Pay for control over the trigger
A motion sensor is only convenient when the light behaves the way you want. Eve Motion gives Apple Home users a useful advantage here: the Eve app lets you adjust sensitivity and how long detected motion remains active. It also provides motion and brightness history, including export. That is a stronger reason to spend $49.95 than simply wanting a light to come on when someone enters.
Its separate light measurement can prevent unnecessary lighting in a bright room. Eve lists that measurement for Apple Home and SmartThings, but not for Alexa or Google Home. An Alexa-only buyer therefore has less reason to pay for this combination of sensors. The detailed Eve settings are also documented for its iPhone and iPad app through Apple Home.
More useful in the cold than its cheaper rival
The white 65 mm square body is easy to place on a shelf or mount on a wall, with no power cable and two AAA batteries included. Eve specifies a 120-degree view and up to 9 m of detection at a 2 m mounting height. Those are manufacturer limits, not a measured detection result from Matterhome.
The more distinctive specification is the −18°C minimum operating temperature. IKEA MYGGSPRAY starts at 0°C, so a freezing porch or unheated space can rule the cheaper sensor out. Eve's cold tolerance is a concrete reason to choose it for the right location.
Its IPX3 enclosure is less water-protected than IKEA's IP67 housing, however. We would choose a sheltered position rather than treat the wider temperature range as permission to put it anywhere outdoors. Temperature and water exposure are separate buying decisions.
A better fit for a passage than a desk
Eve Motion suits stairs, entries and utility rooms where movement should trigger an action. Buy it for that movement, rather than relying on it to prove someone remains at a desk while sitting still. Keep the chosen position within the home's Thread coverage; the battery-powered sensor will not extend the network itself.
For an ordinary indoor hallway, MYGGSPRAY's $11.99 price is much more attractive, and it can directly trigger compatible IKEA lights without a hub. Eve is worth the premium when its Apple-app adjustments or below-freezing specification solve a problem that the cheaper sensor does not.
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