What is your best proved and affordable hardware?

Hardware
1

In advance:

I’ am used to flash good hardware driven by “bad” software with better software (even when soldering is necessary) :wink:

I’ am looking for recommendable hardware like

  • Door / window sensors
  • Mobile transmitter / hand transmitter (Zigbee?) to trigger functions (like ikea tradfri remotes)
  • Thermometer as sensors
  • Switches for roller shutter (old ones) connected in parallel into the wall / in the wall mounts
  • Plugs
  • Outdoor Plugs
  • Motion sensors
  • …

Edit: will be used in Germany

Suggestions based on good experience? Please let me (us) know! Don’t forget to explain why.

2

Many of your options there will depend on which country you live in :wink:

That said,

Door/window: Xiaomi Aqara sensors are cheap and functional. They’re not as low profile as my Sensative Strips, which sit inside the frame, but they’re a lot cheaper. The Konke sensors are slightly smaller than the Aqara ones, but the design means they don’t look it.
    TL/DR: Xiaomi Aqara or Sensative

Buttons: I’ve used the Hue dimmer, Xiaomi Aqara “switch” (button), Konke Button, and Nodon remotes. All work well (by which I mean they work, without issue). Again, Zigbee is cheaper than Z-Wave.

  • Nodon soft remotes are pretty “life” resistant, come in bright colours, and have four buttons
  • The Konke button is smaller than the Xiaomi one, but if you’re holding it in the hand it doesn’t feel as nice

Motion sensors: Here my Z-Wave (Fibaro and Aeotec) multi-sensors win hands down. Neither the Xiaomi Aqara or Konke sensors are bad as such just not great. The Z-Wave ones are highly configurable, and those Zigbee ones aren’t. I understand the Hue sensors are good, and configurable, though I’ve not used them, and the new Aqara T1 sensors also are configurable - just not available.
    Tl/DR: Good isn’t cheap

Temperature/humidity: Both Z-Wave multi-sensors do temperature, but only the Aeotec does humidity. On the other hand both the Aqara and Konke temperature/humidity sensors work well. Again the design of the Aqara ones is neater.
    Tl/DR: Aqara

Light sensor: Both my Z-Wave multi-sensors do this, and do it well. However the new Xiaomi Mijia light sensor is a lot cheaper and does it just as well. The Aqara motion sensor has a light sensor, that only reports when motion is detected, so it’s a really crappy light sensor :wink:
    Tl/DR: Mijia

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Hi Tinkerer,

arrrghh. You’re right. Destination for use is Germany. I update my question.

Thankyou very much for your suggestions i will double check all of them!

More comments and tips welcome!

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Some of you recommendations are Z-Wave based. Which i do not have at the moment. For now i use the Conway II Zigbee stick only (and LAN/WLAN).

How can i integrate Z-Wave in my Raspberry 4B? Which hardware do you use are do you recommend?

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I can recommend the Aeotec Z-Wave stick. I use this one for a few years together with a ConBee II on the same Pi.

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For Z-Wave, buy the cheapest Z-Wave Plus stick you can find :wink: That’s likely to be the Z-Wave.me UZB stick. The new 700 series sticks are trickling out into the market, and if you can find one then that would future proof you pretty well.

Don’t forget that both Zigbee and Z-Wave need mains powered devices to extend the mesh (“routers”). Without those you don’t get much range from the stick.

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Thanks! I will have a look on this two!