I have be searching all over for something to simple shut off a smart bulb from the actual lamp. Why? Here is why:
I have a smart switch on my wall to control the lamp next to my bed. When I walk in the room, I hit the switch and the light comes on. Once I get ready for bed, I lay down. Now, to turn off the light, I need to either a) get up and hit the switch, or b) get out the phone and turn it off there. Why isn’t there a little ‘smart’ switch I can attach directly to the lamp in order to turn it off through ST? If I manually turn off the lamp with the ‘dumb’ switch, the next night I come to be the switch on the wall doesn’t work because the lamp is shut off!
Super frustrated. This is the only thing discouraging me from putting smart bulbs in my lamps throughout the house…
I have considered that option. That solves the ‘next to bed lamp’ problem, but here’s another one: if I have company over (think grandparents who thinks smart home is running a wire to a light switch in another room to shut off lights) and they are sitting right next to the lamp, and they want to turn it on. If they see this minimote velcroed to the lamp they’re never going to know what button to push. Can’t there be something that either has a single on/off button? Even better, an actual switch that can be flipped?
As @garyd9 said, the Aeon minimote is a 4 button remote control (tiny, about the size of a pack of gum) intended for this kind of thing.
But any networked contact sensor that SmartThings recognizes will work for this particular use case. Or a motion sensor if you place it so it only triggers when you intentionally wave a hand in front of it.
Using @Will_Poirier’s method, I am using handsfree voice control using iOS 8 Siri via my iPhone. When it’s plugged into the charger, I can say, “Hey, Siri. Tell house hashtag dark” and turn off several lights at once. Other people are doing similar things with Android phones using some community-member developed smartapps and Tasker.
Add a push button switch to a monoprice contact sensor.
Contact sensor 20-25 bucks, includes battery, radio schlock push button 2 bucks…
Telling your parents/guests/spouse to activate the detonator to on/off the lights?
Priceless…
If you have an extra open/close sensor laying a around, set that up to control the light and place it on the nightstand. Or maybe you want to keep your eye on this as it matures. Could kill more than one bird…
Other people are doing similar things with Android phones using some community-member developed smartapps and Tasker.