This accent solves the most important drawback with Philips Hue good bulbs [Save 20%]

Philips Hue bulbs are one of many best methods to offer your present lighting fixtures good dwelling capabilities, together with via Apple’s HomeKit platform. The issue with Philips Hue bulbs, nevertheless, is that each time a wall gentle change is flipped off, the good lights change into unresponsive.

The Lutron Aurora dimmer is a straightforward but ingenious solution to remedy this drawback, and it ought to be on the prime of each good dwelling fan’s vacation want record.

Plus, they’re at the moment on sale for 20% off on Amazon…

Replace: Since I initially revealed this assessment, I’ve continued so as to add to my Lutron Aurora setup. I may vouch for his or her long-term reliability. They now play a vital position in my good dwelling implementation. I do want they labored past Philips Hue equipment, however aside from that, I’ve only a few gripes.

The perfect long-term answer is devoted Lutron Caséta switches, however for those who’re renting and that’s not an choice, the Lutron Aurora continues to be my go-to advice for consumers in the USA the place these flip switches are frequent.

The issue

Most of my complete home is outfitted with Philips Hue bulbs, together with lamps and fixtures. I’ve slowly been constructing out my HomeKit lighting setup over time, and the flexibility of Philips Hue bulbs has made it straightforward to take care of the setup, regardless of shifting flats and ultimately right into a home.

Philips Hue bulbs are additionally extremely helpful for renters: They merely substitute “dumb” bulbs and require no wiring adjustments or another upgrades that may not be authorised by your landlord.

For me, I’ve change into completely acquainted with by no means utilizing a bodily gentle change — I do know that all the pieces may be managed with ease, due to the Residence app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, in addition to Siri. I’ve automations arrange for particular occasions of day, scenes for issues like work and leisure, and automations for leaving and arriving dwelling.

However as anybody with Philips Hue good bulbs has skilled, each time a wall gentle change is flipped off, the good lights will go unresponsive. It’s because Hue bulbs require the lights to remain within the “on” place always to be managed by way of the Hue app or HomeKit. It’s doubtless not you flipping that gentle change on and off, however quite somebody you reside with or friends.

Lutron’s Aurora dimmer is designed to resolve that drawback.

The repair

The Lutron Aurora is a straightforward accent that’s designed to suit over your present toggle switches. The set up course of is extremely easy, with the round-shaped dimmer snapping over your toggle change. Then, you tighten the bottom with a screwdriver and set up the entrance cowl.

After getting the {hardware} put in, you arrange the Aurora’s integration with the Philips Hue app. The Aurora dimmer integrates with Philips Hue via the “Buddies of Hue” platform. As you may see within the screenshots beneath, simply select the Lutron Aurora from the “Buddies of Hue” record within the Hue app. From there, you may select what occurs when the Lutron Aurora is managed.

Facet observe: Every thing is managed by way of the Hue app — not the Residence app or the Lutron app. This implies you’ll want to verify your rooms and equipment are in sync between the Residence app and the Hue app. This is usually a painstaking course of, however it’s price it in the long run.

You may pair the Lutron Aurora with a number of equipment, which suggests one change doesn’t have to regulate one set of lights. For instance, I’ve mine set as much as management the overhead fixture in addition to the ground lamp, each of which use Philips Hue bulbs.

This additionally means you don’t essentially have to purchase a number of Lutron Aurora dimmers for every room. For instance, if in case you have two fixtures or lamps, you may set it up such that one Lutron Aurora controls each of them — and even all the lights within the room.

As soon as the setup course of is full, the Lutron Aurora works largely like a traditional gentle change. The Aurora may be pushed like a button to energy equipment on and off or turned to the left or proper to extend or lower accent brightness.

Once more, the profit right here is that you simply retain good dwelling management, even for those who or another person in your own home by chance flips the handbook gentle change.

There are some limitations. First, the Lutron Aurora solely works with Philips Hue bulbs, so if in case you have different good bulbs scattered all through your good dwelling setup, you must maintain that limitation in thoughts. Secondly, Lutron Aurora dimmers solely match over the basic United States “flip” fashion switches. When you have one other fashion of wall change, the Lutron Aurora gained’t give you the results you want.

Different options

There are different options to giving good dwelling lighting in-wall management. For example, the Lutron Caséta in-wall dimmers (assessment) substitute the present gentle switches in your own home with linked switches. Philips Hue additionally sells its personal Sensible Dimmer Swap, however this doesn’t match over your present switches.

These options provide their very own advantages, such because the Lutron Caséta switches additionally having the ability to management celling followers (assessment), however neither are as straightforward and renter-friendly because the Lutron Aurora.

The Lutron Aurora is obtainable on Amazon for just below $40. In case you’re a Philips Hue person, that is a simple method so as to add some further comfort to your good dwelling setup, even when it’s extra to profit different members of your family and friends than you.