Category: Home Automation

If you’re reading this, there’s a very good chance that you know exactly what are the available technologies for the home nowadays.

Are you wondering what are the best z wave hubs to take care of your home needs for integration and automation?

Z wave hubs can increase your convenience and comfort of your home in a considerable way. By taking advantage of these advancements we make our day-to-day tasks simpler.

With automation, you can free yourself from menial activities and focus on the things that matter most to you.

However, creating a smart home is quite a process. Aside from a lengthy product selection due to the sheer amount of options available, choosing the right smart home hub can be a bit of a challenge.

So to help you find the right one for your smart home, we’ve rounded up some of the best Z wave hubs in the market today below.

Best Z Wave Hub Comparison Table

Product	Access	Language	Connectivity
Samsung SmartThings Hub 3rd Generation [GP-U999SJVLGDA] Smart Home Automation Hub	Mobile app	Wi-Fi Zigbee Alexa, Google integration	Bluetooth Wi-Fi Ethernet Cloud and local network
Hubitat Elevation Home Automation Hub	Web interface	Zigbee Lutron and many other hubs Alexa, Google integration	Ethernet
Wink WNKHUB-2US 2 Smart Home Hub	Mobile app	Zigbee Kidde Lutron Clear Connect Alexa integration	Wi-Fi Ethernet Bluetooth
Samsung SmartThings Home Monitoring Kit	Mobile app	Zigbee Alexa integration	Ethernet Cloud and local network
Leviton DZ15S-1BZ Decora Smart Switch with Z-Wave Technology	Mobile app	Alexa integration	Z-wave protocol
Vera Control VeraPlus-US Smart Home Controller Hub	Mobile app Web interface	Zigbee Alexa integration	Wi-Fi Ethernet Bluetooth Cloud and local network
RGBGenie Z-Wave RGBW LED Controller		Zigbee Echo Plus integration	Z-wave protocol
Zooz Z-Wave Plus S2 USB Stick	Web interface Mobile app	Home Assitant HomeSeer Domoticz OpenHAB	Wireless

Best Z Wave Hub Reviews: Our Top 6 Picks

1. Samsung SmartThings Hub 3rd Generation [GP-U999SJVLGDA] Smart Home Automation Hub

To give you a good introduction to the best Z-wave hubs, we’re starting our list with one of the most popular options available today: the Samsung SmartThings Hub. This 3rd gen version is one of the best-selling options available today, making it a very strong contender for the top spot.

Aside from being a major tech brand, SmartThings is also a convenient choice for its wide connectivity, reliable quality, and compatibility with many different brands. It also has a 10-hour power backup, so even if you experience a power interruption, your settings don’t have to suffer as well.

2. Hubitat Elevation Home Automation Hub 

Hailed by experts as an up and coming star, the Hubitat Elevation Home Automation Hub is also gaining quite a buzz lately with its great price and performance. It may not have come from a big tech manufacturer but it’s proving itself to be worth looking into for its many merits.

Its biggest charm? It has very good customer support. They offer both email support and an online community manned by their team. These make them very easy to reach if you have any issues. They also have lots of video tutorials available as well as detailed online documentation so you won’t have a hard time finding the details that you need to know about.

3. Wink WNKHUB-2US 2 Smart Home Hub

The Wink Smart Home Hub is possibly the prettiest Z-wave hub in this list. It has this elegant and minimalist silhouette that won’t make you want to tuck it away somewhere. It’s not just beautiful, though, as it’s also made to be very functional.

Its greatest charm is its wide compatibility. It can work with a lot of other protocols aside from Z-wave so you can also use it with lots of other devices. It’s estimated that this device is compatible with about 530 devices so you won’t get limited in choosing which products to add to your smart home.

4. Samsung SmartThings Home Monitoring Kit 

If this is your first time setting up a smart home, then you might want a nice starter kit to simplify the process for you. The Samsung SmartThings Home Monitoring Kit is a highly recommended pick for such a purpose. This product includes the basic pieces that you need to monitor your home from wherever you are, making it a really handy option for newbies in home automation.

Like the other SmartThings product listed above, this kit relies on both cloud and local network to connect the devices together. As a result, you don’t have to worry about your connection’s stability as it can still operate as long as your other devices can also work without an internet connection.

5. Leviton DZ15S-1BZ Decora Smart Switch with Z-Wave Technology 

The Leviton DZ15S-1BZ Decora Smart Switch with Z-Wave Technology is not a smart home hub but it’s still worth mentioning for its functionality. This device is actually a light switch that is meant to help you customize your lighting with great ease. It can dim down or brighten up the light in a room, allowing you to create your desired ambiance with ease.

6. Vera Control VeraPlus-US Smart Home Controller Hub 

Being the middle ground among three of the best Z-wave controllers from the brand, the Vera Control VeraPLus-US Smart Home Controller Hub is pretty much the ‘just-right’ option for many. It already has everything you need and a bit more from a Z-wave smart home hub, making it a popular pick for many.

Why should you check it out? Its security features are impressive. It’s hailed by some as a reliable security hub, so if that’s your main priority, make sure to check this product out.

Buyer’s Guide: What You Should Look for in a Z Wave Hub

Now that you know what are the best Z-wave smart home hubs in the market today, you might want to know how you can actually choose one from them.

This is the trickiest part as you’ll need to make the right call if you want to make the most out of your setup.

So how do you choose the best Z-wave controller? Take a close look at these details as they’ll tell you everything you need to know about a Z-wave hub:

♠ Languages and Compatibility

While a Z-wave hub is primarily engineered to work with Z-wave devices, it doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be compatible with the other available languages that smart devices also speak.

If a device is can speak more languages, the more devices it can work with. For example, some Z-wave hubs are also capable of speaking ZigBee, Wi-Fi, UPB, and a lot more.

If you want to use a virtual AI in your network, you can also do so with the Z-Wave. Most hubs have Echo and Alexa integrations, as well as Google Home, Apple HomeKit, and other techs of the sort.

♠ Automation Performance

Another important thing to note when buying a Z-wave hub is the fact that they differ in performance.

These devices are meant to automate controlled devices so they can perform actions according to specific criteria.

The issue, however, is that some hubs can execute more complex automation than others.

So aside from just having your devices perform their tasks at certain times of the day or based on motion detection, others can do more.

They can also perform tasks based on what your other devices are doing or what you’re doing.

This means that if you want more automation, you should look for a Z-wave hub that can execute such complexities for you as well.

♠ Connection

You might also want to consider how you wish to access and connect your hub to your other smart home devices.

This can play a huge role in its performance and how well you’ll be able to make out of the tech.

Most Z-wave hubs can use a local network or a cloud service.

Both have their own advantages and drawbacks but it all boils down to how stable your internet connection is.

If it doesn’t go out at all, then you don’t have to load your local network and go for something that uses a cloud service. If you want to be on the safe side, go for one that uses a local network.

♠ Access

Z-wave hubs, like many other smart home devices, can be accessed in various ways.

It would be best if you get something that you can conveniently and securely access.

For a well-rounded option, look for something that can be controlled through a mobile app and computer app.

♠ Price

Tech pieces can get pricey and that’s a fact. So it’s best to go for something that can offer you a great bang for your buck.

♠ Ease of Use

Another crucial thing to look for in the best Z-wave hub is its ease of use. If you need to move heaven and earth just to use it with your other automated appliances and devices, then it’s not good.

Leave no doubt that it’s easy to install and has a user-friendly interface for starters because if it doesn’t, you’re in for a lot of frustrations.

In addition, be satisfied that they have reliable tech support as well, so you don’t have to go through a hard time if you find issues with your product.

♠ Security

The security features of your hub are also important as you wouldn’t want someone else to be controlling your home devices remotely.

Double check to pay close attention to this detail before you make a choice.

♠ Extra Features

There are a few additional features that can make a product all the more useful and handy. Take these into consideration as well.

Our Runners Up

Aside from our six picks above, we have a few more items that we want you to consider. They’re also great options but they just didn’t make the initial cut.

RGBGenie Z-Wave RGBW LED Controller 

Technically, the RGBGenie Z-Wave RGBW LED Controller isn’t necessarily a hub but it also controls the light display installed so it can qualify.

It’s meant to help you select the right ambiance for your home. It uses 4 color channels and can also serve as a range repeater.

Zooz Z-Wave Plus S2 USB Stick 

A curious addition to this list is the Zooz Z-Wave Plus S2 USB Stick. This device is definitely not like the others above since it’s a USB hub.

It’s not a separate device but it’s meant to work with a PC. Compared to the other items above, it might seem odd but it actually works which makes it a solid option.

Not having a traditional hub configuration actually makes this item a solid pick. Since you only need to stick it to a computer, the setup is perfectly simple.

It doesn’t even need special drivers to work, so that’s convenient. You can also use your preferred interface and you’re good to go.

Because of this, however, this device might not necessarily be the best pick for beginners. It’s a simple device with a complex method of use, so it might prove to be too challenging for some.

People Also Ask: Z Wave Hub/Controller FAQs

We’re sure you have more questions in mind about the best Z-wave hubs, so we’ve answered some of the most basic and frequently asked ones below.

♣ What is a Z-wave hub?

In the simplest of terms, a Z-wave hub is a central controlling device for pieces of tech that use the Z-wave.

This radio frequency operates at 908.42 MHz (in Canada and US) and allows devices to connect and talk to each other. It uses low power waves and is classified as a mesh wireless communication protocol.

What sets this type of smart home hub is its Z-wave protocol that doesn’t just allow the devices to connect to the hub.

It also allows the devices in the network to connect to each other, providing more ways to automate your home.

♣ How many Z-wave devices can I control with a single hub?

Z-wave is a highly scalable technology so it shouldn’t be surprising that the controllers for this frequency also vary in size accommodations.

Check your item of choice to see how many devices you can add to its network. Most of them, however, will let you connect up to 230 devices in a single hub.

♣ Will the Z-wave frequency affect my wifi connectivity?

No, the Z-wave protocol operates on a different frequency as wi-fi’s so there won’t be interference between them.

Even if you need to plug Z-wave hubs into routers, you shouldn’t have wifi signal issues by opting for the best Z-wave controller.

♣ Is Z-wave secure?

Yes, this protocol assigns different IDs to the devices in its network so they can’t be controlled by others with a Z-wave hub in your area. It also uses AES128 encryption for devices that require additional security like locks and other similar devices.

Conclusion

As you may have realized from everything we’ve talked about above, Z-wave hubs are definitely worth considering if you want to automate your home. It’s a convenient pick for a protocol as it’s a highly beneficial option.

Choosing just one out of our picks can be tough, especially if you have high hopes for your setup. We’re confident that our guide was of some help, though, as we have rounded up some of the best items in the market today.

If we’re going to pick just one or two, however, we’ll opt for the SmartThings Home Kit and the Zooz USB. Both have a lot more to offer so they can be the perfect matches for a lot of households.

They also promise expansion opportunities and easy use, so we’re sure they’re great picks.

Your choice is still up to you, though, so make sure to choose carefully.