I have a bunch of GE plug-in modules from a few years ago. From what I recall those were in the $35 range. Pricey. I’m in need of 1-4 more of these types of modules and I’m not finding much if anything and what there is is still pricy.
I see quite a bit of wifi “Works with alexa” plug in units for $10-$15, but no Z-wave. Are Z-wave licensing fees that high? I really don’t want to have to do a cloud-to-cloud integration for a simple on/off plug.
Where are all the cheap/functional Z-wave plug in switches for ST?
I’m assuming you’re in the US since you gave the price in dollars. (If it’s Canada, let us know.)
No question, Z wave are usually more expensive than either Zigbee or Wi-Fi.
One of the least expensive basic Z wave switches is from Minoston, at two for $47 or about $25 each. Good safety certification. Not slim, but you can usually still access the second socket in the outlet.
Eva Logik is another budget Z wave brand. They have a $31 dimmer smart plug that would be suitable for table lamps.
Zlink (The House brand for ZWP) has an “appliance module” which can handle up to 15 A or 1800 W or 1/2 HP motor, so it’s suitable for a small appliance. Cost is usually around $29, so a little more than the ones intended just for lights, but a good price if you need these specs in a zwave device.
Neo sells a two pack ( One green, one blue) of Zwave plus energy monitoring plugs for $49, but as you can see from some of the customer pictures, the round design tends to block the other socket in a wall outlet, so these are not usually as popular as the other brands.
There are some other Chinese budget brands, but they tend to be designed for lower power than what you find in US homes and don’t always have safety certifications.
Thanks all! Great round of replies so quick. Yes, I’m in the US so those all apply.
I’m disappointed with the options for those prices. Man, those Z-wave licensing fees are REAL. Ouch.
Looks like the cheapest option are those Minoston dimmers for US$22. Not horrible, but I see some wifi 4-packs for $40. That would be great, but again, Zwave fees are the bite here.
If you’re willing to consider Zigbee, I have used several of the Securifi Peanut plugs, and they work pretty well. You can get them for about $15 on Amazon. If you have any other Zigbee devices, these also act as a router. And with a firmware upgrade (you need the Almond router for this, or to find someone with one to do it for you), they will report energy usage.
There are many inexpensive Zigbee plugs these days, but obviously that’s a different question.
If you just want a basic Zigbee repeater, it’s hard to beat the price on the IKEA tradfri smart Zigbee plug, which are typically sold for $10 and are available in many different countries with the appropriate local plug style. No energy reporting, these are just a very basic on/off plug. They may say they need their own gateway, but they don’t: you will pair them directly with a smartthings hub.
If you want zigbee. But the OP in this thread specified Zwave and said they already have a lot of zwave devices, they just want to add some more.
There are lots of reasons why someone might choose one protocol over another, and different things will work for different households. But if somebody asks specifically about Z wave, we should respond with answers that are Z wave.
