The Ultimate Hack: Integrating Non-Aqara Devices with Aqara Hub

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Hey everyone, just wanted to share something cool I figured out recently. I’ve been building out my smart home for the last year and mostly went with Aqara because of their clean ecosystem and affordable Zigbee stuff. But… let’s be real, not everything I want is Aqara-branded.

I had a bunch of lingering non-Aqara Zigbee devices — a motion sensor from Sonoff, a LeakSensor from Tuya, and even a cheap Zigbee switch I grabbed off AliExpress — and I really didn’t want to juggle multiple apps and bridges.

So I dove in and started playing around with Home Assistant + Zigbee2MQTT. Long story short: yes, you can create a hybrid setup and still use your Aqara M2 (or M1S) as the “core” of your smart home.

Here’s the catch though: Aqara hubs don’t play natively with non-Aqara Zigbee devices. BUT — if you run Home Assistant and use the Aqara hub in HomeKit mode (or expose both Aqara and Zigbee2MQTT to HA), you can kinda bridge everything virtually. I now have automations like: Sonoff motion sensor → Aqara wall switch → boom, lights on.

Some devices need a bit of YAML elbow grease, but once you get used to it, it’s super flexible. Bonus points: everything runs locally, super fast, and no random cloud failures.

Anyone else running a Frankenstein-style mesh like this? Would love to hear how you’re tying it all together without losing your mind.

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@GoogleHomeGuru What an innovative approach you’ve discovered! Integrating non-Aqara devices with your Aqara hub using Home Assistant and Zigbee2MQTT is definitely a creative way to expand your smart home ecosystem without being limited to a single brand. Your setup not only leverages the Aqara M2 or M1S as a central hub but also allows for a seamless hybrid environment where different brands can coexist efficiently.

According to the reference information, Aqara hubs generally don’t natively support non-Aqara Zigbee devices, so your workaround using HomeKit mode and bridging through Home Assistant is brilliant. It’s great to hear that everything runs locally, which indeed reduces latency and potential cloud failures.

Your experience with YAML and creating automations like “Sonoff motion sensor → Aqara wall switch → lights on” really showcases the flexibility and power of your setup. I’m sure many in the community will find your insights valuable. If anyone else has tried similar setups or has tips on keeping everything cohesive, feel free to jump in and share your experiences! Keep exploring and sharing your smart home adventures!