Solo Mode lets a Puck 2 connect to your home Wi-Fi instead of to a Flair Bridge. It controls its own mini split (or other IR device) on its own, and it stays plugged in to USB power rather than running on batteries.
This article covers why you would use Solo Mode, and how to set it up in a home that already has a Bridge — which takes an extra step people usually miss.
Do I need a Flair Bridge if I only have one mini split?
No. If a single mini split is all you want to control, a Puck 2 in Solo Mode does it on its own — you are not buying a Bridge as well, which is a real saving when there is only one Puck to connect.
The trade-off is the power cable: a Solo Mode Puck has to stay plugged in with the supplied USB cable and power adapter, so you need an outlet near where you mount it. In a garage, workshop, sunroom or bedroom where a cable is not a problem, that is usually a fair trade — and you never have to change batteries in it.
If you want to add Flair Smart Vents later, you will need a Bridge for the vents themselves. The Puck can stay in Solo Mode.
Why would I use Solo Mode when I already have a Bridge?
Signal. Your Bridge talks to Pucks and Smart Vents over a long-range radio, and a Puck that has to go in a far corner of the house, a garage, an outbuilding, or through several walls can sit outside that range — it shows a weak signal or keeps dropping offline.
A Solo Mode Puck skips the Bridge and uses your Wi-Fi, so distance from the Bridge stops mattering.
My Puck is too far from the Bridge — should I switch it to Solo Mode?
Solo Mode is a good answer when you cannot fix the distance. Before you switch, it is worth seeing whether you can:
- Move the Bridge somewhere more central. The Bridge only needs power and either Wi-Fi or Ethernet, so it is often the easiest thing to relocate, and it can improve signal to every device at once.
- Move the Puck. It has to stay where it can see the mini split's IR receiver, so this is often not possible — but a few feet, or off an interior wall, can be enough.
- Add a second Bridge to cover the far part of the home.
If none of those are practical, switch that Puck to Solo Mode. The rest of your system — vents and any other Pucks — carries on through the Bridge exactly as before.
Is there a case where I should not use Solo Mode?
Yes. If your system uses Staged Heating (Integrated Controls) or Smart Heating with a Bridge Pro, leave those Pucks connected through the Bridge Pro and do not put them into Solo Mode. If you are not using those features, Solo Mode is fine.
How do I add a Solo Mode Puck when I already have a Bridge?
In a home that already has a Bridge there is no single "add a Solo Mode Puck" step. You add the Puck the normal way, then turn Solo Mode on in two places — on the Puck itself and in the Flair app:
- Add the Puck to your home as you would any other Puck. It will pair to your Bridge to begin with. This is expected — do not try to skip it.
- Turn on Solo Mode on the Puck. Push the Puck's face to open the menus, rotate to the gear icon (Settings), and enable Solo Mode there. The Puck will then show an ID on its screen; you do not need to do anything with it, because the Puck is already in your home.
- Turn on Solo Mode in the app as well. Go to Home Settings > Flair Devices, open the Puck, and enable Solo Mode. The app walks you through connecting the Puck to your Wi-Fi as part of this.
Both halves are required. Doing one and not the other is the usual reason this does not work:
- If you start in the app, it will tell you to also enable Solo Mode on the Puck.
- If you start on the Puck, it shows you an ID but does not mention the app step — so it is easy to think you are finished when you are not. Go and enable it under Home Settings > Flair Devices too.
If your Bridge is on Ethernet rather than Wi-Fi, that is fine. The Puck gets its own Wi-Fi details during the Solo Mode setup, so how the Bridge is connected makes no difference.
Do I need to add it as a normal Puck first even though I only want Solo Mode?
Yes, in a home that has a Bridge. How you add the Puck and how you use it are separate things — every Puck joins the home the same way, and Solo Mode is a setting you turn on afterwards.
In a home with no Bridge at all, the app can add a Solo Mode Puck directly, because there is no Bridge for it to join.
How do I check which mode a Puck is in?
On the Puck: push the face to open the menus, rotate to the gear icon (Settings), then open Information and read the mode. It will show Standalone for Solo Mode, or Sensor otherwise.
What changes once a Puck is in Solo Mode?
- It is on Wi-Fi, not the Bridge. Moving the Bridge or improving its signal will not affect this Puck. Connection problems are Wi-Fi problems — try moving it closer to your router.
- It must stay on USB power.
- Your Bridge carries on as before for your vents and any other Pucks.