LED or ELV – Light emitting diode and Electronic low voltage, these are usually the most efficient bulbs.They are much more efficient than incandescent or halogen. CFL – Compact Fluorescent, – these are the bulbs with the twisted glass tubes.MLV – Magnetic Low Voltage, these are INC or HAL bulbs, but they operate at 6, 12 or 24 volts instead of the traditional 120 volts that most homes use.HLA – Halogen, a form of incandescent bulb that uses halogen gas (usually hotter and brighter).INC – Incandescent, the traditional filament style bulb that has been around for years.Here are some terms and abbreviations you might see when looking at dimmer/bulb compatibility With today’s energy efficient fluorescent and LED bulbs traditional dimming technology won’t work on many of them.Įven if you still have mostly incandescent bulbs in your home today, plan ahead and look for switches that will continue to work for you long into the future. No too many years ago this wasn’t a concern because almost every light in you home was an incandescent bulb and any dimmer would work. But if you want the ability do dim your lights, then I would suggest making sure the switch you select is compatible with as many bulbs as possible. CFL and LED and Fan compatibilityįor basic on/off control this doesn’t matter. Then there are hubs like the Lutron Caseta Smart Bridge, these are designed to work with a specific family of products. These are designed to work with a variety of devices. Hubs come in 2 varieties, there are multipurpose hubs like the Wink Hub 2 and the Smart Things Hub.
If your smart light switch uses some other communication protocol, then you need a hub. In this case Alexa can talk directly to the switch to turn it on or off. If your smart light switch uses Wi-Fi, then there is a good chance you won’t need a hub.
ALEXA SMART SWITCH PLUS
Wi-Fi communicationĮxcept for the Echo Plus which has a built in ZigBee radio the rest of the Echo family communicates to smart home devices via Wi-Fi. Your Echo or other Alexa enabled device needs a way to talk to the smart switches to enable voice control. How does Alexa communicate with smart switches? The easiest way to tell is look at how the switch communicates with other devices. Like most questions around smart home products the answer is it depends. Check it out on Amazon Before getting into the details of each system let’s take a look at some of the key features you should consider when selecting a smart light switch to use with Alexa.ĭo you need a smart hub to use a smart light switch with Alexa?
My pick for best overall is the Lutron Caseta Wireless In-wall Dimmer. Check it out on Amazon Best Overall smart light switch for Alexa My pick here is the TP-Link Smart Wi-Fi Light Switch. If you don’t use Alex, don’t worry, both of my picks work just as well with Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit. This review focuses on compatibility with Alexa, meaning you will be able to control the lights with your voice using an Echo or other Alexa enabled product. At the end of this article I have a tip if you are just getting started. I have broken them down to a budget pick and Best Overall.
I’m going to simplify the process for you and recommend only 2 products. In addition to that, who wants a different light switch in every room of their home? With so many smart lighting products that are compatible with Alexa how do you decide which one to use? While it is possible to mix and match lighting products, it will make setting up your system more complicated.
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