What is Z-Wave and Why Should I Care?
The Smart Home continues to evolve and change the way we interact with our homes. What once seemed like a far-off dream of being able to automate scenes and check on the status of your home remotely is now a full-blown reality. The Jetsons and Back to the Future painted a reality that in many ways we are now living in. According to Interpret’s Smart Home Matrix™, nearly 55% of adults ages 18 to 55 own some type of smart home product (including smart speakers/displays).
If you’re one of these device owners you may be wondering how to unlock the full potential of your smart home – and what your next purchase should be. Before diving into specific products to make your smart home dreams come true let’s take a step back. It isn't always easy to know, after all, if the smart locks you buy today are compatible with the smart thermostat you're thinking of buying tomorrow, or the light switches and dimmers already installed in your home. There is one simple way to avoid this conundrum, though: look for the Z-Wave logo.
Z-Wave Simplifies the Smart Home Experience
Z-Wave isn’t a product or a system; rather, it’s a wireless mesh protocol that was developed specifically with the smart home in mind. You may be familiar with other wireless protocols like Bluetooth but Z-Wave is unique in that it operates on a SubGhZ standard which comes with a few benefits. Z-Wave is a much lower power alternative compared to Wi-Fi, but with a much bigger range than Bluetooth, Z-Wave operates using low-energy radio waves to communicate from device to device. It’s less prone to interference than other communications protocols and more adept at making a home operate as if it were on automatic pilot. Devices that used to function autonomously now work together as one cohesive unit. When devices are able to operate together, that is when the true smart home fun can begin as you are able to work across product categories to create routines, scenes and specialized automations.
Z-Wave Covers all Categories of Smart Devices
Some homeowners may be surprised to find out that they already have Z-Wave in their home as it’s one of the most popular protocols among leading security system providers like ADT, Alarm.com and Honeywell just to name a few. Manufacturers across the smart home category have developed products with the Z-Wave protocol and have met rigorous certification standards to be able to call their device Z-Wave compatible. And here is key take away to know with Z-Wave devices, they are all interoperable. Regardless of manufacturer or device type, Z-Wave products work together – no exceptions.
Just think how this could play out in your home – your Z-Wave garage door opener can signal the lights to illuminate a pathway to the front door, the smart door lock to disengage, and the thermostat to adjust to the perfect setting. Sounds like a home that is truly smart, right?
Z-Wave Devices are Affordable, Easy to Find, and Connect Effortlessly
Z-Wave has been around for more than 20 years, proving that it is a reliable smart home standard, and one that has never been hacked outside of a lab. With more than 4,000 Z-Wave-certified products on the market, you’ll have no problem finding them—just look for the Z-Wave logo on the packaging. Z-Wave certification guarantees that whichever Z-Wave devices you add to your home, it will work with other Z-Wave devices. Another perk: Z-Wave products can be installed by a professional home systems integrator, security system provider, tech service company, or you can tackle setup on your own. The choice—from the products to the installation—is completely yours. You can start with just a few devices and add on gradually as your budget allows, making your home increasingly smarter with every step, assured that no matter how you choose to scale the technology in your home, Z-Wave makes it all work together.
