The smartthings sensors are on the pricey side. Do most of you just bite the bullet or go for the cheaper generic zwave or zigbee sensors?
The price of the sensors is a big factor on how crazy I go with home-automation. I believe the price-point for the sensors (if we are going to have lots of these) should be way lower. Do you have the same experience?
I definitely go for non-SmartThings branded sensors. PEQ (and a few others) are same manufacturer of ZigBee (Centralite). Some folks prefer not to mix ZigBee and Z-Wave (or use only Z-Wave to maximize compatibility with older HA systems).
See the Deals Thread for the best deals…
Personally, I like to pay as little as possible, but there is a line on what I get. I look at quality first, decide what I am comfortable with, then find the best deal possible.
I’ll go cheap, but only for good stuff.
It will depend on what functionality you want to use the sensors for. Smartthings multi sensors don’t only report open/close but also temp, acceleration (e.g. someone knocking on a door, tampering with sensor) and rotation/tilt (e.g. garage door), battery level (some of the cheaper/older ones don’t!).
I suggest you first decide on what functionality you need and then get the cheapest sensor that meets your requirements.
Different sensors have different features, different quality of engineering, different form factors. Sometimes it’s just a matter of aesthetic choice.
You’ll find detailed discussion of sensor features in the following thread (this is a clickable link). Sensors in that topic are grouped into three categories: contact sensors, motion sensors, and vibration sensors.
Bulbs, switches and sensors, oh my....what to buy (device class features)