Table of contents: Buyer's guide Top 5 KNX presence detectors
KNX presence detectors replace light switches and ensure living comfort: they dim light differently during the day and night, measure room temperature and are almost invisible on the ceiling/wall. And there is much more. Purchasing advice on the top 5 presence detectors from Basalte, BEG, Ekinex, Gira & MDT for sophisticated architect-designed residential buildings.
KNX presence detectors and KNX motion detectors are absolutely indispensable in new-build smart homes today. And not just in 2024, when we launched this top 5 comparison test of the best presence detectors for individual detached houses and chic villas. Read more about networked villas in our article “What is a smart home luxury villa?“.
After all, KNX presence detectors have a history stretching back almost 20 years. At the beginning of the 2000s, they were still large, bulky and equipped with comparatively few functions. Today’s KNX presence detectors, on the other hand, are very small, almost invisible in ceilings and walls and perform many room control functions. In combination with a server and a KNX visualization, much more is possible in terms of automation and special functions using logics and input fields via a KNX visualization.
SThey are available in various colors (white, black) and can even be painted or plastered over. Our favorite models are almost flush with the ceiling, so that even discerning building owners are catered for when it comes to stylish interior design. And it is precisely the latter clientele that is the focus of our top 5 comparison test of the best KNX presence detectors.
And then it has to be said: With no other smart home system are the presence detectors so filigree, compact and unobtrusive and also offer a variety of functions that cannot be found anywhere else. The depth of integration, which can only be achieved with KNX presence detectors, is a very important point here.
Or should we say KNX motion detectors? After all, the boundaries are blurred. Competing against each other: The simple Basalte Auro from Belgium, the German BEG PD11 Flat KNX, the brand new Italian Ekinex EK-SG2-TP-P, the almost equally new Gira KNX presence detector Mini Standard and the also current MDT SCN-P360L3.03 – the latter two also “Made in Germany”. What all the KNX presence detectors we tested have in common is that they are very compact and have many (hidden) functions that are not available in any other smart home system in the world like KNX. Incidentally, the latter also applies to KNX push-buttons, which we have listed in the Top 30 comparison of the best KNX push-buttons regularly.
In our experience, there is still a certain reluctance among some architects to use presence detectors or motion detectors. The background: the fear that a KNX presence detector could hang down from the ceiling in a large format and thus disfigure the entire room. That already existed, but that was about 10 years ago.
How long have KNX presence detectors been around? The first ones came onto the market around 20 years ago and were initially very bulky and mounted on the ceiling. This was also the reason why many well-known architects in the villa segment categorically rejected the use of KNX presence detectors. “Too clunky, too ugly and no integration into the interior design” – these were very often the reasons we heard.
And rightly so, in our view. In the early days, companies such as Siemens, Gira, Busch-Jaeger and ABB had products on offer that were rather disruptive in the room and the technology back then was also not comparable with today. There are currently around 65 manufacturers offering around 215 different KNX presence detectors . This includes presence detectors for both indoor and outdoor use – including resistance to moisture and low temperatures. Some of them are still as bulky as they were 10 years ago, while others are unusable for our delicate applications due to their size.
So let’s raise the curtain on the comparison of the world’s best KNX presence detectors for the architectural sector, which does not involve any wild interventions in the chic interior design. Even better: the five test candidates come from Germany, Italy and Belgium and are almost invisible when mounted on ceilings and walls. Almost means that a virtually flush finish with the wall or ceiling and color matching are possible. A similar aesthetics issue concerns the right choice of KNX weather station – see our Comparison of the top 5 KNX weather stations.
In our list of the best, we place great importance on the price-performance ratio and integration into a good, clean interior design. As a result, many excellent KNX presence detectors for outdoor use and for surface mounting are not included in this comparison test.
Note: Like our other comparison tests, this article is updated regularly. This top 5 of KNX presence detectors is therefore a snapshot that may change in the coming weeks and months. This also applies to the prices.
Purchasing advice: KNX presence detectors in this article
- Basalte Auro KNX presence detector/motion detector
- BEG PD11 Flat KNXs presence detector
- Ekinex EK-SG2-TP-P KNX presence detector
- Gira KNX presence detector Mini Standard
- MDT KNX presence detector SCN-P360L3.03
What do all KNX presence detectors have in common?
The interested reader will ask themselves right at the beginning: They are presenting the best KNX presence detectors, but what do they have in common in terms of features and equipment? Firstly, there is the circular detection area, which applies to all test candidates from Basalte to MDT. Details on this topic can be found below in a separate section.
With the exception of the Gira KNX presence detector Mini and the BEG PD11 Flat KNXs, both of which have an IP44 or IP54 classification and can also be used in damp rooms and outdoors, all test candidates are intended exclusively for indoor installation. This also makes sense in terms of architectural and design suitability.
All five test participants are available ex works in the color “white”, which can also be “painted over” or “sprayed over”. Is that possible? Yes, it is possible and it works very well, we have experienced it several times and have done it ourselves. The Basalte Auro is the only candidate that is also available in black.
The low installation height – optionally also for installation in a Kaiser concrete installation box in the ceiling/wall – is also common to all test candidates. The installation height varies between 34 mm for the Gira KNX presence detector Mini and 48 mm for the BEG PD11 Flat KNXs.
With the exception of the Ekinex EK-SG2-TP-P presence detector, which requires an additional power supply of 30 volts, all KNX presence detectors are supplied with power via the KNX bus voltage.
How does a KNX presence detector work?
Each KNX presence detector is equipped with one to three passive infrared sensors (PIR sensors) on a circuit board. Or, like the Ekinex EK-SG2-TP-P, it relies on a sensitive HF sensor. These sensors register the heat radiation emitted by people or animals in the room. As a result of the detection, light with a certain brightness can be switched on and switched off again after a flexible time (follow-up time).
By differentiating between “day” and “night”, different brightness levels can be switched at the outputs of the KNX presence detector. This is already the basic principle of the KNX presence detector. The integration of a presence detector into a KNX visualization goes one step further. In this way, programmed logics can be used to achieve completely individual switching behavior in the individual rooms of a house. You can find out more about this in a separate section of our comparison test below.
What does a KNX presence detector do?
A KNX presence detector is a sensor on the ceiling or wall that detects the presence of people or animals. High-quality sensors that are not comparable with conventional motion detectors have been used in the KNX market environment for many years. These include passive infrared sensors (PIR sensors) or an HF sensor that emits HF waves in the GHz range. The switch-on threshold (brightness), follow-up time (in minutes) and detection range (meters) of both types can be finely adjusted using ETS software, depending on the intended use.
Presence detectors with HF sensors, like presence detectors with PIR sensors, have an electronic switch that ensures that the lighting is only switched on from a certain brightness level. Most KNX presence detectors on the market are equipped with several switching channels that only react to “people”, for example to control the ventilation system or heating independently of the room brightness.
KNX presence detectors are mounted on the ceiling to increase the detection area and ensure that people are in the more sensitive so-called inner detection area. In larger rooms, they can be networked in groups to prevent the lighting from switching off locally if there are temporarily no people in one part of the room.
Basic functions of KNX presence detectors
- Integrated bus coupling unit (all)
- Integrated sensors (PIR or HF) for presence detection in the room (all)
- Mixed light measurement for different light sources in the room (some test participants)
- Switching/dimming lighting in the room (all)
- Constant light control for workspaces (some test participants)
- Integrated temperature sensor for heating control (some test participants)
- Switch ventilation (HVAC) when present (all)
- Freely programmable day/night functions (all)
- Switch-on delay and run-on time as well as self-learning run-on time (all)
- Integrated night light LED (all)
- Presence function signaled by LED (all)
- Can be switched off and controlled via KNX and logics (all)
- Very compact design for ceiling and wall installation in sophisticated private homes (all)
Purchasing advice: What is important when choosing a KNX presence detector?
First of all, we can assume that many KNX presence detectors are used in a modern networked KNX house. Depending on the living space and the number of rooms, the presence detectors are used specifically to increase living comfort. The correct positioning of KNX presence detectors in a residential building or a larger building is part of the design and electrical planning.
In addition to the inconspicuous appearance and compact dimensions, the sensor technology and the setting options in the ETS software are key features when considering a purchase.
Installation height and range for KNX presence detectors
We can state this right from the start: The range of a KNX presence detector for ceiling installation basically depends on the installed room height. If a room is 3.75 m high, then the range of a KNX presence detector is significantly greater than if the room is only 2.25 m high, for example. This is due to the radiation characteristics of the built-in PIR sensors or HF sensors.
With a room height of 3.50 m to 3.75 m, as is usual in villas, for example, the range is up to 60 square meters. If the room height is only 2.20 m – in many German federal states this is the minimum room height in living areas – the range of the KNX presence detector drops to just over 30 square meters.
Detection area: 360° circular or square?
There are basically two different types of KNX presence detectors as far as the detection area is concerned: circular or square. With a square detection area, the entire room can be monitored 360° from the ceiling up to, for example, 64 square meters – with an 8 m x 8 m floor area. This makes electrical planning easier in any case. Provided the good KNX presence detector is installed in the center of the room.
With 360° circular detection – this applies to all KNX presence detectors in this comparative test – the entire room is also scanned. In elongated rooms such as corridors or passageways, a single presence detector is often no longer sufficient to cover the entire area. In this case, it helps to place a second presence detector, which is then linked to the first master presence detector in slave mode. Incidentally, this topic is part of our Concept & KNX electrical planning.
LED night light: Useful or a gimmick?
It is increasingly common in the equipment of almost every new KNX presence detector: the so-called LED night light. It can be switched on via ETS software as a small orientation light at night – where otherwise all light remains dark when presence is detected. Would we recommend this? Rather not, because at night, minimal indirect lighting in the form of LED strips on the floor or in the wall should be activated with a maximum brightness of 5%.
So what is the LED night light for KNX presence detectors intended for? Rather for more simply equipped houses and apartments with rooms that do not have additional indirect lighting that can be dimmed.
Useful or not: KNX presence detectors with constant light control?
Now comes the really big question that many a lighting planner in our environment is asking: Do we need a KNX presence detector that has the “constant light control” function? Quite simply, constant light control only makes sense where people work under the same lighting conditions for very long periods of time. In other words, for certain “home office” applications or if the company and its rooms are actually integrated into the house or villa.
1st place: MDT KNX presence detector SCN-P360L3.03
The MDT KNX presence detector SCN-P360L3.03 has only been on the market for a short time. However, it has made a brilliant start with us. It is typical of MDT that the presence detector is offered with quite good features – there are three infrared sensors including an LED night light – for well under 100 euros. There are not even any compromises in the quality of workmanship, as we sometimes find – see our comparison test KNX power supply units with 1280 mA – have to criticize.
It looks as if the developers at MDT in Engelskirchen have done a good job. The MDT KNX presence detector is primarily intended for installation in suspended ceilings and requires a 44 mm diameter hole. In return, it is almost flush with the ceiling and is unrivaled in its price range. The plastic ring can be color-matched to the ceiling and can be painted over. There are three separate light sensors and three light channels that can be individually configured. Neither the Gira nor the BEG presence detector can offer this in this price range.
The grille on the edge of the MDT presence detector, behind which a room temperature sensor is positioned, is striking. If the temperature sensor is activated in the ETS software, it can also be used to measure the room temperature – within certain limits and when a correction value is set, taking into account the installation height – for heating control. This requires a suitable KNX heating actuator with heating controller – see our Top 5 KNX heating actuators comparison test.
Of course, the MDT KNX presence detector can also be disabled by object and integrated into a smart logic. The latter is particularly important in combination with a more complex building including day/night or summer/winter sequences and a smart KNX visualization. It does not have to be MDT’s own visualization.
MDT SCN-P360L3.03 KNX presence detector Rating
Overall ranking: 1st place
2nd place: Ekinex EK-SG2-TP-P KNX presence detector
The Italian Ekinex EK-SG2-TP-P KNX presence detector is clearly the functional giant among all the test candidates and is virtually unknown in Germany. In contrast to the other participants, it works with HF waves to detect people and animals in the room. It is therefore not surprising that it is referred to as a “microwave presence detector” in the ETS software. Presence is detected by an HF microwave sensor, which can be adapted to the local conditions.
The Ekinex EK-SG2-TP-P has separate sensors for recording brightness, room temperature and humidity. There are also functions such as constant light control – see our extra section on this topic -, a twilight switch and a complete room temperature controller. This is particularly helpful when it comes to the room temperature controller if no KNX push-button for heating control is planned and available in the room in question.
In view of the variety of functions on offer, the additional power supply of 30 volts via the yellow/white plug-in terminals is not a problem. This is because a separate power source has to be connected especially for the Ekinex KNX presence detector – if it is to be ceiling-mounted. Ideally, this is done via the green KNX cable, which is already present and laid anyway, by using the yellow/white wire pair.
Ekinex EK-SG2-TP-P KNX presence detector rating
Overall ranking: 3rd place
3rd place: Gira KNX presence detector Mini Standard
As a German company based on the outskirts of Cologne in Radevormwald (where the Aldi Nord central warehouse is located alongside Gira), Gira has done a great deal of pioneering work in the field of KNX Smart Home. Many years ago, there was no real KNX presence detector in the Gira range that could be placed in the environment of high-quality interior design. This has changed since the launch of the Gira KNX presence detector Mini Standard.
“Mini” means a ceiling cut-out with a diameter of 44 mm – this makes the Gira presence detector ideal for suspended ceilings without a separate installation box. For installation in reinforced concrete – preferably in a 60 mm Kaiser concrete installation box – either a frame or individual adaptations – plaster or silicone joint – must be used. The latter is highly recommended, as the Gira mounting frames look anything but smart and create an unnecessary 4 to 5 mm gap to the ceiling.
The standard version of the Gira KNX presence detector Mini is priced at just over 100 euros. We hardly need to mention that the more expensive comfort version is not recommended in our environment (with KNX server and visualization). In any case, the comfort version offers additional KNX scenes that hardly anyone equipping a high-quality detached house or a smart home villa needs today.
In addition to the BEG, the Gira KNX presence detector also has an IP44 classification and can therefore also be installed in damp rooms or outdoors. Nevertheless, we would not recommend the latter, even if the presence detector is then attached to its own outdoor line and is protected against sabotage.
Gira KNX presence detector Mini Standard rating
Overall ranking: 3rd place
4th place: BEG Presence detector PD11 Flat KNXs
It was over 5 years ago that the BEG PD11 Flat KNX presence detector was launched on the market. B.E.G. stands for Brück Electronic GmbH, a family business based in Lindlar, also near Cologne like Gira. Since its launch, BEG has almost always been the first choice in our projects when it comes to a KNX presence detector to be placed in high-quality architectural buildings.
Unobtrusive and flush with the ceiling or wall, it controls the lighting and other switching objects in any room. An outlet with a diameter of 52 mm is required in the ceiling and 48 mm in depth. Just for comparison: the retaining clips are much tighter than those of the test winner MDT. It is manufactured in accordance with the IP54 protection class and can therefore also be placed outdoors. Whether this makes sense or not is another matter.
However, what it lacks compared to the recent new releases from Gira & MDT: There is only one infrared sensor. This means that different directions in a room cannot be controlled or adjusted separately.
BEG PD11 KNXs Flat DX Rating
Overall ranking: 4th place
5th place: Basalte Auro KNX
The Basalte Auro KNX motion detector is by far one of the oldest candidates in the architecture and design environment. To be more precise, it came onto the market in 2014, where it was completely alone in its class. Other KNX presence detectors from German manufacturers, for example, were mounted thickly under the ceiling and did not have anywhere near the features of the Basalte Auro.
Nevertheless, we have to admit that the Basalte Auro is getting a bit long in the tooth. With its features, it can still be placed in the midfield, it only lacks several infrared sensors. However, it is only a “motion detector” and not a real presence detector.
But why did we include it in this comparison test anyway? It is still visually very unobtrusive, is flush with the ceiling or wall like no other in this comparison test and can be painted or sprayed over with a desired color.
Because it is one of the most expensive in this environment in terms of price, this earns it 5th place among the recommendations. For the same money, you can get the much better equipped and much newer Ekinex KNX presence detector from Italy.
However, the Basalte Auro can be combined with 12 different colored metal tops from the Basalte range. This looks particularly elegant when installed in the wall. No other manufacturer in the world offers the latter in particular. If this is a purchase criterion, then the Basalte Auro is the best choice.
Basalte Auro KNX rating
Overall ranking: 5th place
Integration of KNX presence detectors in KNX visualization?
At first glance, the KNX presence detectors we have tested and used are quite simple to use and install. It goes a significant step further when the behaviour of a KNX presence detector is made finely adjustable via a KNX visualization. Or even better: the behavior of a presence detector in the room follows a complex logic that makes it possible to switch the lights individually for day/night, presence/absence or summer/winter. This goes far beyond simple control – even with logics – which is already integrated in the presence detector.
We always achieve the best results using the logic and field functions in a KNX visualization. This allows us to fulfill even very complex individual customer requirements that could not be implemented with the ETS software alone. Of course, there is always a powerful KNX server behind a good visualization with an appealing UX design.
Conclusion
Choosing the right KNX presence detector is a major issue in all our construction projects, which we supervise in terms of design, planning and KNX programming. The focus is always on unobtrusiveness in the wall and ceiling, so that minimal or no (height) installation plays a very important role.
Because in our collaboration with architects/interior designers, there are often discussions concerning the topic of “KNX presence detectors” and their integration into high-quality ambience & design. The client often wants to see “nothing hanging from the ceiling, everything has to be flush”.
We can state with certainty: All of the KNX presence detectors tested and used over the years in this test environment fulfill the criterion “suitable” for use in a high-quality single-family home or a Smart Home Villa (blog post).
1st place
2nd place
3rd place
4th place
5th place
The test victory goes to the new MDT SCN-P360L3.03 KNX presence detectorwhich, in addition to its good features and workmanship, is also offered at the lowest price under 90 euros. If we have anything to criticize, it’s the retaining clips for mounting in the (drywall) ceiling, which are a little too weak. And it is not a matter of course that a manufacturer like MDT qualifies for the architecture & design environment and otherwise clearly serves the DIY or “My first Smart Home” segment.
Second place went to the northern Italian newcomer Ekinex with its EK-SG2-TP-P KNX presence detector. It impressed us above all with its wide range of functions and features, which no other test candidate can even begin to offer. And it has a special feature: It works with HF waves in the GHz range, which should enable better presence detection. We still need to clarify in detail whether this is really the case.
In third place is the new Gira KNX presence detector Mini in the standard version we selected. And “standard” really is the better option in this case, as nobody needs the additional functions in an upmarket detached house or smart home villa these days. This is because they are much better and more pronounced via the KNX server in the form of visualization anyway.
If we were only looking at the best price/performance ratio, then the Gira KNX presence detector Mini would come a very close second behind the MDT SCN-P360L3.03. Only because of the innovative Ekinex EK-SG2-TP-P with its monstrous features does the Gira KNX presence detector end up in third place. Thanks to its IP44 rating, the Gira KNX presence detector Mini can also be used outdoors and in damp rooms – swimming pools, master bathrooms, mini-bathrooms, etc. – etc.
Let’s move on to the fourth place winner: the BEG PD11 Flat KNXs presence detector is still a good candidate when it comes to using a compact presence detector in an architectural and design environment. We have used it very, very often in sophisticated villas and have really exhausted its functions.
The fact that it is only equipped with one PIR sensor, while the competition now relies on three PIR sensors, does not detract from this. Similar to the Gira KNX presence detector Mini, the BEG PD11 Flat KNXs can be used outdoors thanks to its IP54 classification.
And who comes in fifth place? It is the Basalte Auro KNX presence detector/motion detector, which is by far the oldest candidate for the architectural environment and high-quality smart home villa construction. It is the only test participant that is also available in black and, above all, in the 12 typical Basalte material and color combinations.
Let’s not get the wrong idea here: The 12 material and color combinations – see also Top 30 best KNX push-buttons – refer to the additionally available frames/covers, which are otherwise not available from any of the test candidates. Basalte is also the only manufacturer represented in the absolute luxury segment, so that the rather high price compared to some of the competition is noticeable.
At the same time, it is obvious that the Italians are pushing into the German-speaking D-A-CH region with Ekinex and also have good products to offer for the demanding smart home environment. Here, the German manufacturers around Jung and Gira have to face another competitor that can combine good design with the latest range of functions. It remains really exciting in the world of KNX presence detectors!
Frank Völkel & Smartest Home Team
Since 2007, we have been testing KNX components for functionality and practical suitability in order to use only the best products in our customers' homes and villas
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