Z-Wave is the leading smart home technology found in millions of products around the world. It is a wireless technology that will not interfere with your Wi-Fi signal and operates on low power. When Z-Wave technology is utilized inside everyday products such as locks and lights, these products become “smart” – giving them the ability to talk to each other and enabling you to control the devices and thus your home, from anywhere. Z-Wave operates at 908.42 MHz in the United States and Canada.

Z-Wave is a wireless radio frequency technology which operates at 908.42 MHz (in the US & Canada) that lets smart devices talk to and connect with one another. Household products, like lights, door locks and thermostats are made “smart” when Z-Wave connectivity is added inside the product’s design, giving them the capability to communicate and perform the desired functions that you want.

Z-Wave operates wirelessly and securely. The devices can be easily accessed and controlled remotely on your smartphone, tablet or computer so you can control your smart home from anywhere in the world! The Z-Wave hub receives a command from you via your smartphone, tablet, or computer and routes the command to the destination device.

For example, you want to close your garage door. You select that option on the app via your smartphone. No matter where you are in the world and as long as you have internet access, the hub will receive that command and send the command from device to device until it reaches the garage door controller. The smart garage door controller will then close. Once it has closed, it will send a notification back through the devices, to the smart hub, providing you with a notification on your smartphone that the garage door was in fact closed. Z-Wave devices have 2-way communication built in. All of this happens wirelessly without any interruption in your home and no interruption from your Wi-Fi network.

To start, Z-Wave provides peace of mind so you know your home is secure, no matter where you are. A Z-Wave smart home can save you money with energy savings – no more lights being left on or AC running on high when you’re not home. Z-Wave is synonymous with convenience. With the touch of one button you can shut down your house when you leave – lock the doors, turn off lights and close garage door. Z-Wave means security – knowing you’ll receive an alert if there is any trouble at home – water leak, fire alarm, potential break-in, or more.

The easiest way is to look for products with the Z-Wave logo. Z-Wave products are built to be interoperable and there are currently over 4500 certified Z-Wave products in the market, so Z-Wave gives you more choices of products, brands, and solutions for your home.

Yes, the size of the house does not matter because Z-Wave runs on a type of network called a “mesh network.” One Z-Wave product will pass the signal along to another product until the final destination product is reached. Every device in your smart home acts as a signal repeater; the more devices you have, the more powerful your smart home network is.
For example, if you are trying to lock your smart lock and you send a signal through your smart home app, the app will send the message to your hub. The hub will then send the message from device to device until it reaches the door lock. The door lock will receive that message that it needs to lock and do so. Once the door lock has successfully locked, it will also then send this message back to the hub via the devices on your network, and then to the app letting you know that your house is now secure.

No, Z-Wave operates on a different wireless frequency than Wi-Fi. Even though your smart hub will plug into your Wi-Fi router, the hub communicates with other smart devices on a different frequency making interference nonexistent.

All of the terms above refer to the piece of hardware that becomes the brain of your smart home. This product type can come in many forms. Think of a hub like your Wi-Fi router. Your router provides Wi-Fi within your home. A Z-Wave smart hub/gateway/controller provides the Z-Wave functionality within your smart home and controls the commands you want it to execute.

A smart hub comes in many forms – it could be as simple as an alarm panel used for your home security, a stand-alone hub device, a thermostat, or more.

One of the great things about Z-Wave is the number of available products from a diverse set of well-known and trusted brands.

How do you know which ones are right for you?

1. You want to think about the problems you’re trying to solve. Would you like to be able to come home to a warm, well-lit home without leaving the lights on and the heat turned up all day? You’ll need a thermostat, a hub, and some connected lights, to begin.
2. Look at the different smart devices aesthetics – will they match your home, do you like the design, etc?
3. Finally, look at the capability and functionality of each product to ensure they can do what you need them. When evaluating the functionality, research the manufacturer’s website or ask our knowledgeable team of smart home experts.

Z-Wave has the largest selection of smart products available across widely recognized brands, allowing you to create your ideal smart home. There are smart door locks, smart indoor/outdoor lights, smart thermostats, a multitude of smart sensors, smart outlets, smart window coverings, smart garage door controllers, and more.

All of these devices communicate with each other and with your smart hub to make sure your smart home is operating the way you wish. With a smart home, the only limit is your imagination. There are products to shut off your water in case of a water leak, turn on lights to make it look like you’re home, alert you if smoke is detected, or talk with your dog while you’re away. There are limitless ways to use a smart home.

To see the full list of Z-Wave certified products, visit the Z-Wave Certified Product Catalog.