Interior Lighting Smart Lighting

9 Best Smart Light Switches

Best Smart Light Switches Home Automation

Remember Home Alone? The scene where Kevin McCallister is pretending to have a huge party at his house to scare away robbers?

Well, you could have a similar peace of mind on your next vacation.

Smart light switches help remove the need for the latest and best smart light bulbs, and allow you to control your home automation with your phone or Apple watch.

Don’t have time to read the full review? Don’t worry! Here are our 3 Best Smart Light Switches picks;

OUR #1 PICK
Philips Hue Home Hue Smart Dimmer Switch

  • Control 50 Lights
  • Smart Home Device
  • Easy Installation
  • Custom Lighting Scenes

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Read our review
MOST POPULAR
Wemo Dimmer WiFi Smart Light Switch

  • Control From Anywhere
  • Works With Nest
  • Optimize Your Lights
  • Works with Alexa

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Read our review
NO HUB REQUIRED
Leviton DW6HD Decora Light Switch

  • Pre-Set Schedules
  • Alexa, Google & Nest
  • 6 Color Options Available
  • Requires Neutral Wire

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Read our review

Here Are The 9 Best Smart Light Switches On The Market

As with light bulbs, when you buy the best smart switches, you can have your lights turn on at set times, making it appear as if someone were home.

Meanwhile, you’re sipping Piña Coladas on the beach on a tropical island.

1. Best Smart Switches (Overall) – Leviton Decora Smart Switch

Leviton Decora Smart Switch Review

Unique Quality Top Overall
Number Of Switches 1
Hub Required No
Compatibility Yes – WIth Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Nest (Purchased Separately)

If you’re wanting something simple to use, then this Leviton switch is for you.

As you can probably tell, with 1000+ reviews, it’s one of the most popular and best smart light switches around.

Leviton’s switch may not be the fanciest looking inteligent switch out there, but it’s very straight-forward. It’s a big paddle switch with a toggle switch on the right side which allows you to dim them in succession.

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A row of small LED lights show you the brightness level, and a single LED on the bottom of the switch allows you to find the switch when all lighting is off.

Plus, there’s no need for a hub as the Leviton connects through wi-fi. It also supports three-way switches, making it the best smart switch if you have a spacious home with bigger rooms. 

The app is very simple and allows you to set up light scheduling, dimming options, and more.

2. Top Value – Philips Hue Smart Dimmer Switch Review

2. Top Value - Philips Hue Smart Dimmer Switch

Unique Quality Ease of Installation
Number Of Switches 1
Hub Required Yes (Phillips Hue Hub purchased separately)
Compatibility Yes – WIth Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Nest (Purchased Separately)

Phillips is one of the leading brands in the automated lighting industry. Coming out with the top valued switch is the Phillips Hue Dimmer.

This is the best choice for those who aren’t wanting to do any technical electrical work.

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If you just want something simple to install, then this is the best smart light switch for you as it doesn’t require any installation.

You do however have to purchase the Phillips Hue Bridge separately (as well as only use the Phillips range of intelligent lights, such as those featured in our Philips Lightstrip Plus review).

So if you are wanting to go the easiest route, then go all the way as they have the simplest, and highest-quality lighting products available.

3. Top Home Compatibility – Lutron Caseta Wireless Dimmer Switch Kit

Lutron Caseta Wireless Dimmer Switch Kit

Unique Quality Top Home Compatibility
Number Of Switches 1
Hub Required Yes (Included)
Compatibility Yes – WIth Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Nest (Purchased Separately)

Lutron’s starter kit is one of the of our favorite smart home light switch choice if you’re wanting an all-in-one kit to get started with intelligent lighting at home.

It comes with an in-wall switch, a wireless remote, and a Lutron bridge (hub).

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One of the coolest things you can do with this switch is to enable geofencing. Geofencing automatically turns the lights off if you leave home or on if you’re just arriving.

Besides the geofencing capabilities, the Lutron kit offers several other features including scheduling and advanced dimming options.

4. Top Touchscreen Switch – Smartplex Home Light Switch Review

Smartplex Home Light Switch Review

Unique Quality Top Touch Screen
Number Of Switches 1
Hub Required No
Compatibility Yes – With Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Nest (Purchased Separately)

Smartplex Home offers one of the most gorgeous light switches on the market.

This touch screen style switch is designed for the modern home with dark, tempered glass, making it the perfect upgrade to any home lighting.

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Though it is not compatible with three-way switches, the Smartplex switch is a solid light switch for basic home automation lighting.

Smartplex Home even offers a lifetime warranty, so you can be assured that if you buy it, you’ll have quality customer service for life.

5. Top Voice Control – EcoBee Voice Activated Smart Light Switch Review

EcoBee Voice Activated Smart Light Switch Review

Unique Quality Top Voice Control
Number Of Switches 1
Hub Required Yes (Purchased Separately)
Smart Home Compatibility Yes – WIth Amazon Alexa (built-in); Google Assistant, Nest (Purchased Separately)

Techies, look out.

The Ecoboee Switch+ leads the pack with all of the many techy features.

It has a motion detector built in that will turn the lights on when you enter or exit a room. There is a night light that can be enabled throughout the light (for those midnight bathroom trips).

The biggest feature of this model is the fact that Amazon Alexa is built-in, making voice control easier than ever.

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The downsides are that it can’t be used in a three-way connection and it requires a neutral wire (which some older homes don’t have).

It’s also on the expensive side, but if you want the best home automation light switch that offers all the bells and whistles, then investing in this switch might be your best option.

6. Most Popular – Wemo Dimmer Switch Review

Wemo Smart Dimmer Switch Review

Unique Quality Most Popular
Number Of Switches 1
Hub Required No
Compatibility Yes – WIth Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Nest (Purchased Separately)

If you want something slick that will take your home into the next generation, then you’ll definitely want to consider this WeMo smart home light switch.

With over 5000 reviews, it’s easily the most popular light switch around.

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The first thing you’ll notice is the simplicity in design, which will add a nice, simple touch to your home.

But, the main reason this switch is so popular is because of how well-rounded it is. Offering a simple set up, scheduling, dimming, and remote access, it has everything you’ll need in an intelligent light switch.

7. Easiest App – iDevices Smart Home Wall Light Switch

iDevices Smart Home Wall Light Switch

Unique Quality Easiest App
Number Of Switches 1
Hub Required No
Compatibility Yes – WIth Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Nest (Purchased Separately)

The iDevices light switch is beautifully designed with a unique LED colored display right in the center, making it easy to locate during the day or at night.

The iDevices Wall Switch has a simple app to schedule all of your lighting needs. The app also connects really well to various home automation systems in the house including your fireplace, thermostat, shades, shower speaker, and more.

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If you’re thinking about adding a few more automations to your home in the future and want a simple app, then the iDevices wall switch is a great place to start.

8. Top Minimalistic Design – Elgato Eve Minimalist Smart Light Switch

Elgato Eve Minimalist Smart Light Switch

Unique Quality Top Minimalistic Design
Number Of Switches 1
Hub Required No
Compatibility Yes – WIth Apple HomeKit (Purchased Separately)

The first thing you’ll notice about the Elgato Eve light switch is the design.

It is the thinnest light switch on the market and offers the most minimalistic design. There are no buttons. There are no switches. It’s almost like there’s nothing at all.

But that’s the trick.

These home automation light switches are touch-sensitive and to access it, simply touch it once to turn it on.

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The downside to the Elgato Eve is that it only works with IOS and you’ll need to have Apple TV or an iPad as a hub.

The hub range goes as far as about only 40 feet (as it connects with Bluetooth).

So, unless you’re all Apple’d out, this may not be the most suitable option. However, it will definitely make for a compatible home addition to Apple’s already white and minimalistic designs.

9. Top Three-Way Smart Switch – TP-Link Kasa Light Switch Review

TP-Link Kasa Smart Light Switch Review

Unique Quality Top Three-Way Smart Switch
Number Of Switches 2
Hub Required No
Smart Home Compatibility Yes – WIth Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Nest (Purchased Separately)Purchased Separately)

TP-Link’s Kasa Smart Light Switch offers up the best twin switches for a three-way lighting system.

In fact, this model only works on three-way systems. But… they make it very simple to install.

TP-Link’s app offers a very straightforward step-by-step how-to right in the app, making it one of the easiest switches to install.

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The two Kasa Smart Light Switches work together allowing you to control the lights in your room from two locations. It also allows you to access it from the app.

When you’re away on holidays, just set the app to “Away Mode” which allows you to set schedules when the lights turn on and off (like Home Alone).

How to Install Smart Light Switches

What if you could control every aspect of your home life?

By investing in the best smart switches, you can control all of your lights through your switches, through an integrated app on your phone, or even connect them to other home automation devices at home.

With the right light switch, you could even have your automated security system initiate your lights to turn on in the event of a break-in.

Plus, your lights could even be activated with your smoke detector so that they turn on if a fire breaks out.

Smart Wall Switches Or Light Bulbs?

How smart light bulbs work is they allow you to completely control your lighting from an app on your smartphone.

So why would you want to get an intelligent light switch to go with it? Isn’t it kind of irrelevant?

Smart light switches aren’t going away anytime soon. In fact, they often make more sense than simply using an app in many cases.

The main reason you would want to invest in a light switch as well is if you have multiple lights in a single room. Rather than purchasing several bulbs for a room (which can get expensive), it can make more sense to go with one device to control them all at once.

When you have many ceiling lights in a single room (or several throughout the whole house), often times, a switch will allow you to control everything at once without having to invest into many individual bulbs.

As a rule of thumb, buying a single intelligent bulb can cost as much as one of these (which can control several bulbs), so it’s the more economical choice.

Best Smart Plugs

What About Smart Plugs?

If you have multiple table lamps or floor lamps in a room, then using a simple but intelligent plug may be the best choice for you.

All you have to do is connect your lamps into a plug, which goes directly into the outlet.

These plugs usually cost a bit less than other configurations, and you can save yourself the hassle of setting everything up (you don’t have to do any wiring with the plugs).

Just plug it into a wall outlet and you’re set.

Installing Smart Switches at Home

How To Install Home Automation Light Switches

With most home automation devices, all you have to do is plug them into an outlet and you’re good to go.

However, there is some installation required with these. Installing them requires that you replace the current in-wall light switch.

Most products won’t come with an in-home installation (you may be able to find a local shop that may do it for you), so you will need a basic understanding of common electrical work.

If you don’t have the fundamentals of electrical work down, consult a professional, or ask a tech-savvy neighbour to help you with the install.

To exchange the old one, you’ll have to turn the circuit breaker. Then, you attach all the wires to the device (including the neutral wire).

They are often a bit bigger than regular versions, which means they may not fit in your electrical box perfectly. If that’s the case, you may have to get a new box.

Again, it’s always easiest (and safest) to consult an electrician if you aren’t confident in doing this type of replacement wiring, or need some extra help.

5 Things To Consider Before Purchasing

  1. Function – Is the switch a three-way or four-way connection?
  2. App compatibility – How easily does the switch integrate with an app on your smartphone?
  3. Control – Will you be able to schedule your lights? Dimming? Remote access?
  4. Compatibility with other home automation devices – Does the switch integrate with other home automation devices like Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Nest, etc.?
  5. Design – Does the switch work with your decor? Are there various designs or colors it comes in to match with your interior?

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