For my HE setup I don't have any ZigBee or Z-Wave devices. I only have some KASA WiFi smart outlets.
Between these ZigBee or Z-Wave which do you recommend I purchase?
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The Z-Wave Plus model is $39 more but I don't care that much. Thank you
Take a read through the forums and see the amount of trouble people have with their z-wave locks. I'd recommend zigbee for locks every time.
I have 2 of these I bought in zwave and regretted the purchase. Pairing was just impractical. Ended up buying zigbee chips on eBay and much happier with the locks. Battery life doesn't seem to have changed either.
On a side note, if the lock is exposed to direct sunlight the screen will eventually crack. I have seen this on kwickset touchscreens too though so it's not just a Yale issue.
Which ever solution you go with, make sure you have a strong mesh network. If you do go with Z-wave, make sure that you have a beaming repeater near the lock. Beaming repeaters are not the same as regular repeaters. The way that locks conserve battery power is to sleep for short periods of time when not in use. This can cause them to miss messages. A beaming repeater will repeat the message several times to make sure that the lock receives it. Without a beaming repeater, you will get poor performance from any z-wave lock.
As Ryan says make sure you have a beaming repeater for Z-wave. If you choose Zigbee, you should also make sure you add at least one repeater close to the lock.
Thanks. What is the Z-wave and Zigbee repeaters you all recommend?
I try to use wired in devices where possible i.e in wall switches and outlets. That is relatively easy with Z-wave since there are many more choices for me in the US. Choose anything Z-Wave Plus line powered for a repeater.
There aren't as many categories of devices for wired in Zigbee but you can find them. There are good Zigbee plugin devices. Ikea comes to mind.
I have the YRD256. Radio might not be the same, but with the YRD256 I have no issues with the Z-Wave Plus module. Have tried two different locks of the same model on the same door. Both performed without issue and the one I kept of the two has continued to perform without issue. Lock is just 10 feet from the hub. I have no Z-Wave repeaters.
Z-wave locks require more than just a regular repeater. Your z-wave plus switches, if they are a couple years old, will not be great repeaters for the newest z-wave locks. The newest z-wave locks require a "beaming" repeater. These repeaters repeat the message several time over and over again to allow the lock to "sleep" temporarily, saving battery power. So, the radio doesn't have to stay on 24/7 since it doesn't receive all that many messages typically. The newest Z-wave devices will be beaming repeaters but the newest GE switches, for example, while great Z-wave Plus repeaters, are not beaming repeaters. So, not very much help with z-wave locks.
You can go to the z-wave alliance web site to see if the product has beaming.
https://products.z-wavealliance.org/
Here is a example.
https://products.z-wavealliance.org/products/1945/pics
The Z-Wave Alliance site says that the YRD226 supports Z-Wave beaming technology.
This Aeotec seems like a good quality repeater then?
Yes...exactly my point. You'll want a beaming repeater for that lock to make it work as well as possible. Some people have had bad experiences with Z-wave locks because their repeaters are non-beaming.
I have 2 Yale Yrd-110 Z-wave (non plus) units. No problems since included into HE (months ago).
But I need to say that they are both very close (about 3 meters - 9 ft) from my hub. This is due to my home configuration: my HE room is close to my main door. Just 1 wall between them.
I agree to other owners: Z-wave+ (if Z-wave unit), strong repeaters around. Or Zigbee units.
GE just came out with new switches this summer (e.g., model 46201) and their conformance document indicates that they are beaming repeaters: https://products.z-wavealliance.org/products/3317. In fact, even at least some of their older "classic" switches supported it, too: https://products.z-wavealliance.org/products/1203.
Beaming has been around for a while and is older than Plus; I was surprised to have a "classic" Aeon smart plug that also supported it. However, it wasn't a required feature for certification until, I think, 2015. So new devices are indeed likely to have it (but not if they haven't changed in years), but old devices may surprise you too. That being said, I've gotten rid of all my non-Plus repeaters so I can take advantage of mesh pairing and for (theoretically) better range.
Regardless, I'd definitely recommend as many Plus and beaming repeaters as you can get for Z-Wave locks--they can be tricky. Even for Zigbee, I'd recommend at least one repeater. With either protocol, no matter how close it is to your hub, you never know what might RF "dead spots" you might have that another path will help with.
If I could choose now, I think I'd go with Zigbee, but I didn't have much of a choice then. But it works well most of the time. 
And zigbee can be "funny" with how it picks which repeater to use. I have several which "pick" a repeater that is further away from the hub. In some cases it's because it has line of site to it. So, I've learned to never assume where you'll need a repeater. It's better to just have enough to cover the space.
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