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Smart Lighting Guide

The Complete Smart Lighting Guide

Ultimate convenience!

Save money!

Conserve Energy!

Make your home safer!

That sounds like a cheesy infomercial, but smart lights can actually deliver on all of these promises. I enjoy these benefits in my house today, but it wasn’t always that way. It is critical that you choose the right products and set them up in the right way or you won’t get the full benefits that smart home lighting can provide. This smart lighting guide will ensure that you don’t make the same mistakes I made.

Smart Lighting Guide Introduction

I wrote this smart lighting guide to share the tips, tricks and pitfalls to avoid when building a smart lighting system in your home. In this smart lighting guide, you will find answers to questions such as:

  1. When should I use smart light bulbs vs. smart light switches vs. smart plugs?
  2. Should I automate my lights using timers, motion sensors or contact sensors? How?
  3. Should I set up voice control for my lights?
  4. Which lighting products should I use?
  5. How can I save money with smart lights?

This guide answers these questions and many others. If you have a specific question that wasn’t answered, please post it to the comments section and I will do my best to help you get an answer. I want this smart lighting guide to help as many people as possible!

Use the Index!

This smart lighting guide contains a lot of information. Use the index below to jump to the topic you want to learn more about (or read the entire guide if you really want to).

Smart Home Lighting Benefits (Section 1)

Smart Lights in Your Home

Lighting is arguably the most critical element in your smart home. Every person that enters your home will interact with your lights. This interaction should be as natural and easy as any “dumb” (traditional) lights found in most homes.

However, your smart lights should offer an unexpected level of convenience that wows your family and guests. And I don’t mean wow them with something that is extravagant and over the top. I mean your smart lighting system should wow them with simplicity and usefulness.

But remember, a simple and useful smart lighting setup offers much more than just convenience. Done correctly, your smart lights should make your home safer, more energy efficient and simply more enjoyable.

Your smart lighting system should wow guests with simplicity and usefulness.

The next three sections of the smart lighting guide explain how I use smart lighting in my home for convenience, energy savings and safety. The rest of the smart lighting guide will show you how to set up your home in a similar way.

But beyond this guide, endless possibilities exist for how you can customize your smart home lighting. After reading this smart lighting guide, you will have the knowledge you need to build the perfect smart home lighting system for your home.

Smart Lighting and Convenience

Most people start looking at smart lights for the convenience they provide (plus it is just cool!). We see futuristic homes in the movies and are intrigued at the thought of having technology serve us in such a magical way. Well the future is now! Whether you live in a house, apartment, condo or dorm, you can enjoy the benefits of smart lights.

When I think about the convenience of smart lighting, I think about control. The light bulb and light switch were invented all the way back in the 1800s. Since then, light bulbs have greatly improved in life and energy usage, but the light switch is pretty much the same.

A standard light switch on the wall remains useful and has a place in our smart homes today. But other options for controlling the lights – such as an app on your phone, voice control, or full automation with motion and contact sensors – provide a leap forward in convenience.

How Convenient (life in a smart home):

  • Your front porch light turns on a sunset and off at sunrise and automatically adjusts to changes in the length of day.
  • You walk into your home (hands full of grocery bags) and the lamps, fireplace accent lights and kitchen under cabinet lights turn on to light your way.
  • You say “turn on the kitchen lights” and all the lights turn on at full brightness so that you can see to put the groceries away.
  • After putting away the groceries, you say “turn on TV lighting” so the kitchen lights turn off, the lamps dim to 40% and the fireplace accent lights dim and turn to a blue hue perfect for watching TV.
  • You walk up stairs and the hallway lights automatically turn on lighting your path. 
  • 15 minutes later, the lamps, fireplace lights and all other lights downstairs turn off since no motion is detected.
  • In your bedroom, you say “turn on relax lighting” and the bedroom lamps turn to a soft, white light perfect for reading a book before bed.
  • When you finish reading, you lie down on your pillow and say “turn off the lights” and everything shuts off without you having to get out of bed.

The above example paints a picture of what daily life can be like with a smart lighting system in your home. The convenience alone makes an investment in smart lights worth it. The next two benefits just make the decision even easier…

Smart Lighting and Energy Efficiency (My Savings)

I was completely shocked at how much money I saved by installing smart lights in my home. I admit, I started my project for the conveniences discussed above. However, I have a background in finance so I was curious if the investment I was making into my smart home provided any measurable impact on our monthly budget.

I expected some impact to our monthly energy usage so I tracked it for the 12 months before and the 12 months after installing smart lighting and automation in our home.The chart below shows my monthly energy bill before and after installing and automating the smart lights in our home.

Energy Savings for a DIY Smart Home
Smart Home Energy Savings

Every single monthshowed a savings compared to the same month the prior year (orange is before and blue is after). The average monthly savings during this time was $28.99 per month. You are not going to change your retirement plans with these savings, but it shows that the cost of building your smart home will be partially offset by energy savings.

Those monthly savings add up really fast! Plus, there is a benefit to the environment by using less energy, which is always a good thing. Just follow this smart lighting guide to learn how.

How do you save money with smart lights?

  1. Smart light bulbs are usually LED lights, which are approximately 75% more efficient than incandescent lights. If you haven’t upgraded to LED lights yet, then you will see savings as soon as you screw in the new bulb.
  2. Use motion sensors to turn off your smart light switches and bulbs when nobody is in a room.
  3. Use geolocation on your phone to turn off the lights when everyone leaves.
  4. Schedule lights to turn on and off based on time. No more leaving the front porch light on all day!

I discuss these items and more later in this smart lighting guide so you know what to use, when to use it and how to set it up. Now let me share with you how these features and others can improve safety and security in your home.

Smart Lighting for Safety and Security

Darkness is scary! If you watch a horror show, the scary scenes aren’t typically in the middle of a sunny day. Instead, they take place in darkest basement you have ever seen. Unfortunately, darkness seems to attract the bad guys and cause more accidents. The good news is that smart lights in your home can improve both safety and security.

Smart Lights and Safety

Imagine never having to stumble through a dark room again! That is one the greatest benefits that automated smart lighting will have in your home. Accidents occur when you step on things, run into things (everyone hates stubbed toes!), or miss that last step because you can’t see.

Philips Hue Kit – Amazon Price

When you set up your smart lights correctly, your lights will be on when you need them…automatically. Smart lights such as Philips Hue can also communicate important information to you about your home. For example, I have a water sensor in my basement by the sump pump. If that sensor detects water then all the Hue light bulbs in my home turn red to alert me to an issue.

Smart Lights and Security

Lighting plays an important role in your home security. However, just leaving lights on isn’t effective in deterring crime. Studies actually show that that leaving your lights on can attract burglars to your home. What works is motion activated lights and light timers. Both of these items are part of your smart lighting solution and are easy to set up in your home by following this smart lighting guide.

Set up your smart lights for improved safety and security:
  1. Automate your lights with motion sensors and contract sensors so you never walk into a dark home or room again.
  2. Have a color changing light bulb in each room that can turn red if a door is left open, water is detected, etc.
  3. Setup a dusk to dawn timer on your front porch light.
  4. Schedule your lights to turn on and off randomly when you are away on vacation.

Smart Lighting Benefits Summary

There are many benefits to installing smart lighting in your home: Convenience, Energy Savings. Safety and Security. Whether you are interested in one or all of these benefits, you will be happy with your investment. The next step is making sure you choose the right products and set them up in the right way. The remaining sections of this smart lighting guide walk you through that process.

Smart Lighting Products and Systems​ (Section 2)

As you learned above, there are an incredible number of benefits for adding smart lights to your home. The products you choose and your approach to setting them up will determine just how beneficial they will be in your home.

In this section of the smart lighting guide, we focus on choosing the right type of smart lighting products for your project. The primary questions we answer are:

  1. What specific smart lighting product, system or solution is best for you?
  2. When should I use smart light bulbs vs. smart light switches vs. smart plugs?

Do I Need a Smart Home Hub?

The first decision is whether or not you will add a smart home hub such as Samsung SmartThings to your setup. A smart home controller is NOT required to setup your smart lighting. However, I highly recommend it due to the low cost, expanded product choices, and large increase in automation options. 

Smart Hub Questionnaire

Answer the following questions to determine if you should add a smart home hub to your setup:

  1. Do you want to expand smart lighting to lamps and switches in multiple rooms throughout your home?
  2. Do you want to turn on your lights and lamps with motion detection or when doors open?
  3. Are you interested in adding other products such as automatic blinds, connected door locks, garage door controllers or water sensors?

If you answered yes to even one of the questions above, then it is worth the minimal investment to build your smart lighting including a home controller. The home automation hub that I recommend and use in my home is the Samsung SmartThings controller. 

Samsung SmartThings Hub – Amazon Price

If you answered no to all of these questions, then you will probably be OK with setting up your smart lighting with just a phone app or a smart speaker such as Amazon Echo. If you choose this approach then you should choose cloud or WIFI based devices in the recommendations listed below.

Smart Home Lighting Product Choices

Once you have decided whether or not to use a smart home hub in your home, you can start selecting your lighting products. 

Your choices include light bulbs, light switches and outlet plugs that are offered by many different companies. You will find that these products use multiple technologies such as Z-Wave, ZigBee, WIFI, and bluetooth to communicate. If you use a smart home hub, then you can mix and match multiple products and technologies that are all controlled by your hub. If you don’t use a hub then you are mostly limited to WIFI and cloud based products. 

My home uses the Samsung SmartThings hub and I strongly recommend that you build your project using this controller too. Each product listed in the recommendations below will state whether or not a smart home hub is needed. 

Smart Light Bulbs or Smart Light Switches or Smart Plugs

Where do you start?

It is critical that you select the right type of product for each light in your home. Bulbs, switches and plugs all have a place in your smart home, but your project will fail if you choose the wrong product. 

…your project will fail if you choose the wrong product.

That last statement might sound like an exaggeration, but its not. If you put smart light bulbs in the main ceiling light of your room, I guarantee a guest or family member will turn off the light switch. As soon as the power is switched off, your smart light bulbs are useless and all of your automation will fail.

This is a perfect example of why you have to choose the right products for each light in your home. You can review each section of the smart lighting guide below to help choose the right product for your situation.

Smart Lights Bulbs

Starting a new lighting project?

Ready to expand smart lights throughout your entire house?

I recommend that you start your lighting project with smart bulbs. Smart bulbs are the fastest, easiest and cheapest way to add or expand smart lighting throughout your home. 

Smart bulbs are the fastest, easiest and cheapest way to add or expand smart lighting throughout your home.

Dimmable white LED bulbs can be purchased for around $10 each, which makes it relatively cheap to add them throughout your home. Put a bulb in a lamp in each room and you can quickly automate your entire home.

Lamps, recessed lights and accents lights are the lights you want to turn on automatically with motion sensors. They provide the right amount of light for you to walk through a room, without blasting your eyes with the bright lights.

When should I use smart bulbs?

Smart light bulbs should be used in single bulb lamps, accent lighting and other secondary lighting sources in your rooms. Try to avoid using them in the primary ceiling lights. Smart bulbs require the power source to be on constantly.

It is easy to control the power in lamps and accent lighting since they aren’t controlled with a wall switch. Lights that are controlled with a wall switch will eventually get turned off, which will immediately render your bulbs useless for wireless control and home automation.

What options and choices do I have with smart bulbs?

Smart bulbs are available in many size and color options. Just about every style of bulb you use in your home today can be replaced with a smart bulb.

Bulbs styles include:

  • A19 – This is the standard size of most light bulbs in your home.
  • BR30 – This is the type of bulb typically found in recessed lights and down lights.
  • E12 – This is the decorative candle style bulb.
  • Plus many others including some outdoor lights.

Finding the correct size of bulb shouldn’t be an issue. The biggest decision will be selecting the right type of bulb for your needs. This smart lighting guides shows you the main types of smart bulbs you will find and where you should use each type:

Dimmable White:

These are standard dimmable light bulbs that have a fixed temperature (warm white, cool white, etc.).

  1. Cheapest of all smart bulbs. You can often get bulbs for $10 each when you buy them in multi-packs.
  2. Use them to expand smart lighting broadly throughout your home.
Dimmable and Adjustable White:

These are dimmable light bulbs with a temperature that can be changed anywhere from warm white to cool white.

  1. More expensive than standard dimmable white bulbs. Expect to pay around $25 per bulb.
  2. Use them where you do multiple types of activities. Set the lights to warm white when you want to relax or set them to a bright white to study or energize the room for working out.
  3. Consider upgrading to a full color bulb to have more options.
Dimmable Color:

These are dimmable bulbs that can be set to millions of different colors or the full range of white (warm to cool).

  1. The most flexible but the most expensive of all bulbs. Expect to pay around $40 per bulb. The best price is available in starter packs and multi-packs.
  2. Use them in entertainment areas to set the perfect mood. For example, watching TV with a blue hue and a 40% dim level on the lights is perfect.
  3. Use them in primary rooms throughout your home for notifications. For example, have a light turn red when a door is left open or water is detected.

Smart Bulb Technology, Installation and Setup

Smart light bulbs are are easiest of all lighting choices for your home. If you can screw in a lightbulb then you can install a smart light bulb. The complete setup depends upon your choice of technology.

Some bulbs, such as Philips Hue, connect to a light hub or gateway that is included with the starter kits. With this setup, the bulbs connect to the light hub using a ZigBee mesh network and the light hub connects to your phone, smart speakers, or home automation controller (SmartThings, etc.) through the cloud or your local area network (LAN). I recommend this approach for the majority of your smart bulbs due to stability. Home automation triggers, timers, and scenes will continue to operate with this setup even if the internet is down.

Other bulbs, such as Lifx, connect to your WIFI network. These devices don’t need a light hub or gateway, but the downside is they rely on the quality and reliability of your WIFI network and router. In many cases, these smart bulbs will lose their ability to function as programmed if the internet is down. However, they can still be turned on and off like a normal bulb. I believe this choice of product is best for small lighting projects that are not critical to the home.

The Best Smart Light Bulb

Philips Hue is the smart bulb you will find in my home. The combination of price, selection and integration with other products is unbeatable.

I recommend that you start with the Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance Starter Kit to begin your Hue system. This kit includes the Philips Hue Hub and 3 or 4 color changing bulbs at a price lower than buying the bulbs by themselves. This kit will allow you to place bulbs throughout your home so you can get visual notifications for events.

The Philips Hue White A19 (4 Pack) is a great value. I consider it the fastest and cheapest way to expand smart lighting throughout your home. These bulbs work with Bluetooth or the Philips Hue Hub, which can be purchase separately or in a starter kit.

My recommendation for the best smart light bulb is Philips Hue by Signify. Philips Hue has more smart lighting options than any other company today. They are constantly innovating and adding more products, which allows you to expand using the same technology and setup.

Philips Hue uses a light hub or gateway that can connect up to 50 bulbs and 12 accessories. The hub connects to the individual light bulbs using ZigBee mesh network. If you choose to use SmartThings as your home automation controller, then it will connect with your Hue hub through your LAN. That means even if the internet is down, your Philips Hue light bulbs will continue to function with home automation triggers (motion, etc.), timers, scenes, etc.

Everyone Agrees…

Philips Hue is recommended by almost all tech sites as the best smart bulb. 

wirecutter:
Our Pick – “The Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance A19 bulbs are the best all-around smart bulbs you can buy.” 

TechHive:
Editor’s Choice – “The Hue is a top-shelf bulb.”

the ambient:
“Hue remains the undisputed heavyweight king”

Smart Home Focus:​
Used in My Home – “Philips Hue is the smart bulb you will find in my home.” Read my full Philips Hue review.

Smart Light Bulb Summary

Best Choice:  Philips Hue White and Color
WIFI Choice:  LIFX Light Bulb

Use:
  • In single bulb lamps, recessed lights and accent lights
  • Color bulbs in entertainment areas for perfect ambiance (TV lighting, etc.)
  • Color bulbs for smart home notifications (door left open, water detected, etc.)
  • White bulbs as the cheapest way to expand smart lighting through your house
Avoid:
  • Using in primary ceiling lighting controlled by a wall switch (no power = useless)
  • Smart bulbs in lamps with 2 or more bulbs due to cost (possibly use a switch or plug)

Smart Light Switches

Smart light switches are the best choice for your primary home lighting.

Ceiling lights. Ceiling fan lights. Pendant lights. Chandeliers.

These lights are usually the primary task lighting in your room and they are controlled with wall switches. Smart switches work like traditional toggle or paddle light switches on the wall. However, they can also be automated, included in lighting scenes, and controlled with an app or smart speaker.

Smart switches are the perfect blend of traditional lighting and smart lighting in your home. Guests can use the switches like usual without messing up your automation routines. This smart lighting guide will show you the best way to use smart light switches.

When should I use smart light switches?

You don’t need to replace every light switch in your home with a smart switch. If you replace a switch, it should serve a purpose in your home automation. 

Here is a list of places where you should install smart switches:

  1. Primary Rooms – If you spend a lot of time in a room, then it is a perfect candidate for a smart switch. These lights will be used a lot and they can be turned off automatically when motion isn’t detected for 15 minutes. This will save you some money!
  2. Entertainment Areas – Family rooms, basements and home theatre rooms should have the main lighting connected to a smart wall switch. The ceiling lights are usually on in these rooms when you are getting ready to watch TV. However, you will want to turn these lights off as part of a scene. For example, I have a “TV Lighting” scene that turns off the main ceiling lights, turn my lamps and recessed lights to 40%, and changes the color of those lights to blue. Perfect for watching TV!
  3. Hallways (high traffic areas) – You should automate the lights in your hallways, foyer and other small rooms that have a lot of foot traffic. In most cases, these lights are connected to a switch that can be triggered by a motion sensor to turn on and then off again in 2 minutes. This is one of the most useful lighting automation in your home.
  4. Garages – Garages and any other room that always has the lights on when you are present should have a smart switch. These lights can be triggered to turn on with a door contact sensor, motion sensor or a combination of both. My garage lights turn on when I open the garage entry door because I need the garage lights on if I’m in that room. I also have a motion sensor that turns the lights back off when I leave.
What is right for you?

There really isn’t a wrong place to put a smart switch, but it should provide some value to you with automation. I don’t have my restrooms or kids bedrooms automated (maybe they will learn some responsibility). However, I can see the value in automating the restroom lights for those late night trips. You should automate the light switches that will provide you with the most benefit.

What options and choices do I have with smart light switches?

Smart lights switches come in two primary choices: on/off switches and dimmer switches.

  1. On/Off Switches – These switches are the cheaper option of the two and are perfect for rooms or switches that don’t need a dimmer. I use standard on/off switches for the garage lights, front porch light and some entry areas.
  2. Dimmer Switches – Dimmers are a little more expensive, but they are worth installing in your primary rooms. I find that smart home dimmer switches are used more than traditional dimmer switches because they can be used in lighting scenes. For example, you can set a “relax lighting” scene that dims the room lights to 40% or a “workout” scene that brightens everything to 100%. Also, you can dim the lights with the switch, a smart speaker, or through automation scenes and routines with most products. Lots of options!

Other Smart Switch Questions

What about 3-way smart switches? 

Many brands offer add-on smart switches for a much lower price so you can setup 3-way or 4-way lighting switches.

What design choices are available with smart switches?​

Every brand has its own style, but most switches are available in traditional white and almond colors. You can also choose between paddle switches and toggle switches depending on the style of your home. The paddle switches act more like a button push than a traditional paddle, which doesn’t feel natural to some people.

What about switches for ceiling fans?

Smart switches can be used for things other than lighting. They even make specific switches just for ceiling fans. Just make sure to check the wattage and amp limits of the switch. Higher wattage switches are available for powerful appliances such as microwaves, space heaters and coffee makers.

Smart Switch Technology, Installation and Setup

Smart switches aren’t any harder to install than a regular light switch, but you do have to work with wires and electricity. There are many videos available online showing how to install a light switch, and it only take about 15 minutes. However, if that is something you are not comfortable with then definitely find a friend or a professional to help. Electricity can be very dangerous!

Is your home wired correctly for smart switches?

Most smart switches require a neutral wire at the box. However, some older homes only have two wire setups for the line and load (typically black wires). The neutral wire is usually a white wire, which is the third wire in our setup. I recommend that you read more and review diagrams on smart light switch wiring to understand your options. Smart switches are also larger than a regular switch so you should make sure you have room in the box. Again, some older homes were installed with very small switch boxes.

In addition, you should pay attention to the technology used by the switch for communication. Your primary choices are Z-Wave, ZigBee or WIFI. WIFI is a good choice for small, simple installations where you just want to control a light with your voice or phone.

You will need a home automation hub such as Samsung SmartThings to control Z-Wave or ZigBee devices. Your mesh network of smart home devices will be stronger with more devices using the same technology. Most smart switches will act as a repeater, which will extend the range of your mesh network. 

The Best Smart Light Switch

The GE Z Wave Smart Switch is my choice for the best smart switch based on quality, reliability and price.

The GE Z-Wave smart lighting dimmer switch is my recommendation. Add smart home control and automation to your existing lights. This product also acts as a Z-Wave repeater to extend the range of your smart home products. A neutral wire is required for installation.

Quality – GE is a name we know and can trust. I want to be comfortable that any electrical product in my walls is safe.

Reliability ZWave and ZWave Plus is one of the leading smart home technologies found in millions of devices.

Price – GE isn’t the cheapest product, but it is the best value smart switch on the market.

The GE Smart Switch simply works. It also blends into your home like any other light switch. The switch comes in multiple colors (white, almond, black, brown, etc.) that match the standard colors found in other devices and wall plates. This allows you to mix it with regular switches while still maintaining a seamless look. The switch has a blue LED on the bottom that can be illuminated when the light is off, on or never. This is easily customizable in the settings area within your home controller.

I have multiple GE Smart Switches in my home and they are very reliable, which makes it easy for me to recommend them in this smart lighting guide. I have used some of them for a few years and I can’t recall a single time when the Z-Wave smart home connection failed. The switch is fast and the lights turn on instantly. You can dim the lights with the switch by holding the paddle down or up, with your voice using a smart speaker (Alexa) or through your home automation app on your phone.

The bottom line: You will be hard pressed to find a z-wave light switch that provides more value than the GE Z Wave Smart Switch.

Who Else Agrees…

GE Smart Switches are reviewed and recommended by several technology sites. However, what I find more interesting is when the GE Switch isn’t part of a review for smart switches. In these reviews, you will find several comments at the end of the article from users like you and me recommending these devices.

reviewed.com:
“Our pick for the best Z-Wave switch goes to the GE Z-Wave In-Wall Smart Switch”

Smart Home Focus:
Used in My Home – “GE is the best smart switch based on quality, reliability and price.”

Smart Switch Summary

Best Choice: GE Z-Wave Plus Smart Light Dimmer
WIFI Choice:  Leviton Decora Smart Wi-Fi

Use:
  • Primary room lighting including ceiling lights, ceiling fan lights, pendant lights and chandeliers
  • Lights in hallways and other walkways in your home (great automation location) 
  • Entertainment and TV areas so they can be included in lighting “scenes”
  • Garage and automate your lights with a door contact sensor
  • To create a dusk to dawn light on your front porch
Avoid:
  • Replacing every light switch in your home; it is not necessary
  • Using a smart switch and smart bulbs together, which would be a waste of money
Considerations:
  • ​Make sure your home has a neutral wire and plenty of room available in the switch box
  • Z-Wave switches require a smart home automation hub such as Samsung SmartThings

Smart Light Plugs

The third option for smart home lighting is a smart plug. These devices simply plug into any existing wall outlet in your home. After that, you can plug your lamp into the smart plug, which makes it a smart lamp. Using the smart plug, you can turn the lamp on/off or even dim the light depending on the plug you use. Smart plugs can also be used to turn on or off any other device that plugs into an outlet. This smart lighting guide will show you the best ways to use smart light plugs.

Smart Plugs vs. Smart Outlets

Smart plugs and smart outlets perform the exact same function. However, smart outlets are a more permanent solution and they are much more difficult to install. 

I recommend using smart plugs instead of outlets due to ease of use and portability.

I recommend using smart plugs instead of outlets due to ease of use and portability. A lot of smart plugs are very small so you don’t have to worry about them being an eyesore in your home. If you decide to move your lamp then you can move the smart plug in seconds. 

When should I use smart light plugs?

Smart light plugs are perfect for filling the gap where smart light bulbs fall short. There are three primary situations where smart plugs are the best solution.

  1. Multiple Light Bulb Lamps – Lamps with a single bulb should be automated with a smart bulb. However, lamps with two or more bulbs should be automated with a smart plug. This is the cheapest option with the best performance.
  2. Under Cabinet Lights – If you already have under cabinet lighting, then you can make it smart by adding a plug. Under cabinet lighting is perfect for automating with motion. It provide ambiance to the room and enough light to navigate through the kitchen.
  3. Specialty Bulbs and Lamps – If your lamp has a unique bulb or sealed bulb, then use a smart plug to automate it. Smart bulbs come in many options, but you can automate any lamp with a smart plug.

What options and choices do I have with smart light plugs?

There is an ever increasing number of smart plug choices. The options you have when selecting a smart plug generally fall into three groups: Function, Capability and Size.

Function – What can a smart plug do?

All smart plugs can turn a lamp on or off, but some plugs also have the ability to dim a light. Another common function you will find is an energy monitor. Plugs with an energy monitor report on the wattage used by the device plugged into it. This information can be used in automation routines if you use a smart home controller. For example, receive a notification when a device turns on or off.

Capability – What can I can control? Where can I use a smart plug?

Smart plugs are great for controlling lamps, but they can also be used for turning on or off any device plugged into them. For example, use a smart plug to turn on a floor fan with your voice or through home automation. If a device has simple on or off controls then it can be controlled with your smart plug. Just make sure that you buy a plug that is rated for higher wattage/amperage if the device needs it (space heater, coffee maker, crock pot, etc.).

Turn on the holiday lights with your phone, your voice or automatically using a smart home controller.

Most people only think of indoor smart plugs. However, there are also smart plugs that are waterproof and can be used outdoors. Outdoor plugs are great for controlling and automating holiday lights. You will find it extremely convenient to turn on the holiday lights with your phone, your voice or automatically using a smart home controller.

Size – Does the shape and size of you smart plug matter?

The shape and size of your smart plug can be a big factor when selecting the best product for your home. Most plugs have one outlet, but some plugs have two or more. Buying a multi-outlet plug could be a great choice if you need more than one smart outlet in the area.

You should also consider whether or not the smart plug will interfere with other standard outlets in a duplex. The size of some smart plugs won’t allow you to use the second outlet or will limit the size of plug that can fit. 

Smart Plug Technology, Installation and Setup

Installation of a smart plug is as simple as plugging it into your outlet. You will then follow a simple process of pairing the device to your smart home hub or connecting it to your WIFI network. Your technology choices are basically the same as a smart light switch: Z-Wave, ZigBee and WIFI. Use WIFI for simple setups and Z-Wave or ZigBee with a home hub like SmartThings for a more capable solution. Smart plugs typically act as a repeater for your Z-Wave and ZigBee mesh networks so they are a great way to expand the reach of your home controller. Being a powered device, the smart plug is a perfect device to act as a repeater and I highly recommend using the ZigBee or Z-Wave option in your setup.

The Best Smart Light Plug

The best smart plug for your advanced smart home is the Samsung SmartThings Outlet.

I use the SmartThings ZigBee smart outlet in my home. Turn on / off any device that plugs into an outlet. Use this to control existing under cabinet lights, floor fans, lamps, etc. This device acts as a ZibBee repeater, which makes your mesh network stronger.

This is a ZigBee device that requires a home automation hub to operate. This device is perfectly paired with the Samsung SmartThings Hub, which allows you to create a fully automated smart home. The SmartThings Outlet is a premium performer with virtually zero delay in turning a device on or off when triggered. Additionally, the device is a repeater of the ZigBee mesh network, which expands and strengthens your network. This is a great device to add to your smart home.

Who Else Agrees…

Surprisingly, I looked at the mainstream review sites and the only devices they reviewed were WIFI based devices. I like WIFI devices for simple setups, but I think this is a big miss by other sites not recommending ZigBee of Z-Wave devices for more advanced smart homes that use a home controller. Article and forum comments by smart home users and enthusiasts will agree that you should use ZigBee or Z-Wave smart plugs if you home uses an home automation hub.

Smart Home Focus:
Used in My Home – “For advanced smart homes using a hub, the SmartThings Outlet is the best ZigBee smart light plug ”

That being said, several sites and customers agree that TP Link makes the best best WIFI smart plug: the TP-Link Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini.

tomsguide.com:
Editor’s Choice – “…easy to use and has a robust set of features”

reviewed.com:
Editor’s Choice – “…a lot more elegant than its cumbersome name would suggest.”

Smart Plug Summary

Best Choice:  Samsung SmartThings Outlet (ZigBee protocol – requires hub)
WIFI Choice:  Kasa TP-Link Smart Plug Mini
Best Outdoor Choice:  GE Z-Wave Plus Smart Outdoor Switch (Z-Wave protocol – requires hub)

Use:
  • In multi-bulb lamps where it is too costly for smart bulbs.
  • To control your existing under cabinet lighting.
  • In lamps with specialty bulbs.
  • To control and automate interior and exterior holiday lights.
Avoid:
  • Using to control standard single bulb lamps. A smart plug will work, but a smart bulb is a much cheaper solution.
Considerations:
  • ​If you use a smart home hub, then buy a smart plug that will act as a repeater for your ZigBee or Z-Wave mesh network.

Smart Lighting Products Summary

Bulbs, switches and plugs. There are a lot of lighting products to choose from for your smart home. Choosing the wrong products or technology will only lead to frustration and eventually you will stop using them. Follow the smart lighting guide above to ensure you select the right products for your home and experience all the benefits of smart lighting.

Smart Lighting Voice Control and Automation (Section 3)

Once you have the right products, you should focus on setting them up in the right way to fully experience the benefits of smart lighting. This smart lighting guide will show you how.

The two best ways to control your smart lights are voice control and automation. I recommend setting up voice control with a smart speaker such as Amazon Echo and automation using a smart home hub such as Samsung SmartThings.

Voice Control of Your Lights

Most people already have a smart speaker such as Amazon Echo (Alexa) or Google Home. These devices are great for questions, timers, weather and other information. But they really show their potential when they are integrated with your smart home for voice control.

I strongly recommend the Amazon Echo Dot, which has been sold for as little as $25 per device. At this price, you have the ability to add smart speakers throughout your home without breaking the bank.

Voice Control and Alexa (My Choice)

Alexa (Echo devices) make it easy to control the lights you want. My favorite feature is the ability to associate specific lights in your home to one of your Echo devices.

After setting this up, you can simply say “Alexa, turn on the lights” and the lights you selected will turn on. If you are in the bedroom then the bedroom lamps come on. If you are in the living room then the living room lights come on. This makes it easy for guests to use the smart lighting voice control. Everyone can remember the command “turn on the lights”.

Alexa also allows you to create light groups and custom voice commands (links to a smart lighting guide detailing this process).

Light groups make it easy to pair lights together that are usually controlled together. For example, I have light groups for “Bedroom Lamps” and “Fireplace Lights” since I want both bedroom lamps and both fireplace recessed lights to turn on at the same time.

Custom commands allow you to create any voice command you want to activate a lighting scene. The favorite scene in my home is “TV Lighting”. This command shuts off the main lights in the room, dims the lamps to 40% brightness and sets the color to blue for just the right ambiance. You can create anything!

Here are some smart lighting guides to learn more about setting up your Echo device for voice controlled lights:

Smart Lighting Automation

Voice control of your lights is cool, but do you know what is even better? Lighting automation. If you only control your smart lights with an app on your phone or with a smart speaker, then you are missing out on one of the greatest benefits of a smart home. 

If you only control your smart lights with an app on your phone or with a smart speaker, then you are missing out on one of the greatest benefits of a smart home.

Smart lighting automation ticks all the boxes for convenience, energy savings and security. These benefits are the primary reason I recommend setting your smart home up with a home automation hub such as SmartThings. With a home automation controller, you can build all of the advanced lighting automation and scenes to achieve these benefits.

What do you need?

If you want to automate your lights, you need three items: 1) smart light bulbs, switches or plugs, 2) something to trigger the lights and 3) a controller to define what happens when the trigger occurs.

You already know the best bulbs, switches and plugs to use and when to use them from the previous section of the smart lighting guide. The next step is selecting the correct trigger for your lights. Any device connected to you smart home can trigger a light (for example, a water sensor), but there are three primary triggers that you will use.

Lighting Automation Triggers:
  1. Motion Sensors – Motion sensors are the most common and useful device to trigger lights. Motion based sensors are great because they can turn a light on with motion, but they can also trigger a light to turn off if no motion is detected for a time. 
  2. Contact Sensors – Contact sensors are commonly used on doors to turn on a light when the door is opened. This is a great option for rooms like garages or pantries.
  3. Time Based Triggers – Time based triggers are perfect for dusk to dawn lights on a front porch or exterior holiday lights. Time triggers are also useful when combined with other sensors. For example, only turn on lights from a motion sensor from 30 minutes before sunset to 30 minutes after sunrise.
If This Then That

Once you have your lights and triggers, you can set up the lighting automation in your smart home controller. The smart home controller allows you to create IF THIS THEN THAT types of logic to control the lights. For example, IF the living room motion sensor is triggered THEN turn the lights on to 80%.

Home automation hubs like SmartThings make this type of automation easy and they can do much more complex actions. Here is an example from my home:

IF
the family room motion sensor is triggered
AND
the time is between sunset and sunrise (its dark)
THEN
set the recessed fireplace lights to white at 40% dim level
set the family room lamp to white at 40% dim level
turn on the kitchen under cabinet lights
set the kitchen lamp to white at 40% dim level
ALSO
turn off all lights if motion is not detected for 15 minutes

You can easily create the perfect automation routines or scenes for your purposes with the right products. I recommend that you use a home automation controller so you can create reliable and complex automation as shown above. The home automation controller also expands your product choices and works with a lot of devices even if you internet is down.

How to Automate Your Lights

If you set up your smart lighting correctly, your family and guests will seamlessly enjoy all the benefits and convenience offered by smart lighting. If you set up your smart lighting automation incorrectly, you will irritate your family and guests and you will eventually default back to standard dumb lights. 

Don’t irritate your family or guests!

I made the mistakes and had to completely redo my lighting automation. At one point, my family wanted me to turn off the automation so they could just control the lights the old way. It is even more difficult to design your automation in a way that is usable and understandable by guests. However, this smart lighting guide will show you the right products, setup and implementation so you can build smart lighting that is enjoyed by everyone.

There are 3 main elements to consider when setting up your smart home lighting:

  1. Primary Lighting Automation – ceiling lights, ceiling fan lights, chandeliers, pendants, etc.
  2. Secondary Lighting Automation – lamps, under cabinet lights, recessed lights, etc.
  3. Lighting Scenes – A combination of lights with specific settings for a mood or purpose

Secondary Lighting Automation

Yes. I intentionally started the smart lighting guide with secondary lighting automation because these are the lights you should automate based on motion. Secondary lights are the lamps, under cabinet lights, recessed lights and other accent lights in your home. These lights are perfect for motion based automation because they give you enough light to see without blasting you with bright lights. 

In My Home

My home has an open concept living room and kitchen. I have a motion sensor monitoring this area that is positioned in a way that covers all entrances into the room. When this motion sensor is triggered, my kitchen under cabinet lights are turned on, my recessed fireplace accent lights are turned on, and my family room and kitchen lamps are turned on. These lights are turned on at 40% brightness so it always provides a relaxing level of lighting. If I want it brighter, I can ask Alexa to turn on the primary room lighting or I can turn on a lighting scene as discussed below.

This setup perfectly provides the right level of lighting when someone enters the room. Many times the lighting isn’t changed from this setup.

I recommend that you find the most commonly used lighting levels for your room and use that as your motion based lighting setting. This setup should work when you walk into the room at 3AM for a drink of water or when your family comes home from dinner at night.

Key Takeaways:

  • ​Automate the secondary lights in your home with motion (lamps, accents lights, etc.)
  • The lights should be set to a dim level that provides a relaxing environment 
  • Have the lights turn off when motion isn’t detected for a period of time

Primary Lighting Automation

Surprising, the primary room lights will play a minimal role in your motion based lighting automation. Primary room lights are usually the lights on the ceiling that are controlled by a switch and really light up the room.

How you automate your primary home lighting depends on the room. This section of the smart lighting guide will show you how to automate your primary lighting.

Lighting Automation by Room:

1. Areas for Relaxation – Family room, living room, bedrooms and other similar areas

  • ​Do not automate the primary lights to turn on with motion
  • Doautomate the lights to turn off if motion isn’t detected (15 minutes is a good time)

2. Areas for Work – Garages, Offices and other similar areas

  • ​Do automate the primary lights to turn on with motion or a door sensor
  • Do automate the lights to turn off if motion isn’t detected (5 minutes is a good time)

3. Pathways – Hallways, entryways, foyers and other similar areas

  • ​Do automate the primary lights to turn on with motion
  • Do automate the lights to turn off if motion isn’t detected (2 minutes is a good time)

4. Outdoor Areas Front porch timers, holiday lights, etc.

  • ​Do automate the lights to turn on based on timers. I have my lights turn on from 30 minutes before dusk to 30 minutes after dawn (provides additional light for my security camera). You can do the same or have them turn off earlier if you don’t want the lights on all night.
  • Do automate holiday lights to turn on based on timers.

5. Kitchens – Kitchens are unique because they are work areas but they are commonly connected to a relaxing area in open concept homes. Additionally, we often make quick trips to the kitchen just to get something out of the refrigerator.

  • ​Do not automate the primary lights to turn on with motion
  • Do automate the lights to turn off if motion isn’t detected (15 minutes is a good time)
Don’t forget the secondary lighting…

Remember that we are always automating the secondary lighting in the rooms, which is why we don’t always need to turn on the primary lighting. For example, the under cabinet lights in a kitchen are a great secondary light that allows you to see to get a drink out of the fridge without blasting on the main lights.

The suggestions above are a good place to start with your smart home lighting. However, you should tweak the automation to fit your family’s needs and lifestyle after testing it for a few days.

Lighting Scenes

Lighting automation provides a great convenience ensuring your path is always lighted. The next step is setting up lighting scenes in your home to provide the perfect lighting for the task at hand.

Scenes are just a combination of lights that are set to the right brightness and color for the activity you are doing. Scenes involve controlling both the primary and the secondary lighting in your home.

This section of the smart lighting guide will show you how to use lighting scenes in your home.

In My Home

My family loves using the scenes we have set up in our home. What makes scenes even better is when you activate them using a smart speaker such as Amazon Echo. Here are some example scenes used in my home:

  1. TV Lighting – Perfect lighting for watching TV in our family room. Alexa…turn on TV Lighting.
    • Turns off the primary lights in the family room and kitchen
    • Sets the secondary lighting to a 40% dim level and a blue hue (2 lamps and 2 recessed fireplace lights) NOTE: Watching TV with blue hue lighting is awesome!
    • Turns on the under cabinet lights in the kitchen (in case someone wants to grab a snack)
  2. Relax Lighting – For sitting and relaxing in the family room. Alexa…turn on relax lighting.
    • Turns the primary family room lights on at 40%
    • Sets the secondary lighting to a 40% dim level and a soft white hue (2 lamps and 2 recessed fireplace lights)
    • Turns the kitchen table light on (open concept family room and kitchen)
    • Turns off the primary kitchen lights
  3. Work Lighting – For making dinner in the kitchen or getting things done. Alexa…turn on work lighting.
    • Turns the primary and secondary lighting in the kitchen and family room to 100% and a bright white hue

Lighting scenes are the pinnacle of convenience. Every scene involves multiple actions and lights that are controlled in one single command with your smart home. Without the automation scene, I would never walk to each light and lamp and set it to the desired level as detailed in the examples above.

Key Takeaways:

  • ​Setup lighting scenes to create the perfect ambiance for your common activities
  • Info CircleSetup a smart speaker to trigger your lighting scenes with voice commands

Smart Lighting Guide Conclusion

I hope you have enjoyed this smart lighting guide, and reference it as you continue to build and automate your smart home.

Smart lighting is one of the greatest benefits of a smart home. Smart lighting is convenient, provides energy savings and makes your home safer.

Follow this smart lighting guide to make sure you choose the right products (bulbs, switches or plugs) for each area of your home.

Finally, make sure you automate them using the smart lighting guide above to ensure you fully experience all of the benefits that are provided by smart home lighting.

Alexa. Turn off the lights.

P.S. Please leave a comment below to ask a question, help someone else or share your experiences. Thanks!

8 thoughts on “The Complete Smart Lighting Guide”

  1. Wow, you are a thorough reporter!

    I live in a small home but absolutely dread turning off the bedroom light when I’m through working on something snuggled up in bed and ready to go to sleep. Your article showed me exactly what I need.

    I love automation, and 40 years ago had the lights in my apartment all controlled by BX-10 units. If you’re in your 20s or 30s look it up. Elaborate control boxes for the simplest remote control. And no voice prompts. Also had a remote control for my vertical drapes: open, close, rotate. And of course a giant, heavy wired “remote” for my reel-to-reel tape deck. Fun stuff back then, but clumsy!

    Thanks for your great article (and bringing back some memories).

  2. Bought home with vaulted ceilings and no ceiling lights. I don’t wanna run exposed wires from switches all around cause I want to keep it as clean as possible when putting in new ceiling lighting. Do I have to use smart outlets and plug the ceiling lights in or is there a product I can just hardwire in?

  3. Hey Jason, just wanted to drop a note of thanks! Having just bought a new home I just caught the automate-everything bug. It seems that this whole ecosystem is in a state of trying to figure out what works and which big companies are going to control the market and, as a result, there is so much information out there that it can be tough to find a good path.

    Your article here was perfect for me in that it was well written and “abstracted” the concept so it got me thinking of an overall strategy and roadmap before diving into extremely technical YouTube videos! Great job!

    My main concern and focus in my buildout is that it must be usable for my wife and kids. My wife is not that tech-savvy, does have a smartphone, but is never going to buy into anything that is not “I just want to flip the switch”. (However, I’m sure that if I could get my kitchen/living room working like yours she would!) My kids are tech-savvy, but my youngest does not have a smartphone so the system needs to be resilient to that case.

    If I could ask one question though: what motion sensors do you recommend? I see the Hue is very popular, but it seems like the more sensors the better and that price could really stack up!

    Anyway, thanks again for the great article! I’ll definitely be coming back to this often.

    1. Hi Chad,

      I use SmartThings to control my lighting automation. This allows me to mix and match different types of motion sensors. I’m currently using three different types of sensors, but the SmartThings sensors work well for most cases.

      By the way, I’m glad that article was helpful to you. It took a long time to put all of that together. Good luck.

      Jason

  4. Is the “Hue Bridge” that is included in the starter kit the same thing as the “Hue Hub”. We read that the “Hue Hub” can operate up to 50 lights. We need something powerful enough for upstairs and downstairs.

  5. Hi,

    Great write up. Appreciate the effort!

    Questions:
    Do the scenes override the standard automation? For example in the TV lighting scene, will the secondary kitchen lighting still turn off if there is no motion for 15 minutes? Or for example, if you were very hungover and laying motionless watching a movie, would your secondary lighting still turn off due to lack of motion?

    Or you’re throwing a party a don’t want the main hallway light on at full brightness during motion, could you set a scene that overrides motion and holds it on at 40%?

    1. Hi David,

      The ultimate answer is that you can set up and customize your lighting automation any way to fit your needs.

      To specifically answer your questions, scenes do not override standard automation by default. In my setup, if I have the TV Lighting scene activated, the lights will still turn off if there is no motion for 15 minutes. That is why I have my basement set to a longer time period since we watch a lot of movies down there.

      However, you can override the automation with SmartThings in multiple ways. One example is to only have your automation active in certain “Modes”. When you turn on a scene it could switch the home mode so the automation doesn’t override your settings.

      I use this when I have guests. I run a scene called “We have guests” that changes the SmartThings mode to “Guest” and I exclude all downstairs automation when the mode is set to “Guest”. This is because guests sleep on the couch and they don’t want the lights coming on when they toss and turn at night.

      The above example would be a perfect solution for throwing a party. Just run a scene, set the mode to “Party” and make sure your lighting automation doesn’t activate during that scene. It is easy to do in the SmartThings app.

      Good luck!
      Jason

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