Philips Hue bulbs are one of many best methods to present your current lighting fixtures sensible house capabilities, together with via Apple’s HomeKit platform. The issue with Philips Hue switches is that at any time when a wall mild change is flipped off, the sensible lights grow to be unresponsive. The Lutron Aurora dimmer is a straightforward but ingenious strategy to resolve this drawback.
Replace: Since I initially printed this assessment, I’ve continued so as to add to my Lutron Aurora setup. I also can vouch for his or her long-term reliability. They now play a vital position in my sensible house implementation. I do want they labored past Philips Hue equipment, however apart from that, I’ve only a few gripes.
The best long-term resolution is devoted Lutron Caséta switches, however when you’re renting and that’s not an choice, the Lutron Aurora continues to be my go-to advice for consumers in america the place these flip switches are widespread.
The issue
Most of my total home is outfitted with Philips Hue bulbs, together with lamps and fixtures. I’ve slowly been constructing out my HomeKit lighting setup through the years, and the flexibility of Philips Hue bulbs has made it simple to keep up the setup, regardless of shifting residences and finally right into a home.
Philips Hue bulbs are additionally extremely helpful for renters: They merely exchange “dumb” bulbs and require no wiring adjustments or every other upgrades which may not be permitted by your landlord.
For me, I’ve grow to be completely acquainted with by no means utilizing a bodily mild change — I do know that all the pieces may be managed with ease, because of 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 rest, and automations for leaving and arriving house.
However as anybody with Philips Hue sensible bulbs has skilled, at any time when a wall mild change is flipped off, the sensible lights will go unresponsive. It is 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 probably not you flipping that mild change on and off, however quite somebody you reside with or visitors.
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 current toggle switches. The set up course of is extremely simple, 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 “Associates of Hue” platform. As you possibly can see within the screenshots beneath, simply select the Lutron Aurora from the “Associates of Hue” checklist within the Hue app. From there, you possibly can select what occurs when the Lutron Aurora is managed.
Facet observe: Every little thing is managed by way of the Hue app — not the Residence app or the Lutron app. This implies you’ll want to ensure your rooms and equipment are in sync between the Residence app and the Hue app. This could be a painstaking course of, however it’s price it in the long run.
You’ll be able to 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, you probably have two fixtures or lamps, you possibly can 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 mild 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 just retain sensible house management, even when you or another person in your own home unintentionally flips the handbook mild change.
There are some limitations. First, the Lutron Aurora solely works with Philips Hue bulbs, so you probably have different sensible bulbs scattered all through your sensible house setup, it is best to preserve that limitation in thoughts. Secondly, Lutron Aurora dimmers solely match over the basic United States “flip” model switches. In case you have one other model of wall change, the Lutron Aurora received’t be just right for you.
Different options
There are different options to giving sensible house lighting in-wall management. As an illustration, the Lutron Caséta in-wall dimmers (assessment) exchange the prevailing mild switches in your own home with linked switches. Philips Hue additionally sells its personal Sensible Dimmer Change, however this doesn’t match over your current switches.
These options provide their very own advantages, such because the Lutron Caséta switches additionally with the ability to management celling followers (assessment), however neither are as simple and renter-friendly because the Lutron Aurora.
The Lutron Aurora is out there on Amazon for slightly below $40. Should you’re a Philips Hue person, that is a simple manner so as to add some extra comfort to your sensible house setup, even when it’s extra to learn different members of your family and visitors than you.
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