2022 NEW Lutron Caseta Smart Switches! 

Thanks for watching!

Thank you! 🙏🏼

Yea that would have been nice.

Thanks Dr. Cole!

My Levitons have been SIFI as well. For more than five years. Caveat: Once I upgraded my wifi network with a mesh router set up. AND, they match perfectly all the other Leviton switches and outlets in my house. AND, I they fit perfectly in the same, oversize nylon device covers I've used throughout the house. AND, I can change their colors using available, standard Leviton products. AND, they cost a bit less (at least they did when I bought them. I haven't looked in a while.) Where they don't compete with the Lutron is, on three way circuits - and my house must have teen or fifteen of those - you have to use a compatible, Leviton complimentary switch. These are much cheaper than the smart switch itself, but it does add to the total installed cost. On the plus side, the compatible switches are also wirelessly enabled so, they can and do receive signal. On the minus side, depending on one's perspective, is that the Leviton's are smart home app specific. But, I'm pretty much a dedicated Homekit user. No Google Home or Alexa here. AND, they use wifi. I set out trying to avoid hubs and put everything on wifi seeing it as one less complication and potential problem to have to trouble shoot as well as an extra, proprietary device you have to purchase. But, I've been playing with Aqara (partially thanks to Shane) and Zigbee in a second home I have where my budget wifi set up is limited to fifteen device maximum and the Aqara hub counts only as one, I'm starting to like hubs. They seem much faster and better signal coverage. At least with Zigbee. YMMV. What I have noticed is that Leviton has not advertised their lineup far and wide and the retailers aren't pushing them either. Not like their competitors. I really think they missed the opportunity here. None-the-less, I'm about to try out the Lutron product as I snagged a Lutron Diva Smart Dimmer Starter Kit for next to nothing by agreeing to review it on the retailer's website. If it works, I may consider going that way. If not, I'll just blame Shane. 😄

Glad to hear these will be a good solution. 3 way switch setups (2 switches controlling one light) should work with your existing dumb switch, but 4-way (3 switches controlling one light) and higher will require the accessory switch mentioned.

@@ShaneCreates this makes no sense to me. Three way switches use traveler wires. Whether those remote wires go to just one three way or several four way and a final three way doesn’t change the electrical characteristics of the first set of traveler wires. I use the Shelly smart dimmer with 3 way, 4 way, and more switches and it all works the same as a single 2 way switch.

Personally I have no issues using a bridge if it means I get reliable products working in my smart home. I know not everyone has that opinion. If it fits in your budget, I do think Lutron is worth it. I don't think you'll regret having Lutron switches. That said, I think Aqara is a great budget friendly option. If you don't need dimmers, then I haven no issues with Aqara switches. They are very reliable too in my experience. I have yet to use the new Eve switch, so time will tell on that one.

Thanks for watching! I'm not sure specifically on those bulbs. I put a link to Lutron's "Compatibility Checker" tool in my video description. Maybe that will help.

Who on god’s green earth needs 8 Apple TVs?

@@morells09 Someone with 8 TVs who wants the flexibility of watching their ATV content on any of them?

Agreed

Thanks! I don't think this would work for a fan. I would look at the Lutron Fan Controller geni.us/LutronFa It would give you various fan speeds and they work great.

The dimmer is not able to change the colors.

I don't think there are any native HomeKit switches for a fan/light combo that I'm aware of.

I need this!

I reached out to Lutron about double switches etc... in a single pole space. They said that the size is a problem for LED lighting and smart tech makes things even bigger. I needed a double LED switch with a dimmer in a single gang. I think they will come up with this feature as soon as they can get the components small enough to accommodate the code space requirements inside a box. I highly doubt they are ignoring it but waiting until the tech is there in an affordable format. For now it is not "that" much work to add a bigger box and do some mudding and painting for the extra switch and probably much more comfortable to fit the wires in the small space, especially in a bathroom that requires 20 amp circuits if all in one circuit.

Yes, that's right. If you look around 6:50 when controlling with the app, the LED bar will change, but obviously the physical slider doesn't move. Next time you use the physical slider the brightness will jump to wherever the slider is. I think that was executed quite well in the design. And yes, the original Lutron Caseta dimmers and switches have been around for a while...longer than I've been building a smart home.

@@ShaneCreates can’t say I’m with you on the well executed design part here Shane. I think it would be much better to just allow us to program the On button to be able to turn the light back on to it’s previous setting on the existing dimmer switches. This just seems like over complicating things and forcing users to buy more switches to fix a problem they created, like you mentioned you were considering yourself in the video.

I was curious about that myself, particularly if it was at the max on way or another and couldn't go any further. Seems like a button similar to inovelli wouldve made sense

@@morells09 Check out the the Lutron PD-5NE. It has a favorite button just like on the Pico remotes along with some other techie features such as being able to reverse the phase for LED lights to prevent flicker.

@@nicholasfiorello5845 these are what I’ve been using! I just want Caseta switches to be able to be programmed to resume to the previously used brightness when the switch is turned on, instead of always defaulting to 100% brightness.

Agreed 100%, we currently have caseta and want sunnata design but don't want to completely switch to ra3 at once. This would've been a good compromise but difficult to justify replacing a $50-60 switch with a $70 one. Maybe we'll see a ton of used caseta dimmers on eBay soon?

That would be nice, but I wouldn’t ever expect that. Lutron has always been highly resistant to cannibalizing their higher tier products. In many peoples opinions, they actively held back common and easy to implement features to create differentiation in their product lines. It would seem totally out of character for them to offer their new Ra3 switch in caseta.

Just some cheap RGB flood lights from amazon, plugged into a smart plug.

yes

In the U.S., we press the top for "on" and the bottom for "off". Can you install these "upside-down" so they function like the UK dimmers you're used to?

That's great! Yea, they should be available now. Check the Home Depot link in the video description. But I have heard that some locations have had some issues running out of stock. It says they are available for me, but that might vary based on location.

Pitaka magnetic stand (affiliate link) : geni.us/e6hb3kS

Its unlikely they will make a pico like this because of the power requirement for the LEDs on the slider - Pico's must run in a very low power profile - this would massively cut the battery life. I suppose it would be possible to just remove the slider LED's for the pico but then it wouldn't be an entirely consistent experience. Given the number of different pico's Lutron has - I don't really see it happening.

@@alanmoore2197 yeah it’s not likely to happen but for an entirely different reason actually. The LEDs are a good point, I noticed our picos have a greenish light which doesn’t match the new style, I could put the add on switch in for on/off at the secondary locations but I don’t really want to have to rewire both sides again. So for now I’ll have the new claro and divas at primary locations and picos in others. I also looked at doing custom 4 button scene control picos in some spots but haven’t gone through with that yet

@@BrandonDoyleMN I have many scene picos, including custom printed ones. The best 4B picos are actually the PJ2-4B-GWH-P01/P02/P03 types (pre-printed Std. labels) they are functionally different than all other 4B picos - even the custom ones. Any button can be a scene with any devices in your home at any level and each button can be a quite different group of devices. This is very powerful. On all other 4B picos the bottom button is a dedicated off and all the buttons must control the same group of devices (typically ALL the lights in a single room).I swapped the custom printed label buttons to these pico's for the better functionality. Its not always important - but sometimes it is critical. Hint: describing the Pico differences with examples of usage could make for a good video for the Lutron faithful (Lutron certainly doesn't do a good job of it).

@@alanmoore2197 interesting, I previously thought you could assign each button to a light and have that do both on and off but my Lutron rep locally explained that the Caseta version only does scenes. Apparently RA2 and above have more options

Generally smart switches and smart bulbs don't play well together. If someone turns the light switch off, it will kill the connectivity of the smart bulb. Take a look at the Lutron Aurora as a good solution if using traditional switches with Phillips Hue bulbs.

It shows up in homekit as a light, not a button. Since it is hardwired to the light fixture, it will always control that light fixture. You can configure an automation to trigger other homekit devices or scenes when this light turns on or off, etc.

It’s pricey but the Lutron PD-5WS-DV-WH is exactly what you’re looking for. I used four of them in my older home for some non dimmable no neutral action. They work like a charm. I got mine for $90 from a local electrical supply house.

@@goldintouch yeah I’ve had to grab a couple of these myself unfortunately and they are way overpriced just due to the niche use case I guess

But yeah that’s basically what the problem will be if you use a non-dimmable bulb with a dimmer switch, and it can damage the bulb as well in a lot of cases

Maybe we’ll get lucky with Black Friday around the corner.

Do they ever go on sale? I am purchasing all of these now but figure I am reducing some costs you can use existing mechanical switches.

You can program a Kasa or Lutron smart switch to also control a smart plug from the same make.

Lutron does have the outlet plugs. I use the Pico remotes with them.

@@mikerose4013 Thanks I found them and switched to them to keep everything Lutron.

I'm making the decision now between Lutron and Levitron... are you a firm believer in one vs the other after comparing the function of the two?

@@dereksafko8144 Hi Derek, I am not sure I would say firm believer but I am happier with the Lutron switches. Both switches have the same Rocker Switch design, but they are both soft-touch switches. Neither has the click of the original Rocker Switches. Using them feels the same to me, and they both fit well in existing wall plates. Both brands' software works well with Google Home and has similar functionality. I use Dawn to Dusk for auto outside lights. They both have wiring to use with 3-Way Switches and I was able to use existing switches following the minor wiring changes. Leviton Pros: - Comes with White and Almond switch options that you can change easily. - Doesn't require a hub and uses existing Wi-Fi. I feel this can lead to some Negatives I will touch on. - Has a Rocker design accessory switch you can use instead of the currently available Pico switch with the Lutron. Lutron is coming out with a Rocker design accessory switch. These are used to tie 4-Way Switching together and to place remote switches anywhere with plate and cover accessories. - Leviton devices are cheaper than Lutron! Leviton Neg: - Have to use the White neutral wire to connect both the dimmer and single pole switch. Most newer homes will have a neutral wire but it is just easier when you don't have to connect the neutral. It saves time and space in the junction box. Note: All existing neutral wires will be tied together and it can be challenging to add another wire to this bundle. - Wi-Fi connection can be weak based on location in the home and some wall plates can impede Wi-Fi as well. The few switches I installed worked but I do have extenders in place for full coverage. Lutron Pros: - Uses Hub - I find the Hub a positive because it reduces the number of Wi-Fi devices on my network. It is quick and surprisingly the Hub reaches my entire home without a Hub Extender! - The dimmers do not require a connection to a neutral wire. - Looks to have more devices available. I am using the Lutron Caseta Smart, Plug-In Lamp Dimmer for lamps. Purchase the one with Pico which is only $5 more. The Pico separately is almost $20 Lutron Neg: - Single Pole switch requires a neutral wire connection. - Only have White switch options (Other options coming later) - Cost more than Leviton - Have to have a Hub. The negative would be the extra cost of the hub. Suggest purchasing a Hub, switch kit. It is less money than just the Hub and you get a dimmer and Pico switch. - Still have to use the Pico design accessory switch for 4-Way Switches and remote locations. The newer Rocker design is coming. Not sure when though. I started to use the Leviton smart switches because that was the only option using the Rocker switch design. Though I preferred the Hub option of the Lutron I wanted all my switches to match and did not like the Pico switch design. Weeks later Lutron came out with the Rocker design and I changed over to Lutron. I am happier not needed to connect to a neutral and feel the Hub works better. Good luck with your project.

The Eve device is just a switch - not a dimmer. That's ok, but if you wanted switches and dimmers all with the same design aesthetic, Eve doesn't currently offer a solution for that. Sure wish they did though.

This will be interesting. I don't think it makes sense to compare the Lutron Diva to the Eve switch. As Brian says, one is a dimmer, and one is a switch. It would make more sense to compare the new Lutron Claro switch to the new Eve Switch. Both require a neutral. Both can work in 3 way switch setups. One requires a hub, one doesn't. The Eve should also be a bit cheaper. As far as specs go, they look very similar. Might just come down to if you are already invested in the Lutron system and/or price. As soon as I get my hands on the Eve switch, I'll do a review and I'm sure make some comparisons.

Oh no, that's not good. Yea you definitely only want to use smart switches that are intended for your region. US uses 120V and UK uses 240V

Yes that’s correct.

no need for pico remote. you can use the old switch or their new accessory switch.

You might be able to use the Claro on/off switch but the dimmer would probably introduce issues.

I have been using them with dimmable LED bulbs. You can check the bulb compatibility checker link in the video description for more. These should not be used with a fan. I would use the Lutron Caseta fan switches for a ceiling fan.

I agree. These should be much easier to use in the dark.

The Hue and Caseta motion sensors work really well, and you can place them in a better spot for detecting motion than the location where the switch is.

Same!

Am I the only person who wants more contemporary/futuristic looks in a smart switch? The ONLY one I've found yet that ticks those boxes for me is the Eve switch. Everything is either ugly or just looks like a normal switch. Which to me seems boring :) I must be alone though given the product space.

@@JohnVanderbeck I like futuristic looks as well but my wife who is reluctant to trying new tech prevents me from going all out on futuristic switches. Those can be reserved for the office/ man cave 😂

The purchase link is now live on Home Depot: geni.us/LutronDivaHD

Yes

That's a good question. I haven't heard anything about that. Would be nice. I can ask and try to find out. Lutron is usually pretty quiet about new and upcoming products. They don't seem to make any "promises" so they probably wouldn't mention it until it's ready to ship, even if they do have plans.

Wouldn't the dimmer switch work for fan speed control (If you have 2 separate switches for light and fan)?

if you want a remote

the switches form a mesh network that communicates back to the hub. the switches don't connect to wifi. only the hub connects to your home network (with ethernet not wifi).

No, smart switches and smart bulbs generally don't play well together.

@@ShaneCreates Thanks, the ugly switch life continues 😩

I believe that will be the newly unreleased Accessory Switch.

@@petersonfamily6223 The accessory switch seems to be for existing wired applications.

😂 😂

That's totally the reason. It's ridiculous.

There are many non smart Diva switches. Look specifically for the Caseta Diva switch.