Zigbee vs Z-Wave vs WiFi vs Bluetooth: What’s Best?!

A diagram showing how Google's Wi-Fi router and points work, and how they extend your house's WiFi coverage (even to outdoor WiFi products).

I remember when I first started getting into smart homes. I was happily running a few (WiFi based) Echo speakers, but I started to hear terms like ‘Zigbee’ and ‘Z-Wave’ thrown around too. I was also (obviously) aware of Bluetooth, but I’d mainly seen it used in headphones and mobile phones: so it seemed odd … Read more

Amazon Echo Devices With Zigbee: A Game-Changer?

Echo Show 8 front - powered off

In today’s modern smart home, Amazon’s Echo devices have become a common and useful item – around a quarter of all American households have one, in-fact! Through Alexa, they perform a wide range of functions such as providing news updates, weather alerts, and even recipe ideas. When it comes to the Echo Show, you can … Read more

Is Philips Hue Z-Wave or Zigbee? Can It Support Both?!

A Philips Hue White Ambiance E14 single bulb box, with the actual bulb outside it (resting against the box).

Philips Hue’s popularity has earned it a place in the smart homes of many – maybe even yours! And while oftentimes smart lights use Wi-Fi to connect to their respective apps, Philips Hue doesn’t. There seems to be some confusion as to whether they use Zigbee or Z-Wave, or if they can even support both. … Read more

Why I Love This ‘Hidden’ Smart Lighting Feature – New Video

Youtube thumbnail of me holding a Hue Motion Sensor and the text Loads of ways to achieve this

When people think of smart lighting, they usually think of the obvious: full color (RGB) bulbs. Setting rooms to bright green, or dancing to strobe lighting effects. But I actually prefer a less discussed smart lighting feature: motion sensitive lighting. This is simple to set up, and it feels like something out of sci-fi. I … Read more

The Best & Cheapest ZigBee Repeaters: Why This Is Important

A diagram illustrating how ZigBee Mesh may look for a Philips Hue smart light setup, with bulbs in each room and an outdoor light - and them being interconnected, with some ultimately also connecting to the Hue Bridge.

Have you been having problems with the range performance of your ZigBee network? ZigBee repeaters can improve your experience with smart technology. Every smart device in your ecosystem is only as good as the connection that holds it together. The ZigBee mesh network is made stronger when more devices are added to it. ZigBee devices … Read more

Why Are Zigbee Smart Devices Just SO Expensive?

A Philips Hue starter kit (B22), and four E14 White Ambiance bulbs.

In today’s connected world, there are many ways for devices to interact with one another. While most people opt for the more popular options like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, there are alternatives. One such alternative is designed specifically for home automation: Zigbee. Zigbee is a wireless technology much like Wi-Fi, that allows several smart devices to … Read more

New Video – ZigBee (& WiFi) Smart Light Strip Options – When Philips Hue Is Just Too Expensive!

YouTube thumbnail showing me talking at my desk.

If you’re looking to add smart light strips to your home but you find that Philips Hue’s Lightstrip Plus options are too expensive, what options are open to you? This is the question I was asking myself when planning to add smart light strips to my kitchen. I firstly wondered whether ZigBee or WiFi would … Read more