Zigbee

Zigbee is one of the most popular wireless communication protocols for smart homes. Similar to Z-Wave, Zigbee uses a Mesh network topology, where permanently powered devices (like smart plugs or light bulbs) act as signal repeaters, passing messages to one another. The more devices you have in your home, the stronger and more stable the network becomes.

The main difference is that Zigbee operates on the globally available 2.4 GHz frequency band (just like standard Wi-Fi or Bluetooth). The biggest advantage is a massive ecosystem of affordable devices from hundreds of different manufacturers—for example, the popular Philips Hue lighting, IKEA TRÅDFRI smart home range, or Aqara sensors all run on this standard.

Because it is an extremely energy-efficient protocol, battery-powered sensors can run for years on a single coin battery. However, during installation, you need to be mindful of potential interference from strong home Wi-Fi routers (since they share the same 2.4 GHz band), making proper channel selection in your smart home hub an important step.