Aqara Presence Multi-Sensor FP300 Review

Design and features

• Very small
• Zigbee or Thread modes

Unlike the FP2’s puck-like shape, the FP300 takes on a more classic motion sensor form factor. It’s compact, discreet, and genuinely portable. It is powered by two CR2450 batteries that promise up to two years of life that, realistically, will be less if you crank all the sensors to their full potential.

There’s a subtle LED indicator up top that flashes depending on activity, or not at all if you prefer stealth mode, and a reset/link button tucked neatly around the back.

Installation is refreshingly flexible: the sensor can stand on a shelf, stick to a surface with the included 3M pad, cling to metal with a magnet, or be mounted via screw.

That means you can position it anywhere from a bookshelf to a bathroom wall without worrying about cables or plug socket access.

The FP300 is a 5-in-1 sensor with presence, light, temperature, humidity, and PIR motion all available to be monitored in the one device.

As with a few recent Aqara launches, you have a few options when it comes to syncing it up with your smart home. You can pair it directly with a Matter setup using Thread, skipping the need for an Aqara Hub entirely (and even the Aqara app, but you’d be missing out on quite a lot.)

For the full range of configuration options, add it through the Aqara app and choose Zigbee mode. You get the option to choose between the two during the pairing process.

In Thread-only mode, you’ll still get the core presence detection and environmental readings, but not every sensor dial can be fine-tuned: the light sensor stays active, and temperature/humidity default to medium sensitivity.

For full control, including motion type selection and AI learning, you’ll want Zigbee via an Aqara Hub. This doesn’t mean you miss out on Matter though, as Aqara hubs are able to bridge Zigbee devices into a Matter setup.

It actually set the FP300 up in Thread mode first before resetting and switching to Zigbee. It warned me it was set to Thread and reset it, and did a firmware update too.

In both modes, it creates four ‘cards’ in the Aqara app for each individual sensor, but you can obviously adapt and edit this as you want.

The FP300, in Zigbee mode, lets you run PIR and mmWave in combination or separately. The combo mode – called “Infrared Radar Dual Presence” – gives excellent accuracy while preserving battery life, while mmWave-only mode offers maximum precision at the cost of longevity.

It also supports AI Spatial Learning, which maps your room automatically (in about 20 seconds) by detecting walls and boundaries; just make sure no humans or pets are present during setup.

I actually found this AI mode made the FP300 a bit less responsive though, so I decided against using it.

You can also tweak detection range, absence delay, and sensitivity levels for both light and humidity; with five different levels for each.

However, the wired Aqara mmWave sensors can be extensively configured within the Aqara app, allowing you to define specific zones, room layouts, and the placement of furniture for detailed presence detection but this level of granular control is not available with the FP300.

Performance

• Reliable
• Excellent detection

The FP300’s detection performance is outstanding. Presence sensing is instantaneous and highly reliable, with no false triggers from appliances or environmental noise. In my testing, the dual-sensor mode (medium sensitivity) worked brilliantly in a 6x5m kitchen, picking up subtle motion even when I was standing still chopping vegetables.

Compared to my previous Motion Sensor P2, the FP300’s light level readings matched pretty much on a par, and its temperature readings were within 0.2°C of other devices I had nearby and that I trust.

The battery-powered operation didn’t compromise response time or stability in any way, and the sensor stayed perfectly responsive throughout testing. I tested in my kitchen and set up a nighttime routine to turn the lights on when someone enters and turn off when that person leaves. The former always happens almost instantaneously and the latter is only delayed by whatever absence delay timer you set in the app.

Thanks to Matter compatibility, you are free to set up automations using your preferred smart home ecosystem. While the Aqara app offers built-in automation features, keep in mind that relying on external platforms might mean you lose access to the sensor’s complete, detailed sensitivity controls.

Should you buy it?