# Wired Zigbee switches **URL:** \ **Category:** Devices & Integrations\ **Tags:** hue, zigbee, smartlighting\ **Created:** [June 14, 2020, 7:55am UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/wired-zigbee-switches/197127 "2020-06-14T07:55:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Douglas\_Long](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/user_avatar/community.smartthings.com/douglas_long/32/120479_2.png) [@Douglas\_Long](https://community.smartthings.com/u/Douglas_Long)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2020, 7:55am UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/wired-zigbee-switches/197127/1 "2020-06-14T07:55:56Z")
Sorry if this has been asked before, but I haven’t seen what I’m hoping to find anywhere… I’m planning on kitting out most of my flat with hue bulbs. So far for controlling them I have only found two main options. One is to use en-ocean powered wireless battery-free switches in the friends of Hue programme, however I’ve used these in the past and find the clicky switches very unergonomic. The other is to use battery powered Zigbee switches like the WaveLINE ones from Busch-Jaeger or similar. While flexible, these need to be maintained every few years with new batteries. Does anyone know of any AC **wired** Zigbee switches that could allow me to replace existing switches with Zigbee controllers, powered by the AC and leaving the circuits as always-on so that the hue bulbs can always be controlled digitally? Any help greatly appreciated! ---
**Author:** ![GSzabados](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/user_avatar/community.smartthings.com/gszabados/32/73805_2.png) [@GSzabados](https://community.smartthings.com/u/GSzabados)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2020, 9:07am UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/wired-zigbee-switches/197127/2 "2020-06-14T09:07:25Z")
First of all, which country are you from, because different markets has different products. Second, are you planning to control these switches/bulbs through the SmartThings environment or directly connecting it to the Hue bridge. (I haven’t seen any mention in your question regarding SmartThings, so I have to ask.) Third, some countries, states requires by law to have physical control to light fixtures, so consider that as well. So, most people like the Hue Dimmer switches, because you can fit it on top of existing switches, with some kits. > **[Wireless installation Dimmer switch | Hue](https://www2.meethue.com/en-us/p/hue-dimmer-switch/046677473372)** > > Control and dim your lights with a Hue dimmer switch. Both a wall switch and remote control, this smart switch attaches easily to walls with the included adhesive and can be removed from the magnetic base to use as a remote control. > **[Samotech® Light Switch White Cover for Philips Hue Dimmer - Adapter - Converter...](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Samotech%C2%AE-Light-Switch-Philips-Dimmer/dp/B07D5KJ4B6)** > > Shop Samotech® Light Switch White Cover for Philips Hue Dimmer - Adapter - Converter (SM200). Free delivery on eligible orders of £20 or more. But if you look at the Enocean website and their battery-free solutions, you can find many devices being friend of Hue. [https://www.niko.eu/en/products/wireless-controls](https://www.niko.eu/en/products/wireless-controls) > **[Friends of Hue radio frequency controls](https://www.vimar.com/en/int/friends-of-hue-radio-frequency-controls-14788132.html)** > > First announced last March during the Light&Building exhibition in Frankfurt, the partnership between Vimar and Philips Lighting (now Signify) - the world leader in the lighting sector – now takes shape. [https://www.senic.com/friends-of-hue-smart-switch](https://www.senic.com/friends-of-hue-smart-switch) Or you can go with the Hue Tap, to control Scenes (on/off). > **[Wireless installation Tap switch | Hue](https://www2.meethue.com/en-us/p/hue-tap-switch/046677473365)** > > Activate your lights and favorite light scenes with the Hue Tap smart light switch. Fully wireless, and portable, the Hue Tap requires no batteries and allows you to program four buttons to your lighting preferences. Otherwise if you want to control the bulbs directly inside the Hue environment look for the friends of Hue devices with Zigbee connection. If not, if you are going to control them from SmartThings, then any Zigbee switch would do (neutral required), but look for those devices which can use stock DHs with local processing to keep control when the internet goes out. ---
**Author:** ![Douglas\_Long](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/user_avatar/community.smartthings.com/douglas_long/32/120479_2.png) [@Douglas\_Long](https://community.smartthings.com/u/Douglas_Long)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2020, 9:19am UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/wired-zigbee-switches/197127/3 "2020-06-14T09:19:23Z")
Thanks for you response and information. I am based in the UK, but happy to have European format switches if that helps (as I have already tested doing with friends of hue switches from Vimar). I am happy to control the hue bulbs either directly or via SmartThings hub. I have used friends of hue switches or the hue dimmer and wasn’t happy with either as a long term solution, as the friends of hue are very clicky, and the hue dimmer requires batteries, thus I was hoping to find a switch solution I could wire in permanently that would allow control while leaving the circuits always on the power the hue bulbs, though I don’t know if such a product exists. ---
**Author:** ![GSzabados](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/user_avatar/community.smartthings.com/gszabados/32/73805_2.png) [@GSzabados](https://community.smartthings.com/u/GSzabados)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2020, 9:54am UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/wired-zigbee-switches/197127/4 "2020-06-14T09:54:48Z")
UK switches. > [@UK Light switches – My experiences (2020)](https://community.smartthings.com/t/uk-light-switches-my-experiences-2020/196035): > > I know that in the UK we are not very flush with smart light switches, when some come along they are generally expensive or require some kind of hot fix to make them work because of there being no neutral. This is my personal experience of light switches in the UK and which ones I have finally stuck with. Currently changing them all over. Energenie: The very first smart light switches I had was from ‘Energenie’ when I first got them they felt super stylish and worked wirelessly. The price wasn’t all that bad and eventually as I moved over to the Smartthings system I managed to get them to integrate with the ‘MiHome’ app which pullet through all the devices. I found that the MiHome smart hub would sometimes go offline so routines wouldn’t run which is pointless, also there would be a del… You need a version where neutral required, as you would not have load on it. Then you set up a SmartLighting rule to mirror the switch to the bulbs and the bulb to the switch as well. But this would be only on/off. All the other options above would give you dimming as well. I don’t know the UK regulations regarding hard wiring lighting fixtures. @jelockwood might know it. And he can advise with other UK switch options as well. ---
**Author:** ![GSzabados](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/user_avatar/community.smartthings.com/gszabados/32/73805_2.png) [@GSzabados](https://community.smartthings.com/u/GSzabados)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2020, 9:57am UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/wired-zigbee-switches/197127/5 "2020-06-14T09:57:23Z")
And some other approaches. > [@Controlling smart lights from dumb switch?](https://community.smartthings.com/t/controlling-smart-lights-from-dumb-switch/191245): > > Hi, I have some old wired light switches which for aesthetic reasons I want to keep. Ideally, however, I would like them to trigger Hue or other smart lights rather than turning the power on/off to dumb lights (as more complex constellations of lights become possible this way without the extra wiring). Is there any way to add a device to these switches, so that the power on/off state of the physical switch will be sent to Smartthings? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![jelockwood](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/user_avatar/community.smartthings.com/jelockwood/32/35917_2.png) [@jelockwood](https://community.smartthings.com/u/jelockwood)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2020, 8:39pm UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/wired-zigbee-switches/197127/6 "2020-06-15T20:39:42Z")
The reference to the UK regulations needing wired control of lighting circuits was based on a post by @JDRoberts but I am happy to believe this. My own opinion is that in general wired switches should not be mixed with smart bulbs i.e. Philips Hue. Smart wired switches should therefore be used to control dumb bulbs. Whilst this definitely does apply from a technical point of view it also makes sense from a cost point of view as you are then having to pay for fewer smart devices. Anyway, some people have used Fibaro double relays with one connection linked to the switch and the other used to send a signal to the Smartthing hub which in turn sends a signal to the smart bulb somewhat similar to the approach outlined by @GSzabados. However Fibaro only do Z-Wave products. There maybe similar Zigbee devices from other brands but I have not encountered them. The most common approaches have been the kinetic power free switches and the Hue dimmer switch - each with options for mounting over a traditional switch plate. The following confused me for a long time due to the pictures used but I now feel I understand how it works. [http://www.lutron.com/en-US/products/pages/standalonecontrols/dimmers-switches/smartbulbdimmer/overview.aspx](http://www.lutron.com/en-US/products/pages/standalonecontrols/dimmers-switches/smartbulbdimmer/overview.aspx) I believe it merely clips on top of a US style switch. (Although I remember seeing some very old UK similar type switches.) You then turn it or press it to cause it to send signals via Zigbee to the Philips Hue hub. It does not actually manipulate the switch it covers. This differs from the Switchbot. > **[SwitchBot Smart Switch Button Pusher, No Wiring, Wireless App or Timer Control,...](https://www.amazon.co.uk/SwitchBot-Smart-Switch-Button-Pusher/dp/B07B7NXV4R/)** > > Shop SwitchBot Smart Switch Button Pusher, No Wiring, Wireless App or Timer Control, Add SwitchBot Hub Compatible with Alexa, Google Home, HomePod, IFTTT. Free delivery on eligible orders of £20 or more. The Switchbot seems to work with at least some UK light switches. > **[SwitchBot | Your simple switch to a smart home | Alexa | Google Home](https://www.switch-bot.com/bot)** > > SwitchBot mechanically controls a rocker switch or button. Control with an app, Alexa, Google Assistant, IFTTT or more. The Lutron Aurora would be legal and being wireless compatible with the UK Philips Hue but physically I can’t see it fitting on UK light switches. Another approach would be to get the Lutron Pico wireless remote. This is another type of battery powered remote but superior to the Philips Hue one. Lutron apparently used to make a Zigbee version of this as the LZL-4B-WH-L01 but no longer do. However in theory you could get some which instead use their proprietary wireless system and use them with a Lutron hub and link that to Smartthings and again setup a virtual switch to pass the signal to Philips Hue. Clearly this approach is going to be absurdly expensive. I have spent literally _years_ looking for a smart lighting solution for the UK and I am still looking. Yes my criteria is demanding but as you might have gathered yourself the options here in the UK are very limited and suck. I would say currently the best option is the LightwaveRF range. However I dislike it on two counts. 1. It is in my and many people’s opinion ‘aesthetically challenged’ 2. It only has dimmers, there are no switches and hence you cannot mix switches and dimmers in the same multi gang faceplate It does however have 1, 2, 3 and 4 gang options, does not require a neutral wire and even supports HomeKit. Fibaro relays are extremely smart in auto detecting bulb characteristics, support standard momentary wired switches meaning the aesthetics are identical to traditional switches, allows mixing dimmers and switches, supports 1, 2, 3 and 4 gang options, supports 2-way etc. staircase style circuits and even supports pull cord momentary switches. Its problem to me is that it is Z-Wave and hence not HomeKit compatible. (Fibaro have some HomeKit options but they are only switches not dimmers.) There are also Insteon micro modules which functionality wise are pretty much equal to Fibaro modules but there is a faint hope Insteon will release a new hub which will add HomeKit support. (This was mentioned by their CEO but they are moving incredibly slowly.) There are some Zigbee micro modules from an Australian company called Stitchy. These are compatible with the Philips Hue hub and currently work via the Philips Hue hub for HomeKIt. However this seems to be an unofficial capability as normally only Friends of Hue products are exposed to HomeKit. They claim they are working towards becoming officially Friends of Hue and also working towards UK availability and support for momentary switches but this also is some time away. There is another brand of Zigbee micro module which should I believe work with momentary switches and will work with Smartthings. Like Fibaro and Insteon and Stitchy it is _not_ for controlling smart bulbs. It is rebranded by numerous companies. > **[Micro Controller and Lamp Module - Single Channel Trailing Edge Dimmer...](https://rgbgenie.com/?product=zigbee-3-0-plus-micro-controller-and-lamp-module-single-channel-trailing-edge-dimmer)** > > Enjoy the convenience of adding your unique lighting to your Zigbee mesh network.  Perfect for making smart cabinet lighting or updating the Leg Lamp you use every Christmas.  Remotely control On/Off and dimming of incandescent, halogen,... There is another brand I cannot yet reveal which also uses Zigbee wired switches. This would not work with Philips Hue but would control dumb but dimmable bulbs and will when released be HomeKit and Smartthings compatible with 1, 2, 3, and 4 gang options and so on. Covid-19 has slowed this down and it sounds like it will be quite expensive - certainly compared to Fibaro, Philips etc. It should however still be _much_ cheaper than ultra high end solutions like Lutron Homeworks QS and RadioRA and other similar systems which use proprietary digital wiring. What is immensely annoying is Lutron’s stubborn refusal to make a European version of their Lutron Caseta range. What makes this particularly stupid is Lutron already have a UK/EU compatible hub, do sell their Homeworks QS and RadioRA2 ranges over here but refuse to do a version of their Caseta switches and dimmers. There is certainly plenty of people who would buy it including myself.