Vivint also works with the Z-Wave smart home protocol. Theoretically, any Z-Wave device should work well with Vivint, but customer commentary shows that may not always be the case. When you get a Z-Wave device to merge with your Vivint system, set it up and try it out before throwing the packaging away. That way, you can still make a return if you need to. But for anyone who wants to augment their Vivint smart home, we’ve selected some of the top Vivint-compatible devices. Just know that you may have to pay for the $39.99 Vivint Smart Home plan to fully integrate your third-party products. Our favorite Echo is the Echo Dot. It’s not too pricey, it’s frequently on sale, it’s compact, it’s cute, and it performs all basic Echo functions. But if you want something with better sound or with a screen, we’ve compared some of the standard Echo devices to help you differentiate. The Complete Vivint skill requires you to say, “Ask Vivint to …” The Basic Vivint skill doesn’t require such specific wording, but it works only with Vivint’s smart home devices and cameras, not the security system itself. The thermostat works with Alexa, offers geofencing (which means it can change its settings when your smartphone is at home vs. away), comes in multiple colors, and has more modes and settings than you can shake a stick at. Best of all for Vivint users, you can adjust the temperature straight from your Vivint app instead of hopping over to the Google Home app. You can also use the smart panel to access the thermostat alongside other Vivint-compatible devices. This lock has tons of features to make your life a little more convenient. It’ll use geofencing to unlock the door when you approach with your smartphone. If your phone isn’t at hand, you can use the keypad or your key. You can create unique access codes for any visitors or guests, and if you enable the Auto-Relock feature, the lock will even lock itself behind you. Once you’re all synced with Vivint, you can also lock and unlock your door through the Vivint app and (once again!) the smart panel. No Yale app necessary. With Philips Hue, you can create light routines for your day, such as a gradual lightening in the morning or shutting off all the lights at midnight. The bulbs also have a geofencing feature you can use to create different settings for when you’re home and away. If you’re going to shell out top dollar on these bulbs, we recommend going for the colored ones. Customizing colors to create the perfect mood is half the fun of having smart lights. However, you won’t be able to do any of that from the Vivint app or smart panel. The kit we recommend comes with three A19 bulbs and a Hue hub (which is required for the bulbs to function correctly). Once you’ve set up the Hue hub, Vivint suggests giving the security company’s technicians a call for guidance in connecting Hue to your Vivint smart panel. This smart garage door sensor tells you when your garage door opens or closes. It also allows you to lift and lower the door remotely for package delivery people, in-laws, babysitters, kids, housekeepers, and significant others. You can perform these functions both in the MyQ app and in the Vivint app and smart panel, and you’ll get notifications when someone else uses them too. The only reason we haven’t rated MyQ higher is that over a five-month test period, it’s occasionally gone on the fritz and lifted the garage door on its own. There’s an apparent fix for that, but it’s time-consuming, so in the meantime, we’ve learned to keep the garage door safety latches on at night. According to the MyQ website, if you don’t purchase the Chamberlain MyQ device directly from Vivint, you may need to switch over to a MyQ brand opener to make the system compatible. If you’re overwhelmed by the time it takes to set up and install these products, we suggest just buying your smart home devices straight from Vivint. It might be more expensive in the end, but it will definitely make things easier! As we spend more time with Vivint and test even more Vivint-compatible smart home products, our opinions may change. Vivint sells an indoor camera, an outdoor camera, and a video doorbell camera. To fully use the devices, you have to get Vivint’s top-tier plan, which includes video recording. We’ve also heard that there’s a Nest Learning Thermostat Pro that you can get only through a professional installer like Vivint. We aren’t yet sure how the Pro differs from a regular Nest thermostat (since we haven’t been able to get our hands on one).
Control panelMotion sensorDoor sensorWindow sensorWater sensorGlass break sensorSmoke detectorCarbon monoxide detectorDoor lockSecurity cameraVideo doorbellLight moduleGarage door opener
And that’s not even a complete list.
