Managing all of the light switches in your home can be challenging. We have all had those moments where we wake up in the middle of the night and suddenly realize that we left the living room lights turned on. Or perhaps you suddenly realize you didn’t turn the lights off when you’re on vacation, and the idea of all that wasted energy keeps bugging you throughout. Thanks to the Aqara smart wall switch, all of those concerns can go away.
The Aqara smart wall switch is an incredibly intuitive wall switch that allows you to turn lights on and off from anywhere in the world. Whether in another room or country, you can easily turn the lights off with your smartphone app. The Aqara smart wall switch is available in North America and European markets (including the UK), and it’s already being touted as the new standard for home lights. This article highlights all the reasons to buy the Aqara smart wall switch, but there will also be some superb deals to take advantage of during Prime Day on 12 and 13 of July, so be sure to check it out!
Smart light switches or smart lights?
If you’re looking for means to automate your home lights, you might be conflicted between purchasing smart light switches or smart lights. Smart lights certainly offer some benefits, such as the ability to control the dimness, shade, and colour of LED lights from your smartphone. But smart lights have limitations that make them relatively unreliable for everyday use. Below, we highlight the reasons to buy smart light switches instead of smart lights.
#1. Smart wall switches are more affordable and budget-friendly
If you want to install smart lights across your home, you may need multiple smart light bulbs, each of which is fairly expensive. If each room in your home features 3 to 4 lights, you may need north of 15 smart lights for your entire home, which can be pretty expensive. But smart wall switches can control multiple lights simultaneously, so you only need a few to cover your entire home. Smart wall switches are significantly more affordable.
#2. Selecting the right smart lights can be a headache
Choosing a smart wall switch is a piece of cake, especially since you don’t have to worry about compatibility issues. Meanwhile, if you want to install a new smart light, you’ll need to ensure you have the correct type of smart light for your existing setup. Selecting the right smart light can also be challenging, and you may not able to replace those non-standard “dumb” bulbs with smart bulbs. But with smart wall switches, you don’t have any of those problems.
#3. Smart lights stop reacting to your commands when the switch is turned off
Smart lights aren’t 100% controllable because they’re also dependent on the switches. If the switch is turned off, the smart light won’t react to any of your controls as it’s powered off. It’s not uncommon that you find the smart lights won’t turn on when you command it to do so, simply because someone in your family turns the switch off out of habit. But a smart wall switch is completely independent, so you can always control your lights.
Why buy the Aqara smart wall switch, specifically?
Now that you understand why smart light switches are better than smart lights, let's talk about the Aqara smart wall switch. There are a lot of smart switches on the market, but what makes Aqara special? Why should you choose the Aqara smart wall switch over all others? The Aqara smart wall switch offers the ideal combination of compatibility, convenience, and controls. Below, we discuss why you should buy the Aqara smart wall switch, specifically.
#1. Automate your lights without installing neutral wires
Most smart light switches on the market offer one option - With Neutral installation. It means that if you live in an older home, you will have to update your home’s complete wiring system to install smart light switches, which can be pretty difficult and painful. But the Aqara smart wall switch offers With Neutral and No Neutral installation options, so you can easily automate your system without the neutral wires, making it suitable for almost all homes.
#2. Control your lights from across the globe
The Aqara smart wall switch is one of the most controllable and simple smart switches on the market. If you’re at home, you can control any of the lights using your voice commands via Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant. You can also use your smartphone to control your smart wall switches. And if you’ve created intelligent schedules for your lights, you can ensure the lights turn on and off according to environmental factors, such as sunset and sunrise.
#3. Add a secondary light switch without rewiring
You can create a 2-way interconnected light switch setup without adding new wires - just use a wireless switch from Aqara (such as the Wireless Mini Switch) as the secondary switch. Since it’s wireless it can be placed in any location you choose. As such, your household members can control the lights using either of the two switches. This is an excellent option for households with kids who can’t reach higher switches. It’s also great for controlling the lights from two or even more locations, such as stairs.
#4. Create intelligent scenes for your lights
You can configure the Aqara smart wall switch to respond to external stimuli and scenes. After integrating your smart wall switch to IFTTT and other smart home devices, you can turn it on or off via external environmental factors. For example, you can make the smart switch turn on when the sun sets or turn off at a specific hour of the night. You can also make the smart switch respond to motion sensors, so the lights turn on when someone enters the room, and turn off when the room is unoccupied.
#5. Works with multiple smart home ecosystems
The Aqara smart wall switch works with all major smart home systems, including HomeKit, Google Home, Alexa and IFTTT. Whatever your smart home preferences, you can make your devices interact seamlessly. You can also use voice commands to control your smart wall switches, turning the lights on and off without having to press any buttons. You can essentially put your home on auto-drive, making its various components work collaboratively without your input.
Aqara offers its smart wall switch to multiple markets - the USA, the UK and the EU. There are two options, With Neutral and No Neutral, to fit more homes. Depending on your unique preferences, please find the smart switch most suitable for your home.