Fibaro System: Review

Rating: 4.5/5

System Price: 2,50,000+

Our verdict: Fibaro offers an extremely powerful and stable Z-Wave smart home system; you’ll love it for its simplicity, flexibility and extensibility. While it’s certainly expensive compared to peers, we suggest smart home enthusiasts go for it, if they can afford it.

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Fibaro offers an extremely powerful and stable Z-Wave smart home system; you’ll love it for its simplicity, flexibility and extensibility. While it is certainly more expensive compared to its peers; if you are a smart home enthusiast or are looking for advanced features with stunning aesthetics, the Fibaro System would be our recommendation for you.

ProsConsExtremely stable; probably one of the best Z-Wave powered systems in the worldPriced higher than peer brandsOffers a wide array of smart devices from lighting, multimedia to securityOnly a few selected Fibaro devices are HomeKit compatibleSmooth app experienceRequires pro-installation (in most cases)HomeKit support, along with Alexa and Google Home integrationNative integration for third-party platforms

About Fibaro

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K35uFXoa5c0

Established in the year 2011, Fibaro is owned by the Nice Group. A global name in the field of IoT technology and smart home automation; Fibaro offers some of the most innovative and breakthrough products for smart homes. Designed, developed and manufactured entirely in Poland, smart home devices offered by Fibaro are known for their exceptional design, performance and reliability; setting benchmarks against which all other smart home devices are measured.

Catering to the needs of smart home owners across 6 continents, Fibaro is a leader in the smart home market; owning more than 150 copyrights and patents; involved in business with over 10,000 distributors, retailers and resellers across the world; boasting of an expansive network and impeccable service.

Fibaro System

Before you jump into the next section of the review, we should give the reader an overview of what are the components included in the Fibaro system and how they operate. For instance, to build a Fibaro home automation system, you need a hub (HC2/HC3/Lite) and then you can choose from other available components.

The Hub

• Home Center 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEGbiR-gfXo

The Fibaro Home Center 3 is perhaps the most powerful Z-Wave plus controller available in the market. Packing the capabilities of both Z-Wave and Zigbee technologies, the Home Center 3 offers more ways to connect and integrate multiple devices in your home.

The Fibaro Home Center 3 supports multiple protocols and has also been upgraded to support the Z-Wave plus version; making it compatible with a larger range of devices like Sonos, Satel, Philips, Amazon Alexa etc.; working over different protocols and allowing control over longer distances.

While the Fibaro Home Center 3 does come at a steep price, it offers 50% better range, 2x more RAM, and 3 times more computing power than the Fibaro Home Center 2. So, for all the smart home enthusiasts looking to build a future proof home; the Fibaro Home Center 3 is perhaps the best Z-Wave controller out there that money can buy.

• Home Center 2

The Fibaro Home Center 2 is fibaro’s flagship product. While the Home Center 2 has storage and disk capacity that is half of that offered by the Home Center 3; it is still one of the best Z-Wave controllers available in the market.

The Fibaro Home Center 2 is housed in a handy aluminium container that makes it both thermally safe as well as aesthetically pleasing. One thing to remember, though, is that the Home Center 2 gets hot to the touch after prolonged use; so you may want to avoid piling any other device or object on the HC2. The silent functioning of the Fibaro Home Center 2 is an added plus over other Z-Wave controllers in the market.

Simplified management, energy savings and increased home security are just some of the many features and services offered by the Fibaro Home Center 2.

Other tasks like setting the mood with voice control over your lights, wirelessly controlling your curtains and keeping your family safe with smart security systems can also be easily established with the Fibaro Home Center 2.

• Home Center Lite

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUavR3A9tzQ

Smart home automation and device management packed into a small, compact hub is what sets the Home Center Lite apart. One of the smallest home automation hubs available in the market, the Home Center Lite has a simplified user interface; while retaining key characteristics and features of the Fibaro hub controllers including hassle-free, wireless control through a smartphone or tablet and smart device management.

Tasks such as scheduling lights based on the time of the day; creating custom events with the Magic Scenes feature and wirelessly turning appliances on or off with the Home Center Lite are easily accomplished with the Home Center Lite.

With a smaller size, you would think that the Home Center Lite would not offer too many functionalities. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. All in all, the Home Center Lite is a suitable option for a limited budget or if your home does not need too much except the basic functionalities of a smart controller.

FeaturesHC3HC2HC2 LiteCaseSoft-Touch PlasticCast AlloyPlasticZ-Wave Series500300300Memory (RAM)2GB1GB128MBStorage (Flash)8GB2GB (+ 4GB Recovery Disc)128MBRecovery/backupFibaro Cloud and local internalFibaro Cloud & Local USB DriveOnly Fibaro CloudNumber of Plug-InsNot limitedNot limitedLimited to 5Recommended no of Z-Wave devicesUp to 232Up to 23230-50Dimensions220 x 140 x 35mm225 x 185 x 42mm90 x 90 x 33mm

Fibaro’s Accessories Line-up

Lighting

• Walli Controller

Smart device control was just made too easy and accessible with the Fibaro Walli controller. What sets the Walli Controller apart is the smart, elegant design of the controller and the fact that it can be placed on or stuck to any surface of your choice. What is also impressive about the Fibaro Walli controller is that it can be combined with any smart device that is already installed in your home.

Apart from offering remote control over your home appliances, smart lights, blinds and gates; the Walli controller takes the cake with its long battery life and smart automation trigger features.

• Walli Line

The Walli line is a collection of smart switches and outlets that work on Z-Wave technology to equip your home with versatile intelligence.

The entire  Walli has a distinctly beautiful, pearl-inspired shape that is a welcome change from the mostly functional designs offered by competing brands in the category.

The Walli Line provides dozens of smart features and can be easily added to your existing home automation system as it is compatible with several other Z-Wave devices and products manufactured by other manufacturers as well.

• Dimmer 2

For all your dimming needs, Fibaro offers a nifty little device called the Dimmer 2, which fits behind your switchboard, and can be used to control any dimmable lights.

The amazing thing about the Dimmer 2 is that you don’t have to change your existing lights or buy any special fixtures. You can simply install this dimmer in your existing Z-Wave network, and start controlling any dimmable lights from your smartphone.

For more advanced users, the Fibaro Dimmer 2 offers some unique benefits, like, brightness regulation, energy consumption reports and fade in start function.

• Switches

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIhg8dKLroU

The Fibaro switches are all about tiny size and enormous possibilities. In addition to offering basic operational functionalities like turning devices on or off through your smartphone; measuring the power consumption of connected devices and controlling the brightness of lights; the Fibaro switches offer several other additional functionalities for advanced usage including a smartphone notification each time the energy consumption changes by 20% as well as advanced microprocessor control.

• RGBW Controller 2

If you always wanted to have a home, where you can change your mood at the flick of a button, then the Fibaro RBGW Controller 2 is the answer to all your needs. With the RGBW controller 2, you can set the tone for the evening by choosing from a wide range of colour options to light up your space.Compatible with most light strips and LEDs, the Fibaro RGBW Controller 2 has a unique “Magic Scenes” functionality that allows you to customize your light settings and recall them whenever you want.

What makes the Fibaro RGBW Controller 2 a true game changer is the fact that it can control up to 4 dimmer channels and even receive input from analog sensors, making it a truly versatile controller.

• Wall Plug

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl1O6_fKuik

For satisfying all your smart home requirements, the Fibaro Wall Plug is an effective little solution. It lets you control connected devices directly through your smartphone.Working with a Z-Wave Hub, the Fibaro Wall Plug includes a color-coded LED that indicates the power consumption of the connected device so that you are never caught off-guard with unexpected power bills.

A handy feature of the Fibaro Wall Plug is that it lets you set customized schedules to turn your connected appliance on/off as required, which is a great feature to have on the days when you need your AC turned off at a particular time in the night or have your Coffee machine turn on and prepare you coffee on a busy morning.

Gates and Blinds

• Roller Shutter

If you are looking to round up your home automation system with a device that automates your curtains and gates, then the Fibaro Roller Shutter is a good choice for you.

The Fibaro Roller Shutter is a wireless, Z-wave enabled module that enables you to control the motors of roller blinds, awnings, Venetian blinds, gates and other single phase AC powered devices. The Fibaro Roller Shutter also lets you control your curtains and gates from the app in your smartphone.

• Smart Implant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkDR62V75Ao

The Fibaro Smart Implant is really a goldmine of a device. You can now turn all your home appliances smart by simply installing the Fibaro Smart Implant with any old device that is not designed to be smart.

The only limitation of the Fibaro Smart Implant is that it can be powered by 9-30V DC only. Make sure you do not use it in 230V installations.

Heating

• Smoke Sensor

The Fibaro Smoke Sensor is a compact, battery-powered Z-Wave smoke sensor that rings a loud siren to warn you in situations where it detects smoke or excessive heat, so that you and your family are protected from harm and injury at all times.

• CO Sensor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMge0LSmxuM

The Fibaro CO Sensor is another fine addition to the Fibaro system. It sounds a loud, 85 dB alarm in case it detects the leakage of the odorless carbon monoxide gas. When tested, the CO Sensor was able to detect even a slight increase in the levels of CO gas in the home, which is quite commendable for a sensor in this price range.

The Fibaro CO sensor works even when it is not connected to the system, continuously monitoring your home, even in case of technical glitches or failure of the system for any reason.

Safety and Security

• Flood Sensor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JRxUoHbEN8

The Fibaro Flood Sensor is designed to detect water leakage, which sounds quite basic, but if you have ever had a water leakage in your home, you would know the kind of damage that the water leakage can cause to your home.

Just over an inch thick, the Fibaro Flood Sensor can fit just about anywhere and is fitted with tiny gold feet at the bottom that can detect even a small amount of water and sounds a loud alarm which is quite hard to miss.There is, however, no notification when the water detection stops.

It is worth noting that the water needs to touch the golden feet of the Fibaro Flood Sensor for the alarm to be activated. In case the leakage is a drip and does not touch any of the three specific spots, the alarm does not go off.

• Motion Sensor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_I2p1Tq2QU

At the offset, the verdict about theThe Fibaro Motion Sensor would be that it is a must have if you have an already existing Fibaro system as it makes the efficiency and functionality of the system a whole lot better.

The Fibaro Motion Sensor is a small, compact device that works not only as a motion sensor, but also packs a light and temperature sensor in the device to give you higher functionality through a single device.

The eye-shaped device is also a refreshing change from the practicality-focused designs of traditional motion sensors.

On a more practical level, the Fibaro Motion Sensor can help with indoor climate control and run up to 2 years on its battery life.

• Door/Window Sensor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptdatVWq0a4

The Fibaro Door/Window Sensor is a discrete, sturdy unit that detects the opening and closing of the connected door or window.While the small size of the Sensor is a bonus, it does require the use of a not so common battery, which makes it so that you can’t just walk into a shop and buy a battery replacement for the Fibaro Door/Window Sensor.

To be fair though, the battery lasts for up to 2 years, so it might not be too much of an issue.

Apart from that, the Fibaro Door/Window sensor has several functionalities packed into it. Unlike peers in other brands, the Fibaro Door/Window Sensor has a connected temperature sensor that provides temperature information in addition to motion detection.

It is also tamper-proof and reinforces the security of your spaces. Easy, hassle-free installation of the Fibaro Door/window Sensor is also worth a mention.

Accessories

• KeyFob

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyzkdk_SIF4

The unique design of the Fibaro Keyfob catches your eye immediately. While being aesthetically pleasing to look at, the Fibaro KeyFob has several great functionalities.

The Keyfob has 6 buttons that can be programmed to execute up to 30 different combinations, giving you amazon flexibility in terms of functionality and usage. It is also very responsive and reliable and did not miss any presses/clicks when tried and experimented.

With these options, as well as the option to set customized sequences for different actions, the Fibaro Keyfob really is one of the most featured pack button devices available in the market.

• The Button 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvF195jZenE

Priced higher than competing options including Hue Tap and the Eve Button, the Fibaro Button is arguably one of the smartest, most intuitive buttons that allows you to program button action to control your home appliances with a single tap.

With a retro yet modern feel and design, the Fibaro Button can be installed on any surface and works seamlessly with most Z-wave enabled devices. Bluetooth connection of appliances can also be enabled.

One unique feature of the Fibaro Button is that it gives a nice movement inside the button when pressed to execute any action and also makes an audible click, which relays the fact that the action was recognised and is about to be executed. The fact that the Button does not require a Hub is also an added advantage.

• Swipe

The Fibaro Swipe is a fantastic new device with a novel concept, making the Swipe recognize hand gestures and sequences to control devices. Custom gestures can be assigned to execute different actions via the Fibaro Swipe.

The Fibaro Swipe really begins to shine when the Sequences feature is used. You can use up to three basic gestures in varied sequences to execute different actions.

Another unique feature of the Fibaro Swipe is that it allows you to fine tune and configure up to 25 parameters to integrate the Fibaro Swipe with an existing home automation system.

Yubii - The App Experience

Known for some of the most advanced apps in the world of home automation, Fibaro does not disappoint with the Yubii app either.

An intuitive, interactive and easy-to-navigate dashboard welcomes you to the Yubii app. The status of all your Fibaro products installed in the entire house is available at a single glance on the dashboard.

Taking a step towards inclusivity, the Yubii App packs the power of Haptic technology to make the operation of smart home products and usage of the app easier for visually impaired users.

A commendable feature of the Yubii App is that not only does it offer control of your smart devices through the app, but the app itself is designed for smart operation. With Machine Learning technology, the Yubii learns your habits and preferences and makes life so much easier with smart action suggestions tailored to your usage patterns.

The Yubii App also has a Wall Mode that allows you to view a clear picture of your entire home in a landscape view from a wall mounted tablet or iPad. Operation of all your home devices from a singular point of control has never been easier!

Lastly, the Yubii app cuts your effort in half by providing control of smart devices from other major manufacturers right from the Yubii app, making control of your smart home easier than ever.

Alexa & Google Home Integration

With voice control capabilities fast gaining popularity and becoming an indispensable part of smart home systems and solutions; Fibaro is staying ahead of the curve by offering seamless integrations with Alexa, Siri and Google Home.

These three assistants allow for voice commands to operate and efficiently control all Fibaro products as well as those offered by other manufacturers that are connected to the Fibaro home system and hubs.

Fibaro’s claim of having integrations with voice assistants “before it was cool” certainly does shine through in the way that all Fibaro products are compatible with voice assistants. And have always, in our experience, operated rather flawlessly when controlled with voice commands.

One cutting edge feature of the Fibaro Smart Home system is that it can now even be controlled via Facebook Messenger, allowing you to manage smart devices and check the goings-on in your home in an efficient and convenient manner.

HomeKit 

One major drawback of the Fibaro home system if you plan to integrate your Fibaro system with HomeKit as not all Fibaro products are compatible with Apple HomeKit.

While this may not handicap your Fibaro home system completely; it does prove to be a hurdle to unfurling the complete efficacy and functionality of the Fibaro system.

The list of Fibaro devices that are compatible with the Apple HomeKit include the following:

• Sensors: 

  • Flood Sensor

    • Motion SensorDoor/Window Sensor

    • CO Sensor

• Remotes:

  • The Button

    • Walli Controller

    • Heat Controller

    • RGBW Controller 2

• Gateways: 

  • Home Center 3

    • Home Center 3 Lite

    • Yubii Home Center

• Actors:

  • Single Switch

    • Wall Plug

    • Heat Controller

Third-party Integrations

There is certainly good news when it comes to third party integrations with the Fibaro System. Since the Fibaro system offers a myriad of functionalities, successful integration with third party apps is definitely a huge bonus.

While Fibaro did not support any third party integration at the outset, it has since listened to customer demand and has recently launched a “Third Party Brands Project”; wherein it has become the official distributor of SALTO, HMS, Eutonomy and MCOHome smart solutions.

Additionally, a majority of Fibaro products and modules are compatible with Z-Wave enabled smart devices offered by other manufacturers as well; significantly expanding the scope of functionalities offered by and capabilities of the Fibaro Home Automation system.

Installation & Configuration

The Fibaro wireless product range allows for easy, wireless installation of all its products. In most cases, the installation of the product can be easily performed by following the steps in the manual provided; and also can be performed by anybody without needing the help of a handyman or electrician.

On the configuration front, the job is made easier with the comprehensive manuals received with all Fibaro products that give precise information and directions for quick, hassle-free configuration of your Fibaro devices.

If you need further help and video instructions for the configuration of your Fibaro devices, you can check out the videos here.

A quick search on YouTube throws up several videos that give directions clearly and in-depth to help you set up your Fibaro Home Automation System and devices.

You can also look up an installation partner for Fibaro (only for India) to reach out for professional help for the installation of your Fibaro devices.

Fibaro: Pricing & Cost Estimation Review

Let’s now take a look at the cost of installing a Fibaro system in your home.

For an average 3BHK home, the components of the Fibaro System that you want to install in order to harness the complete power of the Fibaro System usually include the following:

• 1x Fibaro HC2 controller

• 8x Fibaro Dual Channel Relay (for controlling lights)

• 4x Fibaro Dimmers (for dimming lights)

• 4x Fibaro Motion sensors

• 1x Fibaro Intercom

• 4x Fibaro Roller Shutter modules

• 1x Fibaro Swipe

Taking a fair pricing estimation, the purchase of these products totals up to an outlay of approximately 2.5 lakh INR.

On the flip side, it is worth keeping in mind that the Fibaro Home Automation system offers one of the best smart devices and controllers in the world; and has an app experience that is miles ahead of other offerings in the market.

Click here if you wish to get more information about specific product pricing.

Conclusion

All in all, the Fibaro Home Automation System stands up to its name as one of the most advanced automation systems on the market. With superior performance, numerous capabilities and easy integration with third party devices, the Fibaro System is a delight to use. A smooth app experience and compatibility with voice assistants only adds to the charm of the Fibaro system.

A major limitation, however, is the high price point of most Fibaro products as compared to offerings from other brands. Limited integration with Apple HomeKit is another factor that works against the Fibaro range of products.

Our opinion is this: If budget is not an issue, Fibaro would be the best choice to add the benefits of smart home automation to your home.

Check our in-depth review on LIFX System here.