When I first started setting up my home automation, I decided on Zigbee, and I very much dove in head-first. I set up dozens of Zigbee devices, and some worked a lot better than others. I have a fairly stable Zigbee network with well over 100 devices, but many of those have been replaced over time. To save others the wasted time and money, I wanted to give a short breakdown of what I’ve noticed across brands.

  • SONOFF: My Zigbee controller is made by SONOFF, and it works well. As far as their motion sensors, not so much (I even made a post about how bad they were about a year ago). Their motion sensors give such unreliable results that they’re borderline useless. Their plugs work generally okay, although they do drop off my network occasionally. Overall, they really wouldn’t be my first choice.

  • Aquara: They make some very slick-looking devices, but they’re horrible. Magnetic door sensors frequently just get stuck in an open or closed state, or just drop off the network completely. I used two of their leak sensors. One is still working well; the other just spontaneously decided to stop responding completely. I have a few of their pushbuttons; it took me at least a dozen tries to pair them, but they seem to work well after that. Overall, Aquara devices either quit responding or drop off the network more frequently than any other brand; I will never buy another Aquara device.

  • DOGAIN: I bought several of their plugs. So far, not a single issue. I assume they’re a white-label brand, so I don’t know who actually makes the hardware, but I have no complaints so far.

  • MHCOZY: Another white-label brand. I’ve purchased several of their relay switches. I haven’t had a single problem with any of them, and I’m using quite a few.

  • Haozee: Probably another white-label brand. I have several of their mmWave sensors. Occasionally they get stuck in a “detected” state, but rarely. They have never dropped off my network. I’d buy more.

  • Phillips (Hue): They’re exceptionally expensive, but for a reason. I have a lot of their smart bulbs, and a few outdoor motion sensors. They all work flawlessly. Don’t use the Hue app or a Hue bridge, though, unless you want to be locked into their app; just pair your device with a third-party Zigbee controller.

  • Leviton: I have replaced every single in-wall switch in my home with a Leviton smart switch or smart dimmer. They’re a well-known brand, so I would expect their products to work well, and they do. My only complaint is that occasionally one of the switches will drop and refuse to communicate unless I power it off (with a breaker); this is rare, though, and normally corresponds with a power outage.

  • Thirdreality: I saved Thirdreality for last because I have absolutely no complaints at all. They are my go-to for Zigbee devices. I have many of their temperature sensors, plugs, magnetic door sensors, motion sensors, soil moisture sensors, etc. I have never had a device drop off my network or stop working correctly. I have dozens of their devices, and my only issue was a climate sensor that got stuck at 99% humidity after I accidentally sprayed water into the case. That’s my fault.

So, in general, if I was to re-build my Zigbee network from the ground up, I’d go for Thirdreality devices first. If they didn’t make what I need, I’d go for Phillips Hue, and if I still couldn’t find what I need, then that’s what the list above is for.

I’m hoping to see some replies to this; what are your experiences with different Zigbee devices? Any brands you either trust or would never buy from?

Edit: As others have mentioned, your Zigbee integration (also also possibly your controller) may make a difference in reliability. I am using ZHA and a SONOFF controller. Your experience may be different.

  • ChapulinColorado@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    4 hours ago

    Same here. I’m using the Nortek z-wave and sigbee usb adapter with zigbee2mqtt + home assistant (both on docker). They are sometimes annoying to pair, but never had one drop for anything other than low battery (original battery sometimes craps out after a few months, but replacements go for 1+ year). I did hear their second gen motion sensor was kind of a miss when compared to the original one, so I stuck to the v1s. Not sure if they’ve addressed the reported issues. People also say that they don’t follow the protocol to the letter, so it seems possible that depending on the hub, they might not work as expected.

    We also have some third reality smart switches that turn a switch “smart” with a physical mechanism on the outside, while not as good looking, they are awesome for renters when you want yo automate things like kitchen lights without having to replace anything on the circuit itself. The batteries last forever (aaa). I found that adding some vinyl matching the color of your outlets makes them more stealth if you also don’t have white outlets.

    Edit: one of our third reality switches was placed on the porch light, which we wired the Christmas lights to this year using one of those $1.50 light socket to socket adapters (LED Christmas lights use very little energy - should be ok to power with a light socket which can do 100w for porch lights just keep it below 60w if unsure). It made automating them on when the sun set and off after midnight or so a breeze.