I’ve got a bit of a nightmare in my kitchen—5-10 light switches scattered all over the place, and it’s a hassle every night to run around and turn them all off. Does anyone know of a smart lighting solution where I can control all the lights with a single switch or maybe two switches placed at the entrances? I’d love something that doesn’t rely on Alexa, Echo, or constant app usage—just smart enough to make life easier without going overboard. Does this exist?
Honestly, I don’t see a way to solve this without a hub. Also, how big is your kitchen? 5-10 switches seem like a lot for a single kitchen, and not being sure if it’s 5 or 10 is kinda wild!
If you’re avoiding Alexa because of the listening thing, you could go for something like an Aqara hub or Home Assistant. You’d install smart switches, then the hub can automate turning everything on or off at once.
@Juliana
Haha, yeah, the kitchen is big, and the light setup is as crazy as it sounds. There’s one switch for the recessed ceiling lights (can’t swap the bulbs but could replace them with smart recessed ones), one for the pendant above the sink, two pendants over the bar area, a chandelier over the dining table, a fan with a light, and one for the outdoor lights on either side of the room. So, that’s 7 switches, not 10!
I’m definitely not into the always-listening devices, but Aqara might be a good idea. Any tips for ensuring the bulbs, switches, and hub all work together? Is there a specific standard I need to follow?
@William
You’ll want to check Aqara’s website for compatible devices, but if you stick with Aqara switches, you should be good. Keep in mind that if you go with smart bulbs, the switch controlling the bulb will need to stay on. Honestly, I’d suggest just using smart switches across the board. Smart bulbs are better for things like lamps, but in your case, switches would probably be the way to go.
If you’re into future-proofing your setup, I’d recommend checking out Home Assistant with a Zigbee controller so everything keeps working, even if the internet goes down.
I’d recommend getting a multi-button scene remote. You can set up different lighting modes and have one button turn everything off. You’ll need a hub or Home Assistant to make it all work together, though.
If you’re using Apple HomeKit (or any smart home setup, really), you could use two smart switches with a smart bulb mode (SBM), plus smart bulbs in the other fixtures. Block the other switches with covers so they don’t cut the power. The smart switches would leave the power on, and you could configure them to control the other bulbs in the room.
Another option is using wireless/battery-powered smart buttons. You can place them next to the existing switches, and they’d control the lights. But I’d recommend wiring at least two switches so you always have a backup that doesn’t rely on batteries.
Neither option requires voice control, but you’ll need the Home app for setup. If you want remote access, you’ll need an Apple TV or HomePod as a hub.
@Chance
Thanks, super helpful! I think I’ll try Option 2 to start with. I can use Apple Home on my phone for the setup, right? Do you have any specific bulbs or switches you’d recommend? There are so many options, and I’m a bit overwhelmed with all the standards out there.
@William
I recommend Nanoleaf Thread bulbs, though the older HomeKit versions are more reliable than the newer Matter ones.
For switches, I’d suggest the Matter over Thread Inovelli White Series dimmers. They’re new, so early adopters are testing them out right now, but there aren’t many Thread switch options. The Eve Switch with Thread is another one, but I’m not sure if it has SBM.
For smart buttons, I use the Onvis HS2. It’s HomeKit over Thread, and you can get a few to try out with your bulbs. Just a heads up—if you go with Thread, you’ll need a hub (or a newer iPhone with a Thread radio) to set everything up.
The main issue is that you have physical switches controlling power to the light sockets. If one of those switches is turned off, the smart bulbs won’t matter because the power will be cut.
You could replace all the switches and bulbs with smart ones, but that’s going to get expensive for 5-10 switches. You’ll want switches that support smart bulb mode so you can link them to the bulbs and create groups to control multiple lights at once.
@Johnny
Inovelli switches are great for this. I connect mine through SmartThings, and it has a handy feature that lets the switches track each other without having to set up tons of routines.
Evelyn said:
@Johnny
Inovelli switches are great for this. I connect mine through SmartThings, and it has a handy feature that lets the switches track each other without having to set up tons of routines.
Inovelli is solid but a bit pricey. Shelly relays could be a cheaper option if you don’t need dimming. You can wire them to dumb switches and control them via Wi-Fi—no hub required.
@Johnny
True, but the Inovelli switches are also dimmers, and they work in both switch and dimmer mode. They’re also more affordable than other Zigbee options, especially for homes without neutral wiring.
@Evelyn
Good point. I plan to use Inovelli for the dimmable lights in my house. But for what OP is asking, Shelly relays over Wi-Fi would be a more affordable way to handle multiple switches without needing a hub.
Check out Lutron Caseta smart switches. They’re about $60 each (without 3-way setups), and you can get a Pico remote to control all of them without needing a hub.
My kitchen has five switches for the overhead, under-cabinet, sink, dining pendant, and sconces. I installed Caseta switches for all of them, but we mainly use the 4-button Pico remote for scenes like “Cooking” and “Chill.” Most of the time, the Pico handles everything, and we don’t even need to touch the actual switches.
Look into Lutron’s Caseta or RadioRA systems. They’re incredibly reliable and come with a solid warranty.
Avoid smart bulbs—go with smart switches. My kitchen has nine switches for various lights, but they’re all Z-Wave switches connected to Home Assistant. We don’t even use the physical switches anymore because of automations and scene control. Smart switches are the way to go, not smart bulbs.