For Justin Landeen, a smart home installation manager at Penco Electric, the ideal approach is for new users to sample the technology gradually. “We tell our customers to start small,” he says. “I can’t tell you how many people I’ve talked out of spending $20,000 on a smart lighting system. Before you get in too deep, start with a couple locations, like your porch light or back door or garage.” Keeping that in mind, we researched the most reliable, cost-effective, and easy-to-install options. Our favorite is the Lutron Caseta Wireless Smart Dimmer Starter Kit, an excellent starting point for many homes because it comes with its own smart hub, is easily expandable with additional switches, and is compatible with most smart platforms. Here are the best smart switches. The kit also comes with a Pico remote control that can be mounted to the wall with a mounting bracket (sold separately) to serve as a 3-way switch that controls your lights from a second location. Purchasing and pairing additional smart remotes can give you more points of control in the room or around the house. Advanced settings in the app include a “gentle off” feature to fade the lights at a speed of your choosing and customizable actions for when you double-tap or long-press the button. If you have other Kasa Smart products, the switch can also use Smart Actions to turn those devices on or off simultaneously. It’s capped at three Smart Actions, though, which can be limiting if your home is full of smart devices that you want to control all at once. You can install the single-pole switch within 15 minutes. Existing neutral wiring is required to keep them constantly powered, which is common with smart switches. The switch looks like a rocker- or paddle-style switch, but it’s only a lower-half button with a small LED light. No additional hub is needed, though controlling it remotely through HomeKit requires an iPad, HomePod, or Apple TV set up as your home hub. Otherwise, the Meross app gives you complete control through your mobile device, including timers, on/off schedules, and scenes to coordinate with other Meross smart gadgets. Kasa Smart sells them in discounted packs of two if you want to place smart switches at both locations. Installation requires the presence of a neutral wire, but overall it isn’t much harder than installing a single-pole switch (and the Kasa Smart 3-way switch can also function as a single-pole switch by itself). The smart features work smoothly and as expected, from Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands to customizable schedules through the Kasa Smart app. You can group the switch with other Kasa Smart gadgets through Smart Actions, but you’re limited to just three of these. Another selling point for many homeowners is that Cync offers some of the few smart switches that don’t require a neutral wire during installation. The Cync Dimmer + Motion Sensing Smart Switch does need a ground wire in addition to line and load wires, as is typical with single-pole switches. Assuming you’re all set with a Z-Wave hub and a neutral wire, the Enbrighten Z-Wave Smart Dimmer goes to extra lengths to make installation painless. Its QuickFit design provides 20 percent shallower housing to make sure it fits even in smaller spaces. Its SimpleWire technology includes terminals that safely accept either the line or load wires interchangeably, saving DIY installers from the worry of mixing them up. It also comes ready for multi-switch configurations with the purchase of additional Enbrighten add-on switches. Beyond that, you can decide if you want something more than an on/off toggle, like a dimmer or motion sensors. If you already have a whole suite of smart home devices in play, you might consider a switch with a display that serves as a central control panel.
Compatibility
A growing variety of broader smart home environments, such as Z-Wave wireless or brand-specific smart hubs, opens the options for integrating your switches. If you already use a particular platform or app and are happy and familiar with it, you probably won’t appreciate having to use something different just for your smart switches. “There is a technical side to these products, a user factor,” says Landeen, who finds the Lutron brand most usable. Their devices are his company’s primary smart home recommendation. However, Landeen also says that “you have to understand and like the platform.”
Installation
One factor that may limit your smart switch choices is whether or not you have a neutral wire at the switch’s location. Homes built before the 1980s were not required to use a neutral wire, and many in-wall smart devices require it. Adding neutral wiring for a smart switch can be more trouble than it’s worth. You can find no-neutral smart switches that work with certain brands and products to avoid the hassle. Some smart switches try to make installation easier with simplified wiring or different electrical box sizing, but the installation process is already relatively simple for most products. It still involves electrical work and serious associated risks, so consider hiring an electrician if you’re unsure about the process.
Why Trust The Spruce?
This roundup was researched and written by Anton Galang, a freelance contributor who began covering consumer technology in 2007. He has written about and tested a variety of tech-focused products for The Spruce and Lifewire, including digital picture frames, smart plugs, and other smart home devices. This capability also means smart switches can require more upkeep than traditional ones. “General maintenance is important,” says Landeen, pointing to electrical considerations as well as network issues. “These aren’t the old simple toggle switches from before. These switches are programmable and highly engineered, so they need to be treated with care.” Some smart switches function without a neutral wire, but there is often extra technology (like a specific smart hub) at play to bypass the requirement, making them generally more expensive and limited in options. For perspective, 2 watts amounts to 17.52 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy per year, while the average U.S. residence uses over 10,000 kWh annually. Both smart lighting products involve some app or smart home setup, but switches also require wiring and assistance from an electrician. On the other hand, you can set up a smart bulb in minutes without wiring; just screw in the bulb and set up the connection in the companion app. In forming this list of top smart switches, Anton considered about two dozen products and over 100 customer reviews, focusing on value, compatibility, usability, and installation concerns. He also consulted with Justin Landeen, Vice-President of Business Development and manager of the smart home installation division of Penco Electric in the Chicago area, for insights on the smart lighting landscape and product/installation considerations.
