Mesh networks are a low-power alternative to Wi-Fi for connecting smart home devices like plugs, switches, and sensors to your server. While Zigbee is a longstanding favorite and Thread is the hot new thing, Z-Wave offers an alternative to both with some notable upsides (and a few drawbacks).
When you need more range than Zigbee or Thread
Credit: Tim Brookes / How-To Geek
If you need a mesh network with more range than Zigbee or Thread, Z-Wave is the answer. While Zigbee and Thread can struggle to travel further than 35-65 feet (10-20 meters), the standard Z-Wave protocol is capable of 100-330 feet (30-100 meters) under ideal conditions.
Furthermore, the Z-Wave Long Range (ZWLR) protocol is even better with a range of around one mile (1.5 km) under ideal circumstances. You’ll need to make sure that your devices and mesh adapter are compatible with ZWLR to take advantage of this. Adapters like the Home Assistant ZWA-2 can use both standard and long-range protocols simultaneously.
Compatibility
Home Assistant
Connectivity
Z-Wave
The Home Assistant Connect ZWA-2 Z-Wave antenna connects to your Home Assistant setup through a simple USB cable. Offering nearly a mile of range from the hub, you can connect Z-Wave devices even from outbuildings on your property to your Home Assistant setup with this hub.
If you’re having difficulty with standard mesh networks and the usual tricks for extending range aren’t working, Z-Wave or ZWLR is the next logical step.
To avoid 2.4GHz interference issues
Credit: Tim Brookes / How-To Geek
Both Zigbee and Thread use the 2.4GHz wavelength for communication, which is the same frequency used by slower legacy Wi-Fi networks. This means that Zigbee and Thread are more susceptible to inference, whether it’s coming from your house or one of your neighbors.
Interference can result in devices sporadically dropping off the mesh network, poor signal, and slow response times. Though you can try to change which channel your mesh network is using, this isn’t always possible and doesn’t always work. Z-Wave, by comparison, uses sub-1GHz frequencies, which vary by region.
In the U.S. and Canada, this is around 900MHz, though it can be lower in other regions like China and South Africa. The trade-off here is speed, but the gains come in the way of range and clearer airwaves.
When you can’t do the job using Thread
Credit: Zooz
While Zigbee is the most popular smart home mesh network, Z-Wave is still a long way ahead of Thread in terms of user adoption. By virtue of time in the market, there are more Z-Wave devices available than there are Thread devices. If you’re hoping to do everything with Thread, you might run into problems when you realize you can’t find a suitable option.
If you have gone all-in on Thread, adding Z-Wave to your setup arguably makes more sense than going with Zigbee. Z-Wave uses a different frequency, which means you’ll get the benefit of added range, which might suit certain devices like outdoor lighting or sensors in your mailbox that are outside the reach of higher frequency networks.
While my whole house runs on Zigbee without a hitch, I can see a better argument for a Home Assistant server that runs Z-Wave and Thread than one that runs Zigbee and Thread.
For better compatibility and overall quality
Credit: Z-Wave Alliance
Take this with a pinch of salt, but Z-Wave devices are usually held to a higher certification standard than their Zigbee counterparts. This should mean that Z-Wave devices “just work” in a way that Zigbee devices sometimes do not.
Personally, I’ve had no issues mixing Zigbee devices, and everything works as I’d expect it to in my own smart home. That said, if you’ve had issues with Thread and Zigbee and are looking to shake those reliability problems, Z-Wave might be worth a shot. Unfortunately, this comes at a price.
When you want to spend more money
Ok, so nobody wants to spend more money unnecessarily, but this is certainly something you should be aware of if you’re thinking about choosing Z-Wave. Compared to Zigbee (and, to a lesser extent, Thread), Z-Wave devices can be considerably more expensive.
IKEA previously used Zigbee in its fledgling smart home range, offering the best value of any manufacturer for plugs, bulbs, and sensors. While other manufacturers like Aqara and Shelly never quite matched IKEA’s aggressively low prices, it’s hard to deny that budget ranges like this have a market-wide knock-on effect.
There exists an entire industry of dirt-cheap Zigbee devices on websites like AliExpress that are almost certainly not certified but that are frequently supported by Home Assistant through the Zigbee Home Automation and Zigbee2MQTT integrations.
Thread is relatively new, which means prices are still generally higher compared to Zigbee. IKEA’s decision to go all-in on Matter over Thread now means there is a budget Thread range available too. No such budget range exists for Z-Wave.
The takeaway here is that building a Z-Wave smart home may be far more expensive than the alternative. For example, you can pick up a four-pack of ThirdReality energy-monitoring Zigbee smart plugs for around $39 on Amazon, while a single Zooz 800 Z-Wave Long Range plug costs $36.
If you’re going Z-Wave, shop around, and stock up when savings are best during big sales events.
Z-Wave is a great choice for smart home owners who need range and reliability at any cost. If you’re going this route, consider the Home Assistant Connect ZWA-2 antenna, which offers excellent range and supports a valuable open-source project.
