Z-Wave Module review number seven!!
ZOOZ Mini Sensor (model ZSE09)
What is it?
The Zooz Mini Sensor is a small, efficent motion and light sensor.
This device contains a Z-Wave Plus chip and includes a 1-year warranty.
Why would I want this?
If you want to track motion activity for a room, this is the sensor you want. The light sensor is a bonus in this, and makes this quite useful for triggering lights/lamps when motion is detected. Easy to setup and use, tracks motion with adjustable sensitivty, and light with a 0-1000 Lux scale. Unlike several other motion sensors on the market, this one can have the motion trigger interval as low as 1 second, so it can provide a much more up-to-date picture of motion activity. Of course, the lower this interval is set, the less time the battery will last.
Does it work?
Just like my other Zooz products, it works as expected. Easy to setup and updates motion activity as expected. I don't utilize the light sensor just because I am not familiar with lux levels. I really have no perception of how bright 50 lux is compared to 500 lux. Obviously one is brighter than the other, but that's all I got. I've tested motion activated lighting for my living room with this sensor, and it worked, but I haven't had much time yet to set up good automation rules for it. I'm sure I will in the future.
There are a few configurable options (I had the pleasure of creating the Open Z-Wave configuration for this sensor, commit 801865d), but not so many that it's overwhelming.
What's in the box?
Another plastic tray inside of a cardboard box. Sensor sat in the plastic tray, with 2 documentation booklets (user manual, and the awesome advanced configuration booklet) and mounting hardware behind the tray.
Once you remove the tray from the box, you find the plug, the booklets, as well as mounting hardware.
Was the inclusion easy?
Auto-inclusion is available on this sensor. Simply put your Z-Wave controller in Inclusion mode, twist off the back cover and remove the plastic tab from the battery, and done. Now if you've already removed the plastic tab, you simply press the inclusion button twice, fast, once the controller is in inclusion mode. That's it.
Once included, here is what I see in Open Z-Wave Control Panel.
Likewise, here are the available configuration options, which I made a few changes to.
Within Home Assistant, you should see a few different sensors as well as a new binary_sensor.* device.
Installation is a single screw, or the included 3M double-sided tape. I used both. Drill a small hole, tap in the anchor, and screw the 3-prong mount into the anchor. I put the double sided-tape on there as well and put the screw through the tape. Why not?
Once the base is mounted, just pop in the golf-ball sized sensor.
My thoughts
As with other Zooz products, this one has worked exactly as designed. Simple, straight-forward installation and very responsive. 5 stars from me.
Cost is quite reasonable, around $30 direct from The Smartest House and $37 on Amazon (Prime), also sold by The Smartest House.
My Recommendation
Sensor are a core part of a Z-Wave network, that allow you to make decisions based on sensor output. In my opinion, motion sensors are a core sensor to have after door/window sensors. There are several different kinds on the market, and they each have different features. This is a small sensor with just motion and light. I also have a Zooz ZSE40 that is double the size (or more) but adds temperature and humidity readings, and the motion trigger reset can only go down to 60 seconds so it's not as good for monitoring room occupancy. Likewise, I also have the new Aeotec 6-in-1 sensor that adds temperature, humidity, UV, and vibration and allows you to power via USB (which allow for network repeating). But the Aeotec is $50-60. I'm a firm believe of buying the right tool for the job, and if you are looking to add basic motion detection and/or light level monitoring, this is, without a doubt, the sensor to buy. Price is great.
Share your thoughts!