The ESP8266 is a low-cost Wi-Fi microchip with built-in TCP/IP networking software and microcontroller capability. It is not very power-hungry and is one of the industry’s most popular models. To build an affordable and reliable smart light system, you can add intelligence to your lamps by swapping out old switches and commanding home lighting from your phone or voice. Smart lighting is one of the greatest benefits of a smart home, providing convenience, energy savings, and making your home safer. Budget-conscious smart light switches can have Wi-Fi connectivity, Amazon Alexa and Google Home support, app remote control functionality, smart scheduling, and remote control.
To choose the best smart light switch, consider the following options: wired wall switches, such as ZigBee or Z-wave, or smart light bulbs. Shelly 1L can convert any existing light switch into a smart light switch without changing the wiring or running new cables. To make your home a smart home without going over budget, print a floor plan, mark light fixture locations, determine switch placements, make a purchase list, install and test the devices, and compare the best smart switches for 2020.
In conclusion, smart lighting is a convenient and energy-saving solution for a smart home. It is cheaper to buy smart switches than smart bulbs and offers several low-cost strategies to make your home a smart home without going over budget.
📹 Smart Light Switches: I’m rethinking EVERYTHING!
0:00 Intro 0:27 Lutron 1 year later 1:39 Kasa: still really solid 3:12 Don’t sleep on Zooz 5:10 Lutron regrets? 6:30 We can’t talk …
How do you make normal bulbs smart?
In order to transform conventional lighting fixtures into intelligent ones, it is necessary to replace the existing fittings, switches, and bulbs with their intelligent counterparts. One may commence with a single bulb or alternatively, expand the system by incorporating additional smart lighting products.
How to make a light switch smart?
To install a smart light switch, follow these steps: 1) Understand your existing wall switch setup; 2) Analyze your existing lines; 3) Pull your existing light switch; 4) Examine your wire setup; 5) Install the new smart light switch; 6) Connect the switch to the network and test.
Smart light switches can be classified into two types: power line-based and radio frequency-based. Power line-based switches are subject to power line clutter interference, making operation unstable and potentially out of control. Radio frequency-based switches are stable but cumbersome, and their price is high.
How to make light switch smart in the UK?
This guide provides step-by-step instructions for installing a smart light switch in your home. It explains the process of installing a smart light switch, which is a simple and cost-effective way to control your existing fixtures. The process involves identifying the type of wall switch you have, checking the wiring, choosing the desired smart switch, removing the old switch, connecting the new smart switch device to the wall wires, testing them out, and connecting them to your home wifi network.
The guide also emphasizes the importance of proper wiring and testing before installing the smart light switch. The guide is designed to help you make the switch installation process as simple as possible, ensuring that your home lighting is now controlled by Alexa or Google Assistant.
How to make normal switches smart?
The speaker is illustrating the utilization of a Switchbot, a robot constructed from conventional plastic.
What are the disadvantages of smart light switches?
Wi-Fi-controlled devices can increase energy consumption, potentially leading to higher electricity bills. DIY smart switches are cost-effective and convenient for smart home automation, but they also carry associated risks. It’s crucial to weigh the benefits and drawbacks before using them. However, with proper setup and precautions, DIY smart switches can provide an excellent user experience.
How to convert home to smart lighting?
Smart lighting is a promising technology that can make life easier for homeowners. It allows users to schedule lighting wake-up calls, program a wind-down routine, and remotely control home brightness and lighting routines. Smart lights can also be controlled via an app or voice. However, the options can be overwhelming, so it’s essential to follow simple steps to get started.
Choose an assistant: A digital assistant, such as Amazon Echo or Google Home, can be used to centralize smart-home operations. These voice-activated devices can communicate with a wide variety of smart-lighting controls, including dimming, brightening, switching on, and turning off lights.
Switch to Smart Lightswitches: Smart lights can be controlled remotely via an app or voice. These devices can be programmed to communicate with various smart-lighting controls, such as dimming, brightening, and turning on lights.
In summary, smart lighting is a promising technology that can make life easier for homeowners. By following these simple steps, you can integrate smart lighting into your home and experience the benefits of this technology.
Can you 2 way a smart switch?
The meross two-way smart light switch is an affordable and easy-to-install solution that replaces one traditional two-way switch in just 15 minutes. It works with 2. 4G WiFi only and does not support 5G WiFi. The switch is compatible with Apple HomeKit, Apple Watch, Siri, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant, allowing users to control their lights from anywhere with the internet. The switch supports scheduling and two-way applications, saving energy when lights are not needed or left on accidentally.
It supports sunrise and sunset settings and can be used in multiple locations. The two-way light switch housing is made of PC+ABS fire-retardant material, providing protection against electricity overload. The product is suitable for use in Europe and the United Kingdom only. A one-year limited warranty is offered from the date of purchase, and the product ships 1 business day after purchase, except for pre-ordered products. Free shipping is available on all orders.
Do smart bulbs work with normal switches?
A smart switch is not necessary for a smart bulb, but it enhances interconnectivity in your household. By connecting smart bulbs, switches, and plugs, you can control lighting, ceiling fans, space heaters, TVs, and music without leaving your bed. Smart switches make your days brighter, while smart plugs allow you to control electric-powered devices with your voice through the Cync App, Amazon Alexa, or Google Assistant. Overall, having a smart switch and plug can make your home more connected and efficient.
Do smart switches waste electricity?
Smart plugs are energy-efficient devices that consume minimal energy, typically around 1 watt in standby mode. When connected to Wi-Fi, they use about 1 to 2 watts per day. Alternative networks like Zigbee or Z-wave can reduce this to between 0. 3 and 0. 6 watts. Smart plugs also reduce standby power consumption, which is the drawback of many household devices like TVs and gaming consoles. By shutting off these devices completely, smart plugs can significantly reduce hidden energy consumption, making them an energy-efficient addition to your home.
Do I need a capacitor for a smart switch?
Manufacturers often struggle to reduce standby wattage in their switches, often adding a capacitor to absorb the wattage. Homesmart. sg has been working on this issue for years, improving their no-neutral switches with partners. Their Aqara switch is efficient, eliminating the need for a capacitor, making smart switch replacement a simple process. Another solution is the adoption of Zigbee, a low-power wireless technology designed specifically for smart home applications, to minimize wattage.
What is the difference between a smart light and a smart switch?
To upgrade to smart lighting technology, consider factors such as compatibility with existing fixtures and smart home systems, cost, functionality, and installation. Smart bulbs offer focused control over individual fixtures, while switches provide control over entire rooms or spaces. Consider your lighting preferences and lifestyle needs when choosing between the two. Additionally, assess your permissions, budget, and convenience when deciding on installation.
Regardless of the choice, upgrading to smart lighting technology can enhance comfort, convenience, and efficiency in your home. By considering your needs, budget, and compatibility requirements, you can find the best solution to transform your space.
📹 I Tried Building the PERFECT Smart Home: What I Learned (Mistakes Included)
Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:00 What’s the Goal? 1:50 What Needs Automating? 2:40 What Devices Do We Need? 5:53 Smart Home …
I installed a few Lutron light switches with the pico remote in our last house over seven years ago. The remotes were still working after seven years on the original batteries, not one issue. We sold our house last May and are building a new house on the prairies, yes it will be a smart house and I will be posting articles. I decide to go with Lutron because of their reliability and their hub, 7 years of dependability is hard to knock. Depending on your network wifi items can add up in a hurry and the majority are using 2.4g not the most ideal situation. The pico remote also has a pedestal available which sits on the night stand in the bedroom, perfect for a senior getting up at night. Yes there are cheaper options out their but reliably and quality are two things that I want in my smart home.
Great article! Glad Kasa is finally getting some credit. I made the switch from Lutron to Kasa switches after realizing the Kasa does the same thing for half the price plus Kasa dimmer switches remember the dimming settings! Even non smart dimmers have this feature but $60 Lutrons cant? I have 15 Kasa switches in my home and they’ve been rock solid. Great alternatives if you want to save the money
For me there are two main requirements for smart switches: – They must continue to work if everything network goes down, to actually act as a normal switch – They must be secure. I can’t put an unknown brand inside my walls. These things tend to get hot and an overheat might start a fire. So I tend to stick with brands I trust. For me Lutron fits the bill and I don’t mind paying extra.
Every switch in my renovated condo (2 years ago) is a Lutron Caseta and I don’t regret the choice or the cost for a second. I have a number of Pico’s around for other smart bulbs and tableside usage. I wasn’t very price-sensitive but enough so to skip Radio Ra2 (Ra3 wasn’t available then) and I’m okay with that (though a friend of mine just installed Radio Ra3 because he likes the switch’s UI better). My shades are Lutron Serena. I use a Caseta Pro hub with Hubitat and it all works well together. Highly recommended.
I have to say lutron is probably the best switches for my house because they do not require a neutral wire and since my house was built before the ’80s and half my house has been rewired correctly that I don’t have to worry about finding a neutral wire for lutron switches. Yes they are way more expensive but quality-wise amazing
The end was hilarious I’ve been rocking with Kasa since I moved into my home 2 years ago. We recently just moved to a bigger home. Knowing that Kasa has worked perfectly for me, I’m sticking with it. And like you said, it’ll be less expensive. My cousin has Lutron. And put a pause on buying more switches because they are pricy. But he still likes them.
Most of my house is controlled by Lutron switches – lights, a shade, and ceiling fans (31 devices, not including remotes). I started with them 7 years ago and have never had to restart switches or replace any switches or modules. I like the way every switch and lamp module ramps the lights at the correct rate so they all reach the desired brightness of a scene at the exact same time, no matter how different the brightness of each one was to start with. Also, the remotes and schedules work even if the internet is down. They’re just engineered well and thoughtfully designed.
I bought a new construction home a few years ago. The electrician who wired the house only put a light switch for the kitchen by the entryway coming from the garage. When we are coming from upstairs, we had to walk all the way across the kitchen to turn on the light. An electrician we hired suggested that I purchase lutron caseta, 1 hub 1 light switch and 2 Pico remotes for about $150 at the time vs him having to tear into multiple walls to wire it and have multiple places with sheetrock damage that would have to be repaired. He saved us over a $1000 with his suggestion and I’ve been hooked with lutron since then. I’ve spent over $2000 switching over to lutron between my main floor and upstairs, over 45 switches including lights, fans, and Pico remotes, i still have the basement to do. Outside of few defective ones purchased from HD that we were easily exchanged for new ones, I’ve never had a problem with Lutron Caseta. A bonus is Lutron Caseta works with Alexa Guard that works with my Ring Alarm, my lights randomly turned on/ off to simulate like I was home on a recent vacation.
I went with the Kasa switches for most of my house. I had about 34 of them. They worked well, until I started adding more smart devices to my house (granted, I did not know much about Zigbee and Z Wave at the time and thought everything should go through wi-fi). It seems that when you have “too many” competing devices, they start to lose connection quite often. Also, when using Home Assistant automations to trigger other switches (i.e. bathroom exhaust, vanity, and mirror switches), there is a good 2-3 second lag and sometimes doesn’t even work! I’ve switched some of these to Treatlife which uses Tuya, and they seem to be more reliable than Kasa. And with the Local Tuya integration, they work even better.
Great article as usual, Reed. Like you, I’ve put Lutron Caseta across my entire home, and have been extremely pleased with the reliability, compatibility, and performance. I’ve only occasionally had some latency, but it’s most likely because I have 2 Caseta hubs (as I have so may Lutron devices, I needed an extra hub), in different locations in the home, and should probably balance the switches better relative to the hub locations. But the reality is: I’ve been pretty casual about how I assign new devices to each hub, and it still basically works about 99% of the time without any issue. I also have a few other switch types in the house, mostly Leviton (Wifi) and Aqara (Zigbee). I’d say that in general, the least reliable are the Wifi switches, even though I also have very good home wifi with a very robust Ubiquiti network throughout the house. One thing you definitely nailed is the spouse approval rating part: I can do anything I want with my smart home, as long as my wife can still do everything the “traditional” way without an app or automation.
You’ve made some really good commentary for people looking to start a smart home. I see Matter/Thread being the start of a new version for smart homes. I think once it rolls out we’ll have a better understanding. I’ve seen many articles that don’t even mention this change and how it will affect switches.
I went with Kasa partly because of your past article, following up with some of my own research. I’ve got 3 Kasa switches in our house now. I’ve had to reset them a few times but it’s really a painless task for the most part. For the cost difference, I’ll put up with it. My daughter and her husband are about to move into a new house and want to “Smart it up”. I will recommend Kasa to them.
Another good article, Reed. I’ve used Enbrighten Z-Wave for a long time, but if I were changing I’d go for maybe an Enbrighten Zigbee which can pair with SmartThings, an Echo 10, and Echo 4th gen and more. As long as they can get into a Homebridge-compatible Plugin they’re easy to add to Homekit, too, without losing functionality in other systems. The Embrighten stuff isn’t a lot more inexpensive than Lutron. You’d better be ready to spend some $$$ if you choose Hue and Lutron, but things will work over the years. Oh, I just remembered I might try Aqara, too. They are really starting to get interesting and although they don’t seem to have a dimmer yet, they do have a Zigbee switch that pairs with their hub and works with Homekit, too. So many choices…. So many ways of personally justifying what we each choose to do, too!!
Great article!! I’ve been using z-wave switches in my home for about 6 years now. Not only have they been super reliable but my favorite thing about them is that you can use whatever brand you want and take advantage of the benefits of one over the other. I use a mixture of about 30 different switches from Zooz, Inovelli, and GE. I use the GE switches with built in motion sensors in my bathrooms and they work great since it’s one less battery operated motion sensor to deal with. I use zooz and inovelli switches everywhere else. The scenes are great and my daughter loves it. I have a bunch of scenes set up on her switch to control her TV, led lights, sleep routines, etc. I think lutron is great for people who aren’t super tech savvy but for smart home nerds Iike myself, it’s all about the extra bells and whistles.
I’ve added a few Kasa switches and so far I’m happy with them. I also had expensive Z-Wave Leviton switches, about $500 worth and I have problems with them in the garage. I had tried Zigbee and I recently solved my problems with them by buying cheap Ikea extenders. Z-Wave extenders did not do the trick for me. So, my cheap solutions: Zigbee and Kasa, are working out quite great. I do miss the beautiful dimming effect of the Leviton lights though.
I also try to find a good middle ground between quality and affordability. I’ve been using some Tuya connected bulbs for a while now and have noticed that they can be somewhat unreliable when using either voice controls through Google or app controls from home assistant. That and if the power ever blinks off in the middle of the night when it is restored they default to back to being on. I have heard that using a smart switch instead of smart bulbs can mitigate the always coming on with power issue. But I haven’t had time to really dive into it. Also, having my main internet being down for the past week due to an area affecting issue means I can’t access my smart bulbs directly because they require the Tuya cloud. Aaaaaaand. Google doesn’t have its cloud connection for voice commands at that point too. So… yeah it’s a mess. I’m only dealing with two bulbs so far as a test but honestly it has not been an amazing experience overall. I need to really get my feet dirty into trying to set up services and protocols that run locally, especially voice commands.
I got the Kasa switches and I’m so glad I did. Our whole home gets controlled by HomeKit with Siri so we just wanted something that works with HomeKit without a hub and we figured we’d give the Kasa a try since it was cheap enough to toss if it doesn’t work. Turns out, it works great. No problems at all and does exactly what we wanted it to. To be quite honest, we automate about 90% of the light usage, with the available automations in HomeKit, and also with motion sensors. Physically Hitting light switches is kind of rare any more.
I installed a zwave zooz switch back 7 years ago to run my front lights. It was the 4 smart Device I installed, in 7 years I have never once had to rebuild the automation nor reconnect it. I just redid my kitchen very old house and I rewired everything, I put on 5 more zooz switches 2 having the on off for fans. The only issue I have is one switch stopped working but I know it’s an issue with the neutral. Bang for buck, they are great. I use smartthings hub. Great vid thanks
Not sure if it’s been pointed out but Kasa is made by TP-Link. They have been making quality networking gear for years. Also, expanding your home network with extenders or mesh units really does help with network traffic. I probably have close to 60 devices on my TP-Link mesh network and I don’t have any problems.
I used Kasa switches in my condo – I like them a lot – however I like the Lutron’s better. I just put about 100 switches in our new house with two Lutron pro hubs, controlled by Home Assistant; they have been 100% reliable, and automation works when disconnected to cloud. Lutron for me, even at the higher cost.
I use the Kasa switches. For me the cost difference was a no brainer and the switches have worked flawlessly. The only issue I have had was in the setup of a Kasa 3-way kit on a 4-way connection. I had to buy a dummy switch that has no function and it was a bit of a pain getting the wiring right, which would have been easier with Lutron, but now that its set up it works exactly as I wanted.
I started off with Wemo, mostly because it was widely available, albeit pricey. They’ve recently been pretty reliable, but for quite some time, they were a MAJOR headache – if Lutron is an A, Wemo was a D. Currently, I would rate my Wemo stuff about a B, but they do glitch occasionally, usually when there’s a firmware update. Over the past few years, I’ve been switching to Kasa, and they have been WAY more reliable, and more consistent – especially with interfacing with Alexa.
The big advantage with Luton is they are a company that has been around for over 40 years, and will be around for the foreseeable future. Their stuff is extremely high quality and reliable. When I build my new house I’m going to put in a RadioRA3 system, which has the new Maestro dimmers, and a few keypads for programming scenes and doing blinds. Everything is so seamless and works so well together, and best of all there’s no learning curve to use it.
i use Lutron for the last 3 years (20 switch + hub) and no issues for me the local control + no needs neutral wire was the main deal (house is from 58 so no “load” wire on the switch ) I did get them on ebay one at time so it was from 20~35$ (never pay full price) if you doing full house just setup ebay alort and pick them up one at time (I get 15 of them in 2~3 weeks) and just install them one at time 🙂
I installed two smart switches, a smart dimmer, and a smart 4-speed fan control, all wifi and all from Leviton’s Decora line. I’ve only had to reset one of the switches once in the 8 months or so I’ve had them. The biggest selling point for me with Leviton is you can buy separately their color change kits, which changes the plastic switch covers so I can match all my existing black normal Decora switches and outlets. The only thing I kind of wished I did, was get the zigbee versions instead of wifi, which they do offer as well as z-wave. They aren’t as cheap as the Kasa switches unfortunately, but a little cheaper than the Lutrons.
Great article. My two cents and acknowledging everyone’s setup is different so the experience will vary – I went full TP-Link kasa. No issues, and they’re not cloud dependant, so I can still control them over local Wifi with no internet connection and when connected to Home Assistant (thrusts pelvis… sorry wrong website) they’re even more versatile
My home has a driveway light switch in the garage and not by the entrance, Lutron is easy to add a pico remote by the entrance switches. There is no downstairs light switch at the top of the stairs and a pico remote will be a simple install there also. They also have fan switches, plug in switches and shades. Probably the most options without going full custom which costs a lot more and has to be installed by a professional. I have about 30 Lutron switches, along with a couple eve outlets and Schlage locks.
After a year, I’m still upgrading my switches to Lutron in my (relatively new) house and have no regrets. I’ve had virtually no issues – just keep them out of the “rooms” in the Lutron app if you want to avoid troubleshooting them when all of the Lutron devices turn on. 😉 The Lutron Picos were a big selling factor for me as it’s much easier and cheaper to upgrade three and four-way switches. They also enable me to add an additional switch pretty much anywhere I want, without have to run electrical cable. Also, I would highly recommend the TP-Link Kasa products. I have their in-wall switches and dimmers in my condo, and they work great. I use their power receptacles, smart plugs and light strips with Hubitat in my house and they’ve been a very reliable and less expensive option.
The Caseta line always had me on the fence, but lutron’s real money is in Radio Ra 2 and radio Ra 3. You need certification, but you can build local zones and pathway lighting and all sorts of cool stuff. The problem is that this stuff is cool, but even more expensive and doesn’t really add much for home automation DIYers
All of my TP-Link Kasa 200 dimmers are dying one by one. In fact, they trip my breakers. 100% of the 3-way switches trip my breakers. I’m replacing them all with Lutrons. The terrible tactile feedback and large button but small action area, combined with hesitant response to button presses is infuriating. I am done with TP-Link garbage. I have a pile of “new” TP-Link 3-ways and defective dimmer switches if anyone wants them!
Great article. I’ve been perusal you for a year and half. And this was great to watch. I haven’t pulled the trigger because it was so expensive. I have over 25 switches. And most of them are on three way dimmers switches. So. I really like the soos option. Going to still have budget this in for next year spending. Can’t wait to see what you do for Halloween and Christmas. No pressure. Lol
We’re in a prolonged transition to smartifying our home and will likely stick with Lutron since we started out with two Caseta light & dimmer switches. I like how the same bridge manages all the light switches and the Serena shades and not have to go in the router and/or assign every device to an SSID. They also look great, nothing protruding except for that middle round button on some switches/remotes.
As a professional, I would NOT use anything but Lutron. I did use Zwave and would not do recommend it. The main reason for me is reliability since I don’t like to waste time on service calls. One year is really not a long/good enough period to compare. I would love to see you do a two/three year follow-up. For a DIY person at your own home and low budget, you can mess with other brands but only if you are comfortable with doing the setup and troubleshooting.
We went with Caseta throughout our house but will probably do radio ra3 or homewerks next time. The only downsides to caseta is the lack of tactile feel and no smart bulb control. Zooz and Inovelli are also great options for scene control. I’ve found a lot of the wifi options have connectivity issues
I replaced my insteons with Kasa. I have found them to respond instantly to a command from my app. No resets even after a power blip. And I have some that plug into my outdoor sockets for controlling gazebo lanterns. Perfect. Much better than the traditional outdoor timers with the photo electric eyes. Overall, Kasa has been perfect.
Anyone who is screwing cloud-dependent hardware into the walls of their home has obviously never owned a cloud-dependent thing that turned into a brick because its maker went bankrupt/got bought/changed its mind. I wrote off Kasa as soon as I found out how it works. After buying an older home that needed a lot of new light bulbs, I started putting WiZ bulbs in every socket. The result is marvelously flexible (I decorated for St. Patty’s Day with my iPhone) but requires a lot of thought about WIFi and some consideration regarding switches. The Zooz Zen71 has worked great for me (in part because I do have neutrals in all my boxen). They cost a lot less, have a high WAF (”cause they look “normal”) and have been perfectly reliable. With smart bulbs I don’t need dimmer switches but I do configure Home Assistant and the Zen71s to work together, so that a long press on the bottom or top of the Zen71 produces a dimmer or brighter light. Double-tap to turn all the lights in a room on or off. I also set them up to keep power supplied to the WiZ bulbs, which helps them stay online and react quickly, but if I ever want to reboot a bulb I can run a script to interrupt that power briefly. IMO in the 2030s we won’t be installing a lot of new Z-wave but who cares? Lutron isn’t necessarily future-proof either. I won’t regret having installed 700-series Z-wave because it works – just as well as a light switch, as they say. Agree with others that the Ye thing didn’t age well – since folks are still finding this vid, maybe you could consider giving that bit a quick snip.
I have a Hubitat and have been slowly buying different brands to test. I have zoOZ and neoCoolcam and am waiting on a Lutron. My question is about your statement that the Kasa uses Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi is a library of protocols, which even zigbee and zwave would need a local area network to work, correct? That is why I have my Hubitat hooked up to my router. Is the difference you are referring to the cloud is needed, therefore internet is needed?
While I haven’t moved in the new house yet I pre-planned and brought up Lutron Caseta switches and fan controls in bulk between eBay and Mercari for cheap. They were brand new in the box and I got them around 25-30 dollars a switch. Lutron to me is the most reliable you can get, while I do know other light switches are just reliable I am staying away from wifi ones even with a good wifi network once you start to add up 30 plus light swtiches along with all your other wifi devices you will start to see issues. Maybe once thread is more popular and light switches start to incorporate the tech I could be swayed from Lutron. Plus if you are a HomeKit user like me hubs and bridges are your friend.
For me, low budget is top priority, so all of my light switches and most dimmers are from TP-Link (Kasa), only two dimmers are from Lutron, one because the old switch didnt had neutral wire (it’s a good thing Lutron dimmers dosent requiers it), and the other to simulate a 3-ways switch for the basement (with the Pico remote combo). It may be a bit confusing in your article, but Kasa switchs and dimmers doesnt requiers Internet once added in Home Assistant.
We used Zooz throughout our new build. We had several in our previous house that worked for a good 3 years before we sold it. I’m very happy with the reliability, customer service, and features of the Zooz. The ones we put in the new house are the most current and so far work great with Hubitat. It was tough to spend the $1,200 on switches up front, but in the long run will be well worth it IMO.
I went with the GE Enbrighten zwave switches. Not had a single issue since installing a year ago. A couple I have controlling the light they are attached to and also, using a double click, I have them control some other lamps. As an example, I have the overhead kitchen light switch that also controls the under cabinet LED’s that are powered by a zwave plug. Dbl click controls the under cabinet.
I have been considering Lutron, Zooz and Inovelli Zigbee. I had to drop Lutron from the running because you can’t have more than one Caseta dimmer in a 3/4 way so you can only set dimming on one switch and recall that dim level from the other switches. That is confusing and a showstopper. All three can be programmed/bound together and still work when the hub is down . I like the price of Zooz but I also like the Inovelli programmable dimmer bar leds (can show a red #1 led to show garage is open, etc…) Jury is still out. Thanks for the article.
i like very much the option to keep the original, physical switches (that i could toggle into button mode) and use a wireless module hidden in the wall, if the space is available. in my case (europe), these are homematic modules, and i never had an issue fir the past 8 years. advantage mainly is of aesthetical nature.
Wow, HOLD ON, be right back, going to reset my lutron switch, please wait until I get back……. holly crap it instantly fixed my bugginess, thanks man!!! You may continue… lol… The only thing that bothers me with Lutron is you have to look for the buttons, the other two brand you just hit the switch and go…. I like the 3 way with no extra wiring!
I have some Kasa switches and really like them, but 90% of my switches are Shelly relays and dimmers. I like that they utilize the original light switch and they’re really affordable. Only issue is that they don’t have the reset switch feature since they have to be tucked inside the junction box behind the switch or the light.
I wonder how much longer wall switches will be required in homes. These days, the smarts and connectivity are built into the light fixtures and bulbs. We use schedules, and voice commands with our Nest smart speakers, to operate most of our lighting. Our choice of smart bulb has been the Cync by GE Lighting brand.
You have pretty decent investment in Lutron Caseta, but I have never seen you use or talk about the the 4 Button Pre-Engraved Scene Controller Pico Remotes. Do you use them at all? They have become extra powerful lately as they can also now be used natively by HomeAssistant without the old complicated path of using a RA-2 Hub with MQTT.
My experience has been mixed, I’ve purchased 6 tuya dimmers and converted to tazmora. Over the last two years lightning has claimed 5 of them. This is odd since no other appliance was affected. I would recommend GCFI breakers for dedicated lighting circuits for these lower cost dimmers. In desperation I purchased many replacement gosund 2 dimmers which were on sale. I don’t think they are root-able so I can’t see them in Home Assistant but Alexa integration is seamless. I’m a landlord, I’m living in a townhouse that I’m also renovating. I want smart home tech to be an amenity. It needs to be reliable. Your topic hit close to home, thanks for sharing your experience!
I do like my lutron, I have had no problems and it’s even better now as they have gone from 50 devices to 75! I’m sure at some point with software ans repeater updated we may get more! My only issue is that I can’t install a receptacle and have to use the plug in. I have got around this by banking switches at the panel and running home runs to specific receptacles locations!
I went with Leviton Wifi switches last year because I wanted a well-known brand, they were cheaper than Lutron, and didn’t require their own hub. Looking back, I’m kind of rethinking my decision too. I’m now dependent on Leviton keeping their cloud app connectivity in operation after Matter takes over. Dammit.
I agree with many others. The Lutron Caseta are great but have not dropped in price. I wanted the advanced Caseta that worked with a physical seperate wall switch… those are even more expensive! BTW I’ve NEVER had to reboot my lutron even after a power outtage. In fact it’s more reliable than so many other smart switches I’ve tried. Recently I found some FEIT switches at Costco… because I wanted the neutral and travel wire…. those seem to work ok but during dimming result in a humming sound as does my Caseta. Thanks for the great articles and info!
Went lutron and love them. Three main reasons: they’re instant like a normal dumb switch, not wifi and are local, and from my experience they’re obvious to non-tech people how to use them ranging in age from 6 to 95. I’d consider something zwave but — for me — a light switch needs to behave like a light switch before anything else and that means immediate action when you push the switch. That might very well be the case with the zwave switches, I haven’t tried them, and I’d love it if you did a article on zwave switch performance. I’ve had my lutrons for at least 5 years and they’re probably the only bit of “smart” kit in my house that I’ve never once had a single problem with. My kasa outdoor smart outlet? I’m sick of hearing “why aren’t the porch lights working again?” ever month or so. My kasa smart outlets? “why isn’t the coffee machine turning on again?” I personally wouldn’t trust kasa for something as important as lights based on my experience with their other products.
Would like some clarification and advise on how to proceed here… I recently installed a bunch govee smart led recessed lights (they can change color, sync with other devices etc) in the kitchen. I used to have just regular light bulbs controlled by a z-wave switch so I can control the dumb bulbs via Alexa. I would like to get a switch that doesn’t cut power off completely to the smart lights so I can use the app to control them as needed. Also the switch would allow others in the household to turn the lights on and off because they likely won’t use the govee app. I’m so confused with all the switches that are on the market right now. Would you be able to make a recommendation?
“We don’t know what the smart home will be like in 5-10 years”. Truer words have never been spoken. I automated my home in 1998. The technologies are now all obsolete. My recommendation is that you wire your house for traditional dumb switches and outlets, and substitute with non-cloud dependent devices where you want automation. That way you can replace any device easily with different technolgy. I have seen too many beginners (myself included) abstract their lighting through use of in-wall controllers and remote receivers that do the switching. That type of configuration is a nightmare to replaceor return to traditional wiring with dumb switches.
I replaced all of my Leviton (not Lutron) switches with Kasa switches because of the price and they are absolutely amazing. Interestingly enough, if you block the Kasa switch’s from connecting to internet, they’ll still operate locally. With Ubiquiti APs you can create a separate SSID on a private VLAN, to block them from accessing the internet. Just make sure to allow the networks to share A NAT and subnet, so they can still be seen while on your “real” network. To still be able to control the switches with automations and remotely, I integrated the switches into HomeKit through Homebridge. Homebridge can see the switches through the local connection, but HomeKit allows me to control them remotely. TLDR: Kasa Switches are awesome. Ubiquiti + Kasa + Homebridge + HomeKit = Rock Solid. Also a notable feature the Kasa 3 way switch (not dimmer) can be used with a mechanical 3 way switch.
Everyone here saying Lutron and kasa, let me change it up. I installed TREATLIFE smart dimmers for all lights in my house and 5+ years I’ve had no issues except the light indicator on switch would burn out or stop working (more of an aesthetic issue). The reason why I went with treatlife was because it was the ONLY smart dimmer that had a “touch and slide” type dim, unlike all these “touch and hold” or pressing many times a button that gradually and slowly dims the light. Treatlife doesn’t need an external hub, but needs Wi-Fi and I use with Alexa and “SmartLife” apps to control. Nowadays im seeing a little more “touch and slide” type dimmers being sold on Amazon, so there are other options.
I really wanna get smart light switches, but my light switches are installed on (what I googled, so I think it’s called) the jamb. (it’s the wooden part around a door) So there isn’t much room and it looks like smart light switches are quite bulky, so they’re meant to go into the wall. I only just started getting into smart homes, only thing I’ve bought so far is smart lights and I love it so much. As a kid my mum would always fall asleep on the lounge, so I take after her and I fall asleep on the lounge, the light would always annoy me while I’m about to fall asleep, so it’s either get up and turn the light off which I don’t want to do, or put up with it. I always put up with it, now I don’t need to, just a quick “okay google, turn my lights off” and it’s nice and dark 🙂
I have 67 kasa switches in my house. Every once in a while I do have to reset one. It’s not that bad. However, having that many switches can be a pain once you add in getting the routers to allow that many devices on 2.4ghz. Also, if you change your network name you have to go through and add each switch again. It remembers the settings for each switch in the app you just have to reconnect the physical switch.
Lutron is absolutely worth it. All basic lighting functions work when your internet fails and even if the hub fails. Anyone can understand how to use it without being told. Lutron is well established, will always be around and supports its old products well. There is no dependence on the cloud for anything so nobody can make your investment worthless or force you to upgrade parts of it. Lutron’s Pico remote ranges allow a lot of flexibility for placement, and remote scene operation – even outdoors if protected from rain. To me Lutron’s Caseta looks better than almost any other smart home solution, goes well with generic switches and has a decent range of products and great ecosystem compatibility. Yes its expensive – but that is the only real downside. Look out for deals! I have over 50 Lutron products – but I’ve rarely paid over $45 for anything. Oh and Lutron Caseta dimmers/switches in my experience are 100% reliable. None have ever failed (no Lutron device I have ever owned has ever failed) and they always work properly – their protocol seems immune from the occasional communication issues that plague other brands. I’ve thrown a lot of smarthome gear away over time – because it broke, malfunctioned, never worked properly, never worked reliably enough, or forced reprogramming everything when any single thing broke, or was so complicated to program you just wanted to give it to your enemies. It all seemed reasonably cheap at first but turns out I wasted a whole lot of money (and time & grief) on it.
I had this debate with myself prior to the install. In the end I opted against Lutron. I would have had to go with the upgraded Lutron R2 I think it’s called. I have the same wifi as you so I wasn’t worried about my network. In the end I went with Cync by GE as I imagine GE will be around for a while. The Cync app leaves a lot to be desired and the setup in the all is iffy. Once the switch is configured Alexa finds it and they work reliably with Alexa and physically. I saved a TON and in the end I have the experience I was hoping for. I have one Kasa switch but I like the Cync switches better. They also work better paired with Cync bulbs than Kasa. The Kasa switch doesn’t work well with the Kasa dimmable bulb which surprised me.
Hm I just use Sonof ZBmini and the Moes/TuYa ‘Switch Module’ which can switch a power source (eg going to a lamp). They are placed behind the regular light switch and the switch will be connected to them. Both use Zigbee. As I use smart bulbs the switching function isn’t used: The lights get permanent power and the physical switch action is send to HA and used in an automation. This keeps the switch looking “normal”. Reliability is 100%. Never had trouble with them in two years. I would never go the Wi-Fi & Cloud route – that’s just stupid.
I really think you missed out by not including Shelly and Leviton. (Or if you’re rich, Inovelli.) We’ve learned some of the value of local control – TP Link has forced updates in the past that have obsoleted their products from home automation users. I’ll no longer add anything to my system that requires a link to the manufacturers server to work. Shelly, Zwave, and Zigbee are really your choices. For my zwave system I can find used components cheaply on ebay, update the firmware on arrival, and then forget about it. For lighting on/off switches – finding an intuitive switch with local control is easy. Multiple formats out there to make you happy. Zooz, Leviton, GE/Jasco, etc. Or, just use a shelly behind the switch paddle of your choice. For dimmers, I wound up preferring like the Leviton Decora line better than the multiple button layout of the Lutron Caseta. I end up adjusting via dimming around my house frequently. The secondary rocker on the Leviton is more intuitive for the wife unit than the hold-and-wait of others, or even the multi-button Leviton. It also keeps the rocker uncluttered, and like a non-smart decora switch. Haven’t yet needed any resets unlike the occasional reset of a locked up tp-link. The bar graph shows intuitive dimming status and can be programmed off. I am very happy with the wifi models from Leviton but am migrating towards zwave with HASS. (The Leviton wifi ones rely on the web connection for remote control and HASS integration.). They even make a ceiling fan controller that keeps things consistent.
You want to automate your house the FIRST consideration should to use a product that does not need the internet to function regardless of cost. Cheap cloud based solutions are fine for experiments, or hobby stuff that doesn really matter, but actual home automation: Never use cloud based products. You WILL regret it.
At the price of the lutron switches, I can easily get more than one hue bulb and can simply control with a dashboard panel (an old iPad or a cheap android tablet should do). One tablet for one room should be enough. If not, one could just use ikea battery operated dimmer switches to control smart bulbs, just wall mount them.
I used Kasa switches in my last home and they worked great until you had a lot of them, and then they would impact the reliability of the Wi-Fi router. This new home, I went with Lurton and I like that they use a hub to Wi-Fi instead. I wasn’t concerned about price but I still have one complaint about Lutron. They look different than normal switches and when you have two or three way switches, you cannot use the Lutron switches except for the one of the three. This means that you will permanently have no consistency of look. I wish Lutron would make some standard functioning switches without the control function just so that all my switches could look the same.
I’m building a “mother in-law” house in my back yard. The darn thing has 22 switches. I want it to be very smart and I’m getting Lutron. This review cinches it for me. One thing you don’t want to have to fiddle with is light switches. I’ve owned my home for 39 years and have gotten used to “turning on a light” without thinking. I don’t have to worry about rebooting a light switch or learning how it works. I added some Lutron switches a few months back to my main house with HomeKit to learn how to do scenes and automations. Lutron works like a champ. In my case I’m spending 100s of thousands of dollars on everything else. An extra thousand will get lost in the noise. When I do my 10 year test, I will forget how much extra they cost but I’ll bet I remember if they were trouble-free or a PITA.
I have used GE Z-Wave light switches for everything in my home and have had at least 3 go completely dead within a year of installing the. The blue light at the bottom flashes and the switch makes clicking sounds. The only way to fix it was to replace them. I have quite a few of these and they are $30-40 each depending on if you get them on sale or not.
I’ve been using 100% Kasa with my Home Assistant & TP-Link Kasa integration with 0 problems (except for when I had to learn what traveler wires were for a dual switch setup, but not a Kasa issue). With the local first with HA, it’s probably 2-3x faster than using the Kasa app, but we’re talking fractions of a second difference: noticeable, but insignificant.
Z-Wave is the thing to go for. WiFi stuff you have so many issues with if the cloud company goes away or decides your model is no longer supported you’re at their mercy. Zigbee is okay but not particularly reliable since it only has 1 parent node in the mesh compared to zwave that maps a bunch of neighbor devices. Z-Wave is also trivial to repair the mesh network on demand in a minute or less if it somehow fails badly enough to malfunction where Zigbee you have to just suck it up and wait a couple days hoping it figures itself out.
I’m going to build some condos, and will go to direct automate lights with 3 ways switches. Let me explain, I will have a central controller like ESP32 to change relays (one per switch) and use NO/NC exits like travelers to the 3 way switches. You can control the ESP32 with Alexa or directly with a intranet web page. This way your switches will last forever even without controller, or you can change the controller with future technology. A 3 way switch is just pennies more than a dumb switch, and for wiring, you just need two wires, same as L&N wires for a smart switch. Will love you to make a article about it.
I filled my house with Kasa switches. The switches themselves have been rock solid, but my WiFi on the other hand is not. I just upgraded to an Eero, so I’ll see how that goes. I’ve been using Home Assistant, which works great until the SD Card dies. I’m trying to recover my backup right now, then I’ll install on an external SSD.
I have a LOT of Kasa switches in the house and I agree with this assessment. The only question I have is whether the (imminent?) rollout of Matter will solve the “cloud-delay” issue, making Kasa even more THE way to go. The only place I CAN’T use Kasa is in my finished basement. When the previous owner wired the basement, he wired it without neutral wiring. Since, as I understand it, the Lutron Caseta switches don’t need a neutral wire to work, they might still be the most cost-effective solution to “smarting up” my basement (compared to, say getting an electrician to come in and properly re-wire the basement to modern standards).
one giant advantage for Kasa that is not ever mentioned is that you dont have to stand in front of them to work them. you can feel the switch walking in or out of the room while with Lutron you have to directly look at them while trying to turn on/off the lights. That’s the biggest reason i dont like Lutron
I’ve loved my Kasa switches. Over a year and I’ve only had to reset one switch after a power outage. My only gripe with them in the beginning when switching (ha) everything over to smart switches was they didn’t have a 3-way dimmer, but they have since released one, so… Now I have to replace some more switches.
No wifi, reliability, quality build, works as a normal switch, pico remotes, many options…..You can’t beat Lutron today. These switches may not change for several years so 3x the cost over 5+ or even 10+ years is fine by me for what you’re getting. I have only Lutron in my home and theyve been perfect. I went Kasa in my garage and while they do the trick they seemed more finicky. That said, Kasa has been an easy second and more reasonably priced option for me that I would recommend. You get what you pay for and right now its actually not close IMO. I always keep an eye out for open box/used Lutron switches on various sites to scoop them up for $30-40 and stock them 😂 Hopefully one day there is better competition at the top but it’s not today….Kasa is by far the best runner up too.
I have 30+ Treatlife switches because they have the most options and I want everything to match (single pole, 1 way, 2 way, dimmer, fan, light/fan combo, curtain). They also have external smart outlet, motion sensors, and contact sensors. I use all of the above on wifi and never had a problem but I also use a separate wifi/router for all my smart home tech.
I did my whole house with lutron. I did have neutrals in every junction box but not needing one was quite a nice. Of course the bulbs had to be compatible and the builder-grade stuff they put into our house was not… so add that to the cost. But compatibility with apple, fan control and having the pico remotes everywhere is quite nice. They are much more reliable. I had leviton wifi at my old house and constantly had disconnection issues (good wifi) so yeah, I say it’s probably worth the extra cost.
I went the Kasa route. I ended up with some standard paddle switches because I have some 4-way locations in the house that required an actual 4-way switch in conjunction with the smart switch. So for the 4-ways I have a single-pole paddle, the 4-way paddle, and a single-pole Kasa. Took me a while to figure that out, but since I swapped out the last old toggle switch six months ago I haven’t had any problems. My favorite thing is to tell Alexa to turn off all the lights as I climb into bed.
I went with Leviton for its form factor and wifi so I wouldn’t have to worry about zigbee-wave-thread-choips. The one Kasa switch is flaky enough that my wife hates all smart switches by extension. To many times the switch thinks it’s on when it isn’t. That was tolerated by my wife exactly once before she declared undying hatred…
Have a mix of Inovelli and Zooz. The Inovelli are more expensive but have more options. I can’t say I use a lot of those options though. I had some Kasa but decided to ween myself off Wifi devices. Use Hubitat because of the local control. Also have a few fairly old GE dimmers (zwave) They still work fine.
Lutron is good cause they don’t need a neutral wire, I find their buttons feel cheap and I don’t really like a switch that’s packed with buttons like that, if an older person or someone not used to smart homes comes over it can easily confuse them. Also Lutron has been trying to force you to use their app and cloud and lock out developers from their local APIs… I had to go through a few days of work the first time I updated my hub and I don’t know if you can even integrate it with custom / open source HA systems anymore. Kasa, though definitely not the fastest response does have a non official API and LAN control, so yo u can definitely at the moment anyway go around the cloud and talk to the devices directly and assuming you’ve not let them talk to the internet you should be good even if their servers shut down one day.
I started buying switches in 2019. The Kasa’a cost nearly twice what they do now. I started out installing Meross in half my house. I had a couple fail about the same time Kasa lowered their prices. Tried one and liked the extra features so much I finished my house with them. Despite the price, I really would prefer Lutron but not returning to previous state was a non starter for me. That being said, if you have a light that is always controlled by a routine or sensor then the previous state does not matter. Next time I have to replace a 3 way I’ll probably go Lutron for the installation simplicity. Then again, just today someone told me the Lutron automatically powers on if there is a power interruption. If true that would be another nonstarter. Considering the price, Lutron should be the most feature rich choice. I have also had very good luck with the Tessan 3 way dimmer switch kit once I finally lucked out in wiring it correctly.
Great comparison- I don’t want my lights in the cloud or have special additional gateways. Lutron is an American company that has been around for over 50 years and the devices are on the shelf at Home Depot. The amount of time and money saved installing wire in the walls goes a long way towards paying for a solid solution. Thanks for the comparisons.😊
Good article. I just recently bought a house (new construction) and have started thinking what my strategy is going to be for smart lighting control. I have Zigbee smart bulbs and plug modules from my apartment that I am using in places with Home Assistant, but decided to wait for Matter/Thread to come out before I start expanding into the in-wall devices, thus giving a chance for something new (with local control) to come out that will hopefully have a long support life.
It’s worth noting that Lutron light switches don’t require a neutral wire. I have many TreatLife and Kasa smart switches, but I needed to replace the existing wires or run an additional one to bring the neutral to the switch box. In some areas of the house, running a new wire was not an option, so I had to go with Lutron. So, for many people with houses built before 1985, Lutron might be the only smart (and reliable) option.
Man, I would love to show you around Europe’s biggest show for building technology “Light & Building” in Frankfurt in early October. It is funny, that we have KNX over here, a standard that’s been around for 30 years and we know EXACTLY that it will be around for another 20. Just check out MDT Glastaster 2 or Merten Touch Pro… those are way more sophisticated than anything available in the US. My house has 20 Dimmer websites, 24 Switching websites, 20 Blinds & 16 Floor-Heating circuits. KNX Homekit gateway.. bam, all visible in Homekit. Alexa Gateway… bam, all voice controllable. It is so sad, that the US will probably forever be hooked on IP-based retrofit crap, that needs to be theown out every 8-10 years. Imagine there was a way of installing digital electrics into your fuse board on day one and never even bother to send 110V to the switches, when a 24V digital bus would be much more feasible. Anyway. You would still be blown away if you made it to L&B. And probably the only US based Smart Home website to cover it.
I had really good setup with running merros switches, really easy to install and very reliable for 2 years, no issues whatsoever, until two weeks ago, not sure what happens but 3 of my switches go offline from the cloud app, the wifi color turns orange like if there was no wifi, but wifi working fine, and suddenly it fixes and now appears on other 3 different switches, its like a bug that i cant point where its coming from.
All my lights are always on wifi color changing bulbs so I LOVE my zooz products. I love that z wave forms it’s own mesh network network and operates on a completely different bandwidth than wifi unlile zigbee which uses the same bandwidth as wifi. The zen32s are also cool as a scene controller, one big button and 4 little ones, something like 30+ trigger patterns, great stuff.