[Tom 2020]

I want to run the ClairLite in one room while I’m in another, but I’m not sure if the remote will actually work through a wall. The manual says line of sight but that seems impractical. Anyone tested this? If it doesn’t work, I’ll just set the timer and leave, but I’d rather not guess.

[Lisa Muller]

I tried it from the hallway once and it didn’t go through, so line of sight is probably accurate. If you’re in another room, the timer is the safer bet.

[Steve Harris]

The remote is just basic IR, so anything solid in the way kills it. Mine only works if I’m in the same room with a clear shot at the lamp. Through a wall is a no.

[Sam Writes]

Not sure I’d trust it through a wall. Mine cut out as soon as I stepped into the next room, so I just set the timer and walk away. Easier than fighting with the remote anyway.

[Mike Casio]

I’ve only used mine in the same room, but the remote has been fine for that. Buttons are a bit mushy though, so you have to press pretty hard.

[Tom Ray]

I’ve had mine for about three months and the remote only works if I’m basically in the same room, sometimes even then I have to angle it right. The timer is the way to go if you’re planning to walk out anyway. I stopped bothering with the remote for that reason.

[Dani Moon]

Walls don’t care about your manual.

[Alexa Connor]

Line of sight is a stretch if you ask me. I still set mine up in the same room anyway, since I’d rather not have it running where I can’t see it. The timer handles the rest so it doesn’t matter much.

[Carla M.]

I’ve had my ClairLite for a while now and I mostly just hit the timer before I leave the room. The remote is handy when I’m right there, but I never really expected it to reach through a wall. For me the bigger thing was getting into the habit of starting it on my way out and letting the auto shutoff do its job. It’s been a pretty easy routine once I stopped overthinking the remote part. If you’re set on controlling it from another room you might be disappointed, but the timer works fine for everyday use. I usually run mine in the kitchen after cooking and it’s nice not having to go back in until it’s done.

[Emma Locke]

Mine actually surprised me and worked from the hallway once, so it’s not strictly line of sight in my experience. It’s hit or miss depending on the angle though. I just point it toward the doorway and it usually catches.

[pixelnomad]

I have a similar remote situation with mine but the weird part is it depends on what the wall is made of. In my old place the interior walls were basically cardboard and drywall, and I could fire it up from the next room without much trouble. Moved to a place with thicker walls and now it’s dead the second I step into the hallway. Same remote, same lamp, nothing else changed. So when people say it works or doesn’t through a wall, I kind of want to know what their walls are made of before I believe them. If you’re mostly worried about the timer thing, I’d just lean on that since it doesn’t care about walls at all. But if you specifically want to trigger it while you’re in another room, that’s going to come down to your building more than the remote itself.

[Alex Reed]

Mine worked fine from the next room.

[M_Ortiz]

I tested mine through two walls and it still clicked on, but I have to be almost directly on the other side. Once I move even a few feet down the hall it stops responding. So it’s not really reliable from another room.

[Linda Morris]

I gave up on using it from another room pretty fast. Mine only responds if I’m basically at the doorway with the remote pointed toward the unit, so I just use the timer instead. Not a big deal.

[Stan]

I mostly treat the remote like a bonus and not something I count on from another room. When I travel I usually just set the timer and walk out, that part has been reliable every time. Remote works great when I’m right there though.

[Mike in TX]

Mine worked through a wall but only when the lamp was already on. Sounds weird, I know. Here’s what I mean. I’d turn it on in the bedroom, walk out, close the door, and then use the remote from the kitchen to shut it off early if I changed my mind. That worked fine, no problem, every time. But trying to turn it ON from the kitchen through that same wall? Nothing. Dead. I’d have to crack the door and point it in.

So my theory is the remote isn’t the weak link, it’s the lamp. Once it’s already running, the sensor seems more awake or something. I don’t know the actual reason and I’m not going to pretend I do. I just know the pattern held for about three months of regular use until I stopped bothering with the remote entirely.

My honest take is you’re better off deciding before you walk out of the room. Set the timer, close the door, go do your thing. The remote is nice when you’re standing right there and don’t want to touch the unit after handling raw chicken or whatever. That’s the real use case in my house. Cross-room stuff was never reliable enough for me to count on it, even in the one situation where it technically worked.

If you really want to test your setup, turn it on first, leave the room, then try shutting it off from where you plan to be. That’ll tell you more than trying to turn it on cold.

[Luke M]

Mine only works if I crack the door open a bit, which kind of defeats the whole point of being in another room. I just set the timer now and walk out before it kicks on.

[Pete Sterling]

Line of sight doesn’t mean what people think it means. Walls block the signal, period. If the remote works from another room, that’s a fluke, not a feature. Set the timer and stop fighting with it.

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