I have an early 2000s house and they went wild with a) the sheer number of wall switches and b) the number of 3-way switches. I want to replace a good number of them while accepting my wife’s requirement that they look and function as dumb paddle switches when necessary.

I’ve looked around and these seem to be the best at fitting all of my requirements but Mama Mia, the price 😭 😭 😭 😭

https://www.amazon.com/Inovelli-2-1-Smart-Switch-Dimmer/dp/B0BG329SH3

Anyone have some suggestions?

    • afk_strats@lemmy.worldOP
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      3 days ago

      I’m sorry. I’m still new on my HA journey (and marriage) so I’m sure there are unexplored integrations

  • pbbananaman@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    I think as far as Zigbee support for a three way dimmer, you’re looking at the best option. I will also note that the dimmer on the Inovelli is amazing. It’s capable of setting my can light LEDs at a dimness setting I didn’t know was possible after using some standard Home Depot dumb dimmer switch.

    Pricey, but worth it IMO.

  • MystikIncarnate@lemmy.ca
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    2 days ago

    Buy the innovelli switches.

    I picked up a bunch of them for my home and it’s been great.

    You’ll pay for them up front but at least you won’t be replacing them in 6-12 months like some other vendors.

    Edit to add: I’ll note, the ones I have are zwave. If you want, they also have ones with motion sensors built in (they look the same). They’re a bit more costly, but they can be useful for automations as they’re basically motion/presence sensors built into the switch instead of requiring a second device to do it. It would be useful on hallways where the switch is in a good spot to pick up people in the hallway…

    IDK. Use your imagination. With innovelli, the blue series is ZigBee, Red series is zwave. There’s also a white series which is kind of neither, and both.

    Good luck.

  • node815@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    What about just buying Matter Bulbs? Or supported WiFi Bulbs? I have 4 which work nicely! Aidot brand so it’s not known brand but it was good priced. I know you said they were three way switches so that may matter if you are wanting to utilize the 3 way dimmer, but with HA, it should be easy to do!

    This would also be depending on which lights you want to control, as some may not be controllable such as maybe the bathroom lights. As an apartment dweller who rents, I put mostly smart lights every where I could in my home so I can control which ones come on or off on a schedule. Change colors as well to help set the mood with my floor lamps etc…

  • UnearthedUnusual@lemm.ee
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    2 days ago

    In case you don’t feel like doing electrical work on some of them or find that the price of some of the options are too much, I wanted to suggest the ThirdReality Zigbee smart switch. They also sell them in four packs so you can save money. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0CRB18DHG?psc=1

    Where it fits with your requirements:

    • You can press it like a regular light switch (button-style) any time if you want to use it like a regular light switch
    • Goes over an existing light switch. So, you don’t need to deal with electrical stuff.
      • Can take them off the existing switch and flip the actual light switch manually if the whole smart switch fails
        • It does take mild effort to snap the device off the wall, but you don’t need a screwdriver, just your hands and determination
    • Better price than what you linked, and sold in multi-packs for cost savings since it sounds like you want to buy a lot of switches

    Where it may not fit:

    • Maybe your wife will not think this looks like a light switch? Maybe show her one online first, or only buy one to show her.
    • The aesthetics can look kind of weird depending on the existing light switch plates
      • Could make the aesthetics nicer by changing out the light switch plates to match the smart switch, which could be reasonably cheap
    • Make sure it will fit all of your light switches. If you have non-standard sizes because the prior homeowners were free spirits, the device may not fit. They do have a kit to help with a small range of sizes.
      • I bought one first and tested it/measured it with all the light switches to make sure it fit first

    Some info you did not ask for that may also be helpful to you/others:

    ThirdReality suggests buying a hub with them but if you have a USB zigbee dongle you don’t need it. Like this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0D737SJ5G?psc=1

    I found the connection was a little inconsistent behind walls at first, but after adding a sufficiently thick USB extension cable to help lessen connection issues from interference they have worked really well. For longer distances/through lots of walls you may also want to have Zigbee smart plugs here and there/other Zigbee devices that plug into outlets that can repeat the signal and strengthen your connection.

  • Deello@lemm.ee
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    3 days ago

    Not the most elegant solution but have you looked at Shelly devices? They are smart relays that connect to your switches in the wall. They connect via Wi-Fi, cloud optional. Newer ones are supposed to support things like Threads and Matter. What I love about them is that you can use any switch you want.

    • afk_strats@lemmy.worldOP
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      2 days ago

      These are cool but I need something which will help my existing light switches too. I looked at aquara wall switches and they are nice but they seem to be around the $35-40 usd range

  • IndustryStandard@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    if you already have smart lights:

    Tuya have zigbee compatible 4way switches for like 8 bucks on AliExpress. The TS0044.

    This is a great blueprint for it which makes programming the functions on a script a lot easier https://github.com/zpriddy/Home-Assistant/blob/d7940c3aba7e96aae8da53864022b37e09923ef7/ts0044_zigbee_remote.yaml

    Since the blueprint is for that specific button I’d recommend getting that one. But they also have 3 way switches https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005178438396.html?productId=1005005178438396

  • Tinkerer@lemmy.ca
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    2 days ago

    I have a 3 ZigBee sonoff switches: https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/devices/ZBMINIL2.html#sonoff-zbminil2

    They are nice and don’t require a neutral wire, you can’t use these on 3 way switches but they are very nice and small. You then keep the aesthetic of whatever switch you use, paddle or flip switch.

    The one thing I’ve noticed is that if you flip the switch on and off really quick about 3 times it disconnects from the mqtt server and needs to be repaired.

    You could also go with a zwave or ZigBee inovelli switch which are nice but very expensive. They are very reliable and I have no complaints with the one zwave switch I have from them.

  • SolidGrue@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    Look into the GE Enbrigjten series of Z-wave dimmer switches & 3-poles. They’re about half the price as what you linked, and use a more modern protocol stack. You’ll need a Z-wave hub, but you can get a USB dongle for about the cost of one of the switches, and it will probably Al’s include ZigBee on board as well.

    GE makes dimmable 2-pole and 3-pole switches. The good thing about their 3-pole switches is you only need one smart switch for the branch, and can use companion switches to control the main smart switch over the traveler wire.

    As always, pay attention to ALL smart switch literature and make sire you have a compatible load. Many switches require a neutral wire, and/or aren’t compatible with halogen fixtures. The product literature should make it pretty clear.

    I also use Minoston switches, which I believe are another brand of the GE switches.

    • afk_strats@lemmy.worldOP
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      3 days ago

      I’ll look into these. I hadn’t really considered ZWave but I don’t know enough about it not to do some more research. I picked ZigBee because we already have a tonne of Hue bulbs which I will slowly migrate to z2m.

      You’re right, the cost of a Zwave USB shouldn’t be the deciding factor when the potential cost is in the hundreds for multiple switches.

      I do know that I have neutral wires and have 2, 3, and 4-pole switches which I’m targeting for replacement

      • Jakor@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        IMO the inovellis are worth the price. I was in a similar boat - bought into the hue ecosystem (still think they’re worth the premium for how rock solid they’ve been). Plus the home assistant integration is sooo customizable: for all buttons (up, down, and config buttons) you can set an automation for single, double, triple, quadruple, and 5x button press. I have triple press on all light switches turn all lights on that same floor on/off, and quadruple press does all lights in the house (handy for when you’re on way out of the house or going to bed).

        Still, can understand if you have way too many switches to make this economical. It’s not a problem to add a system of z-wave devices in the house too, but Ive never had a problem with zigbee and there seems to be more component options. IKEA zigbee devices are a killer value too!

        One other option I don’t see mentioned here is wiring a Shelly relay behind your light switches. Your wife would never know they’re there (they install behind the switch in the junction box) and I believe they are very economical.

  • myplacedk@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    I don’t know if this is exact enough, but I use IKEA switches and IKEA or other ZigBee bulbs.

    The switches looks like a different brand of paddle switches. They work like “dumb” paddle switches as a starting point, and then you build smartness on top of that.

    If you do it right, they also work when internet is down and your server is crashed. Actually this is how they work out of the box. (I think the bridge must be powered on, but if you don’t have power…)

  • Serinus@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    GE Cync had some wall switches at the recent CES for around $25. I think they’re Matter over Thread, which is my preferred tech. And I’ve had good luck with the CYNC Matter bulbs.

    I expect I’ll pick up a couple of those when they’re out.

    • afk_strats@lemmy.worldOP
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      3 days ago

      Help me out here. I happen to own a few cync bulbs as a carryover from my last home… The app has gotten better. But I feel like they have been extremely finicky. I am trying them on the custom integration and they are still finicky and seems like they break protocol. How do you get them to work over matter on HA?

      • Serinus@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        Not all CYNC bulbs are Matter. Do they have a QR code and an 11 digit code printed on them?

        • afk_strats@lemmy.worldOP
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          3 days ago

          Nope. These things are 5ish years old, Cync “direct connect”. I have a few Cync wifi bulbs and even 2 Bluetooth-mesh bulbs from wayyyy back

  • zer0@programming.dev
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    3 days ago

    Are you looking for scene support (double, triple, etc click events) or just being able to remotely control the light?

    Worth noting several brands have cheaper “add-on” switches to use in 3-way scenarios. You would only need one smart switch and add-ons for the remaining switches.

    I personally have a bunch of Enbrighten dimmers/switches and add-ons that work like dumb switches when disconnected from the hub. I too was concerned with the WAF (wife approval factor).

    • afk_strats@lemmy.worldOP
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      3 days ago

      Edit: Scene support is not a priority. I need remote control so I can integrate sensors or scenes set up in HA

      These are immediately going on the top of the list. Also, I’m going to adopt WAF as a metric immediately. Thank you.

      Quick questions about owning these. Do the paddles stay in the center? Or do they click into a position? Also, do you find the click of switching them as loud as non-smart switches?

      • zer0@programming.dev
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        3 days ago

        The switches reset into a neutral position, so you can’t tell if they’re on or off except for the LED.

        The dimmers don’t make a noticeable sound but the switches make an slight audible click when turning on or off.

        Worth noting mine are a few years old and they may have changed some things.