It is a great time to upgrade your home with the Kasa smart light bulbs—but do yourself a favor and read this article first!
None of Kasa's smart devices support ZigBee or Z-Wave. This also applies to the Kasa lights (which I will delve into in more detail later). To that end, here's a rundown of every detail you'll want to know about Kasa lights compatibility and connectivity protocol.
Key Points
- Kasa manufacturers make it clear that none of Kasa's smart devices support ZigBee or Z-Wave—including the Kasa bulbs.
- Generally, smart bulbs communicate through three main wireless protocols: ZigBee, Z-Wave, and WiFi.
- From this category, Kasa lights support only WiFi.
- WiFi technology operates differently from ZigBee and Z-Wave. It sends signals directly from a wireless router to your smart home device.
- Ensure you connect to a 2.4 GHz WiFi network, as the 5 GHz band is incompatible with these lights.
Are Kasa Lights ZigBee Or Z-Wave?
Kasa Lights are neither ZigBee nor Z-Wave. While both ZigBee and Z-Wave do a good job connecting smart home devices to each other and the internet, Kasa smart lights do not support any of these wireless technologies. Kasa lights are WiFi-only bulbs, so connecting them to a ZigBee or Z-Wave hub is not an option.
No matter how many bulbs you have added to your system, they do not need a hub or extra equipment to function. Current Kasa lights connect to your home's secure WiFi network and support only 2.4GHz WiFi bands. This is nice because using the Kasa Smart App lets you conveniently control your lights from anywhere on your smartphone.
Since Kasa’s Lights are not ZigBee or Z-Wave, the process of connecting them is quite different. In the section below, let me explain how Kasa Smart WiFi Lights work.
How Do Kasa Smart Lights Work?
So, how do Kasa smart lights work if they do not rely on ZigBee or Z-Wave?
As mentioned above, Kasa light bulbs use WiFi technology and connect directly to your home or office WiFi network.
In simpler terms, when controlling them, you send instructions wirelessly from your mobile device to the lights over the internet. The lights receive these instructions wirelessly from a central controller—in our case, the Kasa Smart App.
With this function, you can easily use voice commands to adjust the brightness and color of your light bulb. You can use popular voice assistants like SmartThings, Google Assistant, or Amazon Alexa to do this.
Connecting Kasa Lights to WiFi
Since Kasa smart bulbs don't require a hub, they are incredibly easy to use and control. Here’s what you need to do.
- Simply download the Kasa Smart App on your smartphone and create an account or log in with an existing one.
- From here, you’ll see a display of a device page. Add your device by selecting the “+” icon on the top right, go to smart lights, and add your smart bulb. Ensure your phone is connected to a 2.4GHz home WiFi network and has Internet.
- Usually, the Kasa App automatically connects to the Smart Bulb’s WiFi network, and the process only takes about a minute.
- However, if the smart bulb is not visible, you can manually connect to it by going to “Settings” on your smartphone, selecting “WiFi” and connecting to the WiFi network of the smart bulb.
- Now, return to the Kasa App and complete the setup process.
Now that you know how Kasa Lights work and how to control them, how is this different from a ZigBee or Z-Wave connection?
ZigBee Vs. Z-Wave
ZigBee and Z-Wave are low-bandwidth mesh network protocols for wireless communication between smart home devices like light bulbs and other devices.
Here is how these protocols work:
- Since the signals may be weak when devices are far from the router, ZigBee and Z-Wave ensure the connected devices have a strong wireless connection through a mesh network.
- Unlike direct WiFi connections, the signals from ZigBee or Z-Wave do not go directly from the router to your smart device.
- Instead, the signal hops from one device to the next until it reaches the intended device without connecting each device to the WiFi. This ensures the intended device receives the message no matter how far it is within your home.
Which Smart Lights Are ZigBee?
Some people prefer ZigBee due to its energy efficiency and network strength; you may want to add some ZigBee smart lights to your cart!
1. Innr Smart Bulb
Innr ZigBee Smart Bulb supports the ZigBee wireless hub, and you can connect it through many options. This bulb is compatible with SmartThings, Philips Hue, and Amazon Alexa.
It's an excellent choice for anyone seeking affordable, customizable lighting that suits any home setting. The bulb features dimmable LED lighting, providing a warm white light color tone with a brightness of approximately 860 lumens.
2. Philips Hue
Philips Hue supports both ZigBee and Bluetooth. With the capability to control up to 50 smart bulbs, this lighting option is perfect for individuals seeking convenience.
The Philips Hue App enables you to set different color themes that align with the time of day. With over 16 million color options, you can effortlessly create and customize the desired ambiance in your home.
3. Sengled ZigBee
As the name suggests, this smart bulb is compatible with built-in ZigBee smart hubs on devices like Amazon Echo and most ZigBee hubs. It uses the Sengled App or voice control to turn the multicolor on, off, or even dim them.
Sengled ZigBee has over 16 million hue choices with tones that range from 2,000K to 6,500K. You can set the bulb ambiance to the hue of your choice, from moody lighting in your bedroom to white lighting for your home office.
Which Smart Lights Are Z-Wave?
The Z-Wave smart bulbs are not easy to come by, mainly because Z-Wave is strict with its standardized wireless protocol. In case you are looking for Z-Wave light bulbs in the market, here are some:
1. Sengled Z-Wave
Sengled also produces Z-Wave smart bulbs (the certified Z-Wave Plus and S2 Z-Wave). You can easily add these to your Z-Wave smart home and enjoy convenience and control over your smart lighting.
The bulb offers up to 232 smart light devices that you can use to light your home and control them from your hub or the Sengled App. You can easily switch them on or off, dim, brighten, or change the hue even when you’re not at home.
2. Zopato
The Zipato bulb allows you to control the color and intensity of your home lights from your phone or a Z-Wave-enabled controller. It features up to 16 million colors, making home illumination more comfortable and fun.
Like the Kasa Smart Light, Zipato has separate cold white, warm white, and color lights. This means you can customize and create both a colorful light and a regular white lighting environment.
3. Abus
Abus Z-Wave LED lamp is a great lighting option for your home. In case of danger, the bulb can light up the escape routes well using the scene control feature. You can also stimulate your presence by creating scenarios whenever you are not at home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Kasa Products Support ZigBee, Z-Wave, IPV6, or Ethernet Connections?
Can You Use Both ZigBee and Z-Wave?
This means you can simultaneously use both products on different devices within your home without any interference. The trade-off is that their frequencies can interfere with other WiFi devices.
Which Is Better, ZigBee or Z-Wave?
Does Kasa Need a Hub?
Bottom Line
We hope that in your search on whether Kasa’s Lights are ZigBee or Z-Wave, you found this article helpful. When purchasing long-lasting smart home devices like Kasa Lights, it is only fitting that you do your homework!
While these lights may not support ZigBee or Z-Wave, they connect directly to your home or office through WiFi. Pairing the lights to the WiFi network using the dedicated app is relatively easy. Simply follow our step-by-step instructions to do it the right way.
