Home Security

At the center of any smart home is a security system. The challenge today is that most existing systems are installed permanently in the home, hardwired, and use proprietary communications. There are many solutions available today, including SimpliSafe, Scout Alarm, ADT Pulse, and many more. Check out our reviews of these systems, and the products we recommend for native compatibility.

24 articles

Z-Wave vs. Zigbee: Which is best for home automation?
Gadgets

Z-Wave vs. Zigbee: Which is best for home automation?

While Z-Wave offers better interoperability, longer range, and more advanced security, it comes at a higher cost and limited compatibility. On the other hand, Zigbee offers wider compatibility, lower cost, and energy efficiency, but it may have interoperability issues, less security, and shorter range.

February 25, 2023
Z-Wave Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Gadgets

Z-Wave Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Fire safety is, arguably, one of the most important aspects to home ownership. Not only are you responsible for yourself, but also everyone else living in the home. If your home is not already equipped with hardwired smoke detectors, it's simple to add wireless smoke detectors to SmartThings (or any Z-Wave home automation system) for less than $50.

November 27, 2018
Chamberlin MyQ Garage Door Controller
Apps

Chamberlin MyQ Garage Door Controller

The garage door is a common roadblock for home automation, because garage door openers are “dumb”, expensive, and not something you'd want to break. Have no fear! If you pair a SmartThings hub with the Chamberlin MyQ Garage Door Kit, you can control your garage door remotely, and check its current status. You can even automate it using IFTTT and webCoRE.

November 24, 2018
Top Burglar Alarm Sirens for SmartThings
Home Automation

Top Burglar Alarm Sirens for SmartThings

This compact siren and strobe plugs directly into the wall outlet. It extends up about 3 inches, but, the device can be plugged-in upside down if necessary. It boasts a 105dB audio siren, with 5 different alert tones available to choose from. The bright LED strobe is a white light that can flash when triggered. No other customization can be done to the strobe light functionality.

November 15, 2018
Top 3 Smart Z-Wave Deadbolts for Home Automation
Door Locks

Top 3 Smart Z-Wave Deadbolts for Home Automation

For both standard and non-standard doors, or doors with decorative door handles, you should consider adding a deadbolt-only smart device to the door to enable remote control and access. A smart deadbolt is simply a locking mechanism that fits into the existing deadbolt cut-out in your door, and connects to the internet to allow for remote access and programming.

September 16, 2018
Aeotec Multisensor 6: Monitor Motion, Temp, and Lux in SmartThings
Home

Aeotec Multisensor 6: Monitor Motion, Temp, and Lux in SmartThings

The Aeotec Multisensor (Available on Amazon) has six sensors combined into 1 small, 1.8″ square plastic housing. When the Aeotech Multisensor is placed in a hallway or room, you can use the SmartThings app to monitor motion, humidity, temperature, light lux (brightness), UV, and vibration. On top of all those features, the Aeotec Multisensor 6 is natively compatible with SmartThings, so no custom device handlers or coding is necessary out-of-the-box.

September 15, 2018