Using physical switch on a table lamp with a smart bulb?

Sorry, I’m confused by your question. I’m not sure what you mean by “arm” in this context.

In any case, many people want to be able to turn a lamp on or off without using their phone but leave the smart bulb be available to turn on again with a network command, if that’s what you’re asking.

This is really similar to the issue of wanting to be able to use a physical wall switch for an overhead light. :sunglasses:

There are two options.

First, you can use a Sengled Element Touch bulb which works well with SmartThings and has a physical button right on the bulb. You can turn the bulb on and off with that button but the radio will still remain on so that it hears the next “on” command from the network.

https://www.amazon.com/Sengled-Dimmable-Equivalent-2700k-3500k-SmartThings/dp/B017VX4806

Second, you can add a battery operated control device either physically stuck to the lamp itself or on the table next to it. There are a number of different options for this. See the following FAQ ( this is a clickable link). The “mood cube” is popular with RGBW smart bulbs because you can also change colors with it. So is the four button Aeon minimote. But there are a number of other choices, including individual buttons. These options will work whether you have a smart bulb in the lamp or whether it is a table lamp with a dumb bulb plugged into a smart outlet.


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Did that help answer your question? The basic answer is that you can get the same effect, but you don’t use it by using the original physical switch on the lamp.

We should also say that the one thing you don’t want to do is regularly cut the current to a smart bulb. These bulbs are intended to be on current all the time not just because of convenience, but because the inrush current when the lamp/fixture is turned back on can damage the radio inside the bulb over time, significantly shortening the life of an already expensive bulb.

It’s not a problem if there’s just an occasional power outage two or three times a year, but you don’t want the bulbs on a switch where the current is being turned on and off a couple of times a week. :disappointed_relieved:

So the systems are set up so that the bulb will always have power, but you can have a physical switch if you want one as well.

I should also say that in many homes, including my own, voice has become the primary way for a controlling lights whether they are ceiling fixtures or table lamps. Both Amazon echo and google home work well with SmartThings. However, I know that not everyone likes voice assistants and not everyone is physically able to vocalize, so that’s just another possibility for some households. And of course many households, again including mine, want multiple options, both voice and physical switches. Choice is good. :sunglasses:

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