December 08, 2017 6 Comments
Choosing the ultimate smart home system for your needs and lifestyle can be daunting if you don’t know what to look for. Each hub comes with its own advantages and limitations; a certain feature might be a godsend for someone else but a deal breaker for you. That’s why we’ve listed our top 3 Z-Wave hub recommendations below, including what we love about these hubs but also some things to consider when choosing the right one for you. And good news! They all support Alexa, so you can count on a voice-activated smart home this holiday season.
“Excellent starting point for home integration.” – Adidas1976 (Amazon review)
“Easy Set Up: There is a lot to like about this system!
1. EASY to set up. EASY.
2. So many things (basically all the 'internet of things' type equipment) connects to it
3. Did I say it was easy to set up?” – ZenDarb (Amazon review)
“All in all a good unit with a lot of compatibility without extra fees. But the unit is not for someone expecting plug-n-play.” – AZEqualizer (Full review here)
“Easy set up, good community support. As you get comfortable with the options you can tailor it to be more robust. It offers lots of configuration options. Check out their forums for help and all the different things this controller can do.” – Travis (Full review here)
“Very easy to get to grips with. The graphic interface makes this a dream to use.” – David S. (Vesternet review)
“The Fibaro HCL is a powerful device able to manage up to 230 Z-Wave devices with impressively fast local processing.” – Big Bruin
Amazon’s recent answer to home automation has some smart home capability built-in. However, it only supports the ZigBee protocol. This means you won’t be able to directly connect any Z-Wave devices, which leaves some of the more innovative and affordable smart home options out-of-reach.
While Wink may be a good choice for basic light automation and very basic monitoring, it doesn’t offer any access to advanced settings and works with a very limited pool of Z-Wave devices. Just as you start having fun with automation, you run into a wall. Because it lives primarily in the cloud, we’ve received reports of the system being very unstable overall.
If you have input regarding your favorite smart home hub, let us know what it is and why in the comment section below! And have a very happy holiday season!
October 01, 2019
Hi Tom, yes! You can remove a Z-Wave device that belonged to a different hub using any Z-Wave gateway / controller. You’ll need to find general exclusion in your SmartThings app (under hub > Z-Wave Utilities > General Exclusion) and remove the device following the instructions in the device’s manual.
September 30, 2019
Piper sent out a firmware update a while back that broke all zwave device support. While they fixed it, I wasn’t able to cleanly remove all devices and 2 cannot be added back or added to my Smarthings hub. And thier force removal process does not work. Can I remove a device with Smartthings that was previously on a piper network?
February 08, 2019
Hi Bill, We don’t carry any fan controllers at the moment but I believe that HomeSeer has a fan switch that would fit your needs, model HS-FC200+
February 05, 2019
Do you have a suggestion for a in-wall 3 speed ceiling fan switch? Z wave
November 24, 2018
You have a large customer base that is using the hubitat elevation hub. I have seen many links to your site in their community forum. It’s a very reliable, locally processed hub with many advanced features. Works with just about any z wave or zigbee device, and even wifi connected devices and lutron
June 28, 2024
Welcome to the ultimate guide on transforming your home with smart lighting. We want to focus on the solutions that are most helpful in creating a comfortable, energy-efficient, and aesthetically pleasing environment. Whether you're just beginning your journey into home automation or looking to expand your existing setup, understanding the nuances of smart lighting is essential. Let's jump in!
Imagine your lights gradually brightening in the morning, simulating a natural sunrise to help you wake up gently and feel more refreshed. In the evening, your lights gradually dim, creating a calming atmosphere that can help you unwind and prepare for a good night’s sleep. Sounds perfect, right? But how exactly do you get there?
June 10, 2024
Smart lighting is one of the first steps in automating your home or office. It brings convenience, energy efficiency, and it's pretty fun. If you're a renter or someone looking for a quick and easy way to upgrade your home's lighting, you're probably thinking about smart bulbs. In this blog post, we'll explore the benefits and limitations of smart bulbs. We'll cover some creative ways to maximize their value as well as the best methods to control them. By the end (spoiler alert), you'll understand why you may still want to invest in smart switches over smart bulbs.
May 20, 2024
You've likely encountered announcements about the arrival of Z-Wave Long Range (ZWLR) devices. In fact, many of the products sold at our store today support the new ZWLR protocol. But what exactly does "long range" mean in the context of home automation? How is it different from the conventional Z-Wave mesh setup? And most importantly, what advantages does it offer to everyday users?
Oliver Smith
November 18, 2019
Hey Nice write up about this..it useful for us..Keep Updated…