Pre-Production ZEN12 (800LR) Zooz Z-Wave Motion Dimmer (4 Part Video Series!)

darren.stp · March 24, 2026, 3:19pm

Pre-Production ZEN12 (800LR) — Now on the Test Bench

I’ve got something interesting on the bench…

Zooz sent over a pre-production ZEN12 Motion Dimmer (800LR) for testing — so what I’m working with here is not a final release unit.

(See the ‘teaser’ YouTube short here)

At a high level, this device is combining quite a bit into a single switch:

Built-in motion sensor (up to ~25 ft detection)
Lux-based automation capabilities
Scene control (multi-tap support)
Z-Wave 800 series + Long Range support
Smart bulb mode and advanced parameter control

On paper, it checks a lot of boxes. But as we all know, what matters is:

How reliable the motion sensing actually is
How usable the lux triggers are in real scenarios
How well it behaves across different z-wave controllers
And whether combining all of this into one device creates new limitations

What’s Coming

I’m currently working this into the test bench and will be putting together a 2-part video series:

Part 1:

Physical install and setup
Initial impressions
Feature breakdown (what it claims to do)
Integration compatibility with Z-Box, Home Assistant, and IQ 4 Panel/ADC

Part 2:

Install the device in my home and use every day
Results of ‘real-world testing’ after 2 weeks
Discovered challenges or surprises
Final thoughts

I’ll also be publishing the results back here so we have a written reference alongside the videos.

Want Something Tested?

If there are specific scenarios you want to see tested, drop them below.

Especially interested in:

Association use cases
Scene behavior across hubs
Motion/lux tuning edge cases
Anything unusual or “shouldn’t work but might”

Part 1 is Live

Quick update — Part 1 of the ZEN12 test bench video is now up.

Watch it here:

This one covers the bench-side evaluation of the pre-production unit, including:

Physical overview and install considerations
Inclusion and behavior across:
- IQ Panel 4 (Alarm.com)
- Zooz Z-Box
- Home Assistant (Z-Wave JS UI)
Initial look at motion behavior and dimming interaction
Early observations on parameters and flexibility

As expected with a pre-production device, there are a few things worth noting but overall this gives a solid picture of what Zooz is aiming for with the ZEN12 ahead of the anticipated mid-April release.

If you haven’t seen it yet, the spec sheet + parameter list is here:
(Sneak Peek): ZEN12 Manual and Advanced Parameter Docs (Zooz Motion Dimmer)

Next step is getting this installed in a real-world location and living with it for a couple weeks. I’ll then report back in the Part 2 Video.

darren.stp · April 5, 2026, 1:05am

I found some long-standing interest for the ZEN12 over on the Hubitat forum, so I created a special video that focuses on the Hubitat.

This “Part 1A” video is completely Hubitat-centric—looking at the ZEN12 driver, the universal scanner driver, and overall behavior.

I’m still planning on installing in my home and doing the Part 2 video in a few weeks. I’m also planning on retesting after a firmware update and/or possibly finding some updated drivers for the Hubitat.

Zooz ZEN12 Motion Dimmer on Hubitat – What Works Today (Part 1A)

darren.stp · April 20, 2026, 12:15am

Firmware 0.5 Update — Full Platform Retest (Part 1B Video Up)

Good news on the ZEN12 front: Zooz pushed out a firmware update and I’ve had a chance to put it through a full retest across all platforms.

The short version: the bug fixes in 0.5 make a real difference. All four platforms — Z-Box, Hubitat, Home Assistant, and IQ 4/ADC — showed significant improvement over what we saw in the pre-production testing.

For those who caught the Part 1A Hubitat video specifically, you’ll want to see how it behaves now. Worth a look.

Watch the Firmware 0.5 Retest:

Click here to watch the video

I’m off to install this in my garage for more real-world testing. Expect to see those results in the next video!!

As always, drop any questions you might have below.

darren.stp · May 25, 2026, 9:51pm

One Month in My Garage. Here’s What I Found.

Part 2 is finally here.

After about four to five weeks of the ZEN12 living in my garage, I put together a real-world follow-up covering what daily use actually looks like. Motion performance, lux reporting behavior (including one thing I couldn’t quite explain), a double-tap Lua scene workaround I found genuinely useful, and a release date update straight from Zooz.

ZEN12 Motion Dimmer (Part 2): One Month in My Home — What I Learned

As always, questions and comments welcome here, but more importantly: is there a place in your home for a motion dimmer? If so, where? and what are you using today?

darren.stp · July 28, 2026, 10:19am

Good news, the ZEN12 Motion Dimmer is now available!

Zooz’s 800LR motion dimmer I’ve been testing is officially out.
https://savethepanel.com/zen12

Special intro pricing this week, starting July 28, 2026.

Link may earn a commission at no cost to you, which helps support the channel.