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Rio Arc is the first dedicated personal heater to support HomeKit, but just being the first does not guarantee that it is worth having. We let Arc finish its pace to determine how it has piled up during these winter months.

First of all, we like the design of Rio Arc. It is approximately 32 inches wide and 18 inches high. This is not small anyway, but it seems to be suitable for the heat output it provides. The entire front is covered by a curved glass, which is obviously where the product gets its name.

Technically, there are two models to choose from, 1500W and 2000W versions. We are testing 1500W, and the 2000W version does not seem to be available yet. The 1500W variant emits enough heat to effectively heat a room of approximately 250 square feet. In our 225 square foot home office, this seems more than enough.

On the right side of the device is a small display, about two inches by two inches. It is a backlit LCD that will display the currently set temperature, whether the heater is heating up, and your HomeKit pairing code during the setup process. When heating, a series of red lines will appear next to the temperature you selected as a further visual indication.

When you look down at the black model of Arc, you can see the edge of the LCD panel. The display can be placed close to the glass to hide this, but it is more obvious on models with dark glass. This is not a problem with the white and gray models at all.

In addition, Rio said that this is not something they have experienced in other units, so we may have a one-time defect. It doesn't hurt anything functionally, but we can't help but find something in the darker aesthetics.

You have two options for placing Rio Arc. There are two metal brackets on the back, which can connect the heater directly to the wall. When installed on the wall, you can try your best to hide the cables to get a very clean appearance.

The heat is discharged from the top, so if you don’t point it directly at the wall at close range, there will be no problem of damaging the wall, paint or wallpaper. We ran the wall-mounted heater for several hours, and the wall behind it was still cold to the touch. Like any heater, it is important not to place anything in the vent. So no-don't put your sweater on it to finish drying.

Another option for wall-mounted Arc is to be independent of the floor. Rio includes two die-cast aluminum metal legs that can be screwed into the bottom of Arc. Although you need to provide a screwdriver, screws are included.

We are not excited about the feet on the device. Specifically, they are sharp, and we worry that if we slide the heater, it will scratch our wooden floor.

We contacted Rio Tinto about this matter and were told that this was an early problem, which has since been resolved in subsequent production models. The newly produced unit has a silicone handle under the foot

If you happen to get a model with rough feet, be careful when sliding it on the floor or placing it on a non-flammable mat.

Behind the right edge of Arc are several buttons, which are used to manually control the heater, such as adjusting the target temperature up and down.

Whether you set the temperature manually or through HomeKit, the heater will immediately start heating the air and pushing it out of the top of the arc, bringing your room to the temperature of your choice. It didn't take long for the temperature in our bedroom to rise.

It is also almost completely silent. This may be good or bad, depending on your preference. Some people may prefer the white noise of fan heaters such as Dyson, while others don't want noise and want a very quiet heater that also works normally. Your travel expenses may change.

Rio Arc looks good enough, and we will very much consider buying it based on appearance alone. What's really important here is the support for HomeKit.

The setting of HomeKit is very simple. When Arc is inserted for the first time, the HomeKit pairing code will be displayed on the built-in screen. Scan this code from the home app and the heater will be added to your home, including configuring Wi-Fi.

The setup process involves assigning a room to your heater and choosing a name. Recognizable names are helpful when asking Siri to control the device, although Siri is smarter than before.

You can say "Turn on the bedroom heater" or "Set the children's bedroom heater to 72 degrees" without knowing the name, but if you have multiple heaters, it makes sense to know which is which.

As a HomeKit device, it can now be automated, controlled by other HomeKit devices, and included in user-created scenes. Everyone has their own preferences, but here are some ideas we set up for Rio Arc.

One of the first HomeKit automation features we set up was to automatically turn off the heater when we leave the house. You can select this feature specifically, or you can turn it off when the last person leaves the house.

We also set up a HomeKit button to control the heater. Pressing the button once will set the temperature to 69 degrees, and pressing the button twice will increase the temperature to 72 degrees. Three presses will turn off the heater.

The heater is also part of multiple scenes in our home. Our "good night" scene will turn off the lights, close the curtains in the living room, lock the front door, close the garage, and set the heater to our preferred night temperature. This single scene can automate multiple individual tasks.

Other possibilities include turning it on and off when someone enters the room using a motion sensor, turning it on when the thermostat in the room reaches a particularly low temperature, or turning it off when the ceiling fan is turned on. It is only limited by the other accessories in your home and the things you can think of.

Although HomeKit setup is easy, we are not without problems in the process. The dedicated Rio maker app is an indispensable demon in the HomeKit space, and while it's easy to do, it's not so intuitive.

Arc needs to be added to the Rio application separately from HomeKit. This involves launching the Rio app and generating a new QR code on the heater itself.

Initially, the app would say "make sure Arc is in pairing mode," but it didn't explain what pairing mode is or how to get there. All you need to do is press and hold the top button to generate a new code. The documentation needs to state this more clearly.

For HomeKit users, an important reason you need the Rio app is firmware updates. This is especially true when we write this review.

Look, Rio Heating is not a country in the United States, so Fahrenheit is not used to measure temperature. When you receive Rio Arc, it will most likely display the temperature in degrees Celsius. For example, it will not display 70 degrees Fahrenheit, but only 21 degrees Celsius. The device is initially only available abroad, and the upcoming firmware update will cause the heater to display the temperature in Fahrenheit.

This is not a functional spoiler; however, in the Home app, the temperature is displayed in units related to the country/region. When you ask Siri, you can also use your local measurements. It only shows the temperature in degrees Celsius on the heater's display.

Rio stated that firmware updates are coming soon-but like most HomeKit peripherals, the only way to install firmware updates is through the Rio app. We want Rio to be able to route firmware updates through the Home app, but you need a dedicated manufacturer app.

There are many advantages to connecting a personal heater. You can control it from anywhere using only your voice. On cold winter mornings, you don’t have to get up to warm up the bedroom.

Automation and routines can also make control easier, and can even save you money by activating the heater only when you need it.

In addition, you have safety and peace of mind. Whether it is to ensure that your house does not drop below freezing, or you can rest assured that you did not turn on the heater when you left the house.

Rio Arc is very suitable as a connected heater and works perfectly with HomeKit. There are still some quirks, such as the setup process of the Rio app, but they only appear during the initial setup process.

After the configuration is complete, Rio Arc is a dream, and its performance is admirable.

In these cold winters, if you buy an electric heater on the market and want an electric heater that works with HomeKit, then Rio Arc is a great choice. Not just because it is your only one.

Currently, for American customers, Rio Arc can only be purchased through the manufacturer's website. You can buy it in black, white or gray for $291, with free worldwide shipping.

In the first photo, it looks like a beautiful door. ps I am glad that I live in a warm climate and don't need this.

This is a beautiful device, but I don't believe in any space heaters with "smart" controls. Almost all space heaters you buy contain warnings not to run them unattended. Those in my house are unplugged when they are not in use. Despite all the latest safety features, I think the risk of fire, if it fails, is always too high for me, and I cannot get the device to be plugged in 24x7 and controlled by a remote application. I also don’t allow toasters, coffee machines, or other small appliances to plug in heaters when not in use. They sometimes fail, and when they fail, sometimes they catch fire. Every year there are news reports about fires caused by failures of electrical appliances or space heaters. I really don't want to be the next such statistic. ------------- By the way, the article says that there is no unit with 2000W. I am not surprised. 1500W is approximately the maximum value you can find on a device designed to connect to a 15A circuit (15A * 120V = 1800W, the manufacturer always leaves a margin because there are always other devices plugged into the same circuit). A 2000W device will consume at least 16.7A of current on a 120V circuit. We can expect that if they release such a device, it will require 20A and/or 240V circuits (much like what is usually required for room air conditioners). For most houses, this means that the electrician needs to run a new circuit from the service panel.

Nice comment. I am surprised that it does not have its own thermostat to report back to the home kit, so you can trigger it without a third-party thermostat. Am I missing something here?

Shamino said: This is a beautiful device, but I don't believe in any space heater with "smart" control. Almost all space heaters you buy contain warnings not to run them unattended. Those in my house are unplugged when they are not in use. Despite all the latest safety features, I think the risk of fire, if it fails, is always too high for me, and I cannot get the device to be plugged in 24x7 and controlled by a remote application. I also don’t allow toasters, coffee machines, or other small appliances to plug in heaters when not in use. They sometimes fail, and when they fail, sometimes they catch fire. Every year there are news reports about fires caused by failures of electrical appliances or space heaters. I really don't want to be the next such statistic. ------------- By the way, the article says that there is no unit with 2000W. I am not surprised. 1500W is approximately the maximum value you can find on a device designed to connect to a 15A circuit (15A * 120V = 1800W, the manufacturer always leaves a margin because there are always other devices plugged into the same circuit). A 2000W device will consume at least 16.7A of current on a 120V circuit. We can expect that if they release such a device, it will require 20A and/or 240V circuits (much like room air conditioners usually require). For most houses, this means that the electrician needs to run a new circuit from the service panel. You do realize that this is sold outside the US market, not all markets use 120V, right? The article even pointed out that it was initially only available outside the United States (so the display on the unit is in degrees Celsius)...

You do realize that this is sold outside the US market, not all markets use 120V, right? The article even pointed out that it was initially only available outside the United States (so the display on the unit is in degrees Celsius)...

clarknet: Praise. I am surprised that it does not have its own thermostat to report back to the home kit, so you can trigger it without a third-party thermostat. Am I missing something here? You can definitely do this. You don’t need an external thermostat at all. But for various reasons, some people still like to use them. Suppose you have a home office and the heater is on the opposite wall. The table will get cold due to airflow or just a larger room. If you have an Eve Room on your table, it may trigger the heater to turn on when the table gets cold, even if the other corner of the room is warmer. This is just a choice. It has its own thermostat inside, you can use it to check the temperature of the room.

You can definitely do this. You don’t need an external thermostat at all. But for various reasons, some people still like to use them. Suppose you have a home office and the heater is on the opposite wall. The table will get cold due to airflow or just a larger room. If you have an Eve Room on your table, it may trigger the heater to turn on when the table gets cold, even if the other corner of the room is warmer. This is just a choice. It has its own thermostat inside, you can use it to check the temperature of the room.

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Rio Arc Review: The elegant HomeKit connected heater keeps you warm this winter

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