Your Smart Home
Field Guide
Hands-on reviews, protocol comparisons, and real build logs for Zigbee, Z-Wave, Matter, Home Assistant, and beyond.
Featured Guide
Smart Home Hub Showdown 2025: Home Assistant Green vs Hubitat C8 Pro vs SmartThings
The article compares Home Assistant Green ($199, 4GB RAM, no radios, $65/yr sub, 1,000+ integrations, 15-min setup, Ethernet), Hubitat C8 Pro ($169.95, 2GB RAM, built-in Zigbee/Z-Wave 800 LR/Bluetooth/Matter, external antennas, no sub, 30-60 min setup, Rule Machine, Wi-Fi), and SmartThings Aeotec ($119.99-$149.99, cloud-dependent app, Edge drivers, V3 Z-Wave Plus, no HomeKit, 10-min setup, Wi-Fi). Three-year TCO: $469, $170, $150.
Recent Guides
SF Bay Area Smart Home Secondhand Market: Real Prices From Craigslist (May 2026)
The secondhand smart home market on Craigslist offers huge discounts (30-70% off) due to ecosystem churn and upgrades. Best deals include Aqara U100 lock ($80, 56% off), Ecobee 3 Lite thermostat ($60, 65% off), and sealed Roborock Qrevo Edge ($499, 64% off). Caveats: locks and Nests need account removal; robot vac LiDAR degrades; Blink/Arlo require cloud subscriptions. Budget starter pack ($230 vs $600 retail): eero 6 mesh 5-pack, Tapo bulbs, Nest 3rd gen, Schlage keypad, Blink doorbell. Wi-F...
Welcome to Smart Home Field Guide
Smart Home Field Guide delivers real-tested reviews, comparisons, tutorials (Zigbee2MQTT), and build logs, cutting through forum knowledge buried in threads. It covers Zigbee, Z-Wave, Matter, and Home Assistant. Upcoming: protocol guide with range testing and device availability, modern dashboard using Mushroom/Layout Cards/HACS, sponsor-free hub comparison covering setup time, automation, radio quality and long-term maintenance, and sensor roundup testing Aqara, Sonoff, IKEA for reliability,...