Had the same headache last winter—
. In my 1920s place, the wiring’s already a mess, so crawling around resetting bulbs after a blip gets old fast. Ever tried mixing smart switches with regular LEDs outside, or is that just asking for trouble?I’ve had a couple bulbs that just wouldn’t come back online without a reset
Mixing smart switches with regular LEDs outside actually works pretty well in my experience, especially if you’re tired of chasing down bulbs after every power hiccup. Here’s what I’ve noticed:
- Smart switches control the circuit, so any dumb LED plugged in just works like normal—no weird resets.
- You lose the color/scene stuff from smart bulbs, but for basic on/off or timers, it’s way less hassle.
- Only thing: make sure your LEDs are compatible with dimmers if you go that route. Some flicker or buzz.
Honestly, for old wiring and outdoor setups, smart switches are just less finicky. I’ve swapped most of mine over and haven’t looked back.
Have to agree, smart switches are just way more robust for outdoor stuff. I tried the smart bulb route a few years back—looked cool at first, but it turned into a headache. Every time there was a power blip, half the bulbs would lose their settings or just refuse to sync. I ended up on a ladder way more often than I’d like.
Switching to smart switches with good old dumb LEDs was a game changer. No more fiddling with apps every week, and the timers actually stick. Only hiccup I’ve hit is with dimming—some of those bargain-bin LEDs really don’t play nice and buzz like crazy, even if they say “dimmable” on the box. I always test one before swapping out the rest.
If you want color scenes or fancy effects, sure, bulbs have their place. But for reliability and less maintenance, especially outside, I’d pick switches every time. Wiring’s a pain up front, but it’s worth it long term.
Yeah, I hear you on the dimmer drama—some of those “dimmable” LEDs are just lying to our faces. I’ve had a few that sounded like a mosquito swarm when dimmed. My trick: buy one, test it, then commit. Also, totally agree that switches win for outdoor stuff unless you really need disco mode in the backyard. Wiring’s a pain, but hey, at least you’re not up a ladder every week resetting bulbs... been there, done that, got the bug bites to prove it.
Yeah, the “dimmable” label is a total gamble—been burned by that more than once. I’m with you on the switches for outdoors, especially if you’re thinking long-term. Swapping out a switch costs a bit upfront, but you don’t have to mess with every single bulb down the line. Plus, with all the weather and bugs, smart bulbs outside just seem to fail faster in my experience. I’ll take a few hours of wiring over constantly replacing finicky bulbs any day.
