Can the Wink hub do it all? Is it the right smart hub for you? Will it connect to your home automation products? I hope this review will answer those questions and more. Home automation is growing rapidly, as we install devices in our smart homes to automate tasks. There are an increasing number of Smart hub choices. I am pretty excited to review the Wink hub for SHA. This review, will go through the features, setup, ease of use and compatibility of the Wink hub.
Giving you the all-important reader, the information you need to make an informed choice. The Wink hub is available from their site for $69. Wink also has a few bundles available for lighting and security to let you hit the ground running. That is a very competitive cost compared to other Smart hubs on the market. You can also find it on many different online venues and even in some of your favorite home improvement stores.
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Wink has been pushing the Home Automation envelope for some time. Wink was first announced in June 23rd, 2014. Then it was a part of the Smart Home think tank Quirky. As Wink hub grew and Quirky shifted directions, it eventually spun off on its own. As one of the first smart hubs released, it is full of connectivity.
Wink has support for all of the major home automation protocols. They are listed below. This gives this hub a huge arsenal of product compatibility and gives you access to all of them via the Wink mobile app.
This is important to make a note of when you’re looking to purchase a home automation hub. Some of the protocols require the hub has hardware (a radio) to be able to support it. That means if the hub does not have a ZigBee radio, it won’t support products that are based on ZigBee. The same goes for Z-wave. There are hundreds of devices on the market, so the more compatible your hub is, the more of these devices will be available to you.
Wink hub Key Features and Benefits
- Low Cost, $69 on the Wink HUB website.
- Easy setup and great support services and documentation
- Excellent compatibility with support for all the major connection types
- ZigBee, Z-Wave, Wi-FI, Bluetooth LTE, Lutron Clear Connect, and Kiddie
- Wireless only connection, giving you installation flexibility.
Personal Assistants Compatible with Wink hub
- Amazon Echo – Fully Supported
- Cortana – Supported with purchase of a 3rd party app
- Apple HomeKit – On the Radar, but not yet supported, Wink states they are keeping a close watch.
- Google Now – Supported in Wink HUB shortcuts, beta for now (This was a surprise, perhaps a prelude to Google Home?)
A little about me before we venture further into this review (since this is my first review for SmarterHomeAutomation.com). I am a product manager for a large interactive display manufacturer. I have had the task of overseeing the development of projectors for home theater, conference room, and large venue applications. Along with displays, I have been part of bringing ground breaking collaboration and wireless products to market. It should be no surprise, therefore, that as the smart home technology has progressed, it definitely caught my attention. I consider myself an early adopter. I had setup my home long before connecting with Art here at SHA to write reviews. I am looking forward to producing more serious and helpful reviews for SHA (Smarter Home Automation) in the future.
Ok, getting back to business. If you are interested in the Wink hub and home automation, but not sure you want to do it yourself. A quick browse of the Wink website and you will see they offer the option to have their products professionally installed. A click takes you to third party service where you see a quote for the install. Then it will help you locate a professional to do the work. Not a bad option for those of us who don’t want to replace that wall switch ourselves. This is also a completely new revenue stream for home consumer focused dealers and installers. There is a huge growing market for people looking to install more easily affordable automation products.
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