Z-wave light bulb vs Z-wave switch. Is there a difference? Should I buy one over the other?
While both act as binary switches and can be assigned similar duties through rules/scenes they are not created equal.
Z-wave bulbs, in our experience, just aren’t quite as good when compared to their z-wave switch counterparts. If the light bulb is connected to a wall switch, that switch will still control whether the z-wave bulb is on or off. If the switch is off, no rules or scenes will be able to control the z-wave bulb. It is all too common of a habit to want to use that switch manually. Using the z-wave switch for the same purpose bypasses this.
This is not to say that Z-wave bulbs are bad in any way but their drawback in this regard makes the z-wave switch more practical.