Smart light switches

flogen

Hey folks,

I'm looking to get a smart light switch for my house - which I think would be a better long-term move than the smart bulbs that are on offer (I'm not pushed about being able to change the colours etc so the likes of the Hue doesn't do much for me).

The only thing is I'd like to have one that's HomeKit compatible - as the household is very iOS heavy - and so far the only ones I've come across are US-only.

Does anyone know of an Irish/UK/EU compatible smart switch that would fit the bill?

Thanks in advance.

bk

Homekit compatible smart switches don't exist for the UK/Irish market.

Philips Hue on the other hand is fully Homekit compatible.

Also I'd argue that White Ambiance is well worth having and colour can also be handy in certain locations.

To be honest in my experience I think there is little value in just having smart switches. It really doesn't give you much advantage. 95% of the time, we just continue to use the physical switch (though the hue smart one), the real advantage is white ambiance, dimming, colour, etc.

flogen

bk wrote: »

Homekit compatible smart switches don't exist for the UK/Irish market.

Philips Hue on the other hand is fully Homekit compatible.

Also I'd argue that White Ambiance is well worth having and colour can also be handy in certain locations.

To be honest in my experience I think there is little value in just having smart switches. It really doesn't give you much advantage. 95% of the time, we just continue to use the physical switch (though the hue smart one), the real advantage is white ambiance, dimming, colour, etc.

Part of what's putting me off the Hue is how expensive the bulbs are. I'm sure they last a decent amount of time but I'd see it as being better value to make one investment (in the switch) and then buy whatever bulbs I like from there on.

The colour change thing is a nice feature but I'm not sure how much I'd use it - I mainly want the smart feature so I can turn the light on and off remotely etc.

What way does the Philips switch work? I'm guessing it doesn't get wired up to the old switch - you just put it into the wall and it runs wirelessly?

bk

Well first of as I mentioned there are no homekit compatible smart switch for the UK/IE market, so if that is a firm requirement then Hue is your only option.

flogen wrote: »

Part of what's putting me off the Hue is how expensive the bulbs are. I'm sure they last a decent amount of time but I'd see it as being better value to make one investment (in the switch) and then buy whatever bulbs I like from there on.

LED bulbs, including Hue will last 20+ years and of course in time prices for them will drop. Personally I'm not worrying too much about this aspect. But of course, you may think differently.

Personally I think smart switches on their own simply don't give you enough utility to make them worth it. I can control my Hue lights by voice control (Siri/Ghome/Alexa), by app and even with Harmony Remote and yet 95% of the time we find we just use the hue switch as we enter and leave the room like you would with any normal switch.

We only use the other means of control when setting scenes (white ambiance, colour effects, etc.).

Just my experience.

flogen wrote: »

The colour change thing is a nice feature but I'm not sure how much I'd use it - I mainly want the smart feature so I can turn the light on and off remotely etc.

In my experience you think that before you get it, then in reality you rarely use the remote access.

While you mightn't be interested in colour, don't underestimate how good white ambiance is. That is where I've found Hue to really shine. It is great to change the white temperature based on what you doing. Bright white light, when you are working and need to concentrate, soft white light while relaxing in the evening, etc.

flogen wrote: »

What way does the Philips switch work? I'm guessing it doesn't get wired up to the old switch - you just put it into the wall and it runs wirelessly?

Yes, it is wireless and runs for years off batteries. Just stick it to the wall. It is actually a remote, it uses magnets to stick to the base which you stick to the wall. You can pop the remote out and walk around with it which is handy.

flogen

bk wrote: »

Well first of as I mentioned there are no homekit compatible smart switch for the UK/IE market, so if that is a firm requirement then Hue is your only option.

Ha! Fair point!

LED bulbs, including Hue will last 20+ years and of course in time prices for them will drop. Personally I'm not worrying too much about this aspect. But of course, you may think differently.

Personally I think smart switches on their own simply don't give you enough utility to make them worth it. I can control my Hue lights by voice control (Siri/Ghome/Alexa), by app and even with Harmony Remote and yet 95% of the time we find we just use the hue switch as we enter and leave the room like you would with any normal switch.

We only use the other means of control when setting scenes (white ambiance, colour effects, etc.).

Just my experience.

In my experience you think that before you get it, then in reality you rarely use the remote access.

While you mightn't be interested in colour, don't underestimate how good white ambiance is. That is where I've found Hue to really shine. It is great to change the white temperature based on what you doing. Bright white light, when you are working and need to concentrate, soft white light while relaxing in the evening, etc.[/quote]

Thanks - I'm happy to admit that what I think it will be useful for may be drastically different to what I actually do with it if/when I buy one.

Yes, it is wireless and runs for years off batteries. Just stick it to the wall. It is actually a remote, it uses magnets to stick to the base which you stick to the wall. You can pop the remote out and walk around with it which is handy.

Sounds straight-forward enough. I'm guessing you still have your regular switch on the wall too?

beanian

Z-Wave in-wall Relays might do the jo. they essentially make your existing switch smart. You do need a neutral at the switch though and a zwave hub (like smartthings or wink)

bk

flogen wrote: »

Sounds straight-forward enough. I'm guessing you still have your regular switch on the wall too?

I do and I leave them switched on permanently (use the Hue switch instead to turn on/off) and I've covered them over with child safety switch covers to stop visitors from accidentally turning them off. Details in the Philips Hue FAQ on this forum.

FrankGrimes

beanian wrote: »

Z-Wave in-wall Relays might do the jo. they essentially make your existing switch smart. You do need a neutral at the switch though and a zwave hub (like smartthings or wink)

Both Fibaro and Aeotec have zwave dimmer options that do not require a neutral wire at the switch so can be used to replace any existing switch. Haven't yet figured out what the advantages of the Aeotec one are to justify the price premium.

beanian

Another option if you are deploying a large amount of these are to use the Xiaomi Aqara switches.
They have wireless and wired version (this is probably the one you are after) and are the cheapest you will find and don't require a neutral. They do require a hub which cost €30.'
I have some on order and will be trying them out. I'll post the results on the Xiaomi thread.

flogen

bk wrote: »

I do and I leave them switched on permanently (use the Hue switch instead to turn on/off) and I've covered them over with child safety switch covers to stop visitors from accidentally turning them off. Details in the Philips Hue FAQ on this forum.

Great, thanks

beanian wrote: »

Another option if you are deploying a large amount of these are to use the Xiaomi Aqara switches.
They have wireless and wired version (this is probably the one you are after) and are the cheapest you will find and don't require a neutral. They do require a hub which cost €30.'
I have some on order and will be trying them out. I'll post the results on the Xiaomi thread.

Interesting. Will keep an eye out for your results.

flogen

beanian wrote: »

Z-Wave in-wall Relays might do the jo. they essentially make your existing switch smart. You do need a neutral at the switch though and a zwave hub (like smartthings or wink)

Thanks. By the looks of things there are a few zwave hubs that would make it talk to HomeKit too.

Stoner

flogen wrote: »

The colour change thing is a nice feature but I'm not sure how much I'd use it - I mainly want the smart feature so I can turn the light on and off remotely etc.

What way does the Philips switch work? I'm guessing it doesn't get wired up to the old switch - you just put it into the wall and it runs wirelessly?

good to see you here

correct on the switches

also ive three colored , one white and two hue go lamps, i rarely use the colour functions so im with you here. BK and I differ greatly here, each to their own i guess

scorn

I have wired in some Livolo switches which have wireless capabilities, specifically for the purpose of security. The downstairs triple switch handles the outside light, the hall light and the landing light - none of which I would (or could, in the case of the hall light) bother with smart bulbs... It's linked to an upstairs switch for the 2 gang effect for the landing light.

I have an RM Pro that is programmed to switch on/off lights (it 'learns' the remote control signals) at certain times to make it look as though someone is home to the casual observer. That's the main reason why I went with a smart switch over smart bulbs in this instance. (There is also a bridge which links the RM to Smartthings so have those options too.)

I did, however, buy some Ikea smart bulbs on the weekend for the 'ambiance' effect in the sitting room but haven't had a chance to do anything with them yet.

(edit: I also read an article that says that the Ikea bulbs and starter kit are similarly priced to the Hue equivalents so I wouldn't necessarily rush to Ikea without doing a bit more research first).

ibFoxer

I'm wondering, given today's announcement about Ikea smart lighting, would you be better to sit and see what's what when the dust settles?

https://www.engadget.com/2017/05/23/ikea-smart-lighting-voice-control/

https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/5/23/15679828/ikea-lights-siri-google-home-and-echo-compatible

flogen

scorn wrote: »

I have wired in some Livolo switches which have wireless capabilities, specifically for the purpose of security. The downstairs triple switch handles the outside light, the hall light and the landing light - none of which I would (or could, in the case of the hall light) bother with smart bulbs... It's linked to an upstairs switch for the 2 gang effect for the landing light.

I have an RM Pro that is programmed to switch on/off lights (it 'learns' the remote control signals) at certain times to make it look as though someone is home to the casual observer. That's the main reason why I went with a smart switch over smart bulbs in this instance. (There is also a bridge which links the RM to Smartthings so have those options too.)

I did, however, buy some Ikea smart bulbs on the weekend for the 'ambiance' effect in the sitting room but haven't had a chance to do anything with them yet.

(edit: I also read an article that says that the Ikea bulbs and starter kit are similarly priced to the Hue equivalents so I wouldn't necessarily rush to Ikea without doing a bit more research first).

Are they controlled via their own app or do you use something else?

ibFoxer wrote: »

I'm wondering, given today's announcement about Ikea smart lighting, would you be better to sit and see what's what when the dust settles?

https://www.engadget.com/2017/05/23/ikea-smart-lighting-voice-control/

https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/5/23/15679828/ikea-lights-siri-google-home-and-echo-compatible

Was thinking that but as it stands the Ikea lights cost almost the same as Philips' ones. Wouldn't hold my breath for them unveiling light switches but will keep an eye.