The SwitchBot’s little robot arm was just what I needed to scare away the cockroaches

A small robotic screen has become my side in the fight against cockroaches. Before I had the SwitchBot Rechargeable Bot, I would walk around in the dark every morning, hoping I wouldn’t step on one of those creepy crawly bugs on my way to the light switch across the room. Now I’m ready to fight before I enter the room because I can turn on the remote, because of $33.99 SwitchBot Rechargeable Bot.

The little piece sticks close to a switch or button and uses its tiny robotic arm to push or pull you. You can control everything with power buttons, from coffee makers, light switches, and garage door openers to washing machines – it makes “dumb” devices a little smarter. If you agree with a SwitchBot Hubyou can control it hands-free using voice assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, and from outside your home.

The power of the SwitchBot Rechargeable Bot is the same as the original Change Bot Bot which does little damage. But, as you might guess from its name, the latest version has an extended USB-C battery instead of using disposable batteries. Although it is environmentally friendly, its advertised battery life is very short, lasting up to six months on a charge if you only start the change once a day (compared to up to 600 days with the original model). However, the upgrade process is easy for me. I like knowing that I can plug the Bot in as needed instead of worrying about buying replacement batteries every few months.

Installation may vary depending on your intended use. My simple usage example, for example, required more trial and error than I expected. The hand should be positioned just right to reach the switch, push in, and back. Of course, installing it is a lot easier than dialing a switch or changing it is smart, but it’s not the do-it-and-forget thing I had in mind. Installation may be easy for you, but be prepared to experiment a bit to find the right one.

The bot also includes a small plastic connector that attaches to your light switch. When wrapped around the Bot’s arm, it allows it to turn on a switch with a push and turn it off with a pull. Putting it on was more frustrating than anything else. It wasn’t clear to me where the connector should go, and at first I put it in the center of the switch where it should be on the bottom. The tutorial video shows this, but the written instructions just plainly advise you to include it in the replacement part. This resulted in several lines of removing and re-applying the adhesive before I got everything right.

After everything was installed correctly, I was happy with how the Bot performed. Throughout my testing, the Bot stayed connected, responded reliably from all over my house, and never missed a scheduled appointment. It’s been nice to confidently walk into a brightly lit kitchen instead of timidly tiptoeing in the dark. Plus, there’s something really cool about watching a tiny robotic arm flip a switch.

The SwitchBot Rechargeable Bot makes no sense buying into a home that already has smart bulbs and smart plugs. But most of us have at least one device or accessory that we can replace if we can. The SwitchBot Rechargeable Bot is a smart, affordable option. Installation may require a little more patience than just sticking the device where you think it should go, and it’s a little less expensive. But the automation works like a charm, and it did exactly what I hoped it would: It gave me a small but useful boost in my battle against cockroaches.