HomeSeer HS-WS200+ Z-Wave Plus Scene-Capable Smart Switch w/RGB LED indicator, Compatible with Alexa

Works as expectedly

Let me start with my use case:I bought a house that was build in the early '80s. As such, a number of building standards that would eventually become part of the building code were not yet common. One of the many instances of this was the lack of a ventilation fan in the master bathroom. Considering that the bathroom (plus WC) is just under 400 sqft., most of the combo light + fan options were not appropriate.I ended up settling on a large Panasonic attic fan with grilles and ducting that allowed for a WC intake and an intake in the main bathroom area. This was originally controlled by a Z-wave dry-contact relay (which failed), and is currently controlled with a GE 14288. My reasons for not wiring up the fan directly were as follows: 1.) I wanted the fan to turn on when EITHER the shower light or the WC light were turned on, 2.) the area above the bathroom made dropping wall wiring prohibitively difficult, and 3.) I wanted the fan to delay-off after either light was turned off.At the time, most of the Z-wave switches and dimmers were not instant reporting (due to patent and licensing issues), so those amond some of the "different" switches in use in the house (Lutron, Cooper, etc.). This worked well enough, but when I saw the capabilities of the HS-WS100/HS-WS200+, I thought it was worth changin out one of the Coopers.Packaging/Build QualityI've seen these switches branded by at least 4 different companies. I don't know who the OEM is, but I think it's safe to say that it isn't HomeSeer. Unboxing the switch was uneventful. You get the switch and an instruction pamphlet. One noteable omission is the lack of a switch cover plate, or different color switch plastic. Presumably these switches are usually used in existing contruction, so a Decora plate would already be available, but it's just good to know that in advance. The switch appears to be fairly beefy. It has screw terminals, rather than a pigtail, and it indicated to use copper wire only (no aluminum). The switch case has 6 narrow heat sink "ears" that can be removed with wide pliers. Manufacturers sometimes indicate that maximum rated load is affected by the removal of any of the heatsink "ears", but that was not noted in the included documentation. At least one set will need to be removed in a 2-gang (or higher) setup.Setup/OperationEnrollment of the switch was uneventful, with the pairing time being similar to any other Z-wave Plus devices (which is to say, pretty long compared to regular Z-wave). The route map for the device looked better than the regular Z-wave switch I was replacing. The instant event reporting works as it should. The only sticking point was the reporting of the multi-tap events. The idea was the switch was supposed to do what the older ones were doing before - control the local light fixture and instant report for a linked event. I decided to use the HS-WS200+'s LED to indicate the fan status, including when you're in the final minute (switch to red). I also wanted a force fan on/off facility, which is triggered by the multi-tap up/down.ConclusionThe LED functionality works, but the LED is not super visible in lit room. I wish the multi-tap functionality worked a little bit better, considering that was one of my major needs. Overall, the switch works fine. Not a bad choice if you need a load relay, LED notification, and instant status. Hopefully they'll work out multi-tap in a future firmware update.

I like these Homeseer switches, but, since 2016 I have over 50% failure rate and that is expensive. I needed to replace 9 switches which is about $450. Most of these switches were older 100 style so I am hoping that new 200 style is better. My hub system is Homeseer and I don’t want to change, too much learning and reprograming so I am stuck with Homeseer. I communicated this issue with the company but after getting one email the communication died.

We had a switch die after 3 years. We have about 20 switches or dimmers from this company installed around the same time and all other switches that we purchased and fully functional. I am disappointed that they would not stand behind their product when one that we received was subpar. Be aware of that when you purchase.

After owning Wx100s, I just tried a WS200+. Super-easy to install with the 12-14 gauge wiring inserts, 2 for each connection (line, load, neutral, & traveler) - even one for the ground. Smartthings driver with excellent instructions (see HomeSeer website) seems to work well. They missed one step in the doc about clicking CONFIGURE after the GEAR setup, with caused me several hours worth of head scratching, until I remembered about the CONFIGURE button in the app. LED is a little dim, and not very distinguishable between some of the colors (like yellow & white, cyan & green), but I actually prefer the low light in the dark. I'm giving it a 4 out 5, because they are asking so much for this model. Itsonly $5 less than the WD200+ dimmer, which offers way more leds and features. I even wondered if the WS200+ switch is just a dimmer model that's been lobotomized, cause its quite large-perhaps explaining the high price. Honestly, if I wasn't already invested in HomeSeer switches, I would have probably selected some of the other z-waves on Amazon at $30 or less - GE, Inovelli, GoControl. That said, I think HomeSeer still probably has the highest wattage ratings and reliability. That said, I wonder if HomeSeer will eventually price themselves out of the market at $45 for a switch and $50 for a dimmer.

No tech support or impossible to get a hold of

I like this switch because it gets almost everything right! Color options are great, and it reports status instantly. Only complaint is its it's a little slow to react when physically switching the switch using the paddle.

This review is actually for the previous version of the switch, but I can't find that one on Amazon anymore. The switch died after 2.5 years of light use. It no longer turns on or off and cannot be reset. HomeSeer's tech support said it cannot be repaired, and because it is out of warranty, I must buy a new one. Not to sound too much like an old codger, but what is the world coming to when a $50 light switch cannot be relied on to last 30 months? The switch it replaced was literally original to my WWII-era home.