The 10 Best Smart Light Switches

What are the best smart light switches?

In this article, we’ll be talking about the 10 best smart light switches on the market right now.

These products range from easy-to-install smart switches that are perfect for renters and homeowners with little experience to more advanced switches featuring auto-off timers.

So, without further ado, let’s dive in!

The Best Smart Light Switches Compared

Our tech lists are created by researching the best-reviewed products from the most reputable web sources.

Here’s our list of the 10 best smart light switches:

In A Rush? Here’s Our Top Pick:

Best Smart Light Switch OverallTP-Link Kasa Smart Dimmer Switch $17.99Check Price On AmazonWe earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. 03/17/2022 12:39 am GMT

10. Gosund – Smart Light Switch

Best Smart Light Switch For BeginnersGosund Smart Light Switch Check Price On AmazonWe earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.

When you’re looking to replace your light switches all around the home, it helps to have them match.

Not only is it aesthetically pleasing, but it also makes it easier for you to control them all with only one app.

This four-pack from Gosound is a great starter to get your home up to speed in the modern era.

The cost you’ll spend on this pack could be just as much as you’d pay for one switch from another company.

Compatible with both Alexa and Google Voice assistants, anyone can turn these on in their home, regardless of brand loyalty.

The only downside is the switches only work with 2.4 GHz, but it does come with anti-surge, high gain antenna, and UV plastics.

Pros

9. Eve – Light Switch

Best Smart Light Switch For Apple HomekitEve Light Switch $49.95Check Price On AmazonWe earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. 03/17/2022 12:18 am GMT

With the Eve Light Switch, you’ll be able to transform your existing light setup into a fully automated smart home system just by changing your switch.

Even though it looks like a traditional dimmer, you can turn on Bluetooth connectivity with your Eve to connect with your Apple mobile devices.

Once connected, you’ll be able to control your lights through a series of different types of commands.

You can use Siri to change the atmosphere in any room or use your phone or iPad to adjust the settings.

The switch integrates seamlessly with your HomeKit, so you’ll be able to control it just like the rest of your smart home.

Pros

8. GE – Enbrighten Z-Wave Plus

Best Z-Wave Smart Light SwitchGE Enbrighten Z-Wave Plus $34.99Check Price On AmazonWe earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. 03/17/2022 12:29 am GMT

Z-wave is a technology built specifically for smart homes that allows all the smart devices in your home to be connected to each other and you, despite the brand or platform.

That’s what makes GE Enbrighten so special. As long as you have a central Z-Wave certified hub, your smart switch is compatible with both Alexa and Google Voice assistants.

Because it uses Z-Wave technology, the Enbrighten uses low power connectivity and has a long-range, so you can use it anywhere in your home.

This is a newer 2nd generation model, so you’ll enjoy not having to have heat tabs in your home.

Pros

7. Ecobee – Switch+

Best Smart Light Switch For Easy SetupEcobee Switch+ $36.05Check Price On AmazonWe earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. 03/17/2022 06:39 am GMT

The Ecobee is a great example of a light switch that shows what is possible in next-gen models, but it also leaves out some crucial features that other light switches include.

You won’t find a dimmer or be able to set schedules on the Escobee, which is pretty standard for most other smart light switches. What you can do with it is still pretty impressive.

With a built-in Alexa, motion sensor, and ambient light sensors, this light switch goes beyond just turning your lights on and off.

The motion sensor can be great if you get up in the middle of the night and want your lights to come on automatically.

If your light switch isn’t in the same room as your Alexa device, no worries. The Ecobee has a microphone and speaker built-in so you can talk directly with Alexa to control your lighting.

Pros

6. WeMo – Smart Light Switch

Most Affordable Smart Light SwitchWeMo Smart Light Switch Check Price On AmazonWe earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.

If you’re looking for the best wifi light switch, WeMo makes a hard case for the top spot.

The second-gen WeMo Smart Light Switch has some upgrades that separate it from its former glory.

For starters, the LED display is classier and shows you its status on the power icon instead of a big status bar at the bottom of the switch.

The thinner design also makes it a little easier to install, along with the three different colored wires coming out of the back.

It’s compatible with the major voice assistants, so it won’t matter which brand or company you’re loyal to.

If you download the WeMo app to control the device from your phone, you can use its host of scheduling features.

You’ll be able to set specific schedules for your timers and sync your lights with the sunrise and sunset.

It can even identify when you’re home to start turning on the lights before you enter.

Pros

5. Philips Hue – Smart Dimmer Switch

Best For Philips Hue LightsPhilips Hue Smart Dimmer Switch Check Price On AmazonWe earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.

If your home is filled with Phillips Hue light bulbs, then this is the best smart light switch for your situation.

Instead of needing to replace your current bulbs or light switch, the Philips Hue Smart Dimmer seamlessly changes your lighting without any installation.

The dimmer only works with Philips bulbs, but it’s one of the easiest ways to integrate smart home tech.

You’ll need to use your wall switch to turn on the light, but then you can control the brightness with the dimmer.

It’s portable, too, so you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your couch when changing the lighting.

If you want it to be more stable, the back of the dimmer has an adhesive you can use to stick it on any wall.

Related:The 5 Best Smart Displays

You do have to have a Philips Hue Bridge for the dimmer to work, but this is required for any Hue system.

The app has many features and themes you can use to get the exact mood you want.

Pros

4. Leviton – Decora Smart Wi-Fi Dimmer

Best Minimal Smart Light SwitchLeviton Decora Smart Wi-Fi Dimmer $49.04Check Price On AmazonWe earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. 03/17/2022 12:24 am GMT

The Leviton is a great introduction to those homeowners who are getting started with their smart home system for the first time.

The design looks more like a traditional light switch than any other on this list.

Included on the switch itself is a toggle bar that allows you to adjust the brightness in increments.

To understand what level of brightness you are on, an LED display lights up depending on how strong your light is.

If you have a fairly large home and have a three-way switch, then the Leviton can integrate perfectly with your system.

Connect the Leviton to your Wi-Fi, and you’ll be able to control it from any device; you don’t even need a bridge.

Downloading the app will allow you to set up specific schedules for your light system and sync them to your daily routine.

Pros

3. Lutron – Caseta Smart Start Kit

Best Smart Light Switch KitLutron Caseta Smart Start Kit $99.95Check Price On AmazonWe earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. 03/17/2022 12:22 am GMT

The Lutron Caseta Smart Start Kit is everything you need to turn your lighting system into a smart home hub.

It comes with a Caseta dimmer switch, a Pico 3-button dimming remote, Caseta smart bridge, and a Pico wall plate bracket.

It isn’t just one of the best smart light switches on the market, but one of the best kits too.

It’s a top-of-the-line start to get you in the best position to take advantage of full smart home lighting technology.

The switch is compatible with Google Voice, Alexa, HomeKit, and a load of other smart home platforms.

The switch offers geofencing, which can track your phone to determine if you are close to the home or not.

This allows the system to turn on the lights before you have a chance to unlock the door.

The design can be a little overwhelming if you’ve never had a smart home switch before, but it’s to accommodate the many features available from Lutron.

You’ll be able to schedule days or times you want your lights to turn on and control the device with just your voice.

Pros

2. GE – C-Start Smart Switch Motion Sensing Dimmer

Best Motion Sensing Smart Light SwitchGE C-Start Smart Switch Motion Sensing Dimmer $49.99Check Price On AmazonWe earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. 03/17/2022 12:32 am GMT

There aren’t many light switches that can compare with the GE C-Start Smart Switch with motion-sensing capabilities.

It’s one of the best smart light switches and combines some of the best attributes from other switches and puts it all together in one neatly packaged product.

The switch is compatible with almost any device or bulb. You can control it using your voice, an app, your phone, or by walking by.

The motion sensor can help guide you if you need to grab a late-night snack or use the restroom.

There’s an app available for both iOS and Android devices, so almost anyone will be able to use it.

The ambient light sensor keeps it from constantly turning on, even when it’s broad daylight or you have other lights on.

The only downside is the Android app can be confusing to use. It’s hard to understand if you’ve scheduled your lighting system correctly.

Although more expensive than other light switches, it gives you the most features combined in one switch.

Pros

1. TP-Link – Kasa Smart Dimmer Switch

Best Smart Light Switch OverallTP-Link Kasa Smart Dimmer Switch $17.99Check Price On AmazonWe earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. 03/17/2022 12:39 am GMT

The TP-Link Kasa Smart Dimmer Switch is made for homeowners looking for full lighting control without unnecessary features that can make control overwhelming.

This is one of the best smart light switches you can get for your home.

Downloading the Kasa smart app will allow you to better schedule your lighting settings and automation. There are versions available for both iOS and Android devices.

The switch integrates with the major voice assistants so that you can use Alexa, Google, and Cortana.

The step-by-step instructions given in the app for installation make it so that even beginners can get it done.

Pros

FAQs About Smart Light Switches

Smart light switches are less complicated than some of the other smart devices out there.

But, if you’re still not sure how they work and what they can do, we’ve put together this FAQ to switch you on to the possibilities.

Q: What Is A Smart Light Switch?

A smart light switch is a universal light switch that monitors your household power usage and connects to Wi-Fi so it can be controlled remotely from anywhere.

A smart light switch will generally have a switch on the baseplate that allows you to turn off and on your lights.

Some smart switches also have a dimmer, so you can have more control over brightness levels.

Other smart home light switches can be compatible with voice assistants to make it easier to turn off and on your lights.

In the same vein, most light switches have an app that allows full control over all features.

Q: What Are The Different Types of Smart Light Switches?

There are three kinds of Smart light switches on the market today – Z-Wave enabled, Apple HomeKit enabled, and Wi-Fi enabled.

universal light switch Enabled: The best part about this type is that you don’t have to connect or install any additional hardware if you already own an iPhone or iPad device.

Just download the free app from your device’s App Store and scan through all available in-home devices to control.

universal light switchEnabled: There are two types of Z-wave enabled switches – in switch and plug-in devices.

The installation process is a little more complicated because you have to remove your old cover plate for the existing light fixture, then wire up some wires into place before replacing the cover plate with a new smart device that connects to your Wi-Fi network.

Wi-Fi Enabled: With Wi-Fi-enabled switches, you’ll have to wire the device into an existing light fixture and set up a corresponding app on either iOS or Android devices (all of which are free).

Then log in with that account onto their Wi-Fi system before downloading any other apps related to connected devices.

Q: What Are the Benefits of Using Smart Light Switches?

The most obvious benefit is that you can control your lights from anywhere in the world with an internet connection.

Related:The 5 Best Smart Smoke Detectors

So, if you’re not home or on vacation and want to turn off all the lights before leaving for a long period, it’s as simple as logging in from your phone.

Just by getting a smart light switch, you can also control how bright or dim the lights are and when they’re on automatically.

So if it’s always dark out before bedtime, for example, then it would be easier to set up a schedule that turns off all of the lights in your home at midnight each night.

Some smart switches have geofencing, which is a feature that automatically turns off and on your lights when you’re close to home.

This is especially helpful for people who have found success and lead universal light switch or CEOs. It saves them from wasting electricity by using their house lights unnecessarily.

Another benefit to using smart switches is the built-in motion sensor and ambient sensor.

These features help conserve power by automatically turning off lights when you’re not in the room and turning on your lights if they sense something moving closer to them.

Q: What Is The Point of Smart Switches?

A smart light switch is a useful device that has a few purposes.

Perhaps the most popular features are that it can be remotely controlled from anywhere and programmed to turn off lights automatically.

Smart switches reflect the progress that smart home systems are making to transform how people use their everyday appliances.

As technology gets better and more affordable, homeowners are integrating this system to perform everyday functions more efficiently.

If you are enjoying a movie at home and want to turn off the lights, instead of getting up from your comfy position, you can use your phone to turn them off.

If your smart switch is compatible with voice assistants, you can verbally tell your lights to turn off.

Q: How Do Smart Home Switches Work?

It depends on which type of smart home switch you have in your home.

Most universal light switch connect to your Wi-Fi and are controlled through an app.

Sometimes the app is associated with the brand that made the smart switch, but switches compatible with HomeKit can be controlled directly through Apple’s app.

You’re still able to physically switch on the light control by pressing the button on the panel, but more functional switches allow control from mobile devices, apps, and voice assistants.

A smart home switch can connect to your network and device by emitting a small radio signal.

Not all smart switches are compatible with your home network, and some use Z-Wave technology, Bluetooth, or Zigbee.

Wi-Fi networks are more efficient since they don’t need a hub or gateway, making them more susceptible to interference or faulty connections.

The smart switches will also take up bandwidth from your internet, so if you have several, you might need to upgrade your internet plan to provide the same speeds.

Q: Are Smart Switches Secure?

Smart switches are universal light switch just as much as your other smart home devices.

The reason being, smart switches are connected to the internet and use an app, so hackers can easily find different ways of getting in.

Smart switches that don’t have a built-in microphone, video camera, and speakers pose less of a threat to your security.

The data that is gathered on your smart switch pales in comparison to your video data and speaker data.

Even if someone does hack your smart switch, the worst they could do is mess with your lighting system.

Although this would be inconvenient during specific times of the day, it does not have the same potential harm as someone hacking your security cameras.

What you do need to worry about is someone hacking into your smart switch and gaining access to your Wi-Fi network.

If someone can get into your network, all of the data stored on that network will be exposed.

Sensitive bank information, children’s records, and work material may all be used against you.

The best thing you can do is make sure that your smart switch has encryption before installing it; this will protect your data and keep someone from being able to control your lights without permission.

Be wary of smart switches that don’t require a two-step authentication because it will make it easier for people to access your private data.

Q: Should I Use Smart Bulbs Or Smart Switches?

The answer to that question is not cut and dry. It all depends on a few key factors.

How many lights do you have in your home? Is your Wi-Fi reliable, or can it drop out during peak hours? Do you have other smart devices that need Wi-Fi as well?

Do you only need 3 switches to light a small room while the rest of the room is lit with other types of home lighting? If so, then wireless plugs might be better suited for you.

But, if you have a large home with many lights and other smart devices that need Wi-Fi as well, then wireless plugs might not be the best option for you because they can’t support multiple connections at once.

This is where in-wall switches are better suited. They come pre-equipped with built-in Wi-Fi and are more efficient than wireless plugs.

A wall switch tends to be better for individuals who need both the physical aspect of turning a light on and off and the remote-enabled control.

Having both options available allows you to simply turn your light on and off whenever you need it, but it also gives you full control over your lighting system.

If you’re tired of getting off your couch to turn on your light switch, then a smart bulb would be better.

It also helps to have your phone close by at all times so that you can control it at any time.

If you don’t feel comfortable using your phone or simply want to forget it exists sometimes, then you will want a smart switch instead.

Q: Can You Dim Lights With A Smart Switch?

Most smart light switches have the ability to dim your lights, but not all of them have this capability.

Some switches have a toggle you can use on the current light switch panel that will increase and decrease brightness levels in your home.

If a switch is capable of dimming, it will also have this feature included in its app.

By downloading the app, you can access a host of other features that allow you more control over your dimming system.

You can schedule different periods when your lights will dim up or down.

Set them to dim at night when the sun sets or in the morning before it rises. You can even set specific rooms to dim at certain levels compared to the rest of your home.

Some smart light switches include geofencing with your purchase.

That means the device tracks your phone and location and will trigger your light system if it senses you are close.

Whenever you get off work, your light system will recognize when you get within a specific distance and dim the lights up in your home automatically before you step through the door.

The same technology can be used to turn off your lights as you walk from room to room in your home.

Q: Do Smart Switches Work Without Wi-Fi?

You can still use universal light switch, but most of your features will become disabled.

Turning your lights on and off with a smart switch should still work if you have the device installed on your wall.

Most of the smart home switches use the cloud to communicate with your devices and home network, regardless if you use a hub or not.

When that cloud is disabled, the only feature that will work is physically pressing the light switch to turn it off or on.

You won’t gain access to any of the extended features of the smart home light switch until you reconnect it to Wi-Fi.

Most switches will return to the setting they had before the switch was disconnected.

Related:The 10 Best Cameras For Beginners

There are a few brands that have been able to keep smart home light switches working even if your Wi-Fi goes out.

That’s because they run on their own private network with centralized controllers that don’t need Wi-Fi or the cloud.

Go with brands like Lutron or Insteon if your internet has a tendency to break down and is unreliable.

Their switches are a little more expensive because of the private network they run on, but it can be worth it if you have spotty connections.

Even better is Hubitat, which has created a smart home switch that doesn’t require the cloud and runs locally on your network.

Hubitat can run your smart home off-grid and locally. All it needs is an IP and your local network to start running.

It can also connect with any Z-Wave tech or Zigbee system. For the ultimate upgrade in smart light switches without Wi-Fi, integrate your Lutron with Telenet.

Q: Do Smart Switches Use More Electricity?

The answer to this question all depends on how you use the switch. Answering emails would likely use much less electricity than a house full of air conditioners and running at top speed.

To universal light switch of your smart home light switches, there are two things you should consider:

Turn the switch off when not in use. This is just good behavior for any type of electronic device or appliance.

A common misconception is that a switched-off device still uses electricity because it’s still plugged in (this turns out to be mostly untrue).

Most electronics will continue to drain their power source even after they’ve been physically disconnected.

The only exception being lights and outlets with an override function or timer set which controls power to the device.

Consider your total wattage of devices when switching on and off lights.

For example, a single lightbulb uses 0.02 watts at full power, but that number can go up to 500 watts at maximum output (usually not advised).

If you’re running anything over 60W, then it might be worth looking into upgrading your wiring and breaker system.

If you’re using the timer function on your smart home light switches, then this becomes a moot point as it will automatically turn off after whatever time duration you set for it to operate under.

It can be difficult to calculate what electricity use is from your devices and, without knowing that information, there isn’t a concrete answer.

Most high-quality smart light switches will have geofencing where the system can recognize where you are at all times because of the GPS tracking on your phone.

Q: Do Smart Switches Work With LED lights?

Most smart switches are compatible with LED lights and other types of bulbs.

You shouldn’t need to purchase a separate smart switch specifically for your LED bulbs unless your switch specifically states it is not compatible with LED lights.

The point of the smart switch is that you don’t have to purchase separate bulbs for the device to work.

You aren’t connecting anything to the bulbs themselves; you are simply connecting your smart switch to your lighting wiring.

In doing so, all your switch is doing is control the brightness levels of your light and schedule different times for the switch to turn on and off.

There doesn’t need to be a specific bulb for this purpose.

Where you might run into problems is if you have both a smart bulb and a smart switch.

Using the two together could cause issues because you might not be able to turn on your bulb when you want.

Both your bulb and switch control the light but in different ways. Your smart bulb can still turn off and on using an app, but you aren’t controlling the actual electrical current.

That is going to be controlled by the wall switch itself. If the smart wall switch is physically turned to the off position, it opens the current and doesn’t allow any electricity to flow to the bulb.

Even if you did turn on the smart bulb from the app at this point, it still wouldn’t work.

You would need to turn the smart switch on the wall back on to close the circuit so that you could use your smart bulb again.

Q: Are 3 Way And 4 Way Switches The Same?

3-way and 4-way switches are not the same.

Generally speaking, a 3-way switch will be installed at the top of a stairwell with two switches located on the right and left sides which work for lights that are lower in the house.

Because the 3-way switch is often used for a fixture that is tied to two different switches, they are not marked off or on.

This is because you could have turned the light on at a different switch even though your primary switch is in the off position.

A 4-way switch is different because it will have three switches: one on either side and one in the middle to serve four sets of lights or outlets.

The final installation point would then be able to power eight sets of bulbs/lights/outlets from this location only (in contrast to four from a 3-way installation).

The 4-way switch is used primarily for larger rooms in a home that have several fixtures all routed to that wall switch.

The four-way light switch needs two different 3-way switches for it to connect properly.

One other thing about these devices is that they can read your presence–another reason why you may not necessarily need smart technology if all you want is more economical use.

That can be done by simply sensing when you are in the room.

The system can then turn off when it senses that no one is there and vice versa for turning on–it detects your presence by measuring light levels, heat signatures, or other biological indicators (like human breath).

A great example of this type is called Sengled Homekit, which has automatic geolocation and occupancy detection.

This means that as soon as you leave your house, the system will know because it can detect where you are using GPS on your phone.

It then automatically turns off any lights in rooms you have left so that you’re not paying for electricity while you’re not there.

Q: Are Smart Switches Worth It?

For most modern homeowners, the smart switch is definitely worth it. It saves time and energy from having to constantly get up and turn a light switch off and on.

Smart switches can set up schedules for specific times and dates when you want your lights to turn off or on.

For people with busy working schedules, it’s a great feature to light up the home before going inside, giving you a nice welcome instead of a dark home.

Smart switches are also able to integrate into the larger smart home system.

If you have installed other smart home devices, like a smart TV that are all compatible, you can use a singular app or device to control most of your home appliances.

Summary

We hope you enjoyed our list of the 10 best smart light switches.

The best smart light switch on this list is the TP-Link Kasa Smart Dimmer Switch.

It includes all the features that will help you manage your lights efficiently inside your home.

With a smart light switch, you can easily integrate smart home technology into your existing lighting system with only a few steps.

Even if this is your first time buying a smart light switch for your home, these options will get you started!

Best Smart Light Switch OverallTP-Link Kasa Smart Dimmer Switch $17.99Check Price On AmazonWe earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. 03/17/2022 12:39 am GMT

Here’s a quick recap of the 10 best smart light switches:

What’s your favorite smart light switch? Leave a comment below.