Have you ever wanted to know the temperature and there wasn’t a thermometer nearby? The Sen.se ThermoPeanut is a thermometer that can go where you go or stays where you mount it. Let’s take a look at this simple little gadget.
What is it?
The Sen.se ThermoPeanut is a small thermometer that is shaped like a peanut, connects to your phone wirelessly using Bluetooth and automatically sends temperature data to the Thermo app on your device.
Hardware specs
Bluetooth: Bluetooth Smart (Low Energy)
Battery: Lifespan up to 6 months, CR2032 battery (easily replaceable)
Temperature: -5° to +140° F / -20° to +60° C (Can be calibrated 0.1 precision)
Range: Up to 200 ft / 60 m
Speaker: Piezo (up to 90dB)
Weight: 0.26 oz / 7.5 g
What’s in the box?
ThermoPeanut (random color)
Battery
Multipurpose Peanut holder clip
Key ring
Self-adhesive tape
Sticky putty
User guide
Design and features
The Sen.se ThermoPeanut is made of plastic and is available in several colors. I was sent the blue version. It’s powered by a CR2032 coin cell battery that should last about 6 months.
It can measure the temperature in the range of -5° to +140° F / -20° to +60° C. So it can even be used in the refrigerator or the freezer to monitor temps and alert you if the temperature goes out of range.
The indentation on the top of the sensor is a button that you can press to record a temperature reading and for an audible indication of the temperature range that you can configure in the app.
The back of the sensor has a tiny speaker. The speaker plays tones that you’ll hear when you press the button on the other side of the ThermoPeanut. If the temperature is within the normal range, the same note is repeated three times. If the temperature is above the range, you’ll hear three notes from low to high. And if the temperature is below the range, you’ll hear three notes from high to low.
You can set your ThermoPeanut to play sound alerts when the temperature is out of range. These alerts are played even if there is no smartphone or tablet nearby to which the ThermoPeanut can connect. These alerts are repeated five times at decreasing frequencies.
How do you use it?
The first step is to install the iOS or Android app on your device. Then you can connect / pair the ThermoPeanut to the app. During setup, the app will request authorization to run full time on your mobile device.
Then you can decide where you want to mount the sensor or if you just want to carry it with you.
The ThermoPeanut takes a temperature reading every 15 minutes or the frequency that you set. But, the temperature graph in the app only shows measurements every 30 minutes.
You can press the button on the ThermoPeanut or in the app to show the current temperature, but it takes about 10 seconds for it to show up on the screen.
The paired device will need to be nearby the ThermoPeanut in order to access the measurement data and see the current temperature reading. If you leave it at home and leave the house, you’ll not be able to access the info unless you use a second machine as a hub so it can constantly sync data. Then you can remotely check the current temperature using your phone and get alerts if the temp is too hot or too cold.
The ThermoPeanut stores all the data in its internal memory until it can send it to the paired device. It has enough memory to store up to about one month worth of data. Removing the battery in the sensor will not erase the stored measurements. The measurements can be exported in a CSV file.
Final thoughts
I don’t think the Sen.se ThermoPeanut is all that useful for remotely monitoring temperatures unless you have an extra iOS or Android device that is always near the sensor that can be used as a hub to sync the data. I also found it a little slow reacting to temperature changes and showing the current temp when pressing the button on the sensor or the button in the app.
The Sen.se ThermoPeanut has the potential to be useful, but right now the Nest and IFTTT features are not yet implemented, so the functionality is really basic.
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Sense. Please visit their site for more info.
Product Information
| Price: | $29 |
| Manufacturer: | Sense |
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