Folks,
The lutron caseta dimmer switches look super cool and quality seems right. But, why the Caseta over let's say a Honewell z wave dimmer switch? I understand that the Caseta needs its own hub. HE cannot directly converse with Caseta switches. Is it the cosmetics? Or am I missing something.
It's not necessarily Casetta dimmers that are the appeal of the Casetta system. Quite frankly, they have some functions that are downright silly. For example, on the dimmer itself, hitting the top button always turns the dimmer on to 100%, no matter what it was previously set to.
The big appeal fro most for the Casetta system is the Pico dimmers. For ~$12US you get a 5 button device that do do anywhere from 5-15 functions in HE. And they are rock-solid and the batteries last forever. They even fit inside a regular decora faceplate and have easy mounting hardware as well as table-top stands. Quire frankly they are the best remote/button device on the market today, IMHO.
the appeal with lutron is that it is licensed spectrum in the 400mhz range and it is not a mesh network. at that frequency it has excellent wall penetration and distance and every switch connects directly to the hub.
if you mess with mesh networks enough you’ll find that it is only as strong as your weakest device. the lutron technology works on a hub and spoke topology and is easily the most reliable home automation product I’ve ever owned. I’ve got zigbee and z-wave meshes in my house also (and am currently using my xbee to hunt down problem devices), but lutron is always rock solid.
The things mentioned above are a big advantage, especially the licensed spectrum - these things are FAST and just work. Also, it's Lutron - their products are pretty legitimate.
But the biggest advantage for me has been the practical flexibility with Pico remotes. My house was built in 1964 and even though I have a surprising number of switches with neutrals, the electrical boxes are old school shallow metal boxes and are easily overcrowded. Similarly, there are MANY three way switches where we simply don't need a three way switch. I've been able to avoid tearing apart the wall to install deeper electrical boxes by using a combination of Caseta dimmers, switches, and pico remote wall plate adapters (these). This allows me to remove an unnecessary switch from a multi-gang box, giving ample room for wiring.
Not perfect, the pico remotes don't sit flush with the wall plate or other Caseta dimmers, but it isn't bad enough to bother us either.
As others have mentioned, the Lutron Clear Connect RF protocol is fast and incredibly reliable. Having a SmartBridge Pro to manage all of the switches, also means you have another very well supported means of integrating these devices with other systems than just Hubitat, if desired. Lutron integrates with Amazon Alexa, Goole Assistant, Logitech Harmony, SmartThings, Nest (for the time being), and many others.
So, having a standalone lighting system, that integrates locally with Hubitat with amazing performance, is a huge Win-Win for me.
Oh, and Pico remotes are absolutely amazing. I bought my SmartBridge Pro2 just use Pico remotes... then I replaced all of my flakey old GE Z-Wave switches/dimmers with Caseta switches/dimmers and have never been happier. I only have two active Z-Wave devices left in the house, and those will be replaced soon as well with Zigbee counterparts.
Everything that has been written earlier is true. There is one other practical consideration - Caseta dimmers (and some Caseta switches) don't need a neutral.
I should have mentioned that even though there's a delay from pico -> hubitat -> caseta switch/dimmer, the flipside is that pico -> hubitat -> anything else (automation, zwave/zigbee bulb or switch, etc.) is instant. As in, someone who doesn't know better would think my in-wall pico is a switch physically controlling the zigbee bulbs.
I have to say that the delays are something I've not experienced to the level the owners of both Caséta dimmers and Pico experience when both integrated with HE, and that's because half my lights are Insteon controlled by Pico (among others) and the other half are Hue controlled by Pico, with only one being Sengled bulbs paired to the hub and controlled by Pico.
I don't think I would go with both Caséta dimmers and Pico with HE myself, hearing about the delays that result. I know that those that have Z-Wave micro and nano modules embedded with Caséta a very pleased with the results. I personally wouldn't hesitate to use Insteon for any light or device that isn't a smart bulb. Work excellent with the Picos and they have outstanding hardware features.
Quoting what several people told me when I asked a similar question (see "Best" Lighting Solution) - because it just works.
Since I posted that question and was convinced of the value I have replaced almost every switch and dimmer in my house with Lutron Caseta and installed two Lutron Caseta Pro hubs. All of it just plain works. Day in, day out. No drops. I also like that my electrician can service it if something happens to me (old guys sometimes think this way).
Thank you all for the replies. Looks like the frequency stability and the Pico remotes is the main draw.
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