I’ve noticed that too—sometimes the “fancier” apps just add more headaches. I tried to go all-in on a certain brand for the look, but ended up mixing in some budget sensors because they just worked. Funny enough, the cheaper ones have survived my kids’ roughhousing and a few accidental spills. Not always pretty, but they get the job done and don’t need constant attention... which is honestly a win in my book.
Honestly, I get the appeal of budget sensors—my first setup was a total Frankenstein mix for the same reason. But I’ve run into issues where the cheap stuff just doesn’t play nice with energy monitoring or automations. Sometimes paying a bit more upfront means less fiddling around later... especially if you’re trying to cut down on wasted power or want everything to work together smoothly. That said, my kid once launched a “premium” sensor down the stairs and it never worked again, so maybe there’s something to be said for rugged over fancy.
