Why I need a Smart Vent? If you wonder Which Smart Vent is batter Keen Smart Vent or Flair smart Vent? Here we put our finding about Keen vs. Flair Smart Vents.
A house equipped with smart thermostats for heating or cooling purpose is comfortable enough. However, thermostats can control the temperature of the house but not the airflow. This is where Smart Vents come in. They will regulate airflow to distribute air throughout the house so that the back of the house isn’t colder anymore
This article provides research on Keen vs. Flair Smart Vents, which are well- known for their features. These help consumers to save electricity along with the main benefit, that is, comfort. Each of the devices is unique in their way and quite affordable to use in a home.
Table of Contents
Keen vs. Flair Smart Vents
The following table highlights some basic criteria to compare between Keen and Flair Smart Vents.
|
Name |
Preview |
Types of vent |
connection |
Battery life |
Other required devices |
Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Keen Smart Vent |
Plastic |
Wired |
4 AA batteries for two years |
Smart bridge & temp. sensor |
||
|
Flair Smart Vent |
Metal |
Wired or wireless |
AC batteries for four years |
Puck |
Keen Smart Vent Review: Best Smart Vent
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What We Like Most About Keen Smart Vent:
- The unique zoning feature allows room by the room temperature distribution
- Installation takes 15 to 20 minutes without the hassle of wires
- A user-friendly app that users can use remotely.
- Compatible with Ecobee sensors, SmartThings Hub, Nest or Ecobee Thermostat, Lowes Iris
- Amazon Keen smart vent feature is suitable for users to use Alexa.
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Keen Smart Vent: Room By Room Temperature Control Approach
A single, smart vent or multiple vents are often needed to replace uneven airflow with correct air balance throughout the house. To begin with, users can start using vents in a couple of rooms. The Keen suggests using vents in 30 to 50% of the house.
The next important thing to decide is which room you should put into getting an effective solution. The smart way is to identify the room that needs fixing. The vent in rooms that have too much heating/cooling or often unused closes so that the airflow is redirected in other areas where it is needed. As a result, the temperature becomes stable in the house. Users can also simply install vents in a room having too much airflow. In that case, only that specific room needs the device to even the temperature.
The Keen Smart Vent needs a Smart Bridge to operate. It is suggested to use at least two smart bridges. The intention is to act as a bridge between the vents and Keen cloud. If you have 2, the first one will act as bridge and other as a wireless signal repeater. Certain obstacles can block radio signals from reaching your vent, and that is where the repeaters work. It promises uninterrupted connection and longevity of battery life.
One common question is, how many will you need? Well, it depends on the setup. If the vents are far away for a double or triple floor in a building, might need 3 or 4 repeaters to hold the connection.
Another feature is Keen Zoning, this helps to move excess air from over-conditioning place to under-conditioning ones. The app allows users to customize schedules, select degrees of specific rooms, and other integrated devices.
The users can schedule times when the room will be empty or full; a time when the vents will be open or close can control the temperature physically.
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How does Keen smart vent work
The primary purpose of a Keen smart vent is to control the amount of airflow in a particular room and maintain a specific temperature to achieve a comfortable scenario. It will eliminate the problem of ‘extremely hot or cold spots’ in the house.
It is suggested to install smart vents in approximately half of the house. Many houses have rooms that are either very hot, cold, or remain unused. Users have to close the vents partially according to their needs so that the airflow is reduced in the problem rooms and redirected to low airflow regions or vacant rooms to create a uniform temperature throughout the house.
However, users can also use vents in the problem room only (too hot/too cold). The vents will help to adjust the temperature to a moderate or your desired level. But it will not redirect the air to move to less-airflow regions.
Features of Keen Smart Vent: Keen Smart Vent Review
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Keen smart vent is made of plastic faceplate, which is easily replaceable. It is wireless and needs 4 AA batteries. It requires a smart bridge and temperature sensor to work on the circulation of air. Keen has another product that provides broad coverage of the house, that is, Ecovent.
Design and installation:
The installation of Keen is easy and straightforward that requires only 20 minutes to complete. The instructions are given, and any amateur can handle it well.
It comes with a unique plastic design that can replace the existing vents. The front panel is magnetic and doesn’t need to be screwed like other vents. As a result, it can be changed easily or simply move aside to wipe off dust. There are LED lights that blink red when disconnected from Wi-Fi and green when connected.
Keen Home Smart Bridge:
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The Keen official website recommends the use of one Smart Bridge for every 8 Vents. Also, they suggest using at least one Bridge on each floor. While the first bridge connected to the vent acts as a Hub, other additional Bridges will serve as a wireless repeater. Repeaters are needed so that the signal remains strong throughout the house.
Keen Home Temperature sensor:
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The vent needs a smart bridge to connect to the Wi-Fi via low power Zigbee network. Another new addition is the temperature sensor. This allows the user to set an exact temperature for each room. The vent with a temperature sensor will act as a virtual thermostat, and the app will enable users to set a temperature limit. The vent will close before the temperature exceeds the limit.
Keen Home App:
The keen home app is user-friendly and understandable in use. The app helps in the connection between vents and other thermostats and creates zones in the house. The smart zoning helps to regulate temperature so that, for example, the baby nursery room doesn’t become too cold. This saves energy.
The apps allow creating Schedules where you can decide when to open/close vents throughout the day. There are four 6-hour blocks to develop a schedule; you cannot edit start/end time.
Compatibility of Keen Smart Vent:
It is compatible with a wide range of smart devices allowing the user to choose flexibly. Keen smart vent work with Nest Learning Thermostat, Ecobee4, Wink and SmartThings. It supports IFTTT, which can modify any situation. Keen vent with Home assistant allows the possibility for users to customize several commands. For example, when the front door is opened, turn on the smart vent.
Different Size of Keen Smart Vent:
The available Keen smart vent sizes are: 4×10, 4×12, 6×10, and 6×12. They can adjust ducts that are half an inch bigger or smaller in size. For instance, the 4×10 can allow a duct opening of 4.5×10.5.
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- Easy installation with magnetic panel
- Zoning allows customization of room, temperature as per their need.
- Compatible with old thermostats, so no need to buy a new one.
- Compatible with a wide range of products
- User-friendly app
- Keen smart vent is compatible with Alexa.
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- ‘Schedule’ option doesn’t allow setting exact time.
- Often gets disconnected from the internet connection.
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Flair Smart Vent Review: Most Recommended at Reddit
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What We Like Most About Keen Smart Vent:
- Classic design with different colors and sturdy metal plate.
- The smart Puck has several unique features with motion sensor and thermostat.
- Puck can act as remote by controlling AC or mini-splits.
- Easy to use the app with many features for users to control vents every day.
- Open API enhances options and possibilities.
- Compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant.
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Flair Smart Vent: Works with Central Heating and Cooling System
The flair vent needs a puck to operate and is more durable than other vents as it is made of metal. It has the option of both wired and wireless connections. It has two times battery life, up to 4 years.
The Flair Smart Vents comes with metal plates that ensure durability and different colors. They allow the user to choose flexibly between wired or wireless options. The vents have 2times battery life compared to others. The AC batteries will last for four years.
These vents will redirect access air when they are installed in the high-airflow room (too cold in summer/too hot in winter). Users can also use them to solve the temperature problem in;low-airflow rooms (too hot in summer/too cold in winter)
The vent needs a puck to operate. It is a smart hub with a thermostat and motion sensor. Users can have multi-zones, where the Puck enables the connection between other smart vents. The motion sensor can detect whether there is anyone in the room or the room is vacant and work accordingly. It also has IR blasters.
The app allows controlling your devices even when you are not at home. It can record and show information on temperature, pressure, humidity, and ambient light of rooms containing uck. It has a ‘schedule’ feature that allows setting temperature limits at any hour for seven days. If users don’t want the hassle to use a smartphone to control temperature, they can rotate the device to regulate the degree.
Another advantage is to use voice assistant, either Alexa or Google Assistant, to command to set the temperature. Flair smart vent is compatible with Ecobee sensors too and a various range of thermostats, Ac and mini-splits. The open API and massive support from tech-geeks open doors for enthusiasts to automate it with other smart appliances. The device is also compatible with Nest Thermostat, Ecobee, Honeywell.
The open API of Flair creates endless opportunities for expert users who love to write code and customize commands in their way. Already several programs are available in github.com.
How does flair smart vent work
The purpose of a flair vent is to ensure there are no cold or hot spots in your house. So that you don’t shiver at night, and your baby doesn’t sweat due to a temperature difference. This vent comes with a Flair Puck. With Puck motion sensors, it can determine whether someone is around so that it can start working.
The Puck helps to set a specific temperature, multi-zone, and works as a remote control. It supports more than 250 brands of mini splits, ACs (Mitsubishi, Fujitsu, LG, Panasonic, Daikin, Sanyo, Hitachi, etc.).
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The diagram above shows what users should do based on their room issues. The room that has less air in it (cold in summer, hot in winter) should have a puck and vent in it. The room with overflowing air (too hot in summer/too cold in winter) should have a puck in that room and another puck and vent in another room so that the vent can realize whether to open or close vents and divert airflow in other rooms.
Also, if users wish to get a full house effect, then they need to have a vent and Puck in each room so that uniform airflow is maintained throughout the home. Here each room can have an independent temperature depending on the user’s choice like you can set the baby nursery a bit warmer than the master bed.
Features of Flair Smart Vent: Flair Smart Vent Review
Design and installation:
Unlike other vents, the outer surface of Flair vent is durable as it made of metal that ensures a longer lifetime. It has extra mounting holes and can work up to a distance of 260ft radio range. It comes with batteries with an extra-long lifespan, up to 4 years. Users can also wire it up if they thing replacing the battery is a hassle.
In terms of installation, it is a DIY smart vent. It doesn’t require drilling or wiring, the old vent needs to be taken out and the new one put in. One can easily measure the size of the vent by measuring the duct opening with a measuring tape. The smart vents will still fit in even if the duct opening varies by 0.25 or 0.5 inches.
All in one Puck
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Puck is one of the best features of Flair Vent. It acts as all in one because it has a motion sensor, can set an exact temperature, and even control AC or mini-splits. It has a geofencing feature that allows the device to understand whether you are home or not. With the help of Bluetooth in a user’s phone, it can also detect whether the person is in the room or not. This helps a lot to save energy.
User-friendly app:
The Flair app is simple and easy to use. It can show all detailed information, for instance, the record of temperature, pressure, ambient light, and humidity measured by Puck.
Users can control vents and thermostats remotely.it It has a seven-day scheduling option where you can set time and temperature or time when the vent should open or close.
Compatibility:
The flair smart vent is compatible with Google Nest thermostat, Ecobee, Honeywell TCC, Honeywell Lyric Google Assistant, Alexa. When the flair vent is paired with Ecobee, the Flair app can connect the mini-split with it.
The open API of this vent allows users to integrate by using codes often found in github.com.
Feature for Pros:
Flair gives an extra opportunity for constructors, dealers, and builders. It offers several tools for pros, including backpressure protection, advanced machine learning, and offsite diagnostics.
The first one deals with several sensors like temperature and pressure and maintain software for the HVAC system. The second one ensures proper airflow in the ‘needy’ room at an appropriate time. And the third one makes sure that the user or contractor can view all records and statistics of systems.
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- Sturdy metal vents with different sizes.
- It can be installed wirelessly or with wire, as per user requirement.
- Puck acts like a smart thermostat and IR remote to control AC or mini-splits
- Effortless installation with a longer battery life of 4 years.
- The motion sensor and geofencing feature can identify whether the room is empty or occupied.
- Flair smart vents are compatible with Nest, Honeywell, Alexa, etc.
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- To get a full house effect where each room should have a vent and Puck, will increase the overall cost.
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Keen or Flair smart vents: checkmate stalemate or draw
After Comparing Keen smart vent vs. Flair, it is seen that both are the winner in terms of their essential operation, that is, maintaining air throughout the house to achieve the desired temperature. However, if I am asked to choose one, I would go for Flair smart vents.
Flair vents are more substantial due to their metallic surface, while Keen has plastic vents that are easily breakable. Flair has a longer battery life of 4 years, and Keen has a lifetime of 2 years. Consumers have the freedom to install Flair wired or wirelessly; on the other hand, with Keen it is only wireless. The Puck comes with exclusive features such as a motion sensor which is not available in Keen.
The technical support team of Flair is found to be quick and responsive compared with Keen. It also works as a remote. Manual control of Puck makes it easier for kids and guests to rotate it to a certain degree. However, the best quality comes at a high cost. Replacing several vents with pucks will come out to be quite costly.
Final Verdict: Keen vs. Flair Smart Vents
This article provides a comprehensive analysis of Flair smart vent and Keen smart vent review. Both the vents come with hubs that connect them to the internet and other smart thermostats. One of the best features is that several codes are available for integration in github.com. Tech-geeks will love this particular option.
The ‘suitable one’ will depend on users’ requirements that is the home situation, the number of problem rooms, attics, basements, etc. If the need is to automate the whole house with smart vents, then based on overall cost, the user can choose Keen vents.
If the house is in a situation where there are kids and guests available in the house, the durable metallic vent and manual rotating Puck of Flair vent is right for them. The compatibility of Keen smart vents with Ecobee and SmartThings makes it suitable for users in need of these. So Flair is considerable for Keen smart vent alternative.
You can also read the details article on: All kinds of Smart Vent and HAVC Review
Image Edited By:
Shawkat Hafiz
I am very much enthusiastic about Home Automation and actively developing open-source software to extend its capabilities so this is going to all be biased by my own experiences.