What are the best Z-Wave light switches?

5

Options
Considered

4

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Recs.

Jul 7, 2016

Last
Updated

Z-Wave is a standard for smart home products, including light switches. You will need a primary controller (a hub) which connects your switches together, and then you can control your existing lights with either the hardware switch mounted in the wall, your smartphone, a remote, or other smart devices.

Here’s the Deal

5 Options Considered

Best Z-Wave light switches	Price	Last Updated
-- GE Z-Wave In-Wall Smart Switch	$39	Jul 7, 2016
-- Dragon Tech On/Off Wall Mount Switch	$34	Jul 6, 2016
-- Cooper Aspire RF 5-Button Scene Control Keypad	$80	Jul 7, 2016
-- Cooper Aspire RF Wireless 15A Switch	$56	Jul 6, 2016
-- GE Z-Wave In-Wall On/Off Toggle Switch	$39	Jul 6, 2016

GE Z-Wave In-Wall Smart Switch

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Top Con

Installation can be difficult

If you haven't swapped out wall switches before, it can be tricky. You will have to un-wire the old one, and wire the new one to the existing wires. The instructions use some jargon that isn't explained, which you will need to figure out before the instructions make any sense ('line' means the wire coming from the breaker, 'load' means the wire going to the light fixture, and 'traveler' means the wire(s) that runs between multiple switches that control the same light. See More

Top Pro

Programmable

Using a Z-Wave programmer (aka a master controller), you can essentially flip the switch's software (if you installed it upside-down, intentionally or accidentally, the software can compensate for that). Also, the LED indicator can be programmed to turn on when the light is on, which is very useful for lights you can't see - ie outdoor lights. See More

Top Con

House wiring requires neutral wire

The neutral wire is needed for this wall switch - it simply won't function without it. Older houses may not have the wiring required for these switches to work. See More

Top Pro

Touch controls

Tapping the switch will toggle the lights on/off, and long touching will slowly brighten or dim the lights. See More

Top Pro

Small LED indicator

There is a small blue LED indicator on the bottom right of the switch. By default, it turns on when the light is off, allowing you to easier see where the switch is in the dark. If you have a Z-Wave programmer however, you can change it to be the opposite - when the light is on the LED is on. This can be useful for lights outside, or other situations where you can't immediately tell if the device is on or off. See More

Dragon Tech On/Off Wall Mount Switch

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Top Pro

Internal breaker

This switch incorporates an internal breaker, protecting the light from power surges. See More

Top Con

No instant notification

This switch doesn't automatically update the system when it activates or deactivates, meaning the controlling system won't know if the switch is activated or deactivated until it polls each device itself. This means that if the switch is actuated manually, your app won't know that the light is on. See More

Top Pro

Inconspicuous design

Once installed, these look like just any regular old light switch. They will fit into any house just fine without drawing any attention to themselves. It's the best way to upgrade the tech in your house without changing the way it looks at all. See More

Top Con

Limited temperature range

This switch is only meant to be used from 32-104 Fahrenheit (0-40 Celsius). This switch may fail if installed in an unheated garage, or during a power outage in the middle of winter. See More

Cooper Aspire RF 5-Button Scene Control Keypad

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Top Pro

Brightness controls

In addition to turning scenes on and off, holding the button will brighten or dim them slowly, truly giving you full control from a central switch. See More

Top Con

Middle buttons hard to find

The top and bottom buttons are easier to press than the button on the middle, which is about 1/3 shorter than the top and bottom buttons. See More

Top Pro

Multi-room control from a single switch

This switch enables instant control over different 'scenes' (groups of lights) all at once. Each scene has it's own LED indicator that lights up when the scene is activated, and turns off when it is deactivated. See More

Top Con

Only controls scenes

While it would be useful if the vertical button on the right could control a light itself, instead it just turns off the scenes controlled by the other buttons. This switch can't control individual lights unless you configure that light as a scene all by itself. See More

Top Pro

Labels included in the package

Out of the box, the switch is left blank. However, if you choose, there are generic labels in the box (Welcome, All on, Movie, Dining Room, Goodnite etc) which can be attached to remind you which button controls which scene. See More

Cooper Aspire RF Wireless 15A Switch

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Top Pro

Small LED indicator

There is a small blue LED indicator that turns on when the light is turned on. This is especially useful for outdoor lights, or garage lights where you can't always tell if they are on or not from where the switch is located. See More

Top Con

Expensive

For what it offers, this is an expensive solution. It doesn't offer dimming, and the push button style of trigger isn't as flattering as a touch-enabled trigger. See More

Top Pro

Programmable delayed turn off

This switch offers an option to automatically turn off after a set period of time - ideal for hallways where you only need light for a minute or two. This is also very useful in bedrooms - turn your lights on when you are getting ready to go to bed, then they will automatically turn off after your preferred period of time. This delay can be up to 4 minutes. See More

Top Con

Push button

Its looks are deceiving as the switch surface isn't capacitive - you will need to apply enough force to push the button in. When the switch actuates, it will make a small click noise. See More

GE Z-Wave In-Wall On/Off Toggle Switch

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Top Pro

Inconspicuous design

Once installed, these look like just any regular old light switch. They will fit into any house just fine without drawing any attention to themselves. It's the best way to upgrade the tech in your house without changing the way it looks at all. See More

Top Con

Installation can be difficult

If you haven't swapped out wall switches before, it can be tricky. You will have to un-wire the old one, and wire the new one to the existing wires. The instructions use some jargon that isn't explained, which you will need to figure out before the instructions make any sense ('line' means the wire coming from the breaker, 'load' means the wire going to the light fixture, and 'traveler' means the wire(s) that runs between multiple switches that control the same light. See More

Top Pro

Programmable

Using a Z-Wave programmer (aka a master controller), you can essentially flip the switch's software (if you installed it upside-down, intentionally or accidentally, the software can compensate for that). Also, by default, when flicking the switch the lights won't turn on/off immediately - instead they will slowly fade on or off. If you have a Z-Wave programmer, you can change the speed of the fading to something quicker or slower, or can remove the fading altogether and instantly turn on or off. See More

Top Con

House wiring requires neutral wire

The neutral wire is needed for this wall switch - it simply won't function without it. Older houses may not have the wiring required for these switches to work. See More

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