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Lutron Z3-1BRL-WH-L0 Aurora Smart Bulb Dimmer, 1 Pack, White?
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Popularity Score: 26
This product was mentioned in 28 comments, with an average of 1.89 upvotes
Best Comments
People give Hue shit for being so expensive but it also has the most compatibility with other ecosystems and widest range of accessories. Personally, I love the Lutron Aurora Dimmer for my Hue bulbs. It easily installs over a standard US light switch and makes for a great dimmer. Battery lasts a long time too.
They're a bit pricey, but these allow you to retain the basic functions of a light switch without needing to worry about guests flipping the switch off. [link]
Cheaper solution: gaffer tape.
Just get this thing. If you have a paddle switch replace it with and old school switch and then get this thing.
I went down the path of rewiring my switches to add neutrals, installing smart switches, writing home assistant automations to keep the state of the switch and hue in sync, and troubleshot endless small issues. If I were to start again, I would.juatbget the things I linked above and be done with it.
I really like this switch, it is battery powered, but I don't imagine you would have to replace the battery that often. It mounts onto the actual switch so people can't turn off the power. [link]
If you're going to use smart bulbs don't use a traditional switch. Use something like this
Lutron Z3-1BRL-WH-L0 Aurora Smart Bulb Dimmer, 1 Pack, White [link]
If you’re using Hue bulbs these work really well over light switches to keep them from getting turned off and allow them to be controlled “traditionally” as well. I have them in the common areas of my house and the guest room so visitors don’t get confused or turn something off.
These work with Hue bulbs (and other zigbee bulbs) and sit over your existing switch so you have full wall access to bulb, but won’t shut off power to socket. Lutron Z3-1BRL-WH-L0 Aurora Smart Bulb Dimmer, 1 Pack, White [link]
Thanks I see now. Would this work for hue strip?
Lutron Z3-1BRL-WH-L0 Aurora Smart Bulb Dimmer, 1 Pack, White [link]
While most of the time i would use app or automation to control, i do like idea of having a real switch in case cloud is down or something.
Wow. I have several of those myself. It's unfortunate they aren't being made anymore.
However, as a Hue user, I much prefer the Lutron Aurora. If you have Hue lights, I would recommend this as a replacement.
How about the Lutron Aurora Smart Bulb Dimmer Switch? (Note: Amazon US link.)
Just have them use regular switches and put these over them: [link]
Lutron Aurora Smart bulb dimmers, they work fantastic with Hue system especially if you don't want/can't(renting)/have to replace existing light switches.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RJ14FBS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1
The best thing I found so you can still have use of a physical switch as well is the Lutron Aurora. This mounts on the physical toggle switch locking it in the on position and links to the hue app to give you on off and dim controls.(Edit US Toggle switch design)
They have a paddle switch option but involves some rewiring.
These only work with Philips Hue lights but if that’s what you have, they’ve worked really well for me.
Lutron Z3-1BRL-WH-L0 Aurora Smart Bulb Dimmer, White [link]
TLDR: There aren't any toggle style switches out there that are ZigBee that can do this, but there are a few alternatives if you're open.
If you're open to a paddle style, ZigBee switch, we're working on request right now and it should be ready by the end of the year: ZigBee 2-1 Switch
I haven't tested this one yet, but Lutron came out with the Aurora light-switch that goes over your existing toggle switch, which claims to work with ZigBee bulbs: https://www.amazon.com/Lutron-Aurora-Dimmer-Philips-Z3-1BRL-WH-L0/dp/B07RJ14FBS
As u/85kqq5cZbcxs (great to see you here!) suggested, code permitted, you could just wire the line/load together to bring constant power to the light and then setup an automation with the GE toggle style switch you posted. I'm not sure if that switch supports scene control (ie: multi-tap), which makes things easy to setup with smart bulbs, but if it doesn't you should be able to set something up like, "if switch is on, turn on bulbs -- if switch is off, turn off bulbs, etc".
Depending on your hub, you could also go down the Z-Wave path and choose either Zooz or us as we both have smart bulb mode for this exact scenario. I'm not really sure how theirs is setup tbh, but I'm sure it's similar to how we implemented it, which is that when the mode is activated, the switch will provide constant power to the smart bulb and when someone presses down on the paddle, instead of cutting physical power to the bulb, it will send a signal to the hub to turn off the bulb. You can turn on/off/dim directly from the switch by sending these signals to the hub (and then the hub to the bulb). You can also utilize multi-taps to change the color of the bulb.
u/Dansk72 -- I was in the same boat as you in that I couldn't understand why people wanted to control smart bulbs with a smart switch. Seemed like overkill lol! But, it's finally grown on me and now I love having smart bulbs on a smart switch. I have some movie lights that are over the TV that are smart bulbs that I can turn on/off/dim from the smart switch. But on top of that, if I double-tap the switch, they change colors. I think what it boils down to is if you want the color changing (or temp changing) features. If you don't need that, then definitely stick with dumb bulbs.
Hope this helps?
Eric
Founder | Inovelli
I realize this isn't what you have planned, but this is the option I'm going with.
Lutron Aurora product info
It attaches to the light switch, requires no wiring, is powered by a watch/coin CR2032 battery with a 3 year lifespan, and works with the Phillips hue system.
If you’re using hue this might be of use to you: [link]
I have a couple of these zigbee dimmers. They are awesome.
I use these, not sure what expensive means for you but I enjoy these very much.
Edit: Amazon has them for cheper right now.
https://www.amazon.com/Lutron-Aurora-Dimmer-Philips-Z3-1BRL-WH-L0/dp/B07RJ14FBS
You might consider this: https://www.amazon.com/Lutron-Aurora-Dimmer-Philips-Z3-1BRL-WH-L0/dp/B07RJ14FBS
It lets you have the lights powered on all the time and still gives local dimming control.
The dimmer is pretty pricey and specifically made for Hue lights.
The other product, I've gotten for half-price what it is on Amazon right now. It won't connect to the Hue bridge though so I have it connected through Smartthings to control my Hue lights.
Deal link: Amazon
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I actually meant the Hue compatible Lutron Aurora Dimmer, I mixed them up
going to delete and repost
Would have to spend more money, but this would be an easy solution:
https://www.amazon.com/Lutron-Aurora-Dimmer-Philips-Z3-1BRL-WH-L0/dp/B07RJ14FBS
I read about the Lutron Aurora the other day. It may not be what you are looking for, but I thought it was an interesting idea for this problem: [link]
I recently bought this for my Hue setup: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RJ14FBS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_MNaCDb5201D6Y
I also can't replace the in-wall switch, so I was looking for a retrofit option and these look like they fit the bill.
expensive but might help?
or just get some battery powered switches and stick them next to the wall plate?