Netatmo brings us a modern weather station that is perfect for people who are up to date with technology and want to keep things simple and light. Unlike other clunky weather stations, there is no control console for the Netatmo Weather Station, as all the information is relayed directly to an app on your phone. With the ability to monitor both inside elements such as noise and carbon dioxide levels, as well as the essential outside elements, the Netatmo Weather Monitoring System provides flexibility in a variety of uses. Additionally, Netatmo sells a basic system that collects several types of weather data, and then sells add-ons that collect additional information for those that need it. The Netatmo system is a great choice for those who are looking for a light weight, modular weather system that ties in with your phone, and is relatively inexpensive.
Netatmo Weather Station Product Review
We’ll be taking a look at the Netatmo Weather Station’s basic features, how it looks (we think it’s quite pleasing to the eye), the functionality as reported by current users, how it syncs with your phone, and just whether or not it’s a good weather station given the wide variety of options available.
Basic Features
The Netatmo weather station features two main units, one for outside and one for inside.
Outdoor Unit
The outdoor unit measures basic weather information like humidity, temperature, and barometric pressure.
Notably, it does not measure wind (lacks an anenometer), though Netatmo sells an add-on system for wind measurement, though it’s not cheap.
Indoor Unit
The indoor unit has a sound meter (decibel meter) and a CO2 concentration reader, allowing you to check out the quality of air inside of your home. These features are somewhat unique among digital weather stations, and are rather helpful in getting a sense in the parameters of your general surroundings, both indoor and outdoor.
Netatmo provides a lifetime online account which can allow you to look at historical data, graphs, and trends on your phone. Additionally, Netatmo offers the ability to connect multiple weather stations to your phone if needed. If you have multiple properties, or multiple locations on a property to monitor, this connectivity is very helpful.
For a great video from Netatmo showcasing what the Netatmo Weather station is all about, click here.
All warranty questions and specifics for the Netatmo Weather Station can be requested directly from customer service or at [email protected].
Dimensions and Specs
Each unit of the Netatmo Weather Station is:
- 1.8″ x 1.8″ X 6″
- 1.8 pounds
- Powered by 2 AAA batteries, which are included
- Compatible with iOS (Apple), Android, or Windows phones
- Integrates with Amazon Echo/Alexa
Aesthetics
The main appeal of the Netatmo Weather Station is its sleek look and easy tie-in with your smartphone. Some of the most popular weather stations still have ancient-looking control centers or software that seems like it was from the ‘90s. The sleek interface and app focus of the Netatmo makes it perfect for a large audience: it’s not just a weather station that only your grandparents would use.
The cylindrical shape of the monitor systems, combined with its silver-white appeal makes it look great both inside and outside, and fits in with other smart devices inside of your home. We hate to bring up Apple all the time when talking about product design, but these systems look a whole lot closer to Apple-style design than, say, the AcuRite Weather Station line (not that the AcuRite is a bad system, it’s just not design-focused).
Functionality
Compared to regular weather stations, this one offers an abundance of flexibility that goes beyond really just calling it a weather station. The indoor unit is a key element, as it provides an abundance of options if you really want to get creative.
First, the basics: like all weather stations, it measures temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure. This data is synced to your smartphone in real time, which means you can access it immediately, from wherever you are. Beyond that, it gets interesting: the Netatmo also has a sound meter and indoor CO2 concentration reader. There are a few ways to take advantage of these options that other weather stations just don’t have.
Indoor Unit
The indoor unit, measuring CO2, is great for ensuring the quality of air in your house is optimal. Its worth noting that the indoor unit plugs directly into the wall, via USB or traditional plug, and the AAA batteries are only needed for the outdoor unit.
The Netatmo reads indoor temperature and noise levels, making it great for second homes, or for ensuring things are going okay when you are out of your house. It will notify you if sound levels become much higher than normal. Creative use of this system will allow users to make the Netatmo double as a home security unit!
Using the sound meter, you can determine if someone is in your house that shouldn’t be (or perhaps there is just a huge party going on when you are not there!). Its also useful to check on vacation homes in colder climates to ensure temperatures aren’t dropping to a level where pipes could freeze or burst, or to ensure your pet is comfortable while you aren’t home. Although this data isn’t exactly scientific grade, it should be enough to show trends and overall give you a sense of how your house is doing.
Outdoor Unit
The outdoor unit does everything a typical weather station is capable of. However, it lacks wind and rain sensors which would need to be purchased separately. The outdoor unit does not measure CO2, which would have been a nice feature to compare with the levels inside of your house. Like most weather stations, accuracy go +/- a few ways for things like temperature, however, users have generally noted it’s pretty spot on.
Material and Build Quality
A small few purchasers have identified that the device they received was defective. Their issues were answered by Amazon quickly shipping out a replacement, so in that regard, it’s usually taken care of quickly. This can be the case with most weather stations, so it’s not a problem unique to the Netatmo.
Although the Netatmo Weather Station is listed as “fully weatherproof”, it’s probably best to keep it out of direct rain if possible. A possible downside is that it is made to function within 30’ from the indoor base sensor, until which some users have noticed a drop off in connectivity. The 30′ range is noticeably smaller than many competing products like the Davis Vantage Vue, which goes out to 1,000′. In addition, there can be occasionally a few second delay in seeing the weather data as it is relayed directly through Netamo’s servers, which your phone has to access.
Overall, the readings generally seem to be pretty accurate, though some users have reported issues with the accuracy of the humidity sensor. The humidity sensor occasionally goes out of whack for some users, but by contacting Netatmo support, they are able to re-calibrate it. Overall, users have a generally positive experience and any humidity reading problems seem to be the exception rather than the rule.
The build of the unit is generally regarded as positive, although one thing to note is that you may not want to use the batteries provided by Netatmo. One user reported the batteries erupting and destroying the unit, which was eventually replaced by Netatmo. As with any outdoor unit, especially weather stations, lithium-ion batteries are recommended, as they are less prone to this happening. Unfortunately, it seems that the batteries provided by Netatmo are not lithium ion.
Assembly
The Netatmo Weather Station is not difficult to assemble, compared to other weather stations. It can take a little bit of time to get everything up and running, synced with your smartphone, but the physical aspect of it is quite easy.
First thing, you would want to download “Weather Station by Netatmo” on your smartphone. It’s compatible with Google Play for Android phones, the Apple App store, and even the Windows Phone Store, so it should be accessible for all. After that, simply follow the app’s instruction and it should be all set up and good to go, and then it only comes down to unpacking the box and getting it synced.
www.support.netatmo.com is also a great resource which has guides for setting up, installation, a manual, and even a forum of similar users who share their experience. We definitely recommend checking it out, its always a plus when a product is fully backed by its creator.
Cleaning and Maintenance
A lightly damp cloth taken occasionally to the outdoor unit should be all that’s needed to keep the Netatmo clean. Its simple design ensures that not too much can get caught in or stuck in the unit, which can be the case with other weather stations. Be sure to occasionally check it to make sure the batteries haven’t corroded or leaked and it should be all set.
Accessories
There are two major accessories that significantly increase the weather capture abilities of the Netatmo system. The first is the Netatmo rain gauge which is a plug and play option that adds rain timing and quantity data to your stream. The second major accessory is the Netatmo Ultrasonic wind gauge, which measures wind speed and direction. Both of these add-ons tie into the Netatmo weather app, and help complete the data collection array.
However, by the time you purchase the Netatmo basic system, the rain gauge, and the wind gauge, you’re about up to the price of the Davis Vantage Vue, which is more robust and full-featured, though not as slick.
The Bottom Line
For the tech-savvy, those who want the convenience of having weather and ambient environmental data directly accessible on the phone, this smart device is great. While the obvious focus of the Netatmo is exterior weather, the ability to monitor the indoor environment as well is quite compelling. It even ties into Amazon Alexa!
The Netatmo system perfect for those that want the basics, and is perfect for someone getting into their first weather station. It’s definitely not as advanced as some of the other weather stations on the market such as the Davis Vantage Vue 6250. This can be seen since the Netatmo lacks an anemometer (to measure wind), a rain collector, and a solar powered backup. Additionally, some data from the Netatmo weather station is pulled from relevant, local sources as opposed to the weather station itself. But it’s modular, and additional sensors can be added to fill out the weaknesses of the base module as needed.
Where it shines is its ability to relay information to your smartphone as opposed to an ancient looking device, keeping things simple and sleek. The indoor unit is a nice touch as well that can be used in a variety of ways, really bolstering the overall value of this weather station. Unless you are looking for complex data that is local to your backyard, the Netatmo weather station is perfect for new and intermediate weather station aficionados alike.
- UNDERSTAND YOUR INDOOR AND OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENT: indoor / outdoor...
- RECEIVE REAL-TIME NOTIFICATIONS: use your Weather Station to customise...
- ACCESS YOUR DATA REMOTELY AND WITH YOUR VOICE: easily access your...
- ANALYSE PAST READINGS: review your data history to understand what...
- FORECAST THE FUTURE: check seven-day weather forecasts to make sure...
Last update on 2024-11-15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
If you’re interested in a few other weather stations to compare to the Netatmo, be sure to check out our Best Wireless Weather Station overview.
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