Adding smart switches to your house allow the house to look lived in when you aren’t there and easily managed when you are home. With smart devices like the Alexa, Google , you can manage your lighting from your easy chair.
I have been experimenting with smart switches for years and they are getting smarter and smarter. Below the current smart switches I would recommend to use in your house. I based my ratings on the usability, ease of setup, and price.
1 – The Honeywell Z-Wave Plus Smart Dimmer Switch is my favorite dimmer switch. I like that it is similar to the other switches in my house but is smart. To change the brightness, simply push and hold the top of the rocker arm switch to make the lights brighter and the push and hold the bottom to make the lights dimmer. It remembers the last light setting when you click the lights on the next time. The only drawback is it DOES NEED A WIRELESS HUB. But, if you want a smart home… you should install a hub. (It needs a neutral wire.) The following link is NOT an advertisement but a quick link to the item on Amazon. If you purchase it, I get a tiny commission.
2 – Honeywell Z-Wave Plus – If you don’t need dimming capabilities, this is the switch I would choose. It’s just like the switch above, but doesn’t have the ability to dim the lights. But, as you can see, they are about the same price. The following link is NOT an advertisement but a quick link to the item on Amazon. If you purchase it, I get a tiny commission.
3 – Inovelli Dimmer Switch (No neutral Wire Needed) – If you are wiring an old house that was wired without a neutral wire, this switch is for you. It does need a hub, but works with Alexa and the Google Assistant. The following link is NOT an advertisement but a quick link to the item on Amazon. If you purchase it, I get a tiny commission.
4 – The Leviton Decora Smart Wi-Fi Dimmer Switch is a great switch but fairly expensive. It is a bit more expensive because it DOESN’T NEED A HUB to operate. So, if you want a smart switch that operates with Alexa and Google Assistant, this switch might be for you. It also has a great mobile phone app. I also like the way the dimmer switch works. There is a bar to the right of the rocker arm switch that allows you to set the brightness. Up is brighter, down is dimmer. The switch automatically goes back to the last setting. The following link is NOT an advertisement but a quick link to the item on Amazon. If you purchase it, I get a tiny commission.
5 – The Treatlife Smart Dimmer Switch is cool looking with the dimmer control above the switch button. But, myself, I don’t like the way the switch works. You push it once for on and again for off. It’s very intuitive, but my non-smart switches all have rocker arms and this one is just different. Like most of the other switches, it needs a neutral wire. The following link is NOT an advertisement but a quick link to the item on Amazon. If you purchase it, I get a tiny commission.
6 – Kasa Smart Light Switch – If you want a cheap smart switch, this one fills the bill. It works with Alexa and Google Assistant and doesn’t need a hub. So, why is it rated 4. It is another one of the switches that operates differently than other rocker arm switches. You click the bottom of the switch to turn it on… then the bottom of the switch again to turn it off. When most of the other switches in your house are rocker arm, I find this annoying. But, if it doesn’t bother you… this might be the switch for you. I also needs a neutral wire. The following link is NOT an advertisement but a quick link to the item on Amazon. If you purchase it, I get a tiny commission.
7 – Way Switch ADD ON – Honeywell Add-On Switch. This add on works with the first two Honeywell on the page. If you need 3, 4, or 5 way switches, just add these switches to one of the basic Honeywell switches. The coolest thing about these 3/4/5 way switches is you always turn the lights on by clicking the top of the rocker are and off by clicking the bottom of the rocker arm. On a normal switch, you always flip the switch the opposite way. So, sometimes it’s up and sometimes it’s down. (My goodness… I think I’m a bit obsessive compulsive.) The following link is NOT an advertisement but a quick link to the item on Amazon. If you purchase it, I get a tiny commission.
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