Maybe one day they’ll figure out outdoor smart bulbs that don’t drop off the network every time a squirrel sneezes... but until then, I’m sticking with switches.
I get the appeal of switches, but I’ve actually had decent luck with outdoor-rated smart bulbs lately—key is sticking with Zigbee or Z-Wave instead of WiFi. They seem less finicky when the weather acts up. Plus, those color scenes for holidays are a hit with my kids. If you’re running into connection issues, sometimes just adding a repeater or moving your hub closer to the door can help. Not saying it’s perfect, but it’s not all squirrels and headaches either.
Has anyone tried mixing both—like smart switches controlling smart bulbs? I’ve wondered if that’s overkill or actually gives you the best of both worlds. I get the simplicity of switches, especially when guests are over and just want to flip something on, but there’s something really fun about lighting up the yard in purple for Halloween or red and green for Christmas. I did have a stretch last winter where my bulbs kept dropping off, but after adding a Zigbee plug halfway down the hall, things got way more stable.
Just curious if anyone’s run into issues with switches not playing nice with certain bulbs, or if there’s a trick to making them work together without confusion. Is it just me, or do some setups seem to get weird when you cut power at the switch?
Mixing smart switches with smart bulbs is kind of a double-edged sword, at least in my experience. I totally get the appeal—being able to just flip a switch when you’ve got guests, but also having the color control for holidays or whatever. But here’s the thing: if you use a regular smart switch to cut power to a smart bulb, the bulb loses connection and can’t respond to any automations or color changes. That’s always been my biggest headache.
“do some setups seem to get weird when you cut power at the switch?”
Yeah, that’s spot on. I ended up putting in “dumb” switches that are always left on, then using smart bulbs for all the color stuff. For the switches, I just put a little plastic cover over them so nobody accidentally turns them off. Not the prettiest solution, but it works and it’s cheap.
I’ve heard there are some smart switches designed to work specifically with smart bulbs—they don’t actually cut power, they just send a signal. But those are pricier, and honestly, I’m still not convinced they’re worth it unless you really want both options. Anyone else found a budget-friendly workaround?
- Totally agree, mixing smart switches and smart bulbs is a pain.
- In my 1920s house, I ran into the same issue—guests would flip the switch and suddenly half my automations were dead.
- I tried those plastic switch guards too. Not pretty, but at least nobody kills the power by accident.
- Looked into those “smart bulb compatible” switches, but honestly, the price adds up fast if you’ve got more than a couple fixtures.
- One thing that helped: I put a motion sensor in the hallway so the lights come on automatically, and just told everyone to ignore the switches. Not perfect, but less hassle than rewiring everything or shelling out for fancy switches.
- If you’re dealing with old wiring like me, sometimes simple is better...
Honestly, I’ve seen way too many projects where folks try to mix smart bulbs and switches and end up with a Frankenstein setup.
That’s the classic. If you’re dealing with old wiring, sometimes it’s just not worth fighting the house. For yards, I usually recommend sticking with outdoor-rated smart plugs or relays at the outlet—keeps things simple, no rewiring, and you can still automate everything from your phone. Plus, nobody’s gonna mess with a switch that isn’t there.“guests would flip the switch and suddenly half my automations were dead.”
