Best presence sensors for Home Assistant (2026)
Motion sensors turn your lights off while you're still sitting on the couch. Presence sensors don't — they know you're in the room even when you're perfectly still. If you've ever been left in the dark mid-movie, this is the upgrade that fixes it. Here's how the real options compare.
PIR vs mmWave — the one thing to understand first
- PIR (passive infrared) detects motion (heat moving across the sensor). Cheap, battery-powered, instant — but it can't tell that a still person is present, so it "times out" on someone sitting quietly.
- mmWave (radar) detects presence — tiny movements like breathing — so it holds the room "occupied" while you're still. Costs more, usually needs USB power, and can need a little tuning.
Most good setups use both: PIR for instant trigger, mmWave to hold presence.
The picks
| Sensor | Type | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aqara FP2 | mmWave | Whole-room + zones | Multi-zone mapping is the killer feature — "couch occupied" vs "doorway." Wi-Fi + USB power. |
| Everything Presence Lite | mmWave + PIR | Tinkerers who want it local | Open, ESPHome-based, fully local to Home Assistant. The enthusiast pick. |
| Aqara Motion Sensor P1 | PIR | Cheap, instant, battery | Great trigger sensor; pair with mmWave for holding presence. Zigbee. |
Which should you buy?
- Just want it to work, room-wide, with zones: the Aqara FP2.
- Want it open, local, and hackable: the Everything Presence Lite.
- On a budget or need battery power: start with a PIR like the Aqara P1, add mmWave later.
A solid first build: one PIR + one mmWave in your most-used room, with a Home Assistant automation that turns the lights on with motion and only off when mmWave says the room is truly empty.
See all of these in the full smart-home list.
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