Smart lightbulbs are cool and all, but there's no getting past the fact that they can be very expensive per bulb. Kitting out a single room can easily cost over $100, so replacing all the lighting in your home with smart bulbs is an investment project. But by replacing normal switches with smart light switches, you can build out your smart home while using the standard light bulbs you're already using. This allows for scheduling, remote control, and making plenty of other adjustments for a whole room full of lights. Combine a few of these with some smart plugs and you can really build out a smart home without having to replace too many expensive appliances.
TL;DR – The Best Smart Light Switches:
There are a variety of smart switches on the market, and we’ve broken down the best of the best. Whether you're looking for a simple setup or something a little more complex that adds loads of features to your lighting, we’ve found something for you.
1. Lutron Caséta Smart Home Dimmer Switch
Best Smart Light Switch
The Lutron Caséta Smart Home Dimmer Switch is not the cheapest option out there, but there's a reason it's the best. This switch doesn't run into limitations with compatible hardware . Simply wire it into your existing light switch wiring (no neutral wire required), adding some smart tech to non-smart light bulbs, like dimmable LED and CFL bulbs.
There are plenty of options to control the lights you've connected, including the dimmer switch on the wall, Lutron's Pico remote control, the Lutron app, or your voice using various smart home assistants. With the app, you can set up scenes to adjust lights simultaneously, or you can run automation on a schedule or in response to your GPS coordinates. And the smart bridge used in conjunction with the switch doesn’t require Wi-Fi, meaning if your Wi-Fi goes down, all your lights should continue to work as planned.
2. Kasa Smart Light Switch
Best Budget Smart Light Switch
A budget smart light switch is a convenient way to take a roomful of lights on the same circuit and give them the gift of smarts. The Kasa Smart Light Switch is a solid tool to achieve this goal and costs under $20, making it easy to kit out multiple rooms or different light groups with their own switches. It works with standard light switch wiring and doesn’t require a hub. The Kasa app guides you through the installtion process, though you will need a neutral wire.
The Kasa Smart Light Switch is part of TP-Link’s smart home ecosystem, so it's easy to pair with Amazon’s Alexa or Google Assistant. Using the Kasa app, you can create scenes to quickly change lighting for multiple devices, set up schedules, or control the lights remotely. There’s even an "away mode" to randomly turns on lights when you're out of the house to prevent intruders.
3. Philips Hue V2 Dimmer Switch
Best Smart Light Switch for Philips Hue Users
If you've already bought into the Philips Hue ecosystem, consider investing in its V2 Dimmer Switch. It can work with several bulbs and doesn't require Philips Hue Bridge.
The Philips Hue V2 Dimmer Switch works wirelessly, so there's no need for professional installation or dealing with electrical wiring. The wall plate can be attached anywhere with the included adhesive and the remote control itself mounts onto the wall plate magnetically, so you can carry it around the house. After the bulbs sync to the switch, control the lights with an on/off button at the top, two buttons for increasing or decreasing brightness, and a fourth button to cycle through scenes that you've created on the Hue app.
4. Leviton Decora Smart No-Neutral Switch
Best Multi-Platform Smart Switch
The Leviton Decora Smart No-Neutral Switch easily integrates into your lineup of smart devices, as the switch works with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomeKit, and a few other platforms. Besides being able to make adjustments from just about anywhere with your phone and an internet connection, you also can control your lights using voice commands.
This device uses a Wi-Fi bridge that plugs into any outlet to connect to all those smart assistants and the My Leviton app. (No neutral wire required.) Just one Wi-Fi bridge enables connectivity on 25 Decora Smart No-Neutral devices.
5. GE Enbrighten Z-Wave Plus
Best Z-Wave Smart Light Switch
Some of the best smart home gadgets rely on Z-Wave connectivity for their long-range and low-power connectivity. The Enbrighten Z-Wave Plus dimmer switch would fit right into that kind of smart setup, and adding it into your home further expands the signal strength throughout it becayse of Z-Wave tech.
The Enbrighten Z-Wave Plus is simple to install, as it automatically detects line and load wires to configure itself appropriately. However, you will need a neutral wire and a Z-Wave-certified hub. After installation, you get dimming control over your lights from completely off to full brightness, and it’s possible to set up schedules and alerts. Voice control is another way to command your lights, as the switch supports Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant.
6. Treatlife 3-Way Smart Dimmer Switch
Best Affordable 3-Way Switch
If you’re looking for something simpler to install than the Enbrighten Z-Wave Plus, the Treatlife 3-Way Smart Dimmer Switch is a terrific, affordable solution for your three-way setup. For under $30, you get a switch that works with several smart assistants sans hub, while installation is easy enough to avoid hiring an electrician. Just follow the step-by-step instructions and be sure you’ve got a neutral wire and a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi connection. Whether you use the physical switch, the Smart Life app, or your voice using compatible smart assistants, there’s ample flexibility in controlling your lights. You can set lighting schedules and scenes, and the dimming capability creates an ideal ambiance in a space.
7. Lutron Caséta Smart Home Plug-in Lamp Dimmer
Best for Lamps
Maybe you’re renting a place that prevents you from installing a smart light switch or your lighting fixtures can’t accommodate a smart light bulb. You can still reap the benefits of smart home lighting devices with the Lutron Caséta Smart Home Plug-in Lamp Dimmer. This device is similar to a smart plug, but it’s made specifically for lamps allowing smart control of up to two plug-in lighting fixtures.
This is easy to use: Plug it into an outlet, and then the lamp slots directly into the unit. After that, you can set up schedules, routines, and personalized lighting scenes using an app, though it requires a bridge. Smart assistants like Apple HomeKit, Amazon's Alexa, and Google Assitant also work with the switch, delivering voice control, while Lutron’s Pico remote provides another handy way to control your lights without needing your phone.
8. Eve Light Switch
Best Smart Light Switch for Apple Homekit
The Eve Light Switch offers an easy way to turn your existing lights into smart ones that work great alongside the rest of your Apple HomeKit devices. The unit installs like a traditional light dimmer but offers Bluetooth LE connectivity to link up with your mobile device, no bridge required. From there, you can enjoy multiple ways to control the Eve Light Switch, including using Siri voice commands.
This switch is chock full of smart features, including schedules, timers, and scenes. It includes a physical slider to turn the lights on and off, or you can do it using your phone, tablet, computer, or HomeKit hub.
9. Lutron Aurora Smart Bulb Dimmer
Best Smart Light Dimmer
Do your current light switches lack dimming capability? The Lutron Aurora Smart Bulb Dimmer offers an easy-to-use solution for adjusting your light’s brightness. A simple-to-install rotary knob that runs on a low power CR2032 battery for up to three years lets you adjust the light on the wall. Just be sure you’ve got compatible bulbs – the dimmer works best with Philips Hue smart bulbs, but can connect with an array of ZigBee 3.0-certified bulbs.
If you’re worried about someone accidentally cutting power to your smart bulbs at the switch, the Lutron Aurora Smart Bulb Dimmer directly covers a standard light switch and locks it in place. After the switch is connected to the bulbs, tapping the dimmer will turn the lights on or off while rotating adjusts brightness. You can also set it up on the Hue app to have the dimmer quickly activate your favorite lighting scenes.
10. C by GE Wire-Free Dimmer
Best Wire-Free Smart Light Switch
The convenience of using your phone as a light switch after adding a bunch of hubless smart bulbs is sometimes soured by the fact that you can't control them as easily with a regular light switch. While some support smart switches and dimmers like those found here, it often takes a little more work to set up than the bulbs themselves since you have to do the electrician work and wire them into the wall. That isn’t the case for the C by GE Wire-Free Dimmer.
At first glance, this dimmer looks like it wires up to your wall, though it can actually attach anywhere with a simple adhesive. It’s battery-powered and can last up to two years. Once installed and set up, the C by GE Wire-Free Dimmer can control your C by GE smart devices, letting you adjust brightness and color temperature. You can also use it to power on and off smart plugs, giving you full-room control, and a hub or bridge isn’t required to do any of it.
Choosing the Best Smart Light Switch for Your Home
Whether you have your own house or you’re renting an apartment, switching over to a smart light switch is more simple than you'd might expect. In fact, most of the smart light switches on the market are surprisingly easy to set up without the help of an electrician.
However, as with all electronic products, you need to figure out a few things first before picking out the most ideal light switch for you. Besides knowing your budget and how many you’ll need, consider these factors:
Type of switch
Like their traditional counterparts, a smart light switch can either be a single pole or 3-/4-/5-way switch. Without getting deep into the technical aspect, this simply means that it either has sole control of one light or group of lights, or it shares that responsibility with another three-way switch.
A common three-way switch setup in homes is when you’ve got a switch at the bottom of the stairs and another at the top of the stairs, and both control the same lighting for the first-floor hallway. Though quite a few 3-way smart light switches can function as a single pole switch, you need to figure out what kind of switch you’re trying to replace before you look at any smart options.
Smart assistant connectivity
Some smart light switches require a hub or a bridge to work with smart assistants like Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant. Surprisingly, this connectivity isn’t readily available in some smart switches. If voice control is particularly important to you, make sure you choose one that won’t make you go through hoops to hvae this functionality.
Smart bulbs
If you already have smart bulbs installed at home and you’re planning on connecting them to a smart light switch, make sure that they are fully compatible to avoid issues. Some smart light switches actually work better with regular light bulbs, while a few others aren’t compatible at all with any smart light bulbs. On the other hand, the top smart light bulb manufacturers make their own smart light switches that work perfectly with their light bulbs.
Michelle Rae Uy is a freelance tech and travel writer, part-time production editor, and a full-time traveler from Los Angeles, California. She currently splits her time between Los Angeles, London and the rest of the world. Follow her on Instagram @straywithRae.