The alternative infrared controller, strongest on geofencing and open-window detection.
tado° does the same job as Sensibo and does it well: an infrared controller that retrofits over any AC remote with no wiring and no electrician. Choose between them on the app rather than the hardware. tado° leans harder on presence, using phone location to drop the AC when the household leaves and bring it back before anyone returns, which suits families with irregular hours better than a fixed schedule does. Open-window detection notices a sudden temperature change and pauses the unit, which in a Dubai villa is mostly about the door to the garden being left open while the AC fights 44 degrees outside. Energy reporting is more detailed than most competitors, showing run hours per unit per day, which is the number that settles arguments about which room is driving the bill. Like every infrared controller it needs one device per indoor unit and line of sight to the machine. It cannot control a ducted or fan-coil system that has no handheld remote.
Turns the AC down automatically when the house empties
Pauses the unit when a door or window is opened
Per-unit run hour reporting rather than a vague efficiency claim
Retrofits over the existing remote with no electrical workModel Smart AC Control V3+
| Type | Universal infrared AC controller, no wiring |
| AC compatibility | Any AC with an infrared remote, including Daikin, LG, Gree, Midea |
| Protocol | Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, infrared to the AC |
| Onboard sensors | Temperature and humidity |
| Automation | Geofencing, open-window detection, schedules, energy reports |
| Coverage | One controller per indoor unit |
| Power | USB adapter, Type-G socket, 220-240V |
| Works with | Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home, tado° app |
tado° AC Control unitUSB power adapter and cableWall mounting kittado° suits Dubai households where nobody keeps a fixed schedule, because the presence detection does the work a timer cannot. It runs from a Type-G socket on 220-240V and needs a clear infrared path to the indoor unit. Some tado° features sit behind an optional subscription, which is worth checking against your intended use before ordering, since the core control and scheduling work without it. Open-window detection earns its place in villas with garden doors, where the AC otherwise runs flat out against outside air. As with any infrared controller, it is the wrong product for a ducted or fan-coil system driven by a wall thermostat, and that home needs a wall thermostat with a wired conversion adapter.
tado° in the UAE. Available through UAE online retail. The universal infrared controller works with any AC remote, so there is no local-model compatibility risk.
