Lighting might be one of the most common smart home upgrades you can make to your abode, but you don't have to buy a ton of expensive smart lights to get the most out of HomeKit lighting. In fact, the best HomeKit light switches on the market will help you retrofit your home with the existing lightbulbs you have on hand. You might not get the cool LED colors of Philips Hue or other smart light bulbs on the market, but you will get some of the convenience and peace of mind smart home lighting can bring.
A smart HomeKit light switch can be controlled using your voice with Siri, or on your iPhone using the Apple Home app. Rather than replacing all of your bulbs with smart alternatives, you can replace one light switch instead. Then, you can control that switch as mentioned, turning your lights off from anywhere in the house, or even when you're not at home. As with all good HomeKit devices, you can also pair them up with other accessories and use automations to trigger actions without your input, such as switching off all the lights when you leave the house. So if you want a quick and easy way to make your existing lights smarter, look no further.
Best HomeKit lightswitches
Size: 5.1 x 15.1 x 17.1cm
Dimmable: Yes
Power options: Battery-operated
Reasons to buy: The Lutron Caseta is our choice for the best lightswitch for a number of key reasons. First, it has a battery inside so that you don't have to worry about wiring the switch in if you don't want to, and compatibility across the board is excellent. Compact, with loads of control options, the Lutron Caseta is a great HomeKit Lightswitch.
Reasons to avoid: As with many light switch options like this, you will need a hub for it to connect to your HomeKit setup. You'll also have to either opt for the kit that has the wall plate for the switch, or buy one separately.
Size: 15.6 x 11.7 x 6.6cm
Dimmable: Yes
Power options: Wall power needed
Reasons to buy: This light switch is going to be the way to go if you use the Matter smart home standard. There are other options out there compatible with the more inclusive standard, ease of connection with this switch is uncanny — place your phone against it, and the connection gets going. It'll work with all your other Wemo smart devices as well, so if you've got a smart doorbell or other devices then you're winning.
Reasons to avoid: This is not the cheapest light switch — it costs $50 for one unit. You'll need wall power as well, as there's no battery built-in.
Size: 15.6 x 11.7 x 6.6cm
Dimmable: No
Power options: Battery-operated
Reasons to buy: This switch is one of the best low-price options — at two units for less than $50, it's almost half the price of some of the other options here. It doesn't look super 'out there' either, so if you're looking for a simple, easy to use smart light switch, then this is a great option for you.
Reasons to avoid: This light switch requires power from the wall, and relies on connection from a neutral wire. For some, that's a big turn-off. For HomeKit you'll need a hub as well, you won't be able to use the Siri connection or commands without a HomePod or Apple TV.
Size: 4.3 x 8 x 14.2cm
Dimmable: Yes
Power options: Wall power, or USB adapter
Reasons to buy: If you want a comprehensive control center for your smart home, then this is your jam. It's a large touch panel that you can use to control all of your smart devices at once, including smart speakers, lights, and more. It's powered with wall power or with a USB wall adaptor. There are loads of cool connection options, and it works incredibly around the house.
Reasons to avoid: It's large, and it is expensive. Because it's a touchscreen that mounts on the wall, it means there's more impressive circuitry than you might find in other options, and that ups the price to $400. There are options for even more that add dimmer sliders for favorite lights as well, but that adds to the price.
Size: 4.3 x 8 x 14.2cm
Dimmable: No
Power options: Wall power
Reasons to buy: This light switch can connect over Bluetooth if you don't have a smart home system connected over the internet — and it means it can hook up to other Eve-connected devices. It's not even a light switch, per se, as it has a kind of touch panel that you interact with to turn the light on and off. It's compatible with 3-way switches too.
Reasons to avoid: This isn't a dimmer switch, so your lights are either off, or on. It also requires a neutral wire to work when you connect it to the wall, and you won't be able to use it without wiring it in.
Size: 4.7 x 7.3 x 2.7cm
Dimmable: No
Power options: Wall power
Reasons to buy: This light switch just drops into the hole in the wall, and doesn't require a neutral wire for it to work. There are two switches on the unit as well, and those can be separated out into two separate inputs so that can customize what they do.
Reasons to avoid: It's not cheap at $50, but you do get some bang for your buck. You will need an Aqara hub, however, so make sure you pick one of those up at the same time if this is your chosen smart light switch.
Q&A
Which is the best HomeKit light switch with Home app compatibility for me?
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The best HomeKit light switches make it easy to control one or more lights through the Home app without spending a fortune on individual HomeKit light bulbs. Siri voice control is also available with all HomeKit and Home app devices, so you can speak phrases like, "Hey Siri, turn on the living room lights" while the virtual assistant takes care of it all.
Are you looking for a light switch that works with the most popular smart voice assistants, including Siri? The Lutron Caséta Wireless Smart Lighting Dimmer Switch Starter Kit gets our recommendation, as it is one of the fastest-responding and most reliable switches on the market thanks to Clear Connect technology. This dimmer switch bundle also does not require a neutral wire in your wall boxes, making it compatible with older and newer homes.
If you want an easy-to-install HomeKit-only switch, the Eve Light Switch gets the job done and does so with style. This switch connects directly to HomeKit via the latest wireless networking standard — Thread — so you don't need to download another app, enter a long Wi-Fi password, or register for another account just to control your lights. Thread also enables ultra-fast response times and excellent reliability without needing a hub.
What is Matter?
We answer this in far more detail in our roundup of every device that supports Matter, but to put it simply: Matter is a HomeKit standard that's designed to bring all the disparate standards together, so that they can all work together. If something supports matter then the idea is that it will work with every single other HomeKit standard as well.
Are smart light switches worth it?
If you want to ensmarted your home for the long haul, then they are definitely worth it. They might cost more initially than some smart light bulbs or fittings, but they allow for greater flexibility as to what kind of lights you can use. It's great for older fittings as well, as you need only replace the switch and not entire light fitting.
Do smart plugs use any energy?
Yes, they do — they need to sip electricity so that they can stay connected over time. Obviously its more than the 0W that a traditional light switch uses, but you do get a litany of bonuses for a small energy payment.
