Already have a Hue hub so would probably be easiest to get hue but open to other ideas. So, my idea is for the bedroom which currently has 5xGU10 bulbs controlled by standard on off switch.
What I want; wall mounted smart switch to control 5x GU10 smart bulbs, 2x wall mounted smart switches by bed which I can use to change the bulbs from ‘all on’ to ‘two on and dimmed’, then to ‘all off’
Appreciate I could do a lot of this phone my app and with scenes, but my wife prefers the old school idea of having a physical switch so I’d like to combine the old with the new!
After ideas on SmartThings compatible bulbs / switches that could achieve the above?
Get some Hue dimmer switches. Each switch can enable up to five different scenes, and each then can be dimmed or brightened to suit. So mix’n’match scenes among your switches to do exactly what you want. Just what I’ve done in my bedroom… They’re even relatively cheap!
The new “friends of Hue” batteryfree switches come in multiple styles in the EU and look much nicer than the Hue dimmer. They work directly with the Hue bridge and can be placed anywhere. Those would be the simplest solution in your case.
Very retro, replying to myself here! It appears the Friends of Hue switches are still a rare beast in the UK, and they seem very expensive! Hue dimmers are available on Amazon for around £17, so a much cheaper option, and they can be removed from their mount and be used like a remote control…
Vimar, Niko, and Busch Jaeger are available. Not sure about Senic yet.
The Vimar tend to cost around £55 But notice that they have two switches in one unit so if the physical placement works for you, that’s essentially the same as the price for two hue dimmers.
I didn’t have any trouble finding them on the Busch site. I just searched for “Hue.“ they are listed in the category of “remote controls,“ not “switches.“
Looks like they are about 95 EU for a switch with two paddles, so again that’s the equivalent of two hue dimmer switches if the physical placement works for you.
They do sometimes go on sale. I don’t know much about the following shop except that I have seen some of their videos. So research them before placing any orders.
No question all of these are expensive, though. They are pretty new, so the price might come down in the future.
Understood. Hopefully the price will come down eventually. Meanwhile, at least the research exercise may make the Hue dimmers more appealing.
There is one more alternative, lower cost than the Hue dimmers, but with a very different aesthetic: the ikea Tradfri remote controls. £15 when bought directly from Ikea.
