SmartThings adds support for Cree and WeMo LEDs
Users of the popular connected-home platform will now be able to add bulbs from Belkin and Cree to their smart setups -- no extra hardware necessary.
- 10 years product testing experience with the CNET Home team
Belkin and Cree are headlining a new round of products integrated into the SmartThings ecosystem, with the Cree Connected LED and the Belkin WeMo LED joining the popular smart-home platform's list of supported devices.
Cree's ZigBee smart LEDs originally pitched compatibility with the Wink Hub, with Wink-specific pairing instructions printed right on each bulb's packaging. That was never an exclusive partnership, though, and sure enough, people soon began running Cree lights through other control hubs, including the Philips Hue Bridge. The ever-enthusiastic network of SmartThings tinkerers and enthusiasts developed code on the open-source platform to manage Cree lights -- now, that integration is an official part of the SmartThings slate.
The WeMo LED integration is an interesting one, too, since SmartThings doesn't require the WeMo Link plug-in gateway in order to pair the bulbs with the hub. That's the first major platform to add Link-less support for WeMo LEDs, which, like Cree LEDs, broadcast using a ZigBee radio.
Also added to the SmartThings lineup is a series of sensors from Fibaro, a European home automation brand that set its sights on US expansion in 2014. Fibaro first caught our eye at the September 2014 CEDIA trade show in Denver -- particularly for its Eye-of-Sauron-esque motion sensor. That product is now SmartThings-compatible, along with less eerie-looking Fibaro leak detectors and open/closed sensors.
The North America-only Cree Connected LED is available now at Home Depot for $15 per bulb. WeMo LEDs sell for $30 each (£25 in the UK, AU$50 in Australia), with two bulbs and a WeMo Link selling as a starter kit for $100 (£80 in the UK, AU$170 in Australia). As for Fibaro, you'll need to go through an approved online distributor.