I realized I have some old hue bulbs laying around, and they’re working well enough with my Zigbee controller (no bridge), but if I decide to scale up I definitely don’t want to pay the Hue premium.

Anyone have a Zigbee bulb brand they recommend? I hear Third Reality is nice?

  • Avid Amoeba
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    30 days ago

    I second the smart switch strategy, especially when using a fixture with several bulbs.

    As for ZigBee however, I’ve been using Home Assistant Yellow with its built-in ZigBee radio and ZHA, and it’s been flawless. Any issues I’ve have been a matter of reinforcing the network by adding a few smart plugs. I got over 60 devices hooked to it at the moment. Z-Wave has been just as problem-free. The really nice thing about having a Z-something network is the ability to use low power devices like battery powered sensors and switches/controls. Want a smart doorbell that plays a chime on all speakers and sends you a phone notification? Stick any ZigBee button to the outside of your door and program the automation. Its battery lasts two years.

    • pirat@lemmy.ml
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      4 days ago

      Reading this thread as I’m beginning my home. automation journey. When I first asked most people. also said focus on switches / plugs as your smart source.

      Would a smart switch be able to do color FX with bulbs? what kind of bulbs would I have to get if this can work?

      • Avid Amoeba
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        3 days ago

        Not as far as know. The bulbs would have to be smart themselves and connect to HA directly. Switches are more useful when you want to switch a few lamps and don’t want anything but dimming. They can make that cheaper, especially when switching 6+ bulbs. I use Z-Wave (a coincidence, ZigBee works just as well) dimmers for three such fixtures. For smaller 1-2 fixtures or when I need color I use smart bulbs.

    • spacewave@lemmy.ml
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      30 days ago

      Altough you are right about this and I do also still have a zigbee network for these purposes, I did observe range, repeater, and stability issues. For light bulbs, which are not battery powered, there are more options to consider :)