+15 votes
by (830 points)
I am thinking of getting some smart switches but I do not want to buy one brand and find out another is much better or more capable. I also want to make sure they match throughout the house. Currently there is a c by ge dimmable motion sensor switch and 2 bulbs for sale for 40 bucks. Is C by GE good to go with or is there another brand that is recommended? Do most people get motion sensing dimmable switches or just depends on location?  
I am thinking of getting some smart switches but I do not want to buy one brand and find out another

11 Answers

+4 votes
by (17.1k points)
For smart home devices, avoid WiFi if possible. I recommend Lutron Caseta. I’m also very happy with zooz switches (zwave, using a SmartThings hub)
by (4.6k points)
@vindicable I don’t understand the opposition to WiFi either. I personally am looking to create a dedicated WiFi network for my smart devices. This is more of a security measure than anything else.  
by (17.1k points)
@vindicable and Mark. the reason is, most WiFi devices rely on a third party cloud connection. If the company goes out of business, you are SOL. Zigbee and zwave (and Lutron Clearconnect) are local protocols with known local API command sets. No outside internet connection is required to automate them.  
by (17.1k points)
@vindicable They definitely do.  
by (17.1k points)
@vindicable Even if they *did* have a local API, there is no way to "discover" it without TP-Link documentation or reverse engineering. Is it TCP or UDP? What port? What security? etc. Zigbee and Zwave standards include "known/published ways/command sets" to talk to the devices.  
0 votes
by (2k points)
Just passing along me limited experience. 1st, C by GE: I set up one of their bulbs to a google home mini (package deal at the store) for my aging mother. It keeps losing the WiFi connection, even though the mini, which sits right beside it is connected to WiFi. So I will be staying away from them in the future. 2nd, for the last 2 months, I've been doing this smart home thing; mostly lights, fans & switches. I've installed GE, Levitron & Inovelli. These are z-wave stitches. Ivovelli are my favorite & will be my go to in the future. In this category GE again, are my least favorite. They are the hardest to get to connected to the z-wave network.  
by (2k points)
With the 3, look into booting/running from SSD. Hassio is constantly writing to a database. Hasn’t happened to me yet on the 4 but I hear wearing out an SD is pretty common. I’m using mine as a learning experience, finding out what works well and what I want. When retire in 5 years, I want my next house to be as automated as possible.  
+11 votes
by (3.1k points)
I’ve also added about 15 of these too. They work awesome. But they are WiFi. Which I don’t have any problems with. All of them work flawlessly so far. I use SmartThings and an echo to control everything. Treatlife Smart Dimmer Switch, . .  
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YKFSWJN
by (160 points)
I've started using those with Home Assistant, Tasmota and MQTT. Seem to work well. Good price too.  
+7 votes
by (3.1k points)
I got one of these as an experiment and have to say it does look cool. And I like how I can change the colors. I run a mesh WiFi 6 set up though and had a hard time getting it to pair. Though customer service was great and resolved the issue. Smart Dimmer Switch by Etekcity, . .  
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MLP4TND
+10 votes
by (3.1k points)
Not a smart switch but a fantastic add is this motion activated switch for closets, utility room, pantry, bathrooms. Rooms you don’t really need smart lights in but want to insure their not left on. Plus they’re less expensive. TOPGREENER Motion Sensor Light. .  
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0752W92LJ
+1 vote
by (1.8k points)
If you're just starting out with your smart home i would recommend you to start researching the different infrastructures, communication standards and hubs/controllers. That's going to make up the heart and brains of the system. After you've chosen a direction for that, the devices follow. I for example chose to go with Wifi for communication, Home Assistant as the brains of it all and devices that i can control locally. With that baseline established you'll certainly make a better choice when it comes to devices. So on one side do some research on the different technologies out there, but most importantly have a look in the mirror and decide how much time and effort you're willing to spend on setting things up and tinkering with it all to work. Your smart home will be all the better for it.  
by (1.8k points)
A RPI is a good way to start out, and once you go deeper into the rabbit hole and want more power, you can always decide to run it on an NUC or an old laptop you're got lying around. I prefer wifi because that way i can stick to 1 standard and not have 3 different protocols communicating on 2. 4ghz. And besides that i hate replacing batteries so i try to run everything directly from mains power. If you do end up getting some zwave or zigbee devices there's dongles available, so yes, you can control everything centrally from home assistant.  
+1 vote
by (1k points)
Inovelli switches, I would use some 3rd party motion PIR sensor so that you can position wherever it makes sense, sometimes having a PIR at the switch isn't ideal.  
+11 votes
by (1.5k points)
@inovelli switched is the way to go
0 votes
by (2.8k points)
Lutron is the best. Looking for cheap consumer then go with Lutron Caseta but if you want engraved keypads and custom programming I would go Lutron Ra2! Everything else is just cheap consumer based gadgets that might not work or be supported in a year or two.  
by (17.1k points)
I am with you on Lutron being the best, but "everything else" is catching up fast. You don't have to worry about "support" for zwave switches, for instance, they have a local API/command set just like Lutron. I've got Lutron in one house and zwave in the other. I've had the zwave stuff for about 7 years now.  
by (2.8k points)
@unclothe1851 Ive only use Lutron and Control4 lighting and a few colored Philips hue bulbs in a couple lamps but Philips hue I feel is again just another gadget and wouldn't invest too much into it.  
by (17.1k points)
@khichabia I wouldn't invest too much into any smart bulbs. Still, we are at a point now where you can get more functionality than "the big incumbents" for much, much cheaper. so cheap that if you get a few years out of it, you are ahead. Not being cloud dependent is really only what people should care about when it comes to longevity.  
+13 votes
by (2.5k points)
I like zooz zen27 and 26
+12 votes
by (5.2k points)
You can't go wrong with Caséta by Lutron but I also recommend Inovelli for more advanced users
https://youtu.be/oAYKG_EZHZQ
by (17.1k points)
I have a mix of zwave in one house and lutron in another - why do you recommend Innovelli for more advanced users, just for scenes?  
by (5.2k points)
They require a little more work to setup out of the box but the scenes and notifications are worth it
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