I recently moved and have been setting up SmartThings throughout the house and this board has been so helpful!!
There are 5 ceiling lights that I want to switch out for SmartThings compatible lights. I was hoping to find something that I could swap out without needing to mess with the current wiring, but haven’t been able to find anything besides the Philips Hue. I’ve been trying to avoid buying a Hue Bridge because I know as soon as I get one I’m going to end up with tons of Philips things I don’t need… but if that’s the best option I’ll make it work
Sylvania Lightify was mentioned on a couple older threads but I’m not sure it’s a good idea to buy those if the company isn’t going to be updating them after August 31. I have the Aeotec SmartThings Hub so this might not matter though?
Besides Sylvania, Hue, and Alibaba knockoffs it doesn’t seem like there are many options to ‘retrofit’ recessed downlights.
Are there other vendors I should be look at? Thanks in advance!!
The other option is to consider a smart switch and then to use whatever dumb lights you already have. That doesn’t give you RGB effects, but you didn’t say if you wanted those. It can give you on/off/dim depending on the total load on the circuit. So that might be another possibility.
Also, what country are you in? The device selection does vary.
Correct that it won’t matter. What’s being shut off is the Lightify service which works with their gateway and app. But if you are using their devices with smartthings you use the smartthings/Aeotec hub and smartthings app instead, so the shut down wouldn’t affect you. The main issue would be if you needed a replacement in the future, it probably won’t be available, you would have to switch to a different brand.
I think the 4" size will be your biggest problem. Halo (Eaton) makes a 5/6" Zigbee downlight that I can’t exactly recommend, but have a bunch of them. They may make a 4" version, but their website isn’t the best to navigate.
Hue will likely be your most reliable, but expensive option.
That’s a good point on 4 inch being harder to find than 6 inch, I didn’t even consider that. I might just buy one Globe Electric to see how it works - worst case it’s a wasted $15 and back to Philips?
Is anyone aware of any newer models (US, 5/6 ") RGB Zigbee or ZWave that are ST compatible? I see lots of Chinese brands, but not clear if they will work or not or have safety certifications…
Most models sold in store at Home Depot or Lowes will be safety tested by an independent laboratory (UL, ETL, or CSA for those from Canadian companies).
For example, most of the Juno models @Paul_Oliver mentioned are certified by CSA for US safety standards.
If you have a homeowners association that specifically requires
Ul Or ETL certification, you may have to request that they accept CSA as well, but most will.
Any specific models? I’m searching, but none seem to be zWave/ ZigBee + color. Several are Wifi though. I also don’t need speakers (which adds about $200 to those on their website). One other caveat is that I live in CA, so some of the options available elsewhere may not be available here if they have low efficacy.
Juno does have Zigbee models, but I believe only tunable white, not RGB.
Some other candidates
Gledopto has 6W, 9W, and 12W models in their Zigbee pro line which are RGB and usually work well with SmartThings. These are typically well-engineered, but only have the CE safety certification, so I don’t know if that meets your needs.
Cree seems to have dropped their Zigbee line altogether in favor of their Connected Max WiFi line. There is a SmartThings integration, but you have to go through the Smart Life cloud to cloud integration. The models I checked are UL listed.
Thanks both JD and Paul, GLEDOPTO is the closest, but unfortunately does not appear to work for a 6" retrofit situation (even with their larger unit and with a 1-2 month lead time).
Juno works if I want white only, but looks like more suited to new construction.
Looks like the only colored option is non name brands or Hue with a bridge, correct?
If I stick to white 6" Zigbee dimmable, There are many more: [OSRAM 73742 SYLVANIA SMART- is this good- or the one that won’t update?
[HALO RL56 Zigbee Wireless Smart Integrated LED Recessed Downlight Ceiling Fixture, Selectable Color Temperature, White, 5 in. and 6 in. -is this the ok, but not great one?
I eventually went with a Zigbee dimmable retrofit kit for this application, but it was only tunable white color temp and could have dimmed more. Ok for that application but would prefer something more flexible for my next project.
Now my original kitchen 6" CFL cans are failing- same fixture as before, so I’ll need to re wire it to remove the ballast from the power and just use the 120 V directly. I’ve already replaced the CFLs with LEDs, which works ok, but one of the ballasts has apparently failed, and I’m guessing the others will follow. Since it’s been two years (and some of the previously listed products are no longer available and/or sold in CA, I’m looking for current suggestions:
I live in CA/USA, so products need to meet Title 20
I would like RGB/W with dimming (e.g. won’t use a single smart switch).
Zigbee/ Matter over thread. Would prefer not to use wifi.
Single or six packs of fixtures
Need to be able to splice into existing 120V wiring- not a simple screw in type of retrofit will work.
The main issue would be if you needed a replacement in the future, it probably won’t be available, you would have to switch to a different brand.