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Eve
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Eve
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Lutron's smart switch works with all major smart assistants, can be installed in minutes, and is the perfect choice for whole-home smart lighting, Read More
This dimmer doesn't require a neutral line, and the digital dimming is buttery smooth and without lag. It also works beautifully with Alexa, Google Assistant, and HomeKit. Read More
Wemo's second-gen smart light switch is sleek all around. It integrates with Alexa, Google, and Siri, and is reliable for remote control. Read More
The Meross Smart Switch is reliable, works with Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant, and is a pleasure to use despite its cheap build quality. Read More
Eve's smart switch not only looks good, it offers stellar performance. But it only works with Apple HomeKit and not Amazon Echo or Google Home. Read More
Carrying in an armful of groceries late at night? Feeling lazy and don’t want to get off the couch? Thanks to smart light switches and smart dimmers for Apple HomeKit, all you have to say is “Hey Siri, turn on the lights,” (or "dim the lights") and you’ll never fumble for another switch again.
When trying to choose a smart switch or dimmer, it’s important to know that certain ones are supported by HomeKit and others are not. We’ve also divided this guide into regular smart switches, and smart dimmers for your convenience. After extensive testing, the Lutron Smart Switch (available at Amazon for $59.95) is the best smart switch we’ve tested for Apple HomeKit, while the best dimmer switch is the Lutron Caséta Smart Lighting Dimmer Switch Starter Kit (available at Amazon). However, there are plenty of other great switches for Apple HomeKit in our guide to choose from.
These are the best smart in-wall switches and dimmers for Apple HomeKit we tested, ranked in order:
Smart In-Wall Switches 1. Lutron Smart Switch 2. Wemo Wi-Fi Smart Light Switch (second-gen) 3. Meross Smart Light Switch 4. Eve Energy Smart Light Switch 5. Leviton Decora Smart Wi-Fi (second-gen)
Smart Dimmer Switches 1. Lutron Caséta Smart Dimmer Starter Kit 2. Meross Smart Wi-Fi Dimmer Switch 3. Leviton Decora Smart Wi-Fi Dimmer (second-gen) 4. Wemo Wi-Fi Smart Dimmer Switch (second-gen)
The Lutron Caséta Smart Switches are the best you can buy, especially if you're looking for a remote-controlled whole-home smart lighting system.
Hi, I’m Rachel Murphy, Reviewed’s resident smart home expert. I live in a home full of smart speakers, home security cameras, smart lights, appliances, and more connected gadgets that work with smart assistants like Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri. I’ve tested just about every smart home gadget you can imagine, but smart lighting is the category I interact with the most daily. For this guide, I spent hours with each switch, as well as plenty of time getting to know my breaker box and learning how to wire smart switches and dimmers.
To adequately test these switches, I installed the switches and dimmers throughout my home and connected them to an Eero Mesh Wi-Fi router. I evaluated their setup processes, apps, physical and digital performance, smart home ecosystem integrations, remote control capabilities, and how well they work Siri. I lived with these products to figure out how they work on a day-to-day basis, just as you’ll be using them.
When it comes to the world of smart light switches and dimmers, there are lots of different options to choose from. If you’re buying new smart switches and dimmers for your home, first consider whether or not the switch or dimmer is compatible with your current smart home setup—especially if you use Apple’s HomeKit.
HomeKit is a popular voice-controlled platform that lets you manage your compatible smart home devices (like smart switches) using Siri, a virtual assistant embedded into Apple’s operating systems. This can be done using the Home app on your mobile device or via the HomePod Mini smart speaker, which functions similarly to the Amazon Echo and Google Home smart speakers.
If you’re already an Apple user, you’ll find the integration of Siri to control your smart switches easy to use. You can even use the switches to control bathroom fans, ceiling fans, humidifiers, garbage disposals, and outlets.
One final, but important, note is that an Apple Home Hub like the HomePod Mini is needed to control the smart switches and dimmers via the Home app when you're away.
Replacing every light in your home with smart bulbs can get expensive quick (especially if you have lots of multi-bulb fixtures). That's one of the best things about buying smart dimmers and switches—you can convert an entire chandellier's-worth of "dumb" bulbs to smart ones with one switch.
Depending on the smart switch you choose, the initial cost of installation may be slightly higher than it would be to simply install the cheapest smart bulbs, but your dimmer switch will never burn out or need to be replaced, which will save you money over time.
Plus you will never run into the frustrating scenario where you are yelling at Siri to turn on the light, but somebody turned the regular light switch off without thinking, and therefore your smart bulbs are off-line and there you are just screaming into the darkness for no reason. Not that we have ever experienced anything like that.
Smart bulbs might be a more attractive starting point for those who want to ease their way into smart lighting slowly, one bulb at a time, and the more expensive smart bulbs are also loaded with lots of options when it comes to color lighting and scenes. A smart dimmer won't offer you the same bells and whistles, but it's generally just less fussy—and tech that's less fussy is something we could all use a little more of.
1. Compatibility
As you shop for smart switches that work with HomeKit, there are a few things you should keep in mind. First, remember to check the product to see if it is even compatible with HomeKit, as many smart home devices aren’t. To determine whether or not a smart switch is compatible with HomeKit, look for the words “works with Apple HomeKit” on the product’s packaging or in the product description.
2. Devices you already use
Check to make sure the smart switch is congruent with your mobile phone or tablet. For example, certain smart switches, like the Leviton Decora Smart Switch, are only compatible with iOS devices, while others are more compatible across various platforms. This is especially important if not everyone in your household uses iOS devices.
3. The right bulbs
You don’t need a smart bulb or smart lighting to make your smart switch work. Most smart switches work just fine with the fixtures and bulbs you already have installed in your home. But you do need a hub like the Apple HomeKit system to operate our top picks listed above.
The good news is that most smart switches, like these options listed above, function just like a traditional wall switch when you don’t want to use their high-tech capabilities. However, if you use the smart switches for their intended purpose, you'll find turning the lights on and off more convenient than ever before.
There’s always a security risk when using internet-connected devices at home, but there are ways you can protect your privacy when using HomeKit devices. Apple claims that all HomeKit user data is encrypted end-to-end locally (meaning on your Home Hub) before being transmitted to the cloud so that no one has access to it but you. According to the company, HomeKit's infrastructure uses iCloud, iOS, iPadOs, and macOS to "protect and sync private data without exposing it" to others, including Apple employees. To secure your account further, turn on two-factor authentication and make sure your password is unique and hard to guess. You can read more about Apple's HomeKit data security policy.
One thing to know is that Apple, by default, keeps your Siri voice interactions (one of the primary ways to control HomeKit accessories) and may review the audio clips to help improve Siri’s accuracy. You can opt-out of this by turning off Siri and Diction in the Settings > Privacy > Analytics & Improvement > turning off Improve Siri & Dictation. To delete your Siri voice history on a HomePod Mini, open the Home app, press and hold the HomePod Mini icon, select Siri History, tap Delete Siri History, and confirm the deletion. To delete your Siri voice history on an iPhone or iPad, open Settings > Siri & Search > Siri & Dictation History > Delete Siri & Dictation History. For more information, check out Apple’s Siri dictation and privacy disclaimer.
Attractive design
Works with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri
Reliable
App lacks two-factor authentication
Works with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri
Comes with helpful wire labels
Reliable
App lacks two-factor authentication
Budget build quality
Works with Siri
Two-factor authentication available via iCloud
Attractive
No support for Alexa or Google Assistant
Work with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri
Great build quality
Slimmer than other switches
Sometimes unreliable connection
Works with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri
Quick and simple installation
No custom fade rates
Works with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri
Supports three-way or single-pole
Easy setup
Materials feel cheap
Works with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri
Satisfying digital dimmer
Great features
Connectivity issues during setup
Sarah Kovac is an award-winning author and accessibility editor for Reviewed. Previously, she worked with a multitude of outlets such as Wirecutter, TIME, PCMag, Prevention, The Atlantic, Reviews.com, CNN, GOOD, Upworthy, Mom.me, and SheKnows.
Rachel Murphy is Reviewed's home editor. She holds a journalism degree from the University of Central Florida. Prior to joining the team, she worked as a freelance writer for publications like Insider and Mashable, and as an associate editorial producer for Good Morning America. Aside from smart home tech, her interests include food, travel, parenting, and home renovation. You can usually find her sipping on coffee at any time of the day.
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