I do believe that Z-Wave consume less power. So I always try to go with Z-Wave. And I am deciding to go with ZigBee for direct powered (AC/DC) devices.
I do also notice there are many AC/DC powered devices with Z-Wave as well . When ZigBee is faster and also if the device can support AC/DC power, why do people go with Z-Wave.
Suggest me which I should prefer
Battery (Z-Wave or ZigBee) as I am going with only Z-Wave for now as for longer battery life
Powered (Z-Wave or ZigBee), I am planned to go with ZigBee as they are cheaper and faster
I would like to change my preference if my assumptions are wrong and the suggestions are better.
That comparison isn't very good, and has several incorrect statements. In a real-life situation, for both protocols, battery life depends on the generation of device used, and the robustness of a mesh. Retransmits consume more power.
As @rlithgow1 points out, z-wave devices are generally more expensive because currently there is a single source for z-wave chips. In contrast, zigbee chips are available from multiple vendors.
For a given need, I just pick whatever device best accomodates how I want it to work -- doesn't make any difference to me whether the device is zigbee or z-wave.
I think this is the general trend. I find z-wave to require more care and feeding but also less subject to interference from wifi. And sometimes there's a niche device available only in one format or another.
Very true. I think that once you've setup your system using Z Wave there's no reason it should require any more care; you just need to be aware that you can't just unplug that outlet you're using for your Christmas Tree because it's late January - there may be consequences if other devices are using it to route to the hub.
With regard to WiFi I'm aware that channel selection is important to avoid clashing with your own 2.4 GHz channels. That's all fine and dandy but there are circumstances when that unwanted interference is going to be unavoidable. For instance I use all 3 non overlapping channels for my Unifi AP's. Also, if your property is in a densely populated area or if your home adjoins another, you've no control. You can hardly knock on your neighbours door and say 'hey pal, can you change frequency, you're clashing with my Zigbee and FYI you're occupying the entire spectrum with an 80MHz channel you greedy bandwidth hogging b**tard'
I use solely Z Wave. I think originally my preference was to build one strong mesh and as my first devices were shutter modules I was pushed toward Z Wave. I do wonder about the speed of Zigbee and whether I'd notice the difference in motion lighting.
And...
ZigBee is a much more competitive market since all regions use the same devices.
Whereas Z-Wave is broken into various regions so competition is more fragmented.
Whatever you do, you must buy your repeaters first and set them up or you're in for a big headache. If you go with Zigbee(larger selection of affordable devices) make sure you have enough repeaters. Depending on home size/construction you may need 1 or 2 repeaters per floor, and that's a huge generalization. Every environment is unique as to how many repeaters produce stability. Do save money/time and read through what has worked for others well in terms of the device you need want to purchase
I am from India and everything is expensive here. Since I have USA SmartThings and USA Yale Assure I am forced to use Z-Wave USA till now.
But on AliXpress I am only finding lots of EU Z-Wave devices. Since I already moved to Hubitat, I am planning to get Yale ZigBee module for my assure and then get all EU Z-Wave devices.
Regarding the power consumption. I compared these two devices.
Neo Cool Cam Z-Wave Door Sensor - consumes 1 µA power
Other ZigBee Contact Sensor - consumes 15 to 30 µA
This is proving that, Z-Wave are more efficient in battery for the above devices at least. That brings less headache in changing battery.
Also NEO Cool Cam is one of the reliable brand for Z-Wave Devices. I could not find a reliable ZigBee brand.
Also I see that, WiFi will create problem with ZigBee devices. And in some thread I read that, many manufacturers does not follow proper protocol in ZigBee devices.
I think you’ll find it’s not quite so simple in real life. How much battery power a device ends up using will have a lot to do with how often it wakes up, whether it has a strong and stable route to the hub, and other factors that are specific to each user’s home environment.
There are several brands of zigbee devices that users here have had good experiences with, but I can’t speak to what’s available in India.
WiFi can interfere with zigbee. It’s not as if it’s guaranteed to happen. Again, lots of satisfied zigbee users here, and presumably pretty much everyone also uses WiFi in their home.
That’s not as widespread a problem as you seem to be concerned it is.
Ultimately, you can have a good experience with either z-wave or zigbee devices connected to your Hubitat Elevation hub. Like several others have mentioned above, I also use both.
I have a mixture of Z-Wave and Zigbee. I've found my worst battery hog is a Visonic MCT-340. It is a ZIgbee device but the battery usage is not typical of all my battery devices (of either technology). The point being, battery life is for the most part determined by the product design (hardware and software).
So IMHO one is much better off picking devices from the "better" mfg and taking what ever technology is offered.
I have a combination of Zigbee, Z-wave and Lutron Caseta Clear Connect devices. There are 179 total devices including the virtual ones. I have only one WiFi device, a Hue Wiz light bulb.
I LOVE Lutron Caseta. It is rock solid reliable, but you pay for that stability. The Lutron Caseta Pro hub is around $150 and each switch costs about $60. The Lutron Pico remotes are great.
I use Zigbee for most of my sensors. They tend to be reliable and are relatively inexpensive.
I use Z-wave for more critical tasks. Some devices are difficult to get in Zigbee. My Schlage lock is Z-wave. My water cut-off valve actuator is Z-wave. I also use Z-wave power monitoring switches (Zooz Zen 15) to monitor my appliances such as washer, gas dryer, and sump pump. I have a few Z-wave sensors, but not as many as Zigbee.
The stability of your signal mesh depends upon critical placement of repeaters. Zigbee repeaters can be purchased inexpensively in the way of smart plugs with repeating capability. There are fewer options for Z-wave repeaters/range extenders and those that do exist tend to be more expensive in today's market.
Thus, my recommendation would be to have both a Zigbee and Z-wave mesh. If you can afford it, take a look at Lutron Caseta. I have never read any posts about people saying they disliked Caseta system, they just lament the prices. In this case, you are getting what you pay for.
There's always a lot of talk regarding 'repeaters'. Although dedicated signal repeaters exist that serve no other purpose than to aid a weak mesh; any powered module/device will also perform that function. If a system primarily consists of non repeating battery devices, then some powered repeating devices/dedicated repeaters will be essential. In my own system of 45 ish Z Wave devices, only 7 are battery/non repeating and most powered devices are behind switch plates so cannot be inadvertently disconnected. So as you say, the most important thing is that there is a sufficient density/spread of devices that have 'repeating capability'. To me a device that does nothing but repeat is a bit of a waste.
I wish the forum could filter all comments regarding the brilliant Lutron Caseta kit so that us folk in the UK don't have to read about something so good that is so unavailable.
