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ZigBee and Z-Wave aretwo of the main wireless protocolsused in smarthome products.
Knowing what to use when is key to running a smooth smarthome.
No one answer is right for everyone, because unfortunately, thesmarthome industry is a mess.
Here are some differences and similarities between the two protocols to help decide which to chose.
Related:The Smarthome Industry Has Reached a Plateau.
One of the strengths and weaknesses of ZigBee is that it’s an open protocol and nobody owns it.
This is good in that the code can be checked and it’s probably not going anywhere.
This is also bad in that anyone can take the code and change it to suit their needs.
This is exactly what happened with Philips Hue, the first ZigBee product most people encounter.
But if you’re a big believer in open source, ZigBee is the winner here.
Unlike ZigBee, Z-Wave is a closed standard, owned by Silicon Labs.
It has changed hands multiple times now, which could be considered an unstable factor.
Unfortunately, that’snot always true.
If your general feeling is that closed systems are more secure, Z-Wave takes the win over ZigBee.
Of course, they aren’t compatible with one another.
Z-Wave will only mesh with other Z-Wave devices and ZigBee will only mesh with other ZigBee devices.
One distinct advantage for Z-Wave is how far apart these devices can be.
Z-Wave can connect devices as far as 550 feet away, while ZigBee maxes out at about 60 feet.
You might need to move a gear or hub closer for a stable connection.
The signal then hops from one gear to the next until it reaches the hub.
Z-wave can only make four hops.
ZigBee, however, can hop through as many devices as necessary to reach the hub.
ZigBee Requires Less Power
ZigBee devices require less power and so last longer between battery changes.
ZigBee is still ahead in the power game, though.
It requires a smart lock and a connected camera.
But the only smart locks that work with this are ZigBee devices.
Amazon made a similar decision with its Echo Plus rig, a voice assistant and hub thatonly supports ZigBee.
While this may seem a curious choice, it probably comes out of another strength of ZigBee.
Z-Wave, however, uses different radio frequencies depending on the country.
So if you move abroad, you will likely have to buy Z-Wave devices all over again.
So, Which Should I Choose?
So, if you have already invested in some of those products, that might sway your decision.
However, there’s one other thing you ought to know.
It’s still a good idea to pick one standard and adhere to that as much as possible.
But, using a hub that supports both protocols at least opens up your options a bit.
And that’s important because right now nothing is guaranteed in the smarthome world.
Image Credit:Oleksii Lishchyshyn/Shutterstock,Amazon.com
