I recently started off some home automation projects with a Wink hub and some GE Link lights. While the system does seem to work pretty well I had an issue in that my wife and kids needed a way to control some of the lights, and any future products going forward. I decided to try out a Wink Relay to have a master control for the system in our master bedroom. The idea of having access to all the Wink features, plus Nest integration, all while showing us the weather/temp, was a fantastic idea. However ultimately it didn't work out for us.

1. Installation: mostly straight forward. The Relay has a power module that sits inside a switch box on the wall, and it can work with one or two gang boxes. The actual relay is the same size as 3 gang, but will only support being installed on a two gang box maximum. After installing the power module in the switch box, you determine whether you want that position to be the left side, middle, or right side of the Relay. In the other two locations on the back of the relay you put in plastic spacers for where the power module won't be. I think the reason you can't use a 3 gang box is that at least one of these spacers should touch a bare wall surface so that the unit feels solid while touching it.

On the power module are cables with special push in connectors on the ends. This makes it easy to connect up cables, and even has openings for multiple neutrals, up to 5 if I remember correctly. The stripped cables inside your wall box push in and get decently trapped, but a really solid tug can pull them back out. My installation was in a single gang box, which can lead to issues with the amount of space with any large switch. The power module on the Relay is pretty huge, so between that, and the extra bulk of the push in connectors it uses, getting it all to fit in the wall was extremely difficult. I had the whole thing wired up and ready in a couple minutes, it then took me most of an hour to try to get the solid wire coming from the walls, and the long cables with integrated connectors on the module itself to all fit into the box. I would say if you have a single gang box that is just one gang in size the whole way you may want to shy away from this install. It can be done, but it is very difficult. If you have more modern construction where the box is really about 2 gang in size, but has a face plate that reduces the opening in the wall to one gang you will probably be fine.

One you have it wired and the power module is in the switch box, you add the spacers as mentioned above and snap the main unit onto the power module.

2. Use. Out of the box the usage seemed fine. You can add devices from the Relay itself, and if you only use zigbee or z-wave you don't need a Wink Hub. The home screen shows the date/time, weather, and lists your shortcuts. Only two shortcuts are shown at a time but you can swipe them sideways to get to others. If you swipe down from the top you get to the devices, swiping up from the bottom shows you a list of activities that have occurred.

Upon first starting up it did a system update. This took a while as it first did a Wink update, then after rebooting did an Android update that took quite a while.

Moving through the interface was pretty fluid and smooth. Not iPhone smooth, but not glitchy and weird either. Lights could be controlled either as a single unit or in groups, although I found that often the groups would either not work, or have a significant delay while trying to work with them (30 seconds or more).

There are two hardware switches on the Relay, and they can either be directly attached to lines that control lights in the switch box, or set to control other Wink linked devices. My switch box only had one line in it for the ceiling light, which I connected to the top switch. That worked well, coming on and off quickly, although it didn't do any dimming. Those buttons are on and off only. The second button I initially assigned a shortcut to. Later on I decided I wanted to add a group of GE Link lights that were in our Nightstands. At first I had a lot of issues, like it would turn on and dim the lights, then not respond anymore. Wink support suggested rather than using the group, to assign the lights individually while setting the button which did then work as a toggle on/off for those lights, but there was up to a 20 second delay between hitting the button and the lights turning on or off.

I should also mention the buttons didn't feel good. Not necessarily cheap, but they are obviously triggered in the center of the button, but the buttons are large enough you can easily push off to one side and it doesn't always push enough to get the center activated. I found that a slight disappointment, but dealable.

3. Software issues: Eventually I had to give up on it. Above and beyond the glitches above (groups not acting right often, button programming issues, etc) I found it to be quite glitchy. One day it spontaneously rebooted on me a couple of times. Another day when I hit the button programmed to a group it just rebooted rather than turn them on. Then the final straw was one night when the screen wouldn't turn off. The screen has proximity sensing, so it turns off when not in use, then comes on when you get near it. It worked perfectly for about a week, then one night the screen came on in the middle of the night and would not turn off. It lit up our bedroom and was quite distracting. I eventually just pulled it off the wall to force it to turn off. Unfortuantely I didn't realize that the GE Link lights will unpair if the controller is offline for 4 hours and go to defaults. So that night at around Midnight I pulled the Relay from the wall in order to get the screen off, then at 4 AM every GE link light in my house turned on at full brightness. That was when I decided to ruturn the Relay.

Ultimately one day I would love to have one, or more, of something like this for my home. Especially if they get the intercom feature working. In some aspects it was great to work with. I think long term my wife would have liked dealing with our Nest on the Relay more than on the Nest itself as it has a one page view with everything she would care about (temperate, heat/cool, home/away). But until some of the software glitches are hammered out it just isn't ready for primetime in my opinion. I hope that oneday they can make it much more usable as it could be an awesome master control for a home.

Aesthetically it looks great. Although I wouldn't mind something more tactile for the hardware buttons.

I should also mention that right after returning it a software update came out for the unit. I have no idea what it updates, or if any of the glitches I saw would be fixed. The only announcement was for Pella automation device support.

I am a huge Home Automation nut, and I am always first to grab the newest tech!! With that said my system is running on the Wink Hub and app!! When the Wink Relay came out I immediately got one. One of the reasons I like Wink is that the system is easy to use!! No complicated buttons, or setups and UI is simple and clean!! WInk works with lots of the top Home Automation devices like Philips Hue, Osram Lightify, Rachio , Canary , Chamberlain MyQ, Leaksmart, GE, Lutron, Balli, Anderson, Ring Video Doorbell, Schlage Locks, Nest, Honeywell...just to name a few and lots of z-save and zigbee devices. Wink is "always" adding new devices and updating its software to be even more user friendly!! Since my first Wink Relay I now have a total of 5 Wink Relays and the intercom feature is awesome!! No more yelling up to the kids!! The Wink Relay can also run lots of devices as well and the touchscreen is easy to navigate!! Installation is super simple and I was up and running under 20 minutes and that includes setup and wiring the Wink Relay to light switch! The Wink Relay looks absolutely beautiful on the wall and everyone that comes into my home the first thing they ask is "what's that?".....its an eye catcher for sure! You won't be disappointed....grab one and enjoy!!

Well, I was super excited about this. Had a great spot in my house for it, probably still the best spot, but I replaced a dimmer switch controlling 3 lights above my kitchen counter. Now I've completely lost dimming function over that switch. You have to buy smart bulbs to be able to dim. What? I mean it should function as a smart switch right? Well, wrong. It functions as an on/off for the switch for switches it replaces. Super disappointed.
Now I have to buy 3 smart bulbs to replace my perfectly dim-able LEDs.

Easy to install. They give you wire cutters if you need them, and a screw driver. Instructions were simple enough. Nice packaging.
Hopefully the other functions make up for the dumb move of not having a dim function on LEDs.
I'll update with any other hidden bonuses or disappointments.

*Updates: Humity sensor appears to be pretty off. Currently my Nest Thermostat, right down the hallway says humity is at 48%, the Wink Relay 82%. It said it was 95% the other day, that would be rain forest wet in here, and it isn't.
Temperature gage appears to be spot on though.
The Smart Bulbs I've put in keep disconnecting from the Wink, seems like the Relay isn't sending power to keep them always "On". The work around is to open the Relay in the app and press the button to have assigned and it will turn on, or press the button on the Relay. This really causes a problem with automation though. Since the bulbs have lost connection, they won't work on a Robot. Example, if the garage opens at night, turn on this light, if they have lost connectivity, then that Robot won't function.
There are two options when installing and afterward, one for regular bulbs, one if you have smart bulbs attached. I changed it to the smart bulb option, but still loses connectivity to the bulbs.
Screen works well for the price, $70, lights up on motion (or touch if you choose), motion detected from the Relay is not an option to set a robot though, could have had the hallway lights come on.

If you install it on one switch, you can assign the second button.
If the Relay starts acting up, there is a reset button on the bottom underneath.
This thing needs a few updates, humidity readings, power to the smart bulbs it maybe connected to. If they make a Wink Relay 2, it has to be a dimmer and work on a three way switch.