+46 votes
by (270 points)
I have had my Smartthings hub for years now (upgraded hub to V2) and I use GE switches for every AC switched light in my house. I have never understood the logic behind a smart bulb. By using smart switches as opposed to smart bulbs I retain the ability to control my lights with a manual switch, as well as smart routines etc. Can someone explain why someone might choose a different approach than mine?  
I have had my Smartthings hub for years now (upgraded hub to V2) and I use GE switches for every AC

32 Answers

0 votes
by (670 points)
 
Best answer
Only option if you want to change colors. Ease of installation. I have both switches and bulbs.  
0 votes
by (14.6k points)
Bulbs are great for lamps and rentals. I use both in my home
0 votes
by (990 points)
Can your switches do different colors, tones and brightness?  
by (270 points)
@perdita colors no, dimming yes
by (990 points)
Well there you go. Also, not everyone is comfortable with wiring a new switch. Bulbs are plug and play.  
0 votes
by (380 points)
If the switch controls one bulb the bulb is generally cheaper and requires no wiring.  
0 votes
by (390 points)
I like bulbs especially for multi light rooms. I use them I’m conjunction with the hue dimmer, which you can program to control each light independently. Most of my bulbs are ecosmart which cost me less than $5 each.  
0 votes
by (450 points)
I have not dug too far into this but can you dim lights with a switch or just bulbs?  
by (4.3k points)
@ascription need a smart dimmer switch
0 votes
by (4k points)
Full spectrum color, tunable white, dimmable, great for lamps, portable, and starting under $15. 00
0 votes
by (1.9k points)
Another use case would be for socket specific control. For my media room I have a projector and if the all the lights are on it's almost unviewable so I have hue bulbs in conjunction with a smart switch to allow me to control the bulbs independently so I can keep the bulbs above the screen off and just turn on one rear corner one to have some light in the cases where I'd line to be able to see something other than what's on the screen while still being able to watch content.  
0 votes
by (950 points)
No neutral at switch. Even a 3 light fixture is still cheaper than a switch
by (110 points)
@pictograph do you also know that wiring the switch this way creates a magnetic field that can also be harmful to your health?  
by (480 points)
@ascription Bunge ya think so? There is absolutely no difference other than insulation on the wire.  
by (110 points)
@pictograph if there’s no difference then why use a neutral wire at all?  
by (480 points)
For added safety from a failed load which could sever the main path.  
by (1.9k points)
More companies are making switches that don't require a neutral that cost less than three smart bulbs, or at worse, the same amount. Inovelli makes a simple on/off switch that doesn't require a neutral for about 35 dollars. less than the price of a GE switch and a few others that do require neutrals.  
0 votes
by (150 points)
Most switches require neutral wiring and not all homes have that to the switch. I have a solid mix in my home that was built in 1941.  
0 votes
by (150 points)
Renters can't change switches and receptacles since they don't own the property. Bulbs are the answer here.  
by (110 points)
@smoking6237 not true. I’ve done it. Before I move I just remove my switches and re-install the original ones.  
by (150 points)
I don't doubt you can get away with it but I'd also bet most landlords wouldn't want it happening and there's likely wording to that effect in the lease.  
0 votes
by (460 points)
I use bulbs in lamps and switches for ceiling lights.  
by (1.1k points)
This ☝️ Table lamps.  
0 votes
by (310 points)
Plus folks in an apartment may not be able to change out the switches.  
0 votes
by (3k points)
Cost of a smart bulb vs the cost of an electrician to come to my old house that does not have any "neutral" wires. for me that was the only reason
0 votes
by (990 points)
Non-switched Lamps
0 votes
by (1.1k points)
I had a problem with smart bulbs coming on when there was a power glitch. I changed all my bulbs to switches and plugs. I don't care for colors and dimming. I'm getting old and dim lights don't do me any good.  
0 votes
by (2.4k points)
I have a light switch that controls an outlet for a lamp. I opted for a bulb instead of a switch. I used to have an extension cord to connect two lamps to the one outlet. Now I have two smart bulbs and no extension cord. Plus, I can operate the lights on each side of the bed independently.  
by (2.4k points)
I have a bathroom light fixture with 4 bulbs, made sense for a smart switch over 4 smart bulbs in one fixture. I also have smart switches on halogen light fixtures. Nothing beats the halogen dimming range and these are pretty ceiling light fixtures with 20 little bulbs.  
0 votes
by (5.8k points)
It comes down to neutral wiring most of the time. Also, if the switch only controls one light, it's $30+ for a switch or $9 for a bulb. Some people don't want to spend that much per light fixture.  
by (1.2k points)
@orthocephalic Hartley yeah. But on set parts paths. That’s the point. Separate. Not together.  
by (1.2k points)
@pictograph separate paths. You should look up the reason for separate bonding. It might save your life.  
by (1.2k points)
When you get whacked or your house burns. Let me know how the insurance company works out for you.  
by (1.2k points)
Let me ask you something. What is the difference between neutral and ground wires? It’s not that hard to notice. One of them is designer to carry current. Go to the panel. Take a neutral off and and measure that side of the neutral with a meter. Make sure the circuit is active. Let me know what it says. Do the same with the ground. Them let me know what that says. Then jump a neutral to ground like a box go down stair and disconnect the the corresponding neutral. Then go touch the metal box. Let me know how that works. Then after you do all that. Go check your GFCI and your Arc fault devices. Let know that rose work also Any home investor that find that will fail it. Any insurance company that finds that will deny a claim and cancel your policy. So have at it
by (480 points)
Whats the difference between your mother and your sister?  
0 votes
by (410 points)
I’m with you, I have a newer home with a neutral wire so I replaced all of my dumb switches with Lutron smart switches. Due to cost, I didn’t do it all at once, but I’m done now. I certainly get why others who are either renting or in an older home would go a different route. Just finally ordered a smart lock for the front door today. It’s definitely an ongoing process/hobby for me in creating a smart home that works for me and my family.  
0 votes
by (200 points)
Bulbs are cheaper to buy and easier to install. Not that switches are “difficult”. Bulb prices are way down and there are more choices compared to just two years ago.  
0 votes
by (150 points)
I use switches for some applications and I use a lot of recessed Zwave lights. Because for some situations I don’t want all my lights on when I’m watching tv I might only have 2 of the 6 on so it doesn’t glair on my tv. Or in the day time. I might only have certain ones on because it’s brighter in some areas than others.  
0 votes
by (2.1k points)
Renters are one Use Case. I also have a weird 4 way setup that I cant get a smart switch to work without rewiring. The other use case I have for a cheap smart bulb is where i want to make sure it is OFF when I leave the house. Sure the kids have to flip the switch off and back on, but not my problem :P
0 votes
by (180 points)
I use smart bulbs in my ceiling fan, which is a single switch at the wall for fan and light. I can dim, I can individually control bulbs (and group them). It’s not ideal, but it’s flexible.  
0 votes
by (150 points)
I have lifx and inovelli smart switches. I like to set schedules from the app and have my local relay turned off always powering bulbs and family just use the switches.  
0 votes
by (10.2k points)
Fans, lamps, color, no neutral in the box. Just things where switches don't work.  
0 votes
by (1.8k points)
I have about 10 lamps that are not connected to switches and bulbs were my best choice. In addition I have 2 bedside lamps with color smart bulbs and they are set to flash different colors on specific alarms. One of which is they flash red if a water leak in detected.  
0 votes
by (150 points)
I have been testing IKEA color bulbs in my vacation home. They work flawlessly directly through Smartthings without the Ikea hub. Easily program scenes that control the bulbs to any color and any dimming level.  
0 votes
by (170 points)
In lamps. I’ve found smart bulb is better than smart plug (which often takes up both outlets). You are correct that the smart switch is the best, but when it isn’t possible, the bulb makes a decent plan B.  
0 votes
by (150 points)
Aside from colour, as an example I have two ceiling fixtures controlled by one switch. With a switch it's all or nothing, with bulbs I can turn on one, the other or both, as needed.  
0 votes
by (260 points)
I’ve got 3 rooms that the only light is the ceiling fan and they are hardwire, no wall switch to control them
0 votes
by (8.7k points)
I have no switches for 3 reasons. First I can program color into my rooms with the various types of RGBW bulbs out there. Second, I have no neutral wires in any of my switch boxes as my home is 70yrs old. Lastly because if I ever dump the system, I could literally unscrew all my lights and remove all my sensors throw them in a box and be done in less than an hour. That also makes my loved ones feel better that should something happen to me they can do the same without having to hire an electrician to come and UNDO everything and make it a big project. I am a trained residential electrician so I could do the work myself if I really wanted to install them.  
0 votes
by (450 points)
Lamps not attached to the switch.  
The SmartThings Group is where you can always find questions, answers, advice, reviews & recommendations from other community members about home automation with the Samsung SmartThings hub.
...