Should I mix and match switches or just go with one?

I currently have about 10 Lutron switches. I am in the middle of a remodel and am going to need more switches. Should I keep with the Lutron switches or mix and match Innovelli etc. I was thinking the Innovelli might be better for just a switched fan (exhaust fan with HE timer) without a dimmer (and cheaper). I know they look different but was wondering what thoughts and ease of integration.

getting in here before the Lutron fanboys(who apparently have loads of money to burn)

Anywho I have and love the Inovelli red series dimmers. It's like a freakin control center in the bedroom. With the myriad of notifications and the switch doubling as a button controller, plus they're easy to use. i don't have the lutron, but the tiny button layout is weird and not intuitive, IMHO. I played with them at Homeless despot. Too much precision required to turn on a light.

get 1 inovelli switch and just try it, I think you'll fall in love.

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You may use any Lutron or Zigbee or ZWave device that strikes your fancy. Pick ones that are on the Compatibility List for the most success.

Ideally, I think it looks best to go with one style of switch throughout the house. To me, it looks kind of odd having different styles of switches. If you already have 10 Lutron switches, I would continue with those, if you can afford them.

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I personally don't think anyone but me even notices the difference in my house between any smaller difference than toggle or paddle.

Having said that, the Inovelli Gen 2 dimmers are an exception because of that blatant light strip up one side, and the Honeyell Zigbee switches feel a bit different in the action of the paddle switch.

But. I'm firmly in agreement with @csteele & @Rxich , and I have Zooz, GE/JASCO/Honeywell and Inovelli in my house. I don't have Lutron, just because I don't like the appearance of the switches, but their legendary reliability and speed are certainly attractive.

S.

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Zigbee and Z-Wave switches (the former are pretty hard to find at the moment, but GE/Jasco has both; there are lots of Z-Wave switches/dimmers, including those plus Zooz, Inovelli, HomeSeer, more) work well for lot of people. Lutron has a well-deserved solid reputation but also a price to match. I love Pico remotes and use them in a lot of places, but I can't blame anyone for not wanting to fill their house with their swithces/dimmers. If your Z-Wave network is weak or filled with "classic" Z-Wave devices like the infamous older GE switches/dimmers, you may have problems; otherwise, these work totally well for many people. If you can afford Lutron and want things to match, you won't regret that (unless you want features like the HomeSeer or Inovelli notifications), but otherwise I'd say it's up to your opinion about whether you care if things match (I personally don't) and are prepared to diagnose mesh issues from Zigbee and Z-Wave should you notice any (this is rare for most people and is often caused by not having enough repeaters, which these exact devices would be).

Regardless of what you choose, Hubitat integrates well with any of these protocols, so you can mix and match there without concern--one of many great things about having a hub like this. :slight_smile:

Just to confirm, you’re referring to Lutron Caseta switches, right? They have two other product lines that use the same ClearConnect protocol and also work with hubitat. But they’re even more expensive than Caseta.

I have predominately Lutron but about 10 z wave and zigbee switches as well.

I’ve decided to go lutron, I figure I can use the others for special circumstances.

One thing no one brings up because it’s rare is that with z-wave or zigbee if something happens to your hub your down until it’s fixed.

Last Saturday my hub died at 10pm and I spent 4 hours recovering it. I was VERY glad I could still control my lutron switches via my phone, my z wave switches were worthless.

It’s unlikely but there is some value in diversification. It should not be underestimated.

Yes Casita. I have not found an unlocked Brinks truck to be able to afford RadioRA.

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I have both Caseta and Zwave. The Caseta are dead reliable, and I don't mind the style. And 3way and 4 way are a breeze with Picos. And you can use the Pico for other devices simultaneously. My dining room Pico runs the basement light too, for example.

On the other hand Zooz and Inovelli are inexpensive, have double tap capability, and have bonus features like indicators or night light mode, and so on. And 3 ways are not as bad as they were in the past, quite often a normal dumb switch can be used if cost is a concern.

I think there are places for both. I did try to keep Caseta and Zwave divided by room so there aren't mix and match of styles next to each other.

I'd respectfully disagree with this.

If your Smartbridge Pro goes down you'd lose automation of your Luton Caseta switches. If the Zwave hub goes down you'd lose your automation. In neither case do you lose the basic functionality of the switches.

To be fair and give credit where credit is due, the Lutron bridge is probably measurably less likely to fail than a Hubitat, but its simpler, and more costly too.

Just my .02 however.

S.

Which is why I said:

“There is some value in diversification”

I’d rather have some functionality then none.

I probably wouldn’t have made a comment at all but having lived it this week it was still nice to open my app and turn off all my lights than having to wander around the house.

I suppose taken to its extreme having all zigbee or all z wave devices presents the same issue.

Agreed. And if I didn't dislike the appearance of the Casetas, I'd probably add the bridge and a few switches to my menagerie for sure!

S.

And by “some functionality” I assume you mean Caseta can still do the following even without Hubitat...:wink:

  1. Amazon Alexa
  2. Google Home
  3. Apple HomeKit
  4. Logitech Harmony Hub
  5. SmartThings
  6. Home Assistant
  7. OpenHAB
  8. Node-Red
  9. ...

With Lutron, similar to Philips Hue, you’re buying a complete lightning system, not just switches and dimmers.

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Agree with everyone’s thoughts as I have a mix between mostly GE and Lutron with a few Inovelli and Zooz. Having multiple brands I wanted to throw this one thing out there, be mindful that each manufacturer has its own shade of white. So if you have a multi-gang box stay with the same brand otherwise you will notice the difference in the shades of white between brands.

Edit here is a link of a picture I posted a while back:

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That's a great comment. I hadn't thought of that. Definitely will remember this one.

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Totally agree with this statement. It doesn't really matter which brand you are going to pick. Just stick with one brand if WAF is a high priority.

some of said fans can ruin a smart switch quickly because of the draw when it turns on. I would do some research before putting a smart switch on an exhaust fan without it being made specifically for this type of motor.

GE Enbrighten stuff can hold up I think.

You forgot Sonos :wink:

Also... when was the last time your Lutron bridge slowed or crashed or was unresponsive? :wink: