Zipato bulb 2 test (Z-Wave vs. Zigbee)

Devices & Integrations
1

Hello,

I buy and test the Zipato Bulb 2 both variant Z-Wave and Zigbee with SmartThings.
They both are ok but both have bugs. This is my review and my conclusions.

The Zipato Z-Wave Zipato Bulb 2 version:
(The beautiful useless)

Plus+

  1. automatically recognized by SmartThings as RGBW Zigbee “Aeon LED Bulb”
  2. when turn power on and off it resume the last color and level (this is also a minus sometimes)
  3. fade in/fade out transitions
  4. excellent colors and output power
  5. price

Minus-

  1. do not automatically refresh the status (On/Off/) in SmartThings, in my opinion this bug is not acceptable because it do not work with buttons, pistons, routine etc. It ruins all the above qualities
  2. don’t have firmware update option via SmartThings

The Zipato Zigbee Bulb 2 version :
(The russian bumpkin)

Plus+

  1. excellent colors and output power
  2. price
  3. firmware update option via SmartThings desktop console
  4. it works

Minus-

  1. it is not automatically recognized by SmartThings as RGBW Zigbee bulb. It needs further settings, knowledges and resources by adding it via SmartThings desktop management console
  2. do not have fade in/fade out transitions
  3. when turn off from a color and want turn on with other color, first it turns on with the previous color then, after ~ 1 second, turns the wanted color

My conclusion in use with SmartThings:

They are beautiful color RGBW bulbs, with bugs. If they would can be managed well, by SmartThings, would a serious Hue killer. But they are clearly not mature yet for the SmartThings hub.

The Z-Wave version have more qualities than Zigbee, but a critical problem with the status refresh, which (for me), it makes it unusable for (serious) home implementations.

I definitely choose the Zigbee over Z-Wave if I want them to be used with ST.

The Z-wave bulb: If I press “Turn On” the bulb will physically turn on but the status will remain “Turning on”. If I enter in the bulb item and pres the refresh button, the status will change to ON. The same with Turn off. If I press OFF the bulb physically turn off but in the app remains on “Turning OFF”. If I go inside the item and press refresh, the status will show OFF. For this refresh bug the bulb can not be used with routines, smart apps, pistons, physical Z-Wave switches.

That’s why I will choose the Zigbee. The Zigbee works. Suddenly, without transitions, like a Russian machine, but it works.

I have attached printscreens with the tested bulbs from the ST interface. BTW, I don’t know if the Zigbee bulb can be updated ever from this interface, but at least, it has the goodwill to show a firmware option.

zigbeefirmware

zwave

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For the ZigBee version, I’d try the GE Link bulb DTH and see if you can set the fade on/off in settings. The ZigBee spec has optional attributes for fade. It’s possible those attributes may be available in your bulb but need to be changed from default. The GE Link DTH will attempt to set those attributes. In any case, afterward you’ll need to switch back to the RGBW DTH for color control.

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Blockquote
jhamstead18h
For the ZigBee version, I’d try the GE Link bulb DTH and see if you can set the fade on/off in settings. The ZigBee spec has optional attributes for fade. It’s possible those attributes may be available in your bulb but need to be changed from default. The GE Link DTH will attempt to set those attributes. In any case, afterward you’ll need to switch back to the RGBW DTH for color control.

I’ve tested with GE Link Bulb DH and it changes something but not important. It keep turn ON/OFF suddenly, but if U want to change the luminosity from 30% to 70% for example, it does it with fade. That’s all.