#DIMMABLE SMART SWITCH UPGRADE#

Leviton also announced it’s adding a new motion sensing dimmer to its Decora Smart Wi-Fi lineup - which already includes a smart dimmer and smart switch. The Smart Wi-Fi Bridge connects the neutral wire-free switches to HomeKit, Alexa, and Google home. The switches also work with Leviton’s Decora Smart Anywhere Companions wireless remote controls to fashion a wire-free setup for three-way lighting situations. This enables communication with the My Leviton app, where you can set schedules and scenes, and the other supported smart home platforms. They communicate with the bridge over a low-power proprietary RF mesh to connect to Wi-Fi. The new Leviton dimmer and switch rely on the plug-in bridge, which can handle up to 25 switches over 2,500 square feet. GE Lighting’s Cync has an expansive line of inexpensive no-neutral options but with a mixed design aesthetic. Plus, as Leviton invented the Decora switch style common in homes today, its switches may blend more easily with your existing lighting controls. Leviton’s entry into the market splits the pricing between the budget Aqara and the high-end Lutron and provides both switch and dimmer options. From left: Smart Voice Dimmer with Amazon Alexa built-in Smart Wi-Fi (2nd Gen) Dimmer Smart Wi-Fi (2nd Gen) Switch Smart 4-Button Controller Smart Wi-Fi (2nd Gen) Tamper Resistant Outlet Smart Wi-Fi (2nd Gen) Motion Sensing Dimmer and the Indoor Decora Smart Wi-Fi (2nd Gen) Mini Plug-In Switch (top) and Dimmer (bottom). More budget-friendly options such as those from Aqara only have switches - no dimmers. Lutron’s required bridge is $80 and its dimmer switches are $60 each. While there are choices - the popular one being Lutron Caseta - the selection is limited in terms of style and functionality. As this wiring wasn’t standard in homes until the mid-1980s many houses have limited options for upgrading to smart switches. Most smart light switches require a neutral wire to work. Both are compatible with Apple HomeKit, Google Home, and Amazon Alexa for smart home and voice control, as is Leviton's entire Decora Smart Wi-Fi line. The Decora Smart No-Neutral Dimmer ($49.99) and Switch ($44.99) both work with the plug-in Decora Smart Wi-Fi Bridge ($19.99).

This week, lighting control company Leviton released two smart switches that don’t require a neutral wire.

#DIMMABLE SMART SWITCH UPGRADE#

If you are looking for a physical switch you will need to check your local retailers, a lot of these are becoming more readily available even in places like South Africa (Where Im from).If you are in an older home and want to upgrade to smart switches, I have good news. You also wont have an issue with the mesh network perhaps not reaching certain rooms and the need for repeaters. This also means that if anything goes wrong you have easy access to replace them AND you get the benefit of no unsightly wall switches though out the house. My suggestion here would be to make sure that your DV board is wired correctly to each cluster of lights and connect these directly below the breakers. The downside to these dimmers is they basically take away the functionality of the physical switch (if you are actually putting in switches in your new house) I have them throughout my house (20 of them in total) all linked to alexa and the smartthings app. So if you are looking for an “in-wall” as per your description and not a physical light switch as per the post? the Fibaro Dimmer 2’s work fantastically.

Dimmable smart switch