Homey Pro Review

If you've ever stared at your living room filled with Philips Hue bulbs, a Shelly relay, some Z-Wave plugs, and a Reolink camera — all refusing to talk to each other — then you already understand the problem Homey Pro is trying to solve. The question is whether it actually solves it, or just adds another gadget to the pile.

What Homey Pro Actually Is

Homey Pro is a premium smart home hub designed to be the single brain of a multi-protocol household. It speaks Zigbee, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and more — meaning it can theoretically unite devices from wildly different ecosystems under one roof. That's the pitch, and for a large chunk of users, it largely delivers.

One long-term owner on Reddit described the upgrade path clearly: they had used the older 2016 Homey model since 2017 and moved to the 2023 Homey Pro without looking back. Their setup — Hue devices, Z-Wave plugs, and Shelly — runs smoothly day to day. That's a compelling real-world endorsement from someone with years of skin in the game.

The Integration Picture — Promising, But Not Perfect

Community discussions paint a nuanced picture. Homey Pro gets consistently recommended as a Zigbee-compatible hub for devices like Sengled bulbs, and it's often mentioned alongside Hubitat and Amazon Echo 4th Gen as a reliable pairing option. For mixed-brand smart home setups, that matters a lot.

But honest owners will tell you: it's not frictionless. One Reddit user who's had Homey Pro for over a year put it plainly — "It's not as smooth as I would hope. There are still things that could work better regarding integrations, but in general I always manage to find a way to do what I need." That's a pretty accurate summary of where the product sits: capable and ultimately functional, but occasionally requiring workarounds that beginners might find frustrating.

For context, some community members are going as far as building custom Stream Deck integrations just to avoid opening the Homey app repeatedly — which suggests the app experience, while decent, isn't seamless enough for power users who want frictionless control.

Who This Is Actually For

Homey Pro hits its sweet spot with a specific type of buyer: someone who has devices from multiple brands and ecosystems and wants a unified hub, but doesn't want to go down the Home Assistant rabbit hole of YAML files and manual configuration. Multiple users on the r/homey subreddit explicitly cited this reasoning — they know Home Assistant is more powerful, but Homey Pro's more polished interface and easier setup make it the right fit for them.

If you're a Reolink camera user trying to build a unified smart home, for example, Homey Pro is already being discussed as a natural home for that ecosystem. It's not perfect, but it gets you much further than most alternatives without requiring technical expertise.

The comparison to Home Assistant keeps coming up in community discussions, and it's worth being direct: if you want maximum flexibility and don't mind tinkering, Home Assistant will always be more powerful. But Homey Pro is the better choice if you want something that mostly just works, has a real mobile app, and doesn't require a weekend to set up.

The Honest Drawbacks

• Integration quality varies significantly by device brand — some work flawlessly, others need community-built apps or workarounds
• The app experience, while functional, can feel clunky enough that power users are building third-party solutions around it
• At its price point, occasional rough edges in automations and integrations are noticeable — this isn't a set-and-forget appliance for everyone
• No matter how capable the hub is, a chaotic mix of ecosystems (say, Apple HomeKit + Alexa + random Zigbee bulbs) will still take real effort to tame

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is Homey Pro worth it compared to Home Assistant?

A: It depends on your comfort level with technology. Home Assistant is more powerful and flexible, but Homey Pro is significantly easier to set up and maintain. Users who want a polished experience without deep technical involvement consistently prefer Homey Pro.

Q: Does Homey Pro work with Zigbee devices like Sengled or Philips Hue?

A: Yes — Homey Pro is widely recommended as a reliable Zigbee hub and works well with Sengled bulbs, Philips Hue, and many other Zigbee devices. It's frequently mentioned alongside Hubitat and Amazon Echo Gen 4 as a top option for Zigbee compatibility.

Q: How is Homey Pro after long-term use?

A: Long-term owners generally report positive experiences. One user has been running Homey hardware since 2017 and upgraded to the 2023 Pro without issues. The consensus is that it works reliably for core use cases, though some integrations may require occasional workarounds.

Q: Does Homey Pro work with Z-Wave and Shelly devices?

A: Yes, multiple community users confirm smooth operation with Z-Wave plugs and Shelly devices alongside Zigbee products like Hue bulbs — one of Homey Pro's core strengths is its multi-protocol support.

Q: Is Homey Pro good for beginners?

A: It's more beginner-friendly than Home Assistant, but it's not completely plug-and-play. Users with a mix of smart home brands should expect some setup effort. Those with simpler, more consistent device setups will have a smoother experience.

Homey Pro isn't a magic wand for smart home chaos — but it's one of the most capable off-the-shelf hubs for taming a multi-brand, multi-protocol setup without turning it into a full-time hobby. If you've already ruled out Home Assistant and want something that handles Zigbee, Z-Wave, and everything in between with a real app and a real support community, it's hard to argue against it. Just go in knowing that "it works" sometimes means "it works after you figure it out."

— Lifestyle Lead Editor 1, CPrice