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The SwitchBot Hub 3 is a small box with a screen, four scene buttons and a rotary dial. It learns your IR remotes, so it can control an old TV or a window AC unit, and it bridges SwitchBot’s own devices into Matter. It also measures temperature, humidity, light and motion. For renters, it is one of the easiest ways to make a dumb apartment a little smarter.
I have not owned the SwitchBot Hub 3. This review is built from the maker’s published specs and independent reviews, linked below. For more picks, see the Smart Home Hubs hub .
Key specs
| SwitchBot Hub 3 | |
|---|---|
| Size and weight | 126 x 94 x 38 mm, 190 g |
| Display | 2.4 inch |
| Controls | Four scene buttons, physical buttons, rotary dial |
| Matter | Bridges up to 30 SwitchBot sub-devices |
| IR | 100,000+ codes, about 30 m range; no RF |
| Sensors | Temperature, humidity, light, motion |
Sources: SwitchBot , Matter Alpha , Mighty Gadget , Basic Tutorials , MacSources .
What reviewers like
- Physical controls. Scene buttons and a dial that anyone in the house can use without an app.
- IR control for the devices that will never be smart: TVs, fans and air conditioners.
- Built-in sensors mean your AC can turn on when the room is hot, without another gadget.
What to watch for
- Matter Alpha calls it a universal remote with an identity crisis, and notes the dial events are not exposed to Home Assistant.
- No RF, so remotes that use radio, like many ceiling fans, will not work.
- It bridges SwitchBot devices into Matter, not other brands.
Who should buy it
Buy it if you rent, own SwitchBot gear, or have IR devices you want on a schedule or a button. Skip it if your house is already on a hub like Home Assistant or an Echo with Zigbee, and you do not have IR gear to control.
What the dial does
The dial adjusts things like light brightness, AC temperature and volume, per SwitchBot and Mighty Gadget. Matter Alpha found it is mostly a selection control in practice, and its turns cannot be used as triggers in Home Assistant. Treat it as a nice local control, not an automation input.
Hub 3 vs Hub 2
Mighty Gadget calls the Hub 3 a significant improvement over the Hub 2: a bigger display, scene buttons and the dial, plus motion sensing. If your Hub 2 works and you do not care about the buttons, there is no rush. If you are buying your first SwitchBot hub, get the 3.
Renter-friendly setups
The automations that make sense in an apartment:
- AC on when the room passes a set temperature in the afternoon.
- TV and soundbar off at a set time, by IR.
- SwitchBot Curtain or Blind Tilt opening at sunrise.
- A scene button by the door that turns everything off.
I wrote these up in more detail in the SwitchBot renter automations guide .
Alternatives
- Echo Dot Max. A Zigbee, Thread and Matter hub with a speaker, but no IR.
- Philips Hue Bridge. Best for lights, nothing else.
- Home Assistant. Most powerful, but a server to run.
Quick answers
Does it replace my TV remote? It can learn infrared remotes for TVs, fans and air conditioners, so one app or voice command runs them.
Is it a Matter bridge? Yes. It brings supported SwitchBot devices into Apple Home, Google Home and Alexa through Matter.
Do I need it? Only if you have SwitchBot devices or infrared gear you want to automate.
Is the SwitchBot Hub 3 on sale for Black Friday?
It is one of the products I am watching this season. I do not list sale prices here because they change by the hour and differ by color, bundle and store. Compare against the price you see in the weeks before the sale, and check whether a bundle adds things you will not use.
Our take
AI Score note: research-based, not hands-on. The best IR plus Matter bridge for renters, with a dial that is nicer to touch than to automate. This is my editorial read of published reviews, not a rating.
Check today’s price before you buy: See the SwitchBot Hub 3 on Amazon .
Compare
See SwitchBot hub automations for renters , or browse the Black Friday smart home and smart speaker deals .