Zigbee
Best balance of price, easy-of-use, compatibility, and availability; but don’t let that deter you from Wi-Fi or Z-Wave if that’s what’s available.
Introduction
I’d like to start by stating that most smart homes are built from a mix of Wi-Fi, Zigbee, and Z-Wave devices. They each have a specialty and can have a place in your smart home. However, when a choice is available, I usually take the Zigbee option. I’ll explain why below. Let’s take a look at each of the wireless protocols.
Ranking Chart
| Feature | Wi-Fi | Zigbee | Z-Wave |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ | ⭐ |
| Availability | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ | ⭐ |
| Compatibility | ⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ |
| Ease-of-use | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐ |
| Scalability | ⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ |
| Security | ⭐⭐ | ⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |
Justification
Wi-Fi Devices
Wi-Fi is a tried-and-true technology that we all use regularly. Wi-Fi-enabled products are cheap and easy to find. They are easy to configure because we are familiar with them, and they are usually cloud-connected devices, which means you do not need a smart hub to use them. This last point tends to be a double-edged sword, though.
Because Wi-Fi devices are dependent on the cloud, they do not work if your internet goes down, or worse, if the host company goes out of service. They also tend to be a little slower. The devices are often proprietary and only work with a specific app. This means that to integrate them with your smart home, like a voice assistant or automation platform, the app maker must have an integration compatible with your other smart home tools. Some companies have better apps and integrations then others.
Matter has tried to overcome this limitation by standardizing how Wi-Fi devices communicate and allowing them to be controlled locally. However, you will need a Matter controller, which I am not going to cover in this article. It also does not solve the problem that Wi-Fi does a poor job of creating a mesh network: Existing Wi-Fi devices will not act as a repeater to expand your network.
For Wi-Fi devices to work, every device needs to be connected directly to your router or an access point. A typical household router can only support 30-40 connections at a time. If every smart device in your home requires a Wi-Fi connection, you will quickly find yourself needing to expand your Wi-Fi network, which can get expensive.
So, when should you buy a Wi-Fi-enabled smart device? Its biggest strength lies in its high bandwidth, making Wi-Fi ideal for anything that requires audio or video, such as:
Zigbee
Zigbee is a popular choice for smart home enthusiasts due to its robust mesh networking capabilities and low power consumption. It has been around long enough to become mainstream, and the prices are pretty comparable to Wi-Fi devices. Zigbee does require a hub, which may be an extra one-time purchase, but it’s no worse than expanding your Wi-Fi network. I recommend the Hubitat Elevation, which is both a Zigbee and Z-Wave hub. Connecting a Zigbee device to a hub is as simple as clicking a button.
Zigbee’s low power consumption makes it ideal for battery-operated devices, allowing you to place them almost anywhere. Many of the battery-operated devices can run for years on a single battery. The battery-operated devices do not typically work as a mesh network repeater though, so it is a good idea to have some devices with constant power. Light switches and bulbs usually meet this criterion. I have also recently become a fan of presence sensors.
Where Zigbee tends to come up short is in security. It does not have the rigorous certification that Z-Wave requires. You will not find Zigbee door locks or security systems.
Consider Zigbee for:
Z-Wave
Z-Wave has struggled to become popular. The devices are more expensive, more difficult to set up, and harder to find. It forms a mesh network like Zigbee, but the network can take more time to set up. The one area it excels in is security. You can find plenty of security related Z-Wave devices. The Z-Wave Alliance mandates strict interoperability and security standards. Z-Wave also operates on a different frequency than Wi-Fi or Zigbee, causing it to be less prone to wireless interference.
Use Z-Wave for:
- Door Locks
- Contact and Motion Sensors (when used for security)
- Smoke/CO Detectors
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