Let your smart home do the twist

The buttons are the best. They can make your smart home “just work” and don’t require wiring, remodeling your home, or yelling into a speaker to make the magic happen. Do you want the lights to dim, your TV to turn on, your thermostat to adjust, and the front door to close with a single touch? Get a button.

The newest button from smart home button maker Flic, launching today, adds an exciting twist to the button concept. He Flic Twist ($88.88) It’s a button you can press, double-press, twist, and press-turn to control any connected device.

The swivel function, in particular, is well suited for dimming lights, adjusting speaker volume or thermostat temperature, and controlling curtains, all functions that are difficult to achieve with the push of a button.

As a button, its functions are similar to the Wemo Stage Scene Controller that I have reviewed, although it uses Bluetooth LE, while this one uses Thread. The flip feature is similar to the Philips Hue Tap Dial, which, while designed for use with Hue lighting products, can be used with Apple Home for broader functions.

However, Flic Twist has broader compatibility than either of those options. It can control devices from many smart home essentials, including Philips Hue, Lifx, Ecobee, Spotify, Ikea, and Sonos. It also works with smart home platforms including Apple Home, Samsung SmartThings, Amazon Alexa, and IFTTT.

The twist of the movie launched on Kickstarter in 2021 but it’s now available for pre-order on Flic’s site for $80 off and will ship later this month. The button has a magnetic mount so you can attach it to the wall and runs on two AAA batteries.

The downside here is the cost and hub needed to get the Flic Twist to work outside of a Bluetooth connection to your phone. However, the company is launching a new, more affordable center: the Flic Hub Mini ($40) — which powers the Bluetooth LE Flic Twist and Flic’s range of other smart home buttons.