May I just say how I love the playful quips between you and @PaulHibbert. Please never stop, unless they get mean, we are all lovers in the smart home realm... Robots are the fighters.
The Lutron switches I decided on based on this channel is the best upgrade I’ve done to my home automation, cost almost $2k to do all of them but well worth it.
I am in the same boat. After our move to the new home I was going through my automation device boxes and realized I practically double paid between Zooz and TPLink basically being $10-15/device more expensive than the Lutron switches overall. Couldn’t be happier. This channel is also the reason I invested in Lutron.
@@BroncoPatriot I built my house in 2008 with a central upb system that was getting outdated. In my setup I only had 1 or 2 scene switches per room that controlled sometimes 5-6 switches that were all wired hidden away in closets so the programmable 4 button remotes I can make scene switches were huge for me. These switches have been rock solid though and integrate so easily with Alexa and other devices.
Same here.... I originally was forced into the Lutron boat since I didn't have neutral wires in the majority of my light switches. I haven't had a single hiccup using them over the last 6 years. Only wished they had come out with the new rocker dimmer model earlier, since the older design is a little harder to operate if you are walking by and just reaching out for the switch.
This is arguably One of your top 3 most useful & must-see videos on RU-vid, you save us effort and money and helped us to know more about the best smart devices' functions dependencies and when to go cheap, and e when to look for an expensive option sometimes is much suitable solution. Besides, this video is a goldmine, YOU DESERVE to be at THE TOP SPOT in the smart home industry, I really enjoyed every second watching it. I never thought of myself like omeone who could enjoy watching a guy bragging about how a simple smart home setup can be like this, amazing and highly organized. I have one request tho, if we can see more of you since you opened second youtube channel
Appreciate your overview and suggestions. The only one I disagreed on was the Lutron Caseta. Our last home had a mix of TPLink switches and Zooz zwave switches. Nothing but issues with both. Since moving to our new home I invested in Lutron and couldn’t be happier. 100% reliable, never have issues with integration into HA and finally VERY fast response time from either the switch, app or HA. Just my $0.02 if you are starting from scratch this is guaranteed to get lots of wifey points.
I'm the dedicated tech installer for both my family and extended family. I've installed nothing but Kasa switches since 2016. They're a little slower than Lutron, but I've had no issues with them at all, and I've installed hundreds of them at this point. They're 95% of the functionality for less than a third of the cost.
@@SolixTanaka yeah that wasn’t my experience. They kept dropping off my Eero Pro mesh and HA doesn’t like TPLink/Kasa devices dropping off. They never seem to reconnect.
I personally use Kasa switches since there were the nicest option when I was installing them (Caseta switches look ugly af and just feel way too mushy for an expensive product). They're in metal boxes and I've had no issue whatsoever. I do plan on switching them out once matter enabled ones come out though for local control. The current switches I'm looking at aren't local control, so im hoping they get updated.
I really love having a Tailwind iQ3 smart garage door, It automatically opens/closes once your car is within a user set distance. It also auto closes your door if its left open. Its compatible with most garage door opens on the market.
Tailwind smart garage door is super underrated, especially if you have an Android phone like a Pixel. Their android app can open/close the garage door automatically as you approach/leave the home in your car. I don't know why they don't have more exposure.
Yup, and it has a wired door sensor built into it so that it's 100% reliable at knowing whether the door is open or closed. Plus, no MyQ subscription fees if you want to enable integrations.
Reed your production quality is top-notch, Great job! I really wish I would have stuck with the same brand of products if I could have so I would have less apps, because I use a lot.
@@DIYtechie From what I have seen it is not fully "consumer ready", but I have seen great progress recently. Once it reaches that point, I might have to try it out.
@@TechWithBrett I’m afraid it will never reach that point before all the main features are already available on the main stream platforms. But for the time being it is cool to have the features and dashboards other platforms can only dream about. I love Home Assistant.
I would go for the cheapest possible garage door opener that has a non-proprietary simple button control on the inside then add a zigbee/z-wave/homekit/matter garage kit / relay control.. myQ requires a cloud service and may charge a fee for basic features down the road.
That final scene was hilarious. My hue bulbs work flawlessly most of the time but for some reason on Wednesday morning the Wake Up routine failed in the bedroom yet worked perfectly the following day. Who knows why this randomness happens ?!
2:29 - IMHO, Third Reality Motion Sensors and Buttons are quite good (7:30 - although I agree that you may want to splurge on going higher end with the buttons). I use Sonoff Contact Sensors for doors/windows inside the house and Yolink contact sensors when I need the distance. I've noticed that the Yolink contact sensors doesn't seem to be as reliable when it's competing with other nearby 2.4Ghz devices. 6:38 - Big agree here. We went with an Ecobee Smart Premium (largely based on your video that discussed the air quality sensor), we've already saved so much on our gas costs and just use space heaters for the AZ winter (yes, I'm in the mountains north of your area). The amount of electricity that our solar power generates on a winter day with decent sun is enough to power 3 space heaters that we turn on periodically (two of which are based on temperature sensors nearby and comparing those with the set temperature of the thermostat, so that the space heaters will turn on more frequently during the day, while the furnace will take priority at night). 7:08 - I did go cheap on my first smart plugs, but I use mine primarily to control heaters/toaster oven/coffee maker and you will want to make sure it's 15amp rated. I do this because I have an automation that if the coffee maker is using greater than 1a of current, the smart plugs that are connected to space heaters will turn off (if they're already on, because turning off smart plugs when they're not drawing power causes one of my space heaters to reset back to 95 degrees). Reed, this is a solid video as always and definitely a big help for those starting out or those who are looking to expand their smart home (which is everyone since they're as addicting as tattoos).
Hey Reed I'd love a video about the technology from your old house. What did you take/leave and why, and how you transferred anything you left to the new owner's accounts
4:04 I’m totally with you on getting a robovac that can map out your house. I have a standard one that just bounces around and trust me, its like babysitting with how much you have to make sure it doesn’t run over something that it shouldn’t be around. Thats definitely my next move
Great video. I agree with everything except the garage openers. Just use an aqara sensor and a Shelly 1 connected to a regular garage opener. All my Shelly works flawlessly.
I upgraded my Tesla and now it works with my garage door. When I leave it closes and when I come back it opens. Pretty sexy. My favorite smart home thing is my watch, I tell it to clean the floor and my robot cleans the section on command. And you are right, roborock is really good. The next logical step is a robot that can empty and fill the water from a water/drain connection. Then I can just let it go til it needs scheduled maintenance. I look forward to the new robot lawn mowers coming out soon.
The wifi thing is one of those "no simple answer" problems to me. eg you want some smart lights, tell someone not savvy to get a hue - moderate cost, very easy to use. I don't recommend mesh systems with wireless backhaul to solve congestion/interference/reliability issues. Coverage of a large house on a spacious block it might be set and forget. Unifi I believe gives you the best result for $$. If you're tech savvy you can purchase a couple of cost effective AP's, run ethernet backhaul and host your own Console on a VM or docker and IMHO (and country) get better than an off the shelf mesh for the $$ - but I can't recommend this to a non tech savvy friend. ISP routers are often fine - for just routing (not wifi) - so no need for a dream machine.
Oh the Zigbee!! I've got a bunch of hue bulbs and I have been happy with them - they just work. Same with a couple of hue motion sensors that I use to monitor light levels and turn on my zwave controlled strip lights.
If you run home assistant you need to mess with custom Lutron buttons. Hack those picos and 4 scene Lutron buttons to do any automations you want. It’s fantastic.
Good video Reed! I laughed on the bathroom button segment. It's embarrassing when those automations fail. I've been in that situation a few times as well. 😊
More of this kind of video please, lots of great information, ah and the Paul Hibbert segment was good fun (it just WORKS! so to speak). Thank you! I've had mixed results with some expensive and some cheap sensors and I suspect it has a lot to do with environment. I have an Aqara Zigbee button in the mancave (same room as the coordinator) which has worked flawlessly. 100% of presses register. However I also have two in the kitchen which has 13 Zigbee GU10 bulbs and they've both been hit and miss almost every day. My Hue motion sensors (no hub, just de-conz) have been flawless for years..until last weekend when they all went offline and needed resetting. Nothing changed, no devices turned off. "The lights aren't coming on again". Nightmare.
I have over 15 Wemo outlets. We love them. They do sometimes have trouble getting setup properly. But resetting them a few times (changing name each time) until they work seems to be the work around. Once running they do great for us.
As an Australian and pensioner (I am 70) we live in the Oceania region of the world. In former life, I was a System Analyst/Software Engineer. We are heavily influenced by Chinese Smart Home devices DIRECT. Australian Hardware, Electrical and Electronic Smart devices are influenced by Tuya and are built to CE Australian electrical standards. As well the Chinese Earth based electrical system is identical only is plug and socket it upside down. Now my smart consists of Chinese based products and Australian inbuilt Tuya compatible and limited Aqara and Xiaomi use that all work with Alexa and Google voice control. Direct imported Tuya products from China are in the mix. For example it cost under $300 when every light switch (CE compliant) with touch glass was installed with Smart Home WIFI control. Alexa voice control in turning any of 40 lights in this home take in less then 1 second to respond. I use Tuya sensors. These identified and interact very fast with Alexa and Goggle routines. The 13 cam were $45 each and follow me and detect movement. The outside POE network METAL cameras are also Tuya and cost $55. All work on Alexa shows and Google. All are rock solid even with rare electrical black outs. The total cost of these Tuya products are exceptionally low. Add to this IR RF bridges a USB version costs RF / IR is $17 and other IR bridges are $12, the size of large button. Voice control via SCENE TAP OR AUTOMATION ROCK SOLID. Lets not forget Smart Irrigation, Strip light, Upright RGB light bars, Smart AC Plugs, AC automation, Zigbee, BT Mesh Hubs, 2 Xiaomi AX6000 Router (covers whole house and control over 100 WIFI smart devices) - so that one heck of loading and demand. The most important aspects: They all work and self heal if power is removed. Yes there are other options and I am using them all including HA. You know the best part: Practical things like tank water levels, robot controlled lawn mower and powerful Robotic vacuums. They are the fun and do make retirement so much easier and safer. All up my total estimate for all this would not exceed $3,000. Maybe I'll start a web site for those who cannot afford much. Some of the stuff mentioned by you is far too expensive for even standard US based income users. And Yes I am aware of those scary monster servers of China and trojan internet monsters waiting to steal, pounce, chew and snoop on your home. That all aside - HA is getting pretty darn impressive. I have had five devices FAIL, the rest were excellent and worked beyond expectations. This idea that cheap is not good is simply not always true. Yes there is junk out there but you do a sample of them first, and test and test before you might order 20 of them for under $10. Now will I see this post or will it be removed? Best Wishes.
One thing of note is that even though UniFi cameras are expensive, you are not limited by the number of cameras you can put on their NVR. Also, the software is free as well as all updates to the software that runs on the NVR. The software is what makes the UniFi camera system so great. So the price of the cameras is what allows them to make really great software. Sort of how Apple does it with their computers. You pay a premium on the computer but you never pay for updates to the software for the life of the computer. Same thing with the UniFi stuff. Oh, and their is no subscription fess EVER for any of the UniFi cameras, unlike some of the other camera manufacturers.
I still think that UniFi cameras are way overprice by today standard. I'm a new Reolink user since 2020. I currently use 8 cameras from Reolink (RLC-820a). Each camera cost 1/5 of the price of the Unifi G4 Pro. In another words, the reolink cameras have to failed and be replaced 40 times to reach the initial cost of 8 UniFi G4 Pro cameras. I don't see that happening anytime soon. I don't have a problem with any of the 8 Reolink cameras yet. Reolink still have firmware update for the NVR and cameras since 2020. I have to agree with Smart Home Solver, The hook up and Lifehackster on that. The image quality is about the same. If only it was 5 time better. I heard Unifi software is better but since no one in my family find reolink software difficult to operate even my 10 yrs son (windows client, mobile app or nvr itself), I don't see this as a problem. I have changed 3 different security camera system in the last 15 years not because they broke down or don't work anymore but because that technology have change so much over the year, from resolution (1280x720 8fps, 1920x1080 12fps, 3840x2160 25fps) to new feature. All 3 systems combined is still cheaper then Unifi.
we bought a house last year and it has those same fans and remotes like yours, I just installed a bond bridge this weekend and didnt even know my fan light could dim or even get brighter lol
Thanks to videos like this, and my resistance to jumping into a new technology before I research it thoroughly, I've avoided buying mistakes. I'm nowhere near as automated as you, but I never will be. My goals are different. Again, thanks for the work and for this roundup.
Unifi has some great wireless cameras if you haven't checked those out. All of mine are the $99 G4 Instant. Love them. The G3 ones were $30, but they got bumped up to $79 recently.
The problem with some of the consumer mesh (re: google) are lack of options for custom networking options such as custom NAT, firewall policies are usually a pain, and other shortcomings that are meant for true CONSUMERS rather than prosumers. Great video though.
An automation I didn't see.. the same way you're use your bathroom exhaust fan use it with the kitchen absorbent.. stick a humidity sensor on top and when you are boiling or cooking something turn on the absorbent.. sorry for my English if they are wrong, hope you get the idea..
Thanks for another great video. I am having success using most of the items you recommended. For doorbell and camera outdoor, I went with ring as I already had and cannot justify spending as I am happy with what they do and reliability. My biggest frustration is Home Assistant. As someone still learning this is my biggest challenge. But I do see the potential and will eventually overcome. Finally, love the @PaulHibbert reference. I do have my Mr Sockey mug and I will have to break down and get the book.
With the roller blinds fella, you can get plastic trim for the sides that the guides the blind as it goes down but the important part is that it stops the light coming through so it fully blacks out the room
Lutron, lutron, lutron. Best investment, no smart bulbs, just smart fixtures. If you move, just take them with... go cheap with striplights, kinda fun to make and connect your own as well.
For the cameras, having local storage is a very nice thing to have. Significantly less risk of a cloud based attacker getting access to your video streams.
Love your videos Reed. You're one of the reasons I got into home automation, because you show practical uses for smart tech and differentiate between price points. I'd like to use the Aqara devices but I couldn't get the Aqara M1S to connect so I returned it. But they have so many different great products like the smart buttons and motion sensors and door sensors, so I was disappointed. I use Tuya devices and the hub works fine, but it's a little slow to respond with Alexa so that's why I wanted a ZigBee hub and devices.
Great video Reed. I agree Wemo sucks. It's hard to say that because those are what got me started. I've since switched to sonoff zigbee and tasmota devices! I've also followed in your footsteps and recently switched all my switches and outlets over to Home Assistant and I'm now ready to unplug my Smarrthings hub after almost 7 years!
Great insights Reed. I typically buy 1 or 2 of something and if it is not reliable I dump it. Nice to see you spell out what has worked for y’all. Loved the trailer😊
I’m done with battery contact sensors. I’m about to put in old school wired contact sensors, bring them into my IQ4 alarm panel, then send them to Hubitat. No more batteries, and will only need a single sensor on each door/window, and I can have them both in my alarm and HE system.
I would go with Aruba Instant-On access points. They don't need the controller and are super reliable. They are the cheaper version of the enterprise grade meant for businesses.
I am still looking for good smart lamps. They should be white-tunable and have a CRI of 90 or more. I have tried normal LED lamps and even expensive Hue, but in my experience, light with a CRI of 80 doesn't really look good and often pale and dull, even with a color temperature of less than 2700K. Currently I go with light bulbs from Ikea and the new version of Wiz. They work great and the light looks more natural. But I haven't found good light stripes with a high CRI, except really expensive versions (20€/m) without any driver. As for smart thermostats, I almost regret that I've already spent money on them. Next winter, the heating will run through, even at night. My house is well insulated and it costs more energy to heat a cooled room again than to keep it at a constant temperature.
Good general tips. Maybe should also mention about whether it is cloud based or purely local controlled. Many of us, including myself are only interested in local control. If the device can't be flashed with 3rd party open-source firmware like Tasmota or ESPHome, won't touch it. Having a command to control something in my home first go out to someone else's computer and then return back, no thanks.
Great info, I feel your pain on questionable purchase's. Only thing that is waste of money (IMO) are the smart thermostats. set it and forget it, don't touch it. Almost all modern ones let you set a schedule. Personally I never have understood what the big deal is. Does anyone really have a need to change it so much that it needs to be smart? Now if you own a big "O" you tube money house like you do, where you have "zones" Maybe, just maybe I could splurge on one. ( Visualize my sarcastic grin) :)
You should be comparing night footage between cameras, they all look the same during the day but in low light some cameras can even give you full colour video
as much as I want to love aqara products, if you use it on other hubs like home assistant, its a massive headache to get this devices working reliably. 90% most of the time theyre routing is sooo bad that I ended up just buying a cheaper tuya zigbee motion sensor and that works very reliable. after all aqara is famous of not getting the nearby zigbee routers and try connecting directly to coordinator or routers that is nearby the coordinator.
Made the mistake buying Wemo when I first started too. At least they have a password these days. I always think when watching home tours ‘did they make any compromises for if/when they move house?’. For example I have a google nest thermostat and doorbell, not because I thought they were the best but because the new homeowner is likely to have a google account already. I could do much better myself using Home Assistant and Zigbee radiator controls/temperature sensors.
When I found out MyQ isn't compatible with ANYTHING, I was pretty disappointed. I'm curious if you have it integrated into your other smart home stuff, and how you did it. I have Smartthings, but last I knew, the Groovy partial solution went away and there isn't anything to replace it. I was pretty surprised to see you bought one again. Isn't there something more smart home friendly out there?
I use IFTTT recipe for geofencing. When I leave the area my one of my MyQ garage doors closes. I also mkZense as a trigger for MyQ with IFTTT to tell my Echos to say the someone is at Garage Door 1 or 2. You can set up mkZense for free for up to 3 triggers. To me the biggest miss is Echo Shows cannot see the MyQ garage door cameras.
Hi Reed,great video 👍🏻👍🏻. I wouldn’t go cheap on a smart plug, I read a review on Amazon about a Meross smart plug that went faulty, when the person opened up the plug they found a 10A relay inside instead of a 16A relay (soc,et outlets are rated to 13A in the uk. I only use them to switch light loads like for E.g. trailing sockets, Christmas lights., slow cooker, my CPAP machine, bedroom pedestal fan which I have set up on a routine which utilises the temperature sensor in the Echo. When the room goes above 25 Deg C the fan will come on. The cameras are ok not great but good.
I have some kasa products and they are great. The switches work, however, the construction is much lower quality than my home seer or ge z wave stuff. I have the myq hub and it has worked well, but before I put an access point in the garage it was not nearly as good. I have a detached garage with a covered walkway, climbing through there was terrible. I really enjoyed the vid and mostly agree with your recs.
I loved the home tour and automation ideas! I'm a bit jealous because I can't set up HA myself cause of the programming! Anyway, I'm looking forward to a Magic Mirror installed in your next vids.
Wasted hours/days with cheap(er) "smart" lights... Enormous frustration. You couldn't give me more of those things for free! Got Philips Hue... reliability is amazing. App is (relatively) great.
I was surprised to see you boasting Kasa light switches and Gosund smart plugs because that’s most of my smart home not counting the door lock and camera and thermostat
5:54 (timestamp) Is this Home Assistant? I have Ring Security Cameras as well as a Ring video doorbell. Does this work well with Home Assistant or the software you are using (if so, what is it called?). This video was a goldmine for me and helped me so much!
interesting about the MY Q hub. Ive been using it for a few years now and haven't had any issues. The app does decide to throw in the towel from time to time .. but that's about it. I use google assistant through Android Auto in my car anyway then . Also have an NFC tag on my visor as a backup. when i arrive home, I just use the craftsman remote hung up on the garage wall to close the garage door behind me
I subscribe to the "no cloud" line of thinking, so getting cheaper stuff is usually a no go. But it's worth it to me for the peace of mine that another eufy isn't happening
I'm still trying to decide if I want to invest in Lutron Caseta switches. I have been using a couple of Kasa switches for a few weeks now and haven't had any problems but I'm also not doing a lot with it since most of my lights are Hue based. I don't really need all that many smart switches so Caseta costs wouldn't be TOO bad but it is still expensive. I'll probably stick with Kasa switches and update the other 3 that I want to upgrade sooner rather than later. As far as my cheap MyQ attachment goes, I have had 100% dependability on it. I have never had a time when it showed the wrong status or didn't receive both the open and close notifications. My assumption is that the dependability depends a lot on how well your WiFi signal reaches your garage.
I couldn’t quite tell but it looked like a Centurylink box for your fiber. You actually don’t need it, I have the same setup you do and the dream machine will handle the pppoe itself. You just need you sign in and password and vlan, and since it’s Arizona where I am it should be vlan201. Bpassword should be in the router from Centurylink. It will cut out a step and make the entire system even faster, even if your in bridged mode now it’s still faster. Plus way easier for vpn and anything else you want to do.
Can you think of any automation for the pet cat to stop annoy you and you want him out of the room, perhaps a food feeder is other room, and then door would shut
When you gonna review the 75w and 100w equivalent hue bulbs I just noticed at Home Depot. I have the 60w for longest time and love them especially in my coach lanterns outside home. But really curious on the higher output ones for review now!!
