The TS0201/ZY-ZTH02 is a pretty popular version of the classic Zigbee compatible indoors temperature and humidity sensor design with an built-in display. It’s small, it’s cheap, and despite its very simple build it was still a pretty fun one to test out. Read on to learn more!
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Note about the device names: This device, as you will see in a while, identifies itself as “Tuya TS0201/ZY-ZTH02” in Zigbee2MQTT (Z2M). However, you might also see the name “TS0201” referring to some other ZigBee devices most probably based on the very same chipset. When it comes to cheaper Chinese smart home devices, there often exist various versions, designs and editions of similarly looking products, often with the very same internals. Be mindful of this when purchasing your sensors.
First, The Specs
Here is the specification of the ZY-ZTH02 sensor, taken from the AliExpress product listing, and from the instruction manual.
| Device: | Tuya TS0201/ZY-ZTH02 Temperature & Humidity Sensor |
|---|---|
| Photo: |
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| Price & availability: | |
| Input power: | 1x CR2032 battery (get it here) |
| Comm. protocol: | ZigBee 3.0 |
| Dimensions: | 43 x 43 x 10mm |
| Working voltage: | 2.5V-3V DC |
| Temperature range: | -9.9°C-60°C (±1℃ accuracy) | ~14°F-140°F |
| Humidity range: | 0% RH - 99% RH (±5% accuracy) |
| Additional accessories: | Comes with a battery already installed |
What Do You Get For The Price?
Not much really. For about a few dollars on AliExpress or on Amazon you will get the TS0201/ZY-ZTH02 sensor with the battery already in place.
My first impression was as always that it was much smaller than I thought it’d be. This however is on me, as the listing clearly and honestly states the dimensions of the device, and only the presented photos make it look bigger than it really is.
Other than that, it looks pretty good: the frame is nicely beveled, and the display’s viewing angles are acceptable. Unsurprisingly, the display looks best when viewed straight on or from a slight angle of around 10 degrees. From all other positions, the numbers remain perfectly readable, just a tad darker.
Upon unboxing the device, the only thing you need to do is to pull out the little piece of plastic that protects the battery and prevents the sensor from turning on when in transport.
After pressing and holding the small button on the back of the case, the sensor will enter the pairing mode indicated by a flashing symbol on the display. Now, you can pair it with your Zigbee setup. I’ve confirmed that this one works both with ZHA and with Zigbee2MQTT, as shown below.
How Well Does It Work In Practice?
The readings generally matched those from my cheaper ZigBee sensors during the initial tests. However, always remember that the humidity sensors on cheaper devices like these often have a relatively large margin of measurement error (typically approaching ~5%).
The ZH-ZTH02 sensor functions very well in a highly humid environment as expected, and had no trouble withstanding over 80% air humidity in my bathroom in the numerous prolonged hot shower scenarios. Using it for over two months now, I didn’t notice any problems with the sensor readings, the display, or the case.
When it comes to the little smiley face on the side of the display, it changes when the air humidity reading falls under or exceeds a certain pre-programmed threshold. While I’m really not a fan of these getting added to almost every single sensor from this product category, I can say that it’s not really as distracting as I thought it would be.
Note: The small photo of the inside of the sensor is taken from one of the AliExpress reviews under the product listing. I fixed mine to the wall for good before I thought to take some pictures of the battery compartment.
If I Were To Be Picky, Here Is What I’d Say
First, the battery. It drains pretty fast, at least for my liking. On the image below you can see the battery level chart from the very first day I configured the ZY-ZTH02 and had placed it in my bathroom to the day I posted this very review.
As you can see, the battery drain was quite significant over the two months of device use, and while it may be a common thing for sensors featuring a display, it means that you’ll most likely find yourself having to change the CR2032 battery that this little device uses every three to four months.
Other than that there are virtually no other downsides to this one, which makes me wonder whether or not this is a problem with my particular unit, or with this device model in general.
TS0201/ZY-ZTH02 – Worth It or Not Really?
Once again, when it comes to a device this cheap, while I’m trying not to be too harsh with the rating, with the rather unimpressive battery life I find it hard to recommend purchasing more than one of these if you’re planning to use them in different rooms in your smart home setup.
Considering having to change batteries every three or four months in the best case scenario here, I would find it hard to justify using this one in multi-room configuration.
Remember that as I’ve mentioned in the very beginning, and as you can see on the image above, there are quite a few versions of this sensor based on the very same chipset.
With all that said however, it’s still a pretty good device for the price. It looks really sleek, and it does its job really well until it runs out of juice. It’s always important to mention that all devices featuring even a simple display will generally use significantly more power than those without it like for instance this one.
If you need an affordable temperature and humidity indicator for your bathroom and you don’t mind the battery drain, this one is definitely worth checking out. That’s all!