+16 votes
by (2.5k points)
I’m stuck on moving beyond what I can do with Echo devices. I get it. To many of you, that’s not that Smart and I am limiting myself. I can see that. To be honest, I have yet to see a function or benefit of moving beyond what I have that can justify the cost, setup times and ongoing maintenance time to set up to a real hub. I have smart lighting, thermostats, alarm system, smart garage doors, pool pump, shower, appliances, TV’s etc. and everything works just fine on the Alexa ecosystem. I don’t have to manage a hub. And I have only lost internet connection 1 time in the last few years so a system that’ll run without internet isn’t a big deal to me, especially when you consider the time and cost justification for just that once in a blue moon thing. However, I keep thinking I am limiting myself? Am I missing out? Should I get a hub? What are the real benefits? The loss of internet isn’t a problem and it’s not reason enough for change. I do have a little bit of tinkering time but I don’t want to spend all my limited free time making sure another level of tech is working to support what was already working before. Been looking at Hubitat specifically and am 100% against anything Samsung. Make that 110%.  Rambling admittedly.  
I’m stuck on moving beyond what I can do with Echo devices.

14 Answers

+6 votes
by (860 points)
If you are happy with the echo, stay with it. It is very user friendly and does most of what is needed
by (2.5k points)
@sonde83 that’s where I keep ending up. I think I’ve gone to my phone to purchase Hubitat multiple times and always pause. Probably why.  
by (860 points)
@heaney the only real reason to switch is if you want to add in a zwave or zigbee. If it's all wifi, Alexa should be fine
by (3k points)
@heaney The real reason to upgrade is to get logic like if A happens while this is set to X or B happens while Y the do these things then wait and do these other things. If all you want is voice control then yeah don't bother.  
+9 votes
by (5.8k points)
A surprising number of people don’t like yelling at the echo multiple times. Myself included. If you moved out or checked out, would all those gadgets keep running for your family or new residents?  
by (2.5k points)
@supporter do you use a different voice control than Alexa? I don’t really have that issue. We have one in every room. I guess I don’t understand your point about family or new residents. Wouldn’t adding a hub make it more complicated? Right now my family knows how to do everything they want to know. Most of the time they don’t really care. I show them stuff and they would rather still do it the old way rather than learning new apps, voice commands, etc. Haha. If I sell my house, someone will definitely need to add either Alexas or a hub. No doubt.  
by (5.8k points)
@heaney we have echos all over the place as well. If that works for you, then roll with it. It’s really a matter of whether it’s a permanent or temporary DIY system.  
by (12.1k points)
@heaney His point is that an automated home doesn’t require someone to take action for the automation to run. Simply entering a room triggers automation. The only light switches I touch are a couple of dumb ones that are rarely used.  
by (2.5k points)
Understand Keith. Thanks for the additional info. So you have motion sensing lights? Is that what you’re referring to? I use voice and scheduling mainly with Lutron Caseta switches. Have a couple of Lutron sensor lights in bathrooms and closets. Would love to hear more! Thx.  
by (5.8k points)
@lixivium3 Nailed it. Things that used to require interaction timers, switches, etc but no longer because they are automatic, is a smart home. ie we walk into kitchen and under cabinet lights fade on and 1 minute after walking away they fade out.  
by (12.1k points)
@heaney I have motion sensors in every room along with smart bulbs and switches. Light turn on when I enter a room then off after no motion is detected for 3 minutes. Depending on the time of day and location mode determines what the lights do. For example when I get out of bed during the night two lights turn on very dim and dark blue as night lights. When I get back in bed the lights turn off. How ? I have a Withings Sleep Monitor under the mattress. Lights , locks, ceiling fans, garage doors. doorbell , smoke alarms , bathroom humidity fans , HVAC, TVs, AV receiver , and more are fully automated. Alexa makes announcements to let me know when certain things happen like a water leak , laundry is dry. Security, energy savings and convenience are benefits of automation
by (2.5k points)
This is excellent. Thanks.  
by (5.8k points)
@lixivium3 When my chihuahua runs out the dog door at night the pool light comes on so she doesn’t fall in again. That would be safety right?  
+12 votes
by (1.8k points)
I think you have to ask yourself what do you want to do other than what you have now? Like the post above, if you are satisfied with what you have and there’s no issue.  
by (2.5k points)
@skulduggery4 I do. I have been asking myself that and I keep coming back to the fact I don’t need one. Yet, I want one.  
by (1.8k points)
@heaney you can have both cant you ? A hub isn’t that expensive- i do both .  
by (2.5k points)
Well apparently you can!  
+9 votes
by (450 points)
For me the main reason to switching over to a hub was the added functionality in automations. I still use a lot of devices only with the echos but for some things I wanted/needed better automation and more customisation.  
+1 vote
by (6.3k points)
It's hard to tell from your post but it sounds like you just have a real fancy remote for your home, and you are the only one using it. If you added some Smart/Automation to the system then others would not have to 'learn it' but the home would react to the people. A little automation can be done with the system you have but not much. Without experiencing the Smart that a Hub will bring it might be hard to press that BUY button. Once again you seem like you are happy with your system and the family doesn't care as long as they don't have to change their ways, it might not be worth investing.  
+12 votes
by (12.1k points)
A few reasons to add a SmartThings hub 1) Automation capabilities in ST are far more advanced. Alexa doesn’t support complex conditionals 2) Alexa is internet dependent whereas Zigbee and Zwave devices run local in ST 3) ST supports Zwave 4) ST supports Alexa to add voice control of ST devices and customized announcements/interactions m 5) WebCoRE! The question to ask yourself is do I want a fully automated home or do I just want voice remote control SmartThings and Alexa play well together
+10 votes
by (1.1k points)
If you don’t want to spend all your free time tinkering, then I’d stay away from Hubitat. It’s barely a step up from running something on a Pi and coding the entire thing. It’s very DIY, and you are probably going to struggle if you can’t code. Having owned practically every single hub that’s come to market in the last 8-9 years, it’s easily my least favorite. I’m also not a fan of Samsung, but SmartThings is definitely easier to use than Hubitat.  
by (2.5k points)
@chausses appreciate that Joe. Good to know. I don’t want to spend a ton of time. Are there any other options besides Samsung? They robbed me blind multiple times with very shady BS that turned into class action suits. Can’t go there.  
by (12.1k points)
@heaney If you are committed to not getting a Samsung SmartThings hub, your choices are limited to Hubitat or Home Assistant. None of these are plug and play. They all require tinkering and have a learning curve.  
by (1.1k points)
@heaney - Not really. I can’t in good conscience recommend Wink, even though I think it’s the best one, they are circling the drain, and you wouldn’t be able to buy one anyway - they’ve been out of stock for 2 years now. Vera is a good option. I haven’t kept up with them lately, but they make a good product with a decent UI that’s better than Hubitat.  
+12 votes
by (1.1k points)
I am enjoying Home Assistant. I ran it on a Pi for about 18 months and just switched to a NUC.  
by (2.5k points)
@galliot cool. What do you like about it? Have been focused on Hubitat but hear a lot about Home Assistant.  
by (1.1k points)
It has a good community, it’s pretty flexible, it’s quick, local, it took a minimal amount of fuss to integrate with all of the Alexa-based smart “stuff” I had before, and I was able to expand to do other cool stuff. I cobbler together a WiFi pool thermometer for under $20, and via some of the plugins, my wife can easily ask Alexa the pool temperature. it’s also very stable.  
by (2.5k points)
Right on. Good stuff. I like minimal fuss for sure. And pool gadgets. Thx.  
+3 votes
by (300 points)
I think in terms of “what problem do I want to solve. ” For instance, I hate coming home to a dark house, and always seems my hands are full. A contact sensor and smart switch solved that problem via smart things. But I could also do the same thing with alexa and smart lighting, just needs input from me. I would say if your happy with how it works, leave it be. If you want more automations with less user input then buy a hub.  
by (2.5k points)
@technology makes sense to me. Something to consider with the lighting for sure. Thanks for sharing.  
+7 votes
by (5.2k points)
If you can do everything you want or need currently, why get a hub? If you do decide to get something, don't think of Smartthings as a Samsung product as much as a great company that had such a good idea that Samsung acquired it. The nice thing about it being backed by a big company like Samsung is that it's less likely to go the way of Wink or Stringify. Alexa can do some pretty cool stuff these days with routines. The lack of Z-Wave is probably the biggest downside
+5 votes
by (500 points)
With Alexa and Harmony Hub I have zero complaints. It’s smart enough for me. I barely have to touch a remote. I also have a house full of wemo switches and plugs.  
+10 votes
by (5.2k points)
Any change will increase cost. So there is that factor. I use alexa voice control a ton but starting to make some more complex automations. A fun example, I have a lamp that turns on nightly after sunset and off 1230am. Nothing fancy. It's not the lamp that is switched, it's the bulb. When my front door is unlocked the bulb is yellow and if a garage door is open it's red. Helps me know what my house is doing. Things like this are fun to do and can be really useful. I also have a double tap feature on a ge switch. If I double tap it down then all the lights in the room go off. Double tap up the dimer goes to 100 percent. I use a motion sensor and if nothing happens for 30 min the lights turn off in the room. These are just examples I'm sure there are a tone more. I get that you were screwed by SmartThings, too bad wink decided to shoot itself in their foot. I guess you're gonna have to make a do-it-yourself if you change.  
+12 votes
by (2.5k points)
If you’re happy with what you’ve got why are you asking for opinions? Either you want more or you don’t. I don’t understand the question.  
by (2.5k points)
@chiasma54569 I’m teetering on the edge.  
by (2.5k points)
@heaney that’s fair I just figure this is more of a personal thing. When I got my first bit of smart home tech it was a Hue starter kit and an Alexa enabled speaker. I played with light bulbs and voice commands for a little while, then I started scheduling lights at specific times, then I added a Nest thermostat, then we moved. Now I have SmartThings, Alexa, Hue, Tilt, a host of Z-wave switches and Zigbee sensors, and even things I already automated have shown me ways to automate them even better so I’m slowly buying additional sensors and devices to improve my experience. Instead of being solely reliant on timers or schedules my home is becoming more dynamic and “smarter” because I’m giving it the capability to make decisions for itself so it does a better job of achieving my end goal which is “it’s just does what you’d expect or want to happen on its own without any intervention”.  
+14 votes
by (2.5k points)
Started with alexa and only bought a SmartThings so I could automate more Phillips devices once I maxed that hub but now we’ve added a google nest mini to every room too so it’s all about what you want.  
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