Conclusion:

The ZOOZ ZSE29 Z-Wave Plus S2 outdoor motion sensor is an interesting product. As a motion sensor and a SmartThings device it definitely works very well, but determining how appropriate it is to use this outdoors will have to be seen after some time installed exposed to the elements. My gut tells me that the physical design and the stipulations that this outdoor rated device has to avoid heat, sunlight, humidity, and wetness may lead to a fairly short usable life considering you may not be able to control all of those factors.

The ZSE29 sells for $34.95 at The Smartest House and for $44.95 at Amazon. At $34.95 I would say that the price is competitive with other Z-Wave enabled motion sensors that have some of the additional features found here (like the ability to use batteries or a wall adapter, and the adjustment knobs).



My biggest issue with the ZSE29 comes down to the physical design since I dislike the mounting mechanism and I question how weather resistant it can really be. Mounting the battery compartment cover to a surface and then attaching the device to the battery cover seems odd and impractical. Plus, it creates 4 screw hole penetrations into the battery compartment, which this mechanical engineer thinks could have been avoided. Even without these four holes, there is still the ungasketed interface between the battery compartment cover and the device, meaning there are several inches around the perimeter that have the chance to possibly compromise the electrical components. If you notch this interface in order to use the included power adapter (a very cool little accessory on its own), you have opened the battery compartment up for humidity, wetness, and maybe bugs to get in even easier. While I will be running this on batteries just to see how it performs, for continued use outdoors I would recommend using the USB power adapter and potting all the seams and holes with clear silicone to give it the best chance of survival. By using the power adapter, you won't have to break the seal every time you need to change batteries.

Pros:

» Functions well with SmartThings
» Competitively priced with other exclusively indoor motion sensors
» Adapter from 3x AA batteries to Micro-USB is pretty cool
» Respectable battery life

Cons:

» Not a fan of the mounting design
» Intended for use outdoors, but doesn't seem particularly weather resistant
» Adjustment screws to get it out of training mode didn't engage as expected

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