Best Zigbee (or Matter) buttons?

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Which Zigbee or Matter buttons are well supported by the C8 and currently available on Amazon? Either a single push button or a multi button, cheaper is better, but I'll pay more for reliable.

...or...if there's a better web site to find this stuff, please let me know...there's actually not that much variety on Amazon and it seems like you folks talk about a lot of nifty devices that you must be finding elsewhere...?

I just want a simple Zigbee or Matter button which I will configure via Rule Machine to toggle a couple of smart switches on/off.

For example, are any of these well supported (or not supported):

https://www.amazon.com/SONOFF-SNZB-01P-Wireless-Supports-Connected/dp/B0CLZYCDZW/

https://www.amazon.com/THIRDREALITY-Control-SmartThings-Assistant-Included/dp/B09ZQGZX3G/

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I have had good luck with:

Hue Smart Button, more money, nicer aesthetics (may be EOL :frowning_face: ).

hue smart button
hue smart button775×739 24.2 KB

IKEA a few options, decent products, store locations can be an issue.

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I use quite a few Ikea buttons. They are rock solid and always work for me. I love that they use aaa batteries so I can use rechargeable batteries.

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My favorite button devices are Lutron Pico remotes, but they require a Caséta Pro Bridge (or higher-end system like RA2 Select, RadioRA 2, or the fancier ones). That's not a cheap entry cost, but the remotes themselves are uncharacteristically cheap by Lutron standards and might balance out if you need a lot of button devices -- though there are more (and cheaper) options now than when I started down this path. Lutron does have a well deserved rock-solid reliability reputation, though. I've never replaced a battery in a Pico, which they say can last for 10 years (I'm going on 7, the longest I've had any).

If you just want a single button, the Aeotec (formerly SmartThings) Zigbee button is also one of my favorites, though it got a bit more expensive since Aeotec took over things: https://aeotec.com/products/aeotec-button/. Authorized sellers are listed on that page. The Sonoff Zigbee buttons of various generations are similar functionality-wise, but not quite as sturdy (and I don't like that they're apparently never listening for commands, though for sensors that's rarely a problem -- just makes it hard to know when their batteries actually die or if you just haven't used them in a while).

I've also been a fan of the Ikea buttons I've tried, or at least their newer ones that actually pair like regular Zigbee devices (Styrbar, Rodret, Somrig, Symfonisk Remotes Gen 2, etc.). I like Hue buttons, too, but I've only used them as part of my Hue system and not as directly paired Zigbee devices to Hubitat. They can be integrated either way now, though I've never found a use for them this way personally.

For Z-Wave, the Zooz ZEN34 and Zooz ZEN37 are both multi-button (2 and 4) devices that are often on sale for competitive prices, though less so recently than in the past. Other companies, like Minoston, offer similar products from what must be the same OEM, though they may not have the support reputation Zooz does.

Had some of these options existed when I started, I might not have gone down the Lutron path, but I don't regret that I did, either. I have a mix of many of the above, depending on the location/needs and just because I like trying new things. :smiley:

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What geographical region are you in? That might make a difference in recommendations.

The Pico remotes are great and inexpensive, and reliable. They can mount to a wall and look just like a switch without cutting a hole for a box or be mounted in a switch box if you have a blank space. They have neat stands if you want to use them for something like a table lamp controller. They look nice, compared to some buttons and they don't look like some toy that you bought on Aliexpress.

However, the bridge is very costly. It pays for itself over time though if you consider what a comparable (non-Lutron) button costs, but it takes roughly 14 or so buttons to start to break even.

I would next say Zooz, they have both powered and battery operated buttons, they are Z-wave, and typically Zooz is very responsive to customer needs. They are inexpensive at times, and on sale fairly regularly, but their shipping is a bit expensive for 1-2 items which brings up their cost per unit.

Similar to the Pico, when they are mounted in a switchbox, they look very natural. They don't have the nifty table stands like Pico, but I have seen 3D printed plans for such a stand.

Most of the Zigbee stuff seems to be very clunky or look cheap, in my opinion. Most look like repurposed car key fobs or a those old remotes for a cheap trinket from 1998. They might work for some use cases, but not like the Lutron or the Zooz stuff.

Matter may or may not be a good option, availability is not as good as any other option, and how Matter is passed from it's native app to Hubitat can vary wildly. Some devices give basically nothing, others are better. Again in my opinion it is better to use Z-wave, Zigbee, or something with a robust and local (Lutron) option than Matter at this point in time.

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If you are wanting just a simple button to toggle actions and they don't have to be stylish both the Third Reality Button and the Aqara Button work really well. I have both on my C8 Pro and have zero issues with any of them. The majority of the Third Reality because it uses regular batteries instead of the coin cell type. However, the coin cell in the Aqara buttons seem to last forever.

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What's up with Aqara's warning?

"Not Support Third Party Hubs"

I figured that meant either A) they're telling the truth, or B) they'd rather you not buy their products at all unless you're also buying their hub...?

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It never would have occurred to me to shop for Zigbee stuff at Ikea. :sweat_smile: Thanks for the tip!

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I do not know but I have several Aqara devices connect directly to my hub. They are actually on the official Hubitat list as well. I am sure they just want you to buy their hub.

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First, the "Styrbar" line you quoted in my post is from Ikea, not Xiaomi/Aqara, in case that wasn't a mistake.

As for Aqara: they say this a lot. In the past, it was somewhat true -- their Zigbee profile was very similar to ZHA, enough that it would at least pair to some ZHA coordinators (including Hubitat) but apparently custom enough that they were prone to "fall off" the network unless particular care regarding coordinator settings and repeaters was taken. Their newer Zigbee products are (certified?) Zigbee 3.0 devices and shouldn't have this problem, though I'm not sure how thoroughly anyone has tested; and, of course, just because something theoretically can be done doesn't mean the manufacturer has to support it, so they could just be saying that you're on your own if you do.

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Fortunately some of the Aqara devices are on the official Hubitat list now. I have the Zigbee 3.0 water leak sensors, buttons, and contact sensor paired directly to the HE hub with no issues. So I can speak to them. Like you said though I have heard the horror stories from the older Aqara stuff.

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Plus 1 for Lutron Picos. The cost of the Smart Bridge Pro 2 (L-BDGPRO2-WH) is a bit steep but the Picos are almost magical :wink:

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I've had a successful experience with the "Third Reality Button" from Amazon. It is an inexpensive Zigbee button that always works flawlessly.

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I use these Aeon buttons and I love em. They are Z-Wave but work reliably.

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I see nobody mentioned these yet.

I use kkossev's driver, and they work great for me. They sit in a wall bracket with a magnet so you can grab them off the wall and use them as a hand-held remote as well.

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I like this .. have a bunch of them .. work great.
image

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B099KDS3W9

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