Status of Light Switches with SmartThings

[JDRoberts]

If you want switches to work with smart bulbs, see the following FAQ:

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?

If you want zwave wall switches to work with dumb bulbs, look in this topic:

Bulbs, switches and sensors, oh my....what to buy (device class features FAQ)

This thread hadn’t really gotten into wall switches, that’s a whole different topic. You should never use a dimmer switch (smart or not) to control the current load to a dimmable smart bulb. You can burn out the switch. A dimmer switch controlling current to a compatible dimmable dumb bulb is fine. You can use a regular binary on/off switch on the circuit with the smart bulb. Or a dimmer switch on a different circuit (or battery-operated) to control the bulb remotely. See the following topic. It was started for Hue bulbs, but most of it applies to any smart bulb.

If you want a battery operated wall switch or a handheld remote, see the following:

FAQ: Full list of buttons and remotes confirmed to work with SmartThings [Not all devices listed work with the 2020 Platform]

I’d like to know which buttons and remotes are currently supported or might be supported in the future. Ideally, I’d like to find something similar to the following: http://www.evolvecontrols.com/devices/control-devices/glass-series Though alternatively just a simple nice-looking button which actually works unlike this Aeon according to Amazon reviews: http://www.amazon.com/Touch-Panel-Button-Switch-AL-001/dp/B00GL6B4GG/ref=sr_1_3?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1421468320&sr=1-3&keywords=aeon+button There is an Aeon Key Fob as well, but it doesn’t seem to be very durable or stylish: What else is available?