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Home Assistant is open source home automation that puts local control and privacy first. Powered by a worldwide community of tinkerers and DIY enthusiasts. Perfect to run on a Raspberry Pi or a local server. Available for free at home-assistant.io

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Recommendations for Zigbee Bulbs (lemmy.world)

submitted 3 weeks ago by root@lemmy.world to c/homeassistant@lemmy.world

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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?

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[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 children)

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 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

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?

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day 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 2 points 3 weeks 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 :)