I am in the process of replacing a whole bunch of switches, single and 3 way. Till a month or 2 ago I had planned on using GE switches as they seemed to be the most popular option.
Then I heard about Zooz in one of the threads and did my bit of reading. Seemed to be a no brainer to go with Zooz given the cost of Zooz switch is about 1/2 of GE in a 3 way connection. Another product keeps popping up on Amazon while searching for smart switches - Inovelli. Wiring seems to be similar. They seem to have similar or better review compared to Zooz on that site, and price of both are about the same. I also started seeing people mentioning Inovelli as a replacement for GE in some of the posts on this site.
I am looking for pros and cons of each brand. Is there anyone who has experience with both brands and prefers one over the other ? Are there any functional/operational advantages of one over the other ?
Thanks for tagging us @TonyFleisher. We’re the owners of the Zooz brand and have developed all of the light switch models available today so ZEN21, ZEN22 (dimmer), ZEN23 (toggle), ZEN24 (toggle dimmer), ZEN26 (NEW), and ZEN27 (NEW dimmer). We actually haven’t installed or tried any of the Inovelli switches but we know they’re made at the same factory and their 3-way solution is the same as the one for our ZEN21-ZEN24 switches. The new models, ZEN26 and ZEN27, already feature an improved 3-way and 4-way wiring where installation is much simpler and more flexible (you can use them in 4-way and 5-way installations when load and line are in separate boxes). Here is a comparison between the ZEN21 vs ZEN26 and ZEN22 vs ZEN27 switches.
Inovelli offers a version with scene control and they also include light almond paddles and wall plates with their switches. Zooz only come in white and wall plates aren’t included.
These are the primary differences we’ve spotted based on user feedback. We’re not sure if their switches have dedicated handlers to work with the new app, all of the Zooz switches have handlers that allow at least basic functionality with the new app (and full functionality with SmartThings Classic).
Feel free to post any device-specific questions here. @Eric_Inovelli will probably have a couple of details to add as well.
Dang you guys beat me to it @TheSmartestHouse - you have some fast typing fingers!
Yeah, @rumrunner424 - TheSmartestHouse summed it up pretty good. Our base switches will work with the new app, it’s only the advanced scene switches that will only work on the Classic App, however, we’ve found that most people still prefer the Classic app bc a lot of other devices/brands still do not work properly in the new app.
We’re in the process of revamping our entire switch line, so we’re pretty much out of stock on all switches at the moment, but we are offering some refurbished ones for around $25-30 depending on the style. Feel free to PM me if interested.
You can’t go wrong with Zooz though, top notch customer service and Agnes is very nice and always willing to help.
Can I just say you guys are awesome? Excellent customer service from both companies, top-notch forum participation here, and civil discourse between competitors as well.
@TheSmartestHouse, Do your dimmer switches support association? I have an Inovelli dimmer that I’ve associated with a couple of plug in dimmers where it acts as master and it works great with instant sync between the lights.
To the OP, I have some of each Zooz and Inovelli. They are both great. As I said above, the association on the dimmer works flawlessly. The new Zooz Zen26 4 way wiring supports situations where line/load are not in the same box as a drop in replacement, I didn’t have to rewire anything other than the line switch.
@Eric_Inovelli, I was wondering if you plan to release firmware updates? I bought the Z-Flash program so I could fix my Leviton dimmers so I can reflash if I can get the HEX file. Or maybe you could see what it takes to have HomeSeer include it in their list of included upgrades?
Yes they do, all dimmers and switches support association. You’ll find details about it in the manual for each model under “ASSOCIATION”. Let us know if you have any other questions!
Great question – yes, we plan on always releasing updates – likely a couple times a year (we try to collect feedback from the community and adjust). Now if only we could get ST to allow OTA updates with Z-Wave
Is there a feature you were looking for in particular?
@Eric_Inovelli No specific feature, but I know you’ve added some nice features in the past (like association) and I’d like to know I can upgrade if something new gets added that would be useful.
@Eric_Inovelli, I wanted to set up the github repository for my NZW30 w/scene switches for updates. In my device handlers, I currently have erocm123 : Inovelli Switch NZW30 and erocm123 : Inovelli Switch NZW30 w/Scene. How would I do this?
Well, you have a couple options. We have actually moved over to our InovelliUSA github repository, but I’ve kept the handlers in my repository for those that still use it. So, if you stick with what you have installed right now then use the erocm123 settings below. If you want to switch over to the InovelliUSA repository then copy and paste the handler code from that repository over the erocm123 handlers that you have installed and setup the InovelliUSA repository below:
@Mark_Cameron – hey thanks for the kind words, that really means a lot!
Great question – so, we’re actually transitioning manufacturers and unfortunately the tooling time takes a bit to create a new switch from scratch.
However, the great news is that the new switches will be a major upgrade in terms of hardware and software and we’re really excited about it.
Once we get the prototypes (likely mid-Jan) I’ll share a bit more, but just trust me in that these switches will be like nothing on the market and will be an even bigger upgrade than what we’ve currently have in play.
While we’re on the topic, is there anything you’d like to see in either the firmware or hardware? We definitely have time to improve and/or make changes.
We do have some refurbished On/Off switches at our HQ if you can’t wait though (I get it, HA is addicting haha).
Thanks again for your support and have an awesome day!
