Sensibo Sky: Smart AC Controller (Cloud White)

If your air conditioner came with a handheld remote, the Sky will control it. It works by infrared, so the question is whether the unit takes a remote rather than what kind of system it is: split systems, ducted systems with a handheld remote, window units, portables and heat pumps all qualify. A ducted system run only from a wired wall controller does not. One point to check before you buy: the Sky works with Google Home and Amazon Alexa but does not support Apple Home. If you are on Apple, choose the Sensibo Air instead.

Day to day the Sky puts scheduling, remote temperature control and automation on your phone. Set 7-day schedules per room, use Climate React so the unit responds to actual temperature and humidity rather than a timer, and use geofencing to shut the air conditioner down when the house empties. It reads temperature and humidity itself, and every Sky you own runs from the same app and the same account, so a second or third unit in another room adds no extra setup overhead.

Installation takes about 5 minutes, with no wiring, no electrician and no hub. The Sky is USB powered and mounts on a wall or sits on a flat surface within line of sight of the air conditioner's infrared receiver, then pairs to your remote's code in the Sensibo app. It joins a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network, not 5 GHz.