After testing the YoLink LoRa motion sensors for weeks, I’m blown away by their reliability. The 1/4-mile range is no joke—I placed one in my detached garage (150ft away) and still got instant phone alerts when my kid sneaked in for snacks. The magnetic back is genius; it clung to my metal mailbox like a limpet.

The setup? Easier than assembling IKEA furniture. Plugged the hub into my router, scanned the sensors via the app (which has a clean UI), and boom—done in 5 minutes. Pro tip: Use lithium AAA batteries if you’re in freezing climates; my -10°C Canadian winter didn’t faze them.

Where these shine: Custom alerts. I set mine to Alexa announcements ("Mail’s here!") and SMS when motion triggers at night. The sensitivity is adjustable—crucial to avoid false alarms from pets. One con? The hub’s size (like a bulky charger) but worth it for rock-solid LoRa signals that WiFi can’t match.

For vacation homes, these are gold. Left mine in ‘away mode’ for weeks—emailed me when a delivery guy approached the porch. At this price (especially bundled with the hub), they outclass pricier competitors. Just wish text alerts were unlimited!