3 Reasons to Buy a Smart Light Switch Today (and Which Are Best)

5 Reasons You Should Upgrade to Smart Light Switches Today

Are you still using traditional light switches in your home? If so, you‘re missing out on the many benefits and conveniences of smart light switches. These high-tech switches can completely change the way you control and automate lighting in your home, making your life easier while providing improved security and energy savings.

As someone passionate about the latest advancements in digital technology, I‘ve researched and tested many smart home devices. And I can confidently say that smart light switches are one of the most impactful and worthwhile smart home upgrades you can make. In this in-depth guide, I‘ll explain exactly what smart light switches are, how they work, and give you 5 compelling reasons why you should seriously consider installing them in your home.

What Are Smart Light Switches?

First, let‘s clarify what a smart light switch actually is. Like traditional switches, smart light switches are installed in your wall and control your overhead lights and lamps. The key difference is that smart switches connect to your home Wi-Fi network, allowing them to be controlled remotely via a smartphone app or voice commands to a virtual assistant like Alexa or Google Home.

This internet connectivity unlocks a whole new level of lighting control and automation that is simply not possible with conventional light switches. And the best part is, you don‘t need to use any special light bulbs with a smart switch – your regular LED, CFL, or incandescent bulbs will work just fine and instantly become "smart" when connected to a smart switch.

With that basic understanding of smart light switches, let‘s dive into the top 5 reasons you should upgrade to smart switches today:

1. Unparalleled Convenience and Control

The number one reason to get smart light switches is the incredible convenience and control they provide. Never again will you have to walk around your home turning lights on and off or wondering if you remembered to switch off lights when you left the house or went to bed.

With the smartphone app, you have total control of your lights right at your fingertips no matter where you are. Sitting on the couch and don‘t want to get up and walk to the switch? Simply tap your phone and turn the lights on or off. Lying in bed and forgot to switch off the downstairs lights? No problem, just open the app and shut them off without getting up.

You can even control your lights when you‘re away from home. Realize you left the bedroom light on after you‘ve already gotten to work? Simply use the app to turn it off from anywhere. This remote access is supremely handy and provides great peace of mind.

Smart switches also work with virtual assistants like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, so you can use voice commands to control the lights totally hands-free. Just say "Alexa, turn off the living room lights" and watch them magically switch off. This is great when your hands are full or you‘re comfortably settled on the couch.

In addition to the app and voice control, most smart switches still have physical buttons for manual control. They function just the same as a regular light switch. So even if the internet goes down or something malfunctions with the "smart" part, you can still control the lights normally. The high-tech features are there when you want them but you‘re not dependent on them.

Perhaps the most convenient feature of smart light switches is the ability to put your lights on schedules and timers. This simple automation is a game-changer. You can have all the lights in the house automatically turn on in the morning to help you wake up and get the day started. Then have them automatically shut off during the day when you‘re at work. Then perhaps have a few lights switch on in the evening before you‘re home so you never arrive to a dark house. You can customize schedules for every room and switch in your home and set the specific times you want.

With all these control options – the app, voice commands, schedules, and physical buttons – you have unparalleled flexibility and convenience when it comes to controlling your home‘s lighting. This is a huge step up from standard light switches.

2. Enhanced Security

Smart light switches can also significantly boost your home‘s security, especially when you‘re traveling or away for an extended period. Most smart switches have a feature often called "away mode" that will automatically turn lights on and off in a randomized pattern to perfectly mimic your normal usage.

This makes it appear as if someone is home and moving through the house turning lights on and off normally. The randomization ensures no predictable pattern emerges that would reveal nobody is actually home. This is a proven tactic to deter potential burglars or other criminals who may be casing the neighborhood looking for obvious signs of an unoccupied home to target.

Normally when you go out of town, you‘d either have to leave certain lights on 24/7, revealing an unnaturally consistent pattern, or leave the house completely dark – both apparent signs no one is home. With away mode on a smart switch, it looks just like a normal occupied home with dynamic and variable lighting. This is a powerful deterrent and provides extra security and peace of mind when you‘re away.

Smart switches also allow you to turn lights on remotely before arriving home. If you work late or have an unpredictable schedule, you don‘t have to worry about always coming home to a dark house. Simply use the app to switch on lights before you arrive so you can enter an already lit home. Or put your porch and entryway lights on a schedule so they automatically turn on before you normally get home. This is both safer and more convenient.

3. Save Energy and Money

While the upfront cost of smart light switches is more than traditional switches, they can pay for themselves over time through energy savings. It‘s all too easy to forget to turn off lights when leaving a room or the house – we‘ve all done it. But those unnecessarily lit empty rooms and spaces quickly add up to wasted electricity.

With smart light switches, you can easily see the status of all your home‘s lights in the app. Notice a light on in an unoccupied room? No need to go turn it off. Just tap your phone screen and instantly shut it off right from the app. Those small savings in wasted electricity can really add up over weeks and months.

Schedules and timers on smart switches also help optimize your lighting and save on your electric bills. By setting lights to automatically turn off during the day when not needed, you ensure no energy is wasted. You can also schedule lights to automatically shut off late at night in case you forget to do it manually before bed.

Some smart light switches include integrated motion sensors that will automatically turn lights on when someone enters a room and off again when no motion is detected after a set period of time. This is very handy for spaces like laundry rooms, pantries, bathrooms or closets where lights often accidentally get left on. The automation ensures these lights only stay on as long as someone is actively using the space.

Other smart switches have ambient light sensors built-in that can detect how much natural light is present in the room. It will then automatically adjust the brightness of your overhead lights accordingly. So if lots of sunlight is coming through the windows, the switch will dim or turn off the lights to save energy. Then as it gets darker outside, the switch will brighten your lights as needed to maintain consistent room lighting. This is a great way to reduce wasted energy during the day in spaces that get a lot of natural light.

While it may only seem like a small amount per month, these smart switch energy saving features can dramatically cut down on wasted electricity over the course of a year or more. The savings will help offset the initial cost of upgrading to smart switches.

4. Simple DIY Installation

One of the best things about smart light switches is that the average homeowner can install them on their own without needing to hire a costly electrician in most cases. The wiring is exactly the same as a traditional light switch. As long as you‘re comfortable carefully doing some basic electrical work and following instructions, installing smart switches should be no problem.

However, you will want to double check that your home has the required "neutral" wires present in the switch boxes before purchasing smart switches. Most smart switches need a neutral wire to power the electronics and wireless connectivity. Older homes built before the 1980s often don‘t have neutral wires in the switch boxes and would require an electrician to add them.

The installation process is straightforward for the typical homeowner though. After safely turning off power to the switch at the breaker box, it‘s simply a matter of removing your old switch, noting which wires connect to which terminals, and then connecting those same wires to the corresponding terminals on the smart switch. Then you pop the new switch into the electrical box, screw it into place, and snap on the cover plate – done!

The last step is connecting the switch to your home‘s Wi-Fi through the smartphone app. This only takes a couple minutes and involves putting in your Wi-Fi password and assigning a name to the switch in the app. The app will walk you through this process step-by-step.

Even if you need to do a dozen or more switches throughout your home, it‘s still very manageable to complete the installation yourself in a weekend afternoon or two. The straightforward DIY installation helps keep upgrade costs down. And it‘s highly satisfying to complete a project like this that improves your home on your own.

5. Powerful Automation Possibilities

Once you have smart switches throughout your home, a whole world of useful automation and scenarios become possible when you connect those switches to other smart home devices and systems.

Most smart switches will integrate with popular smart home platforms like Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomeKit and Samsung SmartThings. These allow you to control the switches with voice commands, but also let you connect them to other smart devices to create all kinds of advanced automations.

For example, you could connect your smart switches to smart door sensors so that lights automatically turn on when you open the front door and enter the house. Or have the lights turn off when the door is closed and the house is empty.

You could integrate the switches with a smart thermostat and have designated lights blink as a notification that the air conditioning has turned on because a preset temperature threshold has been passed. The blinking is a visual cue to go check that doors and windows are closed so the cool air doesn‘t escape. Integrations like this help multiple smart home devices work together to keep you informed and your home running efficiently.

If you have exterior lights connected to smart switches, you could link them to a smart weather station that monitors things like sunset times and precipitation. The switches could then automatically turn on outdoor lights at dusk so you‘re never coming home to a dark entryway. They could also turn on when rain or snow is detected to better illuminate potentially slippery walkways.

You could even set up occupancy automations by linking smart switches to smart home speakers. Imagine as soon as you walk into an empty room, the speaker detects your presence and signals the smart switch to turn on the lights automatically. Then when you leave the space and the speaker senses the room is unoccupied, it turns the lights back off. This hands-free automation makes your home feel futuristic and magical.

These are just a few examples of the powerful possibilities available when smart switches are integrated with other connected devices, sensors, and systems in your home. With a bit of creativity, you can dream up some seriously useful and convenient lighting automation workflows.

The Best Smart Light Switches

If I‘ve convinced you of the benefits of smart light switches, you may be wondering which ones are the best to buy. While there are quite a few brands and models available now, here are my top picks that offer the ideal blend of functionality, ease of use, reliability, and value:

1. Lutron Caseta Deluxe Kit – This kit includes the required Lutron Smart Bridge hub that connects to your router and enables the system to work without relying on Wi-Fi and potentially slowing down your network. Connects with Alexa, Google Home, HomeKit, Ring and more. Includes a handy wireless remote. Has geofencing to automate lights based on your phone‘s GPS location. The included in-wall dimmers let you precisely adjust light levels. My top overall pick.

2. Wemo Smart Light Switch – A solid budget pick regularly on sale for around $20 per switch. Has an easy to use app for scheduling, timers, away mode and controlling multiple switches at once. Directly connects to Wi-Fi so no extra hub is needed, but doesn‘t work with as many platforms as Lutron. A great option if you primarily use HomeKit and Siri, as Wemo has good integration with Apple‘s ecosystem.

3. Kasa Smart Switch with Motion – Unique in having built-in motion and ambient light sensing to provide totally hands-free lighting automation. Has a dimmer switch for setting the perfect brightness and works as an occupancy sensor to turn lights off when rooms are empty. Connects to Wi-Fi and works with Alexa and Google Home. The motion and light sensing make it a compelling option, especially for spaces like bathrooms, laundry rooms or walk-in closets.

Those would be my top three smart switch recommendations. But it‘s hard to go wrong with options from reputable brands like GE, Leviton, Gosund, and iDevices as well. Just make sure to get a model that explicitly says it works with your preferred smart home platform and voice assistant.

Are Smart Light Switches Right For You?

I hope this in-depth look at smart light switches has helped open your eyes to how truly beneficial and potentially life-changing this simple smart home upgrade can be. To recap, the top reasons to install smart switches in your home are:

1. The incredible convenience of controlling your lights from anywhere with an app, voice commands, schedules and timers.

2. Improved security thanks to customizable "away" modes that can vary lights to make your home always appear occupied and less of a target.

3. Automated energy savings by easily ensuring lights are only on when and where needed. The savings add up to reduce electric bills over time.

4. The easy and approachable DIY installation process that most handy homeowners can tackle in an afternoon. No need to hire an electrician in most cases.

5. The vast smart home automation possibilities when switches are linked to other connected devices and sensors to enable truly intelligent lighting behaviors.

When you consider all these compelling reasons to upgrade, it‘s clear that smart light switches are one of the best smart home investments you can make. Yes, there is an upfront cost involved. But the convenience, security and energy savings make it entirely worthwhile. And taking the DIY approach keeps the project cost-effective.

If you‘ve been on the fence about trying smart switches, I highly encourage you to make the leap. Once you experience the difference they make, you‘ll wonder how you ever lived without them. Smart light switches will completely change your relationship with lighting your home for the better. So go ahead and pick up a few switches today and start enjoying the "bright" future of smart lighting!