If you want to start or build a smart home, you’ve probably faced one of the first dilemmas: choosing between smart switches and smart bulbs. They both work the same way, but the decision can be confusing because although the technologies look similar, they solve different problems. Ultimately, the distinction is important if you want to avoid common mistakes when upgrading your smart home.
Smart switches are usually a good choice for anyone looking to change the main lighting or ceiling lights, as they can keep your electrical circuit on all the time. So even if someone turns off the switch, the lights will continue to work without any problem. Smart bulbs offer better customization and work better for table lamps or decorative lighting.
Each of these choices has its own strengths and weaknesses. The best choice for your home is one that effectively solves your problems, although you can also combine smart bulbs and switches for more organization and control.
Smart bulbs are better for color and easy setup
One of the biggest advantages of smart bulbs is that they are easy to install, since most of them already come with a base for conventional outlets. Simply screw in the bulb, pair the device via the app and you can start using it. You don’t need to touch any electrical wiring, making this a great solution for anyone who wants to avoid messing with the home’s electrical system.
Smart bulbs also offer more personalization for your home. Many options are offered with thousands of RGB color combinations and temperature variations from warm to cool light. For example, if you want to set up a game room, you can use one of the best smart lights for your home theater to adapt the lighting in the room with just a few clicks on your phone to match what’s happening on the screen. No smart switch can do that.
However, despite this major customization advantage, these smart bulbs still connect to your electrical system. So while you can turn them off and on with your phone, if someone flips the wall switch, the bulb will stop working until someone manually turns it back on. With this, you can lose all the automation you have set up, which can happen more than you would like if you live with other people.
Smart switches are better than light bulbs for home automation
If your goal when setting up a smart home is to rely more on automation than customization, exploring creative ways to use smart switches around the home is the best alternative. Since the switch controls power directly to the wiring, pressing the wall switch will not interrupt the device’s communication with your Wi-Fi and power will flow normally to the lighting while the system remains active.
But installing a smart switch is more complex than screwing a smart bulb into an outlet, because it involves working with your home’s electrical wiring. Many models require a neutral wire in the control box, which is common in newer homes but not much in older homes. Plus, it doesn’t turn your conventional bulb into something smart, so you can’t change its color or temperature like you could with a smart bulb. You can only control power on and off using your phone or voice.
