Afternoon,
Noob here. Actually only had Hubitat for two days and just got my first Z-wave device (a Schlage Lock) which I have not installed yet. In any case I've been using several wifi plugs for a couple of years (Wyze brand) that I'd like to replace. In doing very little research it seems Zigbee plugs are a fraction of the price of z-wave. Since I'm just starting out I'm wondering what the pros and cons of a mixed environment might be, and if I should bight the bullet and go with the more expensive z-wave plugs. Appreciate any insight.
Greg
Both zigbee and zwave generally work well in the Hubitat environment. Zigbee is more prone to interference from WiFi, but selecting the right channel can solve that. The only issue with mixed environment is that both protocols are mesh based; thus the more powered/repeating devices you have of a particular type the stronger your mesh, and the better your communication between the devices and hub will be.
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I'd guess most users use mix of both Zigbee and Z-Wave. No need to choose only one, since the hub works
with both (and they use different frequencies and different radios on the hub on case you're wondering about that). But as noted above, you'll need to build out a good mesh with both protocols, especially for devices like locks that can be picky on the Z-Wave side.
Also, not sure what plugs you found that were significantly cheaper, but keep in mind that often cheap devices come with other costs. 
(Though there do seem to be more cheaper Zigbee products than Z-Wave.)
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I personally have a mixed environment and find it nice. A lot of them are powered and act as repeaters which helps build a solid mesh.
When it comes to inexpensive Zigbee devices, be sure to check the compatibility list first. Those will typically work better. Some non-listed devices will also work, but typically they require a lot of TLC.
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Hmm, my vote would be... stick with the cheaper plugs (Sengled, Third Reality) and go with the more expensive ZigBee lock (Yale). 
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I have mostly zwave devices but for some basic plugs I have added zigbee. I only have 4 zigbee plugs but they work great and as you said much cheaper.
thanks for the input. Sadly I was smart enough to ask first for the plugs and not the expensive lock and now that it arrives Schlage FE599 has lots of problems connecting. Pays to do research. I'll continue to try and get it to connect and if necessary put it on the garage door and find a compatible version for the front door. Appreciate all the feedback
This 300-series lock doesn’t work with 700-series z-wave controllers. So it won’t work with the C-7.
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Thanks for the definitive answer. Being new I wasn't sure on the timing of some of the version changes related to older discussion threads. Replace the lock or look for a C-5 hub if that's even possible? Recall it works with the older version.
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This would be my suggestion. There are newer z-wave+ and zigbee locks that work really well with the C-7.
That is the other option. Bearing in mind that you are looking to support a lock with 20-year old technology (300-series z-wave chips date back to 2003; 500-series z-wave+ chips were released in 2012, and 700-series z-wave+ v2 chips were released in 2019).
I posted this elsewhere a few days ago. 20 years ago, most of us had 802.11b WiFi routers with WEP encryption. We have evolved away from that, and I wish we'd view archaic home automation technology the same way.
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If you need the lever lock, use this one instead.
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I prefer Zigbee locks but they seem a bit hard to come by these days...
I have a Yale YRD256 with a Zigbee module and a Kwikset 912
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As any Noob should, I researched better this time and took your advice. A Yale lock (on the compatibility list) is on the way... the Schlage can move to the detached garage door.
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I have 3 Schlage BE469's that work very well. Though even that model has certain issues with pairing (anything below 7.10 firmware is a crap shoot). It's frustrating that Schlage has no interest in releasing firmware updates.
As it turned out I got a very old model FE599 (at least in terms of the z-wave version) primarily because it matched the previous model i had on the door that wasn't a connected version. This time I went with the Yale YRD256. Should arrive today or tomorrow. I'll post an update.
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