without those features , the cheaper Hub Mini should be fine .
Design and Features
Shortcut Labs ’ Flic Twist is importantly bigger than a Flic button – about the diameter of a drinks can – and it ’s powered by two supply AAA batteries which should last for around two class . It ’s magnetic , so it ’ll stick to the side of many noticeboards and fridges . It also descend with a mounting sticker , or you may fix it in place with a screw . At the front there ’s a single clitoris , besiege by 12 white light-emitting diode and a rotate KO’d ring . It looks great , and you’re able to choose between white and black designs , or the trammel version white and ignominious illustration look here .
This controller ’s ring adds an spare proportion to the stock Flic buttons , which let you arrogate an action to a strong-arm push , double - energy or hold . With the Twist you get push and dual - push , but also twist and thrust - twist , which interchange hold . This crook control opens up a huge range of alternative , from lay the exact level of a Inner Light or the loudness of euphony , to selecting between multiple scenes or twist before apply a change .
Like other Flic controller , the Twist comes with a set of poser that help users understand what it does . On Flic button there ’s room for only a individual sticker , but here there are many smaller sticker – you might call for slews of them , as I ’ll explicate before long .
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Flic ’s hubs link up with a simply huge number of other system . There ’s direct integrating with Alexa , Sonos , SmartThings , IFTTT , Philips Hue , LIFX and IKEA Dirigera / Trådfri , to name just some . Perhaps most significantly the inclination also let in Matter , which in tour let you link to devices from more than 300 producer – I ’m not cognizant of a smart home gadget offering broad compatibility .
There is one crucial exception , however . Google Home does n’t yet allow its automations to be triggered by third - party sensors or button , so you ca n’t utilise Flic controllers to begin a routine . There ’s nothing Shortcut Labs can do about that , unfortunately , but it is a pain if you ’re already using Home to automatise your lights and other gimmick .
Configuration
I quiz the Flic Twist using the Flic Hub Mini , which is a midget circular machine power over USB - C. This acts as a bridgework between your Flic comptroller – which use Bluetooth 5 Low Energy – and your wireless connection . It ’s easy to get commence ; you only establish the Flic app , connect to the hub via Bluetooth , and bestow it to your Wi - Fi . Oddly , you ’ll always connect to the hub using Bluetooth , even once it ’s on your mesh .
The next step is to add your Flic controllers , which is as simple as long - iron each button until the hub picks it up . Once add , you’re able to begin the fun part of attribute smart operations to specific action on each accountant . This is a two - stage cognitive process where you first select the ecosystem you want to control , such as Philips Hue , then the vista or dictation that you require the activity to do – in some cases you require to do this part in the quarry ecosystem ’s app .
This is simple with Flic buttons . For example , I ’ve fix one up by my front door which tells Alexa to turn on the earth floor lights with one get-up-and-go , and the first story lights with a three-fold - push – perfect for when we hail home at night . maintain the same button as I go out turns off all my fresh devices .
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Things are much , much more configurable with the Flic Twist . At its most introductory level , you could assign push button and double - push button actions to its central clit , supporting a similar scenario to the above . What you do with the twist , however , is limited more by your own resource .
That ’s because the twirl action can be used in several dissimilar ways . Most straightforwardly you’re able to arrogate a twist to a individual twist . For case , if you have a smart bulb , you could configure it so that twist the controller instantly adjusts its luminosity . Further , you could set up the energy - gimmick action to change its colour or colouring material temperature . You might pair off this with thrust / dual - energy command of a smart socket , giving you a individual physical gimmick to master the voguish equipment in a elbow room .
That ’s a simple form . But what if you ’ve got multiple dimmable devices in the room ? Here you could utilize sophisticated Dimming , which countenance you append up to three bulbs , and slur them all in sequence . That might be useful in a couch / buffet car where you need to dim the lights above the kitchen , then the table , then finally the boob tube as the evening progresses . Again , hold the option of turn and get-up-and-go - whirl actions think you could set this up to see two group of devices , or even the same 1 in different style .
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The next way to apply twist or push - twist actions is via the scene blender . This let you depute up to four preconfigured aspect to the 12 , 3 , 6 and 9 o’clock position on the telephone dial , and rotate it to select them . If you like – and if the target ecosystem digest it – you may have the devices fade between each stop . To exemplify , the Shortcut Labs website give the example of a room with smart lighting that can be go between daytime , dinner party , political party , and informal scenes .
Note that if you require , each scene in the liquidizer can contain multiple equipment , actions or group from multiple smart systems . You could , for representative , create a individual tantrum that change the colouring and luminance of several affair - compatible bulbs , triggers an Alexa routine , and starts Spotify or Sonos playback .
As if that ’s not enough , The Flic Twist also offers Selector mode , which knead with energy - twisting only , and give you the most far - ranging ascendancy . Here you’re able to assign shot , routines or item-by-item equipment to all but the top position of the telephone dial , and push - twist the ring to select which of up to 11 equipment or groups you want to verify . There ’s a basic mode in which this is limited to a more manageable three options . For each gimmick or scene you assign , you could fix get-up-and-go , twofold - push and twist action .
As an example , you could assign a Sonos equipment to the first position , a dimmable bulb to the 2nd , a mechanise windowpane blind to the third , a way thermostat to the fourth , and so on . Push - twisting the dial to 1 o’clock would select the Sonos , after which you might apply a push button to bug out playback , a double - push to pass over a track , and a twist to control volume . Selecting 2 o’clock might let you deform the electric light on and off or control its light , while select 3 or 4 o’clock would give you control over the unreasoning or heating system .
This is a right powerful elbow room of verify a large number of sassy devices , group and fit from a single interface , but it could also become almighty complex . In the most advanced scenarios you might have a Flic Twist where push - twisting to spark off selector style have you take from 11 items , each with up to three subsequent commands . rick the same restrainer might also control four view in Scene Blender , while force or double - press the central button could issue further commands . That ’s a lot for exploiter to think , even if you liberally pepper the Twist and surrounding paries with dagger and notes .
Performance
I test the Flic Twist by sending commands to Alexa , a issue - enabled Light Within transposition , and a Matter - enabled smart Inner Light bulb . With all three – and especially with Matter – the responses to button presses and twists of the orbitual controller were near - exigent . That ’s peculiarly important when you ’re cause adjustments to lighting , volume or other levels , where a lag could cause you to circumstantially overshoot the level you were endeavor to set . It also mean that you ’ll know quick if your commands have n’t work for any reason .
This did bump a distich of time during my testing of the Twist . While I never got unexpected or unwanted results , once or doubly nothing happened the first time I try a dictation . I found that by the time I ’d realise it had n’t process , trying again would be successful . I ’m not blame Flic for this – smart integration involve dissimilar arrangement utter to each other , and occasionally the process fail .
Just as when we antecedently go over the Flic hub and its update button , I had no problem with the Bluetooth connective between the hub and Flic Twist . Even two storeys above the hub , separated by a concrete floor , the Twist ’s commands got through directly away . The controller also seems racy , live an accidental drop onto a hard tile level , but I did n’t love the slightly imprecise feel to the elbow room it rotated .
There ’s no doubt the Flic Twist is a brilliant addition for smart home partisan , but while it is dim-witted and nonrational in its most canonic configuration , its force also gives it the potential drop to become confusing .
After realising my family was pose by the various apps and devices in our home , I managed to simplify several routines using Flic buttons , which everyone now uses . My young boy cheerfully used the Flic Twist to control a smart bulb in his way , but nobody acquire to a more ripe arrangement in which I ’d set up the Selector to hold a chemical group of routine . My married person opt interpreter control , or even doing thing manually in the relevant apps .
Should you buy it?
The Flic Twist offers an nonrational way to control subroutine , power and levels in a smart home . It play nicely with a massive mountain chain of ecosystems , and can do almost anything you ask of it .
The Twist can control almost everything . typeset that up , however , and you ’ll likely find the results too puzzling for other householders to rile with .
Final Thoughts
This is a brilliant gadget , offering a genuinely easy way to insure smart systems in the rest home . But while it extend huge scope to insure almost anything , that could cursorily become a round - off for other homeowner who just want a simple arrangement . With that in psyche , it may be best to practice multiple Flic Twists , and keep each focused only on the equipment in a specific elbow room . Where you just demand on / off actions , Flic buttons stay on best .
For me , the Twist is less convincing when you ’re endeavor to use it to do everything . You ’ll postulate either an splendid retentiveness or a magnificent labelling system to think of how it interfaces with 11 dissimilar equipment groups in Selector mode – and right hazard explaining it to family member who just want to move around on the telly .
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How we test
We test every smart home product we reexamine thoroughly over an extended period of clock time . We use industriousness standard tests to equate feature of speech in good order . We ’ll always tell you what we find . We never , ever , accept money to refresh a intersection .
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FAQs
Yes , you may link Flic button to a hub , or to a smartphone using Bluetooth . The Flic Twist only works with a hub , however .
Flic button and comptroller use Bluetooth 5 Low Energy , which improves their kitchen stove and expend less might than Wi - Fi . Flic hubs act as a bridgework between the buttons and your web . They can link via Wi - Fi , or you’re able to plug away an Ethernet cable length into the Flic Hub LR .
Test Data
Full Specs
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