Can smart bulbs be externally dimmed?

It will screw up the bulbs. Smart LEDs should not be matched with any dimmer, smart or dumb, that controls the current to the bulb. You will burn out either the dimmer or the bulb because they will confuse each other.

Instead, the bulbs should remain always on full power (although they may look like they’re off). But you can then match them with a wall switch which doesn’t control the current load to the bulbs. This can either be an auxiliary switch which is not wired to the load or it can be a battery operated switch.

That way the switch talks to the hub and the hub talks wirelessly to the bulbs and everything works fine.

See the following FAQ (this is a clickable link)

BTW( and this is discussed in the FAQ) as it happens, Cooper makes a battery operated dimmer switch that looks exactly like their regular switches and would work very well for this purpose. They even make a special face plate so you can put it side-by-side with a regular switch if you like. :sunglasses: It will look like a dual gang switch, but it’s actually one mains power switch in the wall and one battery operated switch on the surface of the wall. The only thing is I’m not sure if it comes in the same color options.

https://www.amazon.com/Eaton-RF9500AW-Aspire-Battery-Operated/dp/B004I7YSVI

Alternatively, you can still use the same Cooper switches you were intending to use, just don’t connect them to the load. Then the same thing will happen. The switch talks to the hub and the hub talks to the bulbs.

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