U by Moen Smart Faucet review: A flexible must-have for the kitchen

U by Moen Smart Faucet

MSRP $429.00

Pros

  • Delivers precise water temperatures
  • Accurate measurements
  • Voice control works great
  • Nice design in lots of styles
  • Battery power or AC
  • Will be DIY-installed
  • Versatile: Sse handle, motion or voice

Cons

  • Require substantial initial arrange
  • Some could also be intimidated by installation

The kitchen is the busiest place in any home, so it is sensible you’d wish to ensure that it’s working as hard for you, as you’re within the space. One among the ways you possibly can make your space smarter and more efficient is to think about a sensible faucet. Why? In two words: Voice control.

I had the possibility to check the U by Moen smart kitchen faucet, and this smart tap, combined with an Amazon or Google smart speaker, helps you to do things like asking for precise measurements of water, specific temperatures, or a mix of every.

Amazon Alexa speaker sitting next to U by Moen smart tap.

What’s the U by Moen Smart Faucet?

The U by Moen Smart Faucet is a great, Wi-Fi-connected faucet that provides touchless control. I can say ā€œHey Alexa, ask Moen to dispense one cup of hot water,ā€ and the faucet gives me precision measurements and temperature just by asking.

It’s handy for precise baking, you possibly can easily fill the kettle, a baby bottle, or a dog dish without running the faucet for too long. It reduces water waste and the period of time you’ve to face there holding the thing, waiting for the water to warm up and fill.

Installation and power

There may be one very vital consideration regarding this tap you have to find out about: It needs power. You should utilize batteries (six D-cells) or there may be also an optional AC adapter you possibly can buy if you’ve an outlet near your sink. When you’re using the batteries as your principal power source, you possibly can expect the pack to last you as much as two years.

While a DIY installation of this tap is certainly possible — and I can and have installed a sensible tap like this one before — we had our contractor do that for us as a part of a renovation.

Battery pack and AC power hub attached to U by Moen tap.

Arrange with the app

With the tap installed, the following step is to establish your smarts using the Moen app. Create or log in to an account, then press the tiny pinhole button on the control box under the sink to place it into pairing mode. A small LED light on the faucet will blink to acknowledge.

Move over to your phone’s Wi-Fi settings and hook up with the Moen Faucet you must see in your list. Seconds later, a green light should confirm you’re linked.

Using U by Moen: Handle or motion sensor use

At its most elementary, this faucet may be used with the handle. There’s also a motion detector on the highest curve of the handle for hands-free use. The responsiveness of the sensor is absolutely quick, and a small LED light will actually show you the water temperature using color (red, purple, blue), at a look.

Establishing voice control

Voice control is the principal feature on this tap, nevertheless it’s price mentioning you will have a separate digital assistant device to make use of it. It helps lots if that device is near the faucet.

U by Moen works with each Google and Alexa. I actually have tried it with each assistants over the 12 months I’ve had this device installed, and each work great.

What are you able to do with voice assistant and U by Moen?

Using your voice assistant you possibly can ask for the faucet to be turned on or off. The response time is mostly quick, though there may be a smidge of a lag.

You may ask the tap to pour a set amount of water, or a selected temperature, like:

  • Alexa, Ask Moen to show water on/off
  • OK, Google, ask Moen to dispense 1 gallon of water
  • Ask Moen to pour 1 cup of cold waterā€

I double-checked U by Moen’s measurements against my very own measuring cups and spoons and so they were gratifyingly accurate! I also verified the temperature measurement. While this feature could also be limited to some extent by how hot you permit your water heater to make the water, I discovered the temperatures were accurate also.

Contained in the Moen app you furthermore may have the flexibility to regulate the best temperature your faucet will pour as well; ideal to stop young hands from being scalded.

You may easily create custom preset settings on your tap and ask Google or Alexa for a custom fill.

Creating custom presets

Filling up a dog's water dish with precisely measured water from U by MOen.

You may easily create custom preset settings on your tap and ask Google or Alexa for a custom fill. I created a preset to fill the dog’s water dish, one other to refill the coffee pot, one for my plant watering jug, and one other to fill a particular filter pitcher.

When creating your presets you furthermore may have the flexibility to further customize them. With the dog’s water for instance, I would like it to be cold, so the tap will run the water until it’s cool, then stop. I wave my hand over the sensor and it should dispense just the correct amount.

What’s it like using U by Moen?

Once I first got this tap, we were using it continuously. My husband loved using the faucet to dispense the precise amount of water needed for his breakfast oatmeal, without getting out a measuring cup.

I discovered it super handy after I was filling a pot to make something like a brine, to give you the option to ask Google to, ā€œpour 3 gallons of warm water.ā€ It was also infinitely handy for baking; I could pour water right right into a mixing bowl if I used to be baking some bread.

You may as well say ā€œAsk Moen to scrub my handsā€ and it should activate the water to wet your hands, pause for 20 seconds when you soap up, then activate again to rinse.

Finally, you possibly can monitor water usage with the app so you possibly can see how much water you’re using.

After some time, the tap integrated so seamlessly into our lives that at some point after I used a friend’s tap, I actually tried to confer with it.

U by Moen is definitely at the highest of the pile in the case of smart taps.

Our Take

A 12 months after it was installed, I still love this tap. The voice control with Alexa and Google works amazingly well. I really like the convenience of calling out measurements or adjusting water temperature with my voice. The U by Moen faucet is accurate in my year-long experience as well.

Is there a greater alternative?

That is the primary and only voice-controlled faucet I’ve reviewed, so from a hands-on perspective, I can’t draw comparisons. Even so, from my research, this tap appears to be the most effective execution of this type of technology, made by a trusted brand, which puts the U by Moen easily at the highest of the pile in the case of smart taps.

How long will it last?

I’ve had this tap installed for just over a 12 months and any problems I’ve had with it have been more related to software than hardware (i.e. voice control being temporarily offline). The all-metal construction feels durable and it has withstood nicks, pot bashing, and scratching well. Moen offers a limited lifetime warranty on any defective parts.

Do you have to buy it?

Yes. I’m really glad we added the U by Moen faucet to our latest kitchen. It was definitely a splurge (prices vary substantially based on style and finish but start within the $400 range), and it’s not going to be for everybody, nevertheless it’s super convenient (and a fun feast trick if I’m being honest) and I might definitely recommend it on your evolving smart home.

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