Have smart bulbs won the battle over smart switches?

[tgauchat (ActionTiles.com co-founder Terry @ActionTiles; GitHub: @cosmicpuppy)]

@Jeffbab

Then I discovered lutron caseta. No neutrals required and they now integrate fully with smartthings…

Thanks for posting this!

I have no neutrals throughout my home and smart bulbs have been an imperfect lifesaver.

Now I will seriously consider Caseta. So glad to hear in integrates well!

[JDRoberts]

I use the Caseta switches even in places where I do have a neutral and really like them.

[marktheknife (Mark)]

I’m also a big fan of the caseta integration since I have no neutrals. It’s hard to believe it’s a cloud-to-cloud integration.

[ShadowVlican]

i use both bulbs and switches depending on the cost to achieve what i want. I’ve got a 5 bulb track light where one switch would do the job vs 5 smart bulbs. also have lots of single bulb fixtures connected to a single dumb switch that i would like individual control. so i’m glad both techs exist

[jeffe101 (Jeff)]

For me, switches made much more sense. I tried Hue and LIFX bulbs in various fixtures around the house and the one conclusion we couldn’t escape was, that if the fixture was controlled by a switch, inevitably that switch would get flipped off at some point rendering the “Smart” bulb powerless. The SAF was really low at this point because it was confusing as to which switches needed to stay in the “on” position. You are also forced to either schedule the light in some way or use the app to turn it on/off, not convenient. With a switch, you have the ability to manually turn it on/off with out breaking a schedule that may be attached to the light. I thought I would miss the color changing ability, but found I didn’t use it that much anyway.

[JDRoberts]

@jeffe101

For me, switches made much more sense. I tried Hue and LIFX bulbs in various fixtures around the house and the one conclusion we couldn’t escape was, that if the fixture was controlled by a switch, inevitably that switch would get flipped off at some point rendering the “Smart” bulb powerless. The SAF was really low at this point because it was confusing as to which switches needed to stay in the “on” position. You are also forced to either schedule the light in some way or use the app to turn it on/off, not convenient. With a switch, you have the ability to manually turn it on/off with out breaking a schedule that may be attached to the light. I thought I would miss the color changing ability, but found I didn’t use it that much anyway.

This was a very big problem when smart bulbs were first introduced. There now are a number of different ways to address this so that you can still have a switch at the wall where you expect one, but it won’t Cut the current to the bulb.

It may still be less expensive to use a smart switch and dumb bulbs, but for places where you really would like the color capability, including warm white to cool white, there are many more options available now in 2017 then there were one or two years ago.

See the FAQ for detailed discussion

FAQ: Philips Hue and Other Smart Bulbs - What sort of light switches to use with them? (Long FAQ)

Thinking on a big move to Hue lights, the real question is - what switches to use with them? If they’re all automatable via ST and other devices, do I really want to put them all on controllable switches too? There’s the advantage that I can arrange to ensure those switches are on so that the the Hue bulbs would be too…but it also leaves open the ability for folks to just turn them off and leave them off. Hmm. Thoughts?

[jeffe101 (Jeff)]

@JDRoberts

This was a very big problem when smart bulbs were first introduced. There now are a number of different ways to address this so that you can still have a switch at the wall where you expect one, but it won’t Cut the current to the bulb.

It may still be less expensive to use a smart switch and dumb bulbs, but for places where you really would like the color capability, including warm white to cool white, there are many more options available now in 2017 then there were one or two years ago.

See the FAQ for detailed discussion

I had previously tried the Hue dimmer switch, which I thought was going to be great. But it ended up being very unreliable and would frequently disconnect from Hue, all it took was a few times and that was it for the wife. The other annoying part with the Hue dimmer was that it was too big to fit into a wall plate, very poor design on their part. No matter what I did, I could never get Hue to be reliable.
I’m almost done retro fitting all of my switches to Lutron Caseta, it has been extremely reliable and I get Homekit and Smartthings as well. I’ve been using these Philips “Warm Glow” bulbs on the switches that change from 2700k to 2200k when dimming, they look really nice.

[DParker (Dan P Parker)]

@jeffe101

You are also forced to either schedule the light in some way or use the app to turn it on/off, not convenient.

Or, what’s behind door #3…

[JaneL]

Yup! Between talking to Alexa and having a couple of motion sensors in spots, my path is always lit as I move around the house.

[jeffe101 (Jeff)]

@DParker

Or, what’s behind door #3…

Maybe it’s just me, but I just can’t get into voice control. It feels slower to me, we’ll see with more products coming out. What I really want is AI to predict what I want, what I’m thinking. It would need to take in all the sensory data and then learn when I turn on lights and then have it ready for me based on certain criteria. Then I won’t have to do anything, except merely exist. This is probably a little ways off, but I could see it happening with enough sensor data.
I’ve tried building scenarios where it takes ambient light levels and then triggers lighting, but it never seems to do it consistently, or the sensor misreads the levels or doesn’t report. And also, the more complicated the routine for the light, the less the wife likes it.

[JDRoberts]

@jeffe101

@DParker

Or, what’s behind door #3…

Maybe it’s just me, but I just can’t get into voice control.

Choice is good. Different things work for different households.

[DParker (Dan P Parker)]

@jeffe101

Maybe it’s just me, but I just can’t get into voice control. It feels slower to me

Slower than waiting for a scheduled event to occur?
Or slower than picking up your phone/tablet, launching the ST app, waiting for it to load everything and then having to select one or more screen controls?

[jeffe101 (Jeff)]

@DParker

Slower than waiting for a scheduled event to occur?
Or slower than picking up your phone/tablet, launching the ST app, waiting for it to load everything and then having to select one or more screen controls?

Maybe I’m slower, lol. I always forget how something is named which when I ask Siri, she’ll frequently come back and say something like she doesn’t know what “Master” is in Master Bedroom lights, even though that’s the name. I’ve not tried Alexa. Maybe the new Homepod will be better.

[DParker (Dan P Parker)]

@jeffe101

I’ve not tried Alexa.

Well then, try a voice recognition system that works and your opinion is likely to change.

@jeffe101

Maybe the new Homepod will be better

From all accounts the HomePod’s Siri is the same as your phone’s Siri, save for better microphones. So if she’s already understanding what you’re saying and simply not knowing what to do with it then you’re likely to receive some disappointment for your $350. On the other hand, it’s already well-demonstrated that a $50 Dot will do the job admirably.

[bazfum (Alex Christensen)]

Show me a color tunable switch and then we’ll talk