More and more people are starting to use smart devices in their homes. The smart home revolution is here, and things just get better and better every day. The ability to access new devices and bring in new features to the old ones is an astonishing one, and it just brings in front tremendous joy and happiness to the users. This is why using the best Z wave hub is a very good idea.
Such a hub allows you to easily manage smart devices, and that will make things a lot easier for you! But finding the right Z wave hub is not an easy task, so we are here to help. We created a list of the 7 best Z wave hub options, all while giving you some guidelines on how you can make the right pick according to your own needs!
What to consider when you get the best Z wave hub
You will notice that there are lots of great things to keep in mind here. First, you want to understand how many devices you have to control. If you want to combine multiple home automation protocols, you will need to acquire a device that supports all the protocols. You should also try and see if the unit you want to buy will make it easy to filter out the controller choice list.
As you can imagine, customization is important too. You want to be able to customize and modify everything the best way you can, and doing that can be extremely helpful in this regard. Of course, pricing is important too, so try to set a budget and stick to it so you can get the best possible experience and results.
7 Best Z Wave Hub Reviews
Samsung Smartthings Smart Home Hub
The thing that makes this Samsung SmartThings Smart Home Hub so amazing is the fact that it works with just about all of your modern devices. It delivers the type of value and quality that you can expect, and it connects everything together in no time. It’s considered one of the best products out there because you can add whatever smart devices you want with little to no effort. This includes things like sensors, thermostats, speakers, locks, and lights.
The application is very easy to customize, and they did a very good job at bringing in support for Z-wave as well as ZigBee too. So you can easily access multiple protocols if you want, which is always an extraordinary thing to have. The thing you have to keep in mind is that this unit has backup power from the included batteries.
You do need an internet-connected router for it, but other than that you are good to go. The performance is very good, and customers appreciate how easy the installation is. Newly installed devices are accessed immediately, and you will be quite impressed with the efficiency and value offered this way. Not only that, but the community here is very active, and there’s a lot of informational content in case you get stuck.
Cons
There are some bugs and glitches software-wise, so the unit won’t always do the things you want. And you do have to plug it into the router. It sounds great, but it may not deliver the results you want every time.
This product cannot be used outside the US
Conclusion
Still, the Samsung SmartThings Smart Home Hub is an amazing product and one that will impress you with its quality, value, and efficiency. If you want a reliable unit and the best Z wave hub out there, this may be a really good pick.
Nexia Z-Wave Bridge, Smart Home Hub, BR200
What should you know about the Nexia Z-Wave Bridge, Smart Home Hub, and BR100? Maybe the best thing about it is that it connects to the router and the connection is encrypted. Only you can access the device, and that extra security does offer peace of mind, that’s for sure.
But what makes this the best Z wave hub for some people is that you can control up to 200 smart products at the same time. They have to be Z wave compatible, true, but it’s still a huge achievement. The communication range is around 100 feet, so you can easily control just about everything within your home with little to no effort.
Cons
There are some downsides too. This product requires you to pay for a monthly subscription. The subscription costs a lower amount per month, but some of the other Z wave hubs don’t need that subscription, so in this case, you do have to pay more in the long term. Then again, you do receive encrypted connectivity, so that may be worth the investment.
You can also face situations when the connection is dropping out of nowhere. It does get back up, but during our tests, this was a bit problematic. It’s still a very good deal and a tremendous product that’s worth the money.
Aeotec Smart Home Z Wave Hub
There are many reasons to use the Aeotec Smart Home Hub as one of the best options out there. But the major one is the price it offers. At under $150, the unit delivers automatic discovery, and fast installation, and it even connects via Wi-Fi as well as Ethernet in no time. It has a really good processor and a lot of memory too.
But what makes this unit stand out is the overall performance. It’s extremely good, and it does bring in front a whole lot of value and efficiency. It’s a bit hard at times to get the best possible outcome, but the Aeotec Smart Home Hub does offer you the ability to transfer your ecosystem even if you used the older version. That’s a great boost for early adopters.
Another great feature you will like here is the support for Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistance. Voice control is possible, and during our tests, it worked pretty well. You can also program a huge range of smart devices, and you can control actions via voice or app too if you want.
Cons
The device cannot work outside of North America
Vera Control VeraEdge
Despite the fact that it looks rather simple, the Vera Control VeraEdge North American One Application Control may be one of the best Z wave hub options out there. The best thing about it is that you always receive a very good return on investment and the results you receive are among some of the best out there. The overall quality is astonishing, and you will see that there’s support for around 200 smart device types, like dimmers, locks, cameras, motion detectors, and so on.
The app for this unit has a sleek interface, and it’s quite easy to customize. It brings in front all the options you want in a single package, and you can also do things like creating automatic scenes, lowering the thermostat, or turning off lights if you want. There are some adjacent features like automatic settings and viewing multiple cameras too.
The only downside of this product is that the thermostat interface is not exactly intuitive and it can get annoying at times. But aside from that, everything works quite nicely, and it offers all the features you want in a single and comprehensive package.
HomeSeer HomeTroller S6 Home Automation Controller
The HomeSeer HomeTroller S6 Home Automation Controller is extremely handy, and it does feature maybe some of the nicest, best features that you can find on the market. What makes this one of the best offers out there? The ability to control your home remotely without a monthly fee is extremely helpful here.
And the design is great too; they did a very good job at making an accessible, yet easy-to-use unit that works exactly the way you would expect. Unlike other models, the HomeSeer HomeTroller S6 Home Automation Controller works with just about any interface you want. Be it Z-Wave, X1- or Insteon, even more than that, the unit can offer support for them. You also get support for your tablets and phones too, which is nice.
After our tests, we found that you can control 100+ product types, with irrigation, security, door locks, thermostats, and lighting being some of the best examples in this regard. They also have voice control support, which is extremely important to take into consideration. It’s not exactly user-friendly, installation can be a chore, and even using it will take some getting used to. But in the end, it can be a worthwhile investment.
GE Z-Wave
GE Z-Wave is one of those tools that help you manage all your smart devices in your home with great efficiency and value. The best thing about this particular product is that it’s Alexa compatible, and that means you have immediate voice support. Of course, you also have support for your phone, but if you don’t want to use that, then you can still use this and have a great time doing it.
Moreover, there are lots of compatible z-wave certified hubs that this unit offers support for, which is good. You can control the lights and other smart features in your home right from your phone, and that can be incredibly handy all the time.
They also have an interesting scheduling feature that makes it easy and convenient for you to access the right features you want in a single package. It works quite nicely, and it offers the best possible convenience in no time.
The best thing about this product is its price, that’s for sure. It works flawlessly too, and you can easily automate your lamp if you want. It’s responsive and really easy to install too. It will also detect new devices, which can be very helpful if you install new smart devices all the time. As a whole, the GE Z-Wave is a really good investment for any smart home enthusiast. It’s a budget solution, but it also has some of the features that most of the best premium solutions have right now, and that does say a lot!
ZIPABOX
Then ZIPABOX has a really interesting design, a rather futuristic one that you can’t see in the case of most home automation hubs. Why is the best Z wave hub, a contender? Because it includes the features you need and so much more in a rather comprehensive package. You have a dedicated app, drag-and-drop rule creation as well as the ability to connect via Ethernet if you want.
All Z-wave devices are supported, and that makes this unit an extremely good purchase. There are always some options here and there, but the ZIPABOX is by far one of the nicest, best tools that you can acquire right now, and the results can be extremely good.
What you should note is that they charge about $100 per year for an expanded web service. The user interface is functional, but in order for this to be the best product, it should be better and easier to use.
The connectivity is ok most of the time, but you can have some drops at times. It’s important to note that the unit doesn’t offer a lot of customization options, so many times you end up limited to what they offer. It’s not bad by any means, but more expansion and better support would be a great thing to have!
Conclusion
As you can see, if you want to find the best Z wave hub, it can take a bit of time to identify the right model for you. But there are lots of great options out there, so it all comes down to creating a list of the devices that you need to connect to the Z wave hub.
Once you have that list, check the compatibility and then figure out if you need to buy any extra controllers or accessories. Also, you should have a budget here. The Z wave hubs vary in price, so it’s important to figure out what pricing option is good for you. Check out the models listed above, and you will have no problem finding the right option to suit your needs!
