Aqara FP300 review: the presence sensor that sees you sitting still
The Aqara FP300 combines PIR and 60 GHz radar on batteries. How it performs in Home Assistant over Zigbee2MQTT, with a score per criterion.
- Published
- Reading time
- 3 min read
- Level
- Beginner
- Tested on HA
- 2026.10
Aqara FP300
The best battery-powered presence sensor for Home Assistant: over Zigbee2MQTT you get every setting locally. Do set aside some time to tune sensitivity and distance.
Pros
- Sees someone sitting still, thanks to 60 GHz radar next to the PIR
- Runs on two CR2450 coin cells, so no power outlet needed
- Every setting available locally over Zigbee2MQTT: mode, distance, sensitivity
- Also measures light, temperature and humidity
Cons
- Over Thread or Matter you give up the most important settings
- The radar also reacts to a running fan or a moving plant
- Sees through thin walls unless you limit the distance
- Zigbee
- Thread
- Matter
- Local
- No cloud
Price €49.99checked on October 10, 2026
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Scores per criterion
Home Assistant integration9 / 10
Over Zigbee2MQTT, presence, light, climate and every radar setting arrive as entities.
Setup8 / 10
Pairing is quick, but it has to be switched to Zigbee mode first.
Reliability and durability7.5 / 10
Only a few weeks in use, so capped at 8. Own battery life not measured yet.
Design and materials8 / 10
Small and wire-free, with a swivel bracket and a metal plate for magnetic mounting.
Privacy and local control9 / 10
Runs fully locally over Zigbee2MQTT, without an account or cloud. Radar, not a camera.
Value for money8 / 10
Around 50 euros for five sensors in one, including mmWave on batteries.
You sit still on the sofa and after four minutes the lights go out. A regular motion sensor no longer sees you. Hence this Aqara FP300 review: the FP300 pairs a PIR with 60 GHz radar and also sees someone sitting still. It runs on batteries too, so you pick its spot by line of sight rather than by power outlet.
First impression: small, wire-free and easy to mount
The box holds the sensor, a metal plate and a screw kit. Thanks to the swivel bracket it goes on a wall, on the ceiling or magnetically on the plate. In a living room it barely stands out.
In Home Assistant: choose Zigbee2MQTT, not Matter
The FP300 speaks both Zigbee and Thread. For Home Assistant, Zigbee2MQTT works best. Only then do you get the detection mode (mmWave, PIR or both), the detection distance and the sensitivity. It works over Thread or Matter as well, but then you lose exactly the settings you need to get it right. Pairing and naming it step by step is covered in setting up the Aqara FP300.
Day to day: watch the seats, ignore the hallway
The radar is sensitive. It sees breathing, but also a running fan or a plant in a draught. So start with medium sensitivity and lower it as soon as it reports "occupied" in an empty room. Aim it at the seating and limit the detection distance, because mmWave partly passes through thin walls.
The automation that makes it worth the money
In an open-plan room you dim the lights per zone and only switch them off when the whole space is empty. The FP300 is a dependable base for that, because it reports presence rather than motion. The full setup is in dim instead of switching off.
What disappointed
The smartest settings sit behind Zigbee mode. Anyone building a Matter-only home gets a simpler sensor than they paid for. Every sensor you leave enabled also costs battery, so turn off the light sensor where you don't use it.
Frequently asked questions
How long do the Aqara FP300 batteries last? Aqara claims up to three years in Zigbee mode and up to two years over Thread. The more often it reports, the shorter that gets.
Do I need an Aqara hub for Home Assistant? No. With Zigbee2MQTT and your own Zigbee coordinator you pair it directly.
Does it work through walls? Partly, through thin materials. So limit the detection distance to the room it hangs in.
Who it's for
Anyone who wants the lights to stay on while someone sits still in the room, without a power outlet in the right spot.
Who should skip it
Thread- or Matter-only homes: you lose the settings for detection mode and distance.
Specifications
| Detection | PIR + 60 GHz mmWave radar |
|---|---|
| Extra sensors | Light, temperature, humidity |
| Protocols | Zigbee and Thread (Matter) |
| Power | 2 × CR2450 coin cell |
| Battery life (Aqara's claim) | Up to 3 years (Zigbee), up to 2 years (Thread) |
| Mounting | Swivel bracket, metal plate, screws |
About the author
Marnix
Frontend developer who automates his own home with Home Assistant. Every guide and review on xdomotics runs in his own house first: Zigbee, UniFi, energy monitoring and the automations that get used every day.
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