New to Hubitat, looking for device recommendations

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#1

Hello all,

I am moving into a new home next month and started researching ways to make it smart. I finally decided on Hubitat.

I am looking for suggestions on what products I should buy for the following.
Light Switches (Fans and dimmers as well)
Plugs
Door locks
Garage Door Opener
Outdoor Cameras
Sprinkler system

I currently have the following coming with me from my old home

Google Home Hubs and Minis
Nest Doorbell
Nest Thermostats (I understand there is no Nest integration but my wife loves these too much to switch)
TPlink switches (It seems wifi is not the best route when doing all switches in the house)
Wemo plugs (These have caused nothing but frustration)
Wyze cams (for indoors)

#2

Welcome to the community!

For switches, I like the GE ones. Make sure to get Z-Wave Plus. Not the old Z-Wave ones.

Most importantly, do not buy Z-Wave smart locks. They just can't be made 100% reliable for everyone. Get the Zigbee variants. They are night-and-day better.

I like the GoControl garage door openers. Do a little research and make sure you're getting the Z-Wave Plus variant. Sometimes they label them weird and resellers advertise them wrong.

Good luck!

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#3

There is a custom integration for the TP-Link switches. They should work well as long as you do not have a lot of them.
Dave

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#4

Welcome to the community! First, what protocol do you want to use for things. For my wired switches I use GE zwave switches. They're older non plus, but they work, so they'll stay. I recently ordered up some zooz switches. There are reps here from zooz and inovelli. GE, I do not think so. I haven't heard anything good about MyQ, but lots of people automate their garage door openers with relays and a smart switch. I would strongly suggest looking at the compatibility list in the documentation and then doing a quick search here for posts. You'll learn a lot. Otherwise, if you're leaning towards a product, post the question here and you'll get a ton of input on it. I do it all the time. This community is The tops.

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#5

Also, I recommend doing one thing at a time and growing your smarthome organically. And if you're doing one thing at a time, I like to start with the switches and plugs. That builds a good z-wave (or zigbee) mesh, so you have a strong mesh when you start getting to other device types.

5 Likes
#6

Hello, and welcome aboard!
I hope that you will find us welcoming and helpful.
In terms of what to use, I would like to suggest a few themes.

  1. It's all about the mesh: whether you choose zigbee, zwave plus, or lutron or some sort of combination it's important to build up a good strong mesh. Here are two great documents about building a strong zwave and zigbee mesh:
    How to Build a Solid Zigbee Mesh - Hubitat Documentation
    How to Build a Solid Z-Wave Mesh - Hubitat Documentation
  2. It appears that at this time (Feb 2020), although each type of mesh has it's pros and cons, no one type does completely cover the waterfront (with all the different types that you asked about). However, there does appear to be some favourites here. For lighting purposes, many have extolled the virtues of the Lutron ecosystem (Please note that you need the Pro version of the bridge, not the regular version). I myself have a small Lutron installation. Reliability, and dependability, and performance are excellent with these devices. However they are generally expensive and their appearance may not suit everyone. In terms of Zwave there are many very good choices: Leviton, Zooz, Innoveli, and others.
  3. Other devices: On this forum, it appears that zigbee door locks are more prevalent, with less issues than zwave (even though I have a zwave door lock without any issues). It also appears that in terms of motion sensors most people here are happier with the faster zigbee versions (Aduria, NYCE, etc.) than with the zwave versions (Aeotec, Zooz, etc.).
  4. One of the really great things about Hubitat is that it's very flexible with the type of devices that it can handle. Check the compatible devices list before getting anything:
    List of Compatible Devices - Hubitat Documentation
    Community Device Drivers (AKA Compatible Devices Wiki)

Welcome!

7 Likes
#7

Welcome.

Ithink my favorite switches and dimmers are the HomeSeer ones but it is too early to tell. I have pretty much every one of the GE models and they are not horrible. The old non-plus models are bad but not available any more. I also like the Inovelli dinners but, again, too early to tell.

Receptacles... I have GE but I am suspecting one of them is causing a mesh problem. I'm still investigating. I also use the Zooz double plugs. Not bad.

I use the OpenSprinkler and OpenGarage project firmwares for that stuff.

Ring for outdoor cameras but no video with those in HE.

I use Z-Wave locks with no issues. I have the August Pro, and a few Yale. No issues with any. I don't know what the fuss is about. Some won't connect because of security requirements of repeaters. There's a thread around about this I believe but I can't find it. I seem to remember getting one to join was difficult but once they joined they're fine.

3 Likes
#8

There’s a lot of good information above. I’ll add my current devices into the ring:

Bulbs - Sylvania (on a dedicated hub)
Switches - Inovelli
Motion sensors (indoors) - Iris v2
Motion sensors (outdoors) - Ecolink w/ pet immunity
Repeaters (Zigbee) - IKEA plug modules

I hav some other odds and ends but those are the ones I’m using in quantity.

1 Like
#9

Wow, I did not expect this many replies so quickly. Thanks everyone for the help and advice.
I got a better sense now of the direction to start looking.

I'm leaning towards Lutron for switches. I have just hear so many good things about them.

I didn't realize there was a wiki list with all the community drivers. This will help out a ton.

3 Likes
#10

Welcome!

Yeah, it’s really impressive to see the power of sharing in this community. Tons of knowledge and experience is spread around the world.

And I think the source of the impressive effort shown is also due to the fantastic people behind the product. No fuzz, open and honest gentlemen, with tons of experience!

They listen to and help the customer and the community, and the community gives back. The enthusiasm can be felt all the way to Norway! :slight_smile:
It’s actally baffeling easy, they share, we share, and we all want Hubitat to succeed!

That is evident by miles in this community :slight_smile: :hugs:
Again, welcom to the family!
Hope I can be of any help in the future.

RogerThat
Oslo, Norway

2 Likes
#11

My personal preference is to stick with Lutron for lighting, and zigbee for plugs where you can.

All else go with zwave if no zigbee is available.

I find zigbee is faster and Lutron is rock solid.

1 Like
#12

You will not be disappointed with Lutron!

This is my personal preference as well, and has been the basis of a very stable home automation system for my family.

If you want to use smart bulbs, I would strongly recommend either using Sengled bulbs paired directly to the Hubitat hub (assuming your have built a strong Zigbee mesh already) or Philips Hue using the Hue bridge to keep these bulbs on their own zigbee mesh network.

Note: Sengled bulbs are not Zigbee repeaters which is what makes them work well directly paired to the Hubitat hub. It should also be noted that Sengled bulbs cannot be paired to a Philips Hue bridge.

#13

Welcome to the community.. If you are looking for cool devices .. Shameless plug ahead.. But RGBGenie has some awesome products.. And I just wrote some awesome drivers for their z-wave products

3 Likes
#14

I like the GE z-wave plus dimmers, but I love the zigbee version where speed of activation is important and they seem to be okay repeaters. I recently bought up all of the remaining GE in-wall and plug-in dimmers around the Raleigh area for $5-$10 each. I also really like the Sylvania RGBW recessed lights (but firmware must be updated) that you can get for $12 each on Amazon. I have never had one of the recessed lights fail or lose connection. There is also the 10 packs of Iris V2 motion sensors that are $50 on Ebay. Samsung and Sylvania plugs are the most reliable I have found.

#15

Is there are driver for the RGBGenie Remote?

#16

Check the Compatible Devices list. Lots of RGBGenie devices are on the list.

https://docs.hubitat.com/index.php?title=List_of_Compatible_Devices

#17

I use Inovelli Zwave Plus switches and dimmers and they work well. Highly recommended.

#18

I recommend Lutron Caseta (and the smart bridge pro) paired with the Hubitat... this is the ONLY way to go as far as I am concerned...

#19

There are many great options for light switches/dimmers. No one option has it all. The 3 options I list below I would consider rock solid. Really comes down to you liking the look,pricing and the unique characteristics of each option. The unique characteristic (that I would consider important) for each option is as follows:

First: Lutron - Unique look and layout of switches/dimmers along with ability to use Picos as you see fit.

Second: Inovelli - The Red Series switches/dimmers have an LED bar that you can customize. i.e. glows red when alarm is on, purple when it is time to let the dog out, etc... They also have power monitoring built in. Their fan switch is easily the best option if you only have one wire between your fan and your switch (ac fans only).

Third: GE/Jasco - Look like a regular switch/dimmer, it does not appear different than a regular wall switch. They have switches/dimmers with built in motion sensors, allowing you to kill two birds with one stone.

You mentioned your moving into a new home, but I am not sure if this means a brand new build or simply a new home for you. If the home is older and there could be some switches without a neutral wire. Then your option becomes Lutron or Inovelli Red.

#20

I use Arlo cameras. Been more or less happy with them. I do not do any integration with HE and Arlo though. I use either the Leviton zwave on/off modules or the Smartthings zigbee plugs. Both seem to work just fine for me. I went with Lutron Caseta switches - most of my house has no neutral and their in-wall dimmers work fine without a neutral wire. Most of their other switches do require them, though. You also need a separate Lutron hub (and the PRO series, not the regular one), but I've found them to be super reliable and since most of the other switches in the new sections of the house are Lutron already it kind of makes sense.

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