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Choosing to install the best smart switches in your home is a good decision for getting started with home automation. This is more important if you want to make your home a part of the Smart House trend. You get the chance to take control of your lighting and dimmers automatically through your wireless network. Do anything from turning on the lights while abroad to deter unsavory characters to having the convenience of controlling your home’s lights from the comfort of your couch. You can also switch on the lights upstairs before you get there. All of these benefits and many more possible by installing a smarter light switch in your home.
What Are Smart Light Switches?
Smart light switches look like normal light switch plates. They go onto your wall to control the lighting or your ceiling fan or even outlets. The main difference is that you can control the light switch or dimmer with your smartphone as your lights are now controlled by a simple app. There are many advantages including can set lighting schedules, control the lights from across the room and save energy all at the same time.
Why Should I Buy A Smart Light Switch?
Smart switches are different from the regular light switch. Let’s say you’re taking a much-needed vacation. You can control your lights from abroad – all you need is a WiFi connection. This ensures that you keep your home as secure as possible provides you with safety. If you are living on a budget, this may also be an excellent product for you as you can track your energy use. This may tell you when the most expensive times of the day are for your lighting and enable you to make some changes.
What Are The Best Smart light Switches?
Many brands out there have their own ideas on what makes the best smart switch. It pays to learn which functions are available so that you can choose the ones that fit your needs. We have taken the time to research and compare the highest rated smart home light switches for you. Let’s take a look at some things that you should be considering:
Ergonomics
A big part of choosing the best light switch for your home is in how it looks. You may have some specific ideas about how would you want your interiors to look. Your light switches are a part of the package. You want the ones that you choose to fit in with your decor, are the easiest to use, and are be too bulky at the same time.
Connectivity
There are some smart light switches around that work with WiFi, while there are others that connect via Bluetooth. A WiFi connection is all you need to tap into your own home light switches anywhere in the world. You don’t have to be in your house for the switches to work. This is one of the best feature to look for, as you want your smart light switches to be easy to setup and responsive no matter where you are.
Compatibility
Have you got an Alexa or Google Assistant in your home? When you shop for the best smart switches, you should look for those that have compatibility with your smart control systems. This gives you much better efficiency and makes your life easier overall. I like that we can connect the light switches to Alexa as then, we get voice control and turn on the lights just by asking. It makes it so much easier when we need to get into the garage while holding boxes of tools.
Scheduling
One of the biggest bonuses of adding smart light switches to your home automation setup has to be the scheduling. You can set the lighting on and off according to sunrise and sunset. This makes life so much easier for you and allows you to save money. You never have to worry about forgetting to switch the lights off in your house. Even if you do, you may be able to switch them off with your smartphone anyway!
How To Install Smart Switches?
If you are looking for smart light switches that are easy to install in your home, then you are in the right place. Some of the smart switch products on the market are even installed over the switches that you already have. You can easily install most of them like a standard light switch. Some people are happy to install their own light switches. But, if you’re not too tech-savvy, you can reach out to a local professional to give you a helping hand (probably not necessary though as these are mainly plug and play).
The 5 Best Smart Switches For Your Home
Now that you know more about using smart light switch devices, you know how they work at home. We are here to help you make a more informed choice about which switches are the best to buy for use in your own home. Let’s take a look at our reviews of the top smart light switches we found that are compatible for use in your house.
Legrand-On-Q Smart Light Switch
The Legrand-On-Q light switch takes setting the mood in your home to a whole new level. With the voice activation capability, you can dim the lights and set the mood, controlling your home in a new way. This may be the light switch for you if you want to turn ordinary light switches into the extraordinary. We like this Apple HomeKit smart switch. It’s got the wires and wire nuts included, so there’s no need to go to HomeDepot for any more neutral wire. With the easy installation, you’re connected pretty quickly. And there’s not much waiting around for the lights to get going.
Pros
- Installation takes five minutes
- The Apple Home app is easily connected so you don’t have to download the Legrand Home app if you don’t want to do so.
- The response time of the Legrand-On-Q is instant with the home app. It may even be faster than actually flipping the switch yourself.
- Looks identical to the standard Legrand switch
- Affordable and excellently priced
- This light switch comes with a wall plate, but it does fit in the standard wall plate, too
Cons
- There is a white indicator light and you cannot turn it off in the settings. It’s not much of an issue as the light is small and not too bright, but it would still be nice to have the choice.
- Slight but noticeable delay when physically turning on the lights
WeMo Smart Light Switch
The WeMo smart light switch looks cool. There are glowing LED status lights on it. One of the main features of this switch is that it can calibrate to work with any kind of lightbulb for most dimming. It also offers the least flickering. I suppose there is one downside we’ve come across with the WeMo Smart Light Switch. It is that the LED lights – cool though they are – have seven different statuses. These feel impossible to remember, especially as they all have a unique LED color to them.
Pros
- Run your finger along the surface of the light, and you can dim or brighten the light that’s connected
- Has a night mode, so you may not wake yourself up to more than necessary in the night to find a bathroom
- There is a handy WeMo app that has the capability of supporting many WeMo products
- You could set your own light schedules and lighting modes
- We like that we can review our power-consumption data as we go via the app
- Works well with Alexa, HomeKit and Google Home
Cons
- Not compatible with a list of other home smart systems
- Only supports one switch per light
- It’s a pricier option, so may not be as affordable as one would like
- Lots of color-coded status lights to remember
Kasa Smart Light Switch
One of the most helpful things about the Kasa Smart Light Switch is the Kasa app. To be able to switch on and off your lights from anywhere is an excellent touch. It’s Android and iOS enabled, and you can use Cortana, Alexa, and other assistant voice controls to get it working. Remote light scheduling may make it simpler for you to get your home ready when you’re on your way. You don’t need to buy a hub with this model which will save you some cash. Before purchase, it’s always a good idea to check whether you have a neutral wire inside the light switch on the wall. You’ll need one to make this product work properly.
Pros
- You have the ability to use the remote control from your app outside the home
- Control the switch with your voice
- Very easy to install with clear guidelines and step-by-step instructions
- Smart scheduling even when you’re away
- Uses a neutral wire
- Connects 2.4 GHz with a WiFi network
- Energy-efficient option
Cons
- Can only dim one bulb at a time
- Can be temperamental and flicker
- Doesn’t work natively with Samsung SmartThings
- You may need to install both switches
Gosund Smart Light Switch
It’s easy to take notice of a switch that is more affordable than other light switches in the same category. It’s of a fairly basic design. So you can see why the Gosund Smart Light Switch price is much cheaper than its counterparts. There is a large paddle switch in the middle, and you could manually switch it on by pressing this. The Gosund name is at the bottom of the switch. It is rather a design flaw as it takes away from what could have been a sleek look. It’s not easy to replace the plate it comes with. So, you could be stuck with the light switch plate bearing the company name.
There is a light on the rocker (a small, LED one) but it’s rather bright, which is quite off-putting. If you’re looking for a dim light switch LED, then perhaps this may not be the best one for the bedroom. This particular switch requires a neutral wire as it does not come with one. Also, the installation itself is similar to a standard light switch. Despite the obvious design flaws, the Gosund outperforms the price tag. You can hook it up directly to the WiFi with no other hubs needed. It works alongside the Smart Life app, and there’s a good solution for the budget-conscious.
Pros
- Affordable option to suit almost all buyers
- You could use voice controls with Alexa and Google Assistant
- You get a consistent connection throughout use
Cons
- The LED light on the rocker is far too bright so not all that suitable for bedrooms
- You can’t change the light switch plate without an odd fit
- Not as many features as other brands
TanTan 15A Smart Light Switch
The TanTan switches are a part of the Gosund brand family, and yet so different to the others out there. If you are searching for switches that can install easily, then you may have found the ones that you need. You need to connect both the hot and the neutral wires, so it’s best to ensure that you have these before buying. These work with Amazon Alexa and Google Home devices by voice control. So, when your hands are full, and you’re moving room to room, you could still control the lights.
The app on your phone can also control the lights. This is one of the light switches on the market that can support device sharing. As a result, you can get the whole family involved. You also need to have a neutral wire in the home, and it doesn’t work with Apple HomeKit or Samsung Smart Things. So, it’s good to be aware of this before you go and buy.
Pros
- Safe and reliable; UL94-VO certificated
- There are a timer and a countdown function to time your lights going on and off
- Very easy to install
- Smart control for all kinds of light bulbs
- Amazon Alexa and Google Home enabled
Cons
- May go sideways after a firmware update
- Product description misleading – says 240VAC 50HZ on the box but the manual says 110VAC
Conclusion
We feel that the top smart switch for home use is the Legrand-On-Q Smart Switch. The Legrand-On-Q Smart Switch is affordably priced and installation is simple and takes only five minutes out of your busy day. You have the choice of wireless control of this smart switch with the either the Legrand Home App or the Apple Home App. The response time with this smart switch is instant via simple, remote app control, making it even faster than flipping the a light switch on your own. The Legrand-On-Q Smart Switch is an affordable and convenient option for your home. Do you have a Legrand-On-Q Smart Switch that you are currently utilizing in your smart home? If so, we would love to hear about your experience in the comments below.
