At CEDIA Expo 2019, Zooz unveiled three new Z-Wave devices that are planned to come to the market by the end of 2019. If you aren’t familiar with Zooz, it is the house brand for online Z-Wave product retailer The Smartest House. In a market segment filled with behemoths like Amazon and Google, this mom and pop team headquartered in New Jersey prides itself on fair prices and excellent customer service. As with the existing offerings, Zooz is looking to fill some gaps in the Z-Wave smart home market with unique devices at affordable prices.
ZEN30 Double Switch
The ZEN30 Double Switch is a single gang decora-style smart switch that can control two separate loads. This is perfect for applications where a fan and its associated light kit are wired to a double switch taking up only one space in the switch box—or almost any other situation with a double switch.
The main dimmer switch, occupying the top ¾ of the space, can handle up to 75 watts of LEDs or 250 watts of incandescent bulbs. The main dimmer has a string of color-changeable LEDs to visually indicate the dim level. The second switch, a button at the bottom of the unit, controls an onboard on/off relay that can handle up to 15 amps. Without a second load, you could alternatively use the button as a scene controller to control smart bulbs or other devices via your Z-Wave controller of choice. In fact, paddle presses and the second button can all activate scenes based on the number of times they are tapped—up to 5 taps for each button.
Physically, the dimmer is ¼” shallower than other Zooz switches. The device has pigtails so you can potentially wire a low voltage connection to the on/off relay outside the high voltage switch box to meet wiring regulations. Overall, this is a device that fills a unique need in the smart home market and has a lot of bells and whistles to make it worth the low price Zooz will sell it for.
ZEN16 Multirelay
Next up is the Zooz ZEN16 Multirelay. This is a single 4”x2.5”x1.5” component that can control 3 loads using independent on/off relays. One of the relays can handle up to 20 amps, and the other two will handle 15 amps each. The Multirelay uses dry contact relays, so it doesn’t require a neutral wire, and each relay can handle from 0–240 volts. Each relay also has wired switch inputs for local control.
This device is probably more for technical/hobbiest consumers, but it could fill some unique needs like pool equipment, fireplace, or sprinkler control. Any application that requires an on/off or momentary button relay could be controlled by the Multirelay.
ZEN31 RGBW Dimmer
The final new Zooz device at CEDIA 2019 was the ZEN31 RGBW Dimmer Module. This 1.7”x1.5”x0.7” device can control full-color lighting strips, bulbs, or any other lighting devices requiring independent red, green, blue and white control.
With LED light strips growing in popularity for accent lighting, under-cabinet lighting, and other applications, this device offers a way to buy your own affordable LED strips and still connect and control them from your choice of Z-Wave-compatible hubs. The Smartest House will also sell an LED power supply, so you’ll only need to bring your own RGBW light source.
The RGBW module also has inputs for a manual switch and sensor. Fibaro and Qubino already offer similar Z-Wave devices, so Zooz is likely going for a price advantage with this offering.
Overall, The Smartest House is bringing three unique Z-Wave devices to the smart home market that expand its portfolio nicely. The Double Switch will likely be the most popular since it fills a big gap in the smart switch market. If you have any questions about the new Zooz devices, reach out to the helpful team at Zooz and The Smartest House, and they can fill you in.
