One of the proudest moments of my life was when I bought my first home, and no sooner had I gotten the keys than I started installing Lutron Caseta smart dimmer switches in all the common areas. Truly, I still had boxes to unpack when I was already hard at work wiring these up, much to my wife’s chagrin.
Lutron is a hugely reputable brand when it comes to light switches in general, and their Caseta line of smart switches are. arguably, the industry standard for smart switches and dimmers.
Lutron Caseta switches are designed to replace your existing wall switches and give you full control over your lighting system from your phone, other mobile device, or via a very long of smart home platforms, including Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Apple Homekit.
It’s that latter compatibility that was a key driver for my decision — I’ve long been a huge fan of the Apple Home mobile app and the HomeKit ecosystem, so the combination of this integration and the high quality of the Lutron Caseta switches themselves made this move a no-brainer for me.
That said, Lutron Caseta switches might not be for everyone. Let’s dig in on some of the pros and cons of the switches:
Pros & Cons of Lutron Caseta Smart Light Switches
Pros:
- Easy to install: The Lutron Caseta switches are straightforward to install, even for someone with minimal electrical experience. The installation process takes around 15-20 minutes and comes with clear instructions. That said, you will be doing minor electrical work here, so make sure you understand the basics (like turning off the power at the breaker box, and using a voltage tester to ensure you’re not working with hot wires).
- Bulb compatibility: These switches are compatible with a wide range of bulbs, including incandescent, LED, halogen, and CFL. Just note that if you plan on using the dimmer switches (as opposed to the simple on/off switches), you’ll ned to make sure you buy dimmable bulbs. While all standard incandescent bulbs are dimmable, since you’re just modulating the amount of electricity you pump through them, not all LED or CFL bulbs necessarily are dimmable. Just make sure when you’re buying bulbs that they say “dimmable” on the packaging, and you’ll be all set.
- Smart home ecosystem compatibility: Decisions, decisions. Building out your smart home capabilities comes with a number of these, and none is perhaps more important than the ecosystem you want all your devices to be able to communicate with. So when a device offers as much flexibility as Lutron Caseta does, you can rest easy that your Amazon Echo devices and Apple’s Siri will both be able to control your lights. All in all, Lutron Caseta is compatible with: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, Sonos voice commands, as well as platforms IFTTT, Samsung SmartThings, Logitech Harmony, Yonomi, Ring, Xfinity Home, AT&T Digital Life and Wink. That’s a huge range of compatibility you just won’t find with most other smart switches.
- Customizable: The Lutron app allows you to customize your lighting system according to your preferences. You can set timers, create schedules, and adjust the brightness of your lights. I tend to run custom automations like these via the HomeKit integration, but there are some nifty features in the Lutron app itself, if you prefer to manage your lights that way.
- Energy-saving: With Lutron Caseta dimmer switches, you can save energy and reduce your electricity bill. The switches have a dimming feature that allows you to adjust the brightness of your lights and use only the amount of light you need. And of course, being able to your lights completely off, either on a schedule or on command (say, when you’ve just left home and forgot to switch everything off) can be a massive energy savings boon.
Cons:
- Price: Lutron Caseta switches are not cheap. The switches themselves run about $60 each (including a remote, which can be used as a second wall switch) and the required hub will run you another $80. Look out for deals for starter packs that include one or two switches and the hub, at a decent discount compared to buying them individually. Still, the whole home move to Lutron switches can be costly, especially if you have larger home or one with a ton of light switches.
- Requires a hub: Everyone loves to hate hubs, but for now at least they’re a necessary part of the smart home world. (In my home, for instance, I have a Lutron hub, an Aqara hub and a Eufy Security hub all buried in the same closet, doing their thing behind the scenes. But, yes, to use these switches, you need to have a hub.
- Limited color options: The Lutron in-wall light switches are only available in a limited range of colors, so you may not be able to find a switch that matches your home decor.
At the end of the day, all your smart home decisions will likely involve some trade-offs. Do you want ultimate compatibility and reliability? It might cost you a bit more upfront, but in my opinion this is money well spent for all the headaches it saves you down the line!
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