Sikkens Color Sensor - High-Tech gadget or essential tool?

The Color Sensor is a compact colorimeter that allows you to find a color in seconds.

We were able to get one a few weeks in advance and our first tests are rather promising.
The octagon-shaped device has no buttons. No need to turn on the device or perform any other manipulation. Just open the app and the device automatically pairs to your smartphone.

The application is very easy to use and allows you to immediately visualize the colors closest to the surface measured in the 5051, NCS and RAL color charts. You will also be able to visualize the color on sample photos, this has a very practical side which allows you to get a relatively precise idea of the rendering on a wall.

We tested it on all kinds of surfaces: prints, fabrics, color charts, old paints. The measurement carried out is precise on a smooth surface and in 90% of cases provides a rational solution when it comes to reproducing a color from a sample.
We tested it on colors that we knew had no exact match in the swatches in the device's memory. Each time the device indicates the closest color (s) existing in the color chart. On this side nothing to complain about, the eye does not do much better.

A small downside, however, on rough surfaces, the measurement lacks precision and often indicates a too dark color (even if this is common with this type of device). Carrying out a measurement on a plaster with the Color Sensor will nevertheless speed up the choice in the color chart by indicating an approaching tone.

In our opinion the measurement accuracy is almost at Colorado level, but this additional accuracy costs much more and is in most cases not necessary.
With the Color Sensor , Sikkens provides an affordable and efficient solution.
This colorimeter is much more than a High-Tech gadget and allows a real saving of time during color research and will be of use to many painters, architects and do-it-yourselfers.