I’m looking for RGBW (color changing) recessed lighting that can be controlled with traditional in-wall switches, as well as via Smartthings via ZWAVE or Zigbee + Alexa. Can someone point me in a direction to research? I’ve been looking all over the web the last few days and haven’t found anything so far.
Smart RGBW Bulbs, regardless of the form/size, have a radio built into them, which means you do not want to combine them with any switch which controls the current to the bulbs.
An occasional power outage, like two or three times a year, isn’t a big deal, but if you are using the switch to cut the power to the bulbs then not only are they not available to hear the next network command, but just as importantly the power surge (called “inrush current“) every time you restore power can damage the radios over time, making an expensive bulb that much more expensive.
That’s why the user manuals for almost all of these will say that they should be left on power at all times.
There are other switches you can use which look like a regular Switch but which do not actually control the current to the bulb. So that’s what most people use.
(The topic title for the following community FAQ is a clickable link. It says hue, but applies to any brand of smart bulb.)
As far as potential smart recessed Light candidates, the Sylvania RGBW is on the official “works with smartthings“ list and there are community members using it.
https://www.smartthings.com/products/sylvania-smart-full-color-downlight-led-lamp-rt56
Yeah I like those Sylvania ones, but I didn’t see that they have any kind of controller. I need something local and simple to turn them on and off (WAF factor too low on Action Tiles).
If you just need on/off, there are a number of different devices you can get. You just have to make sure that they aren’t controlling the actual current to the lights. So the switch will send a message to the hub, and the Hub will send a message to the bulbs.
Again, see the FAQ linked to above. 