Over the years I’ve written about smart home products, I’ve used more smart switches — that is, light switches that you can control with your phone, smart speaker, tablet, or computer — reasonable more than anyone. I was disappointed and my family upset – a lot – but I also learned a lot. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that Wi-Fi, for all its strengths, is not a good means of communication for these devices for a variety of reasons, no less important than that. Reliability is important.
Enter the Wemo smart switch with Thread. This simple, easy-to-install light switch uses the Thread wireless protocol, which means it operates completely independent of the internet, instead forming a mesh network with other Thread-enabled devices. It’s a simpler approach, eliminating the need to place the perfect router or invest in a costly mesh Wi-Fi router.
If you want an easy solution for controlling lights in your home — and primarily use Apple smart home products — then the Wemo Smart Light Switch is a reliable, affordable option.
As a smart light switch, does it match the best alternatives available? If you’re in the Apple ecosystem, sure. Here’s why:
Smart switches tend to take several different approaches to setup. Some have color-coded wires that stick out from the body of the switch, while others just let you connect existing wires to the screws on the side or through the ports on the back. The Wemo Smart Switch with Thread uses the latter approach, which I tend to prefer because it ultimately saves space — you don’t have to plug four wire nuts into an already cramped electrical box — and allows Direct physical connection to the body is more secure than a switch.
The terminal holes in the back are large enough for me to thread the wire and its housing into the back without exposing the copper. It’s a bit difficult to get the wires under the clamps inside, but when they get inside, they fit very well. And because the switch uses an interchangeable load wire and wire (the usually black wire carries power from the breaker box and to the lights, respectively), you don’t have to worry about mixing the two, making it difficult to installation becomes difficult. easier.
In the box, Wemo includes a white jumper cable to connect to your neutral wire (which should also be white) and a wire nut for easy connection. It also comes with clear, well-illustrated instructions, with no gaps that I feel need to be filled with independent research, which is never a guarantee with these.
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Unfortunately, Wemo makes some of the more raucous smart switches on the market, and that’s true here. If you have an older, shallow electrical box, its 1.7-inch depth can make it difficult to cram in, especially if you’re dealing with a homeowner’s messy DIY electrical wiring approach. before. In those situations, I recommend hiring an electrician to take care of things.
Finally, Wemo includes a nice, simple visor that can be clipped on without exposing the screws. I installed this in a three-switch box, so I didn’t use it during my setup, but it’s a must-have. It still works with the standard paddle switch faceplate though, so if you don’t like the one that comes with you can always use your own.
Note: While installing a smart light switch is one of the easier electrical jobs, the consequences of poor installation can be very serious and even fatal. Turning off the power of the switch is important, as is checking the wiring to verify that no electricity is going into it. It’s a good idea to buy one omnipotent or at least one voltage meter sure, but most of all, if you’re unsure about the job, hire a professional electrician to do it for you — it not only saves you time, frustration, and the potential for injury, and the job is also covered if something happens. go wrong down the line. You can find a good article on how to install a DIY light switch at Bob Vila.
Simple setup and responsive control
Once installed, setup is very easy. Since the Wemo smart light switch has a HomeKit-enabled Thread, there’s no need for the Wemo app — just tap the ‘+’ button in the iOS Home app, then ‘add accessory’, then scan the HomeKit code that gets print on the front of the switch or enter the number manually (I had to do the latter because my phone’s camera refused to recognize the code in my dimly lit basement). All in all, if I didn’t fit another light switch in the same box, I’d get the whole job done in less than 20 minutes.
HomeKit compatibility isn’t always a win. On the contrary, I also installed an older version Wemo . Wi-Fi Smart Dimmer on the same day, in the same box of three gangs. It took at least five tries before I could set it up, but it finally worked when I tried an old trick that worked for me with stubborn Wi-Fi smart home products before: use Use my iPad to set up instead. I’ll replace it with a Thread smart dimmer switch as soon as I can.
Using the new Wemo switch is easy. It almost reliably turns on/off in about two seconds using voice control via HomePod 2nd generationand even faster with Siri or the Home app on my iPhone. Longer-term testing will show how well it performs over time — I’ve never owned a smart device that at least didn’t break completely from time to time — but at least in our testing. For me, this switch still works, even when other repeat offenders have difficulty.
Wemo’s Smart Switch is affordable at $50, and it’s often on sale for even less (at the time of this writing, it’s only $40 at various retailers). ). You can spend less on a smart switch if you want, though you’ll find compromises there—reliability tends to drop for cheaper smart switches and it’s hard to find. anything that’s compatible with Apple’s smart home ecosystem is cheaper (though as you’ll see in the table at the end of this review, there are some older Wi-Fi options that are more appealing with cheaper price).
Exclusive and limited features
Nothing is perfect in this world and there are a few things to know if you are considering a Wemo smart switch with Thread. First, it’s a HomeKit-exclusive product, so if you don’t have an iPhone or iPad, you can’t use it at all, and you need a HomeKit home hub—a HomePod or one apple tv — to control your devices while away from home. Additionally, you’ll need a suitable HomePod or Apple TV to control the Theme, as the original HomePod lacked a Theme radio, and this would be a bit more confusing for Apple’s TV streaming box—both 2021 models all support the protocol, but 2022 models, only the 128GB model does.
It’s also limited to simple on/off functionality, so if you’re looking for a dimmer switch with Theme compatibility, you’re out of luck for now; There aren’t any on the market right now.
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The biggest potential drawback is Problem support, or lack of it. Wemo says it will release a Matter-compliant smart switch sometime this year, but so far there are no plans to update the existing Theme switch to the new standard. That’s not a big deal if you’re already in the HomeKit ecosystem, but if you’re hoping to get control of Google Assistant or Alexa, it’s best to wait for the next transition.
At the end of the day, the best smart switch is the one that works best with your setup. I find the Wemo smart switch with Thread to be reliable, easy to install and set up, and not too pricey, but there are cheaper options out there. If you don’t mind something a little older — and maybe a little more annoying to get started with — Wemo’s Wi-Fi smart dimmer switch is a great dimmer option that connects to your TV set. your Wi-Fi router, works with all three major smart home ecosystem options, and has a very nice control interface. This is a three-year-old switch, though, so software updates can be a concern (although Wemo tends to support its older products well so far). ).
Meross makes an even cheaper simple on/off switch in the Wi-Fi smart switch for HomeKit. At half the price of the Wemo smart switch with Thread, it has all the same features (meaning it turns your lights on and off) and it’s actually smaller, making it easy to fit into other devices. more traditional electrical box. Meross also tends to make smart home devices with reliable Wi-Fi, which is great because there’s little more annoying than a smart switch that requires frequent factory resets. But it does have some downsides — installation isn’t as flexible as Wemo’s new switch, as you’ll need to know for sure which black wire is the wire and which is the load, and it’s an older product.
Ultimately, Thread is part of the future of the smart home, and for dedicated Apple smart home users, Wemo’s switch is a good choice, even if the company plans to release exactly the same switch with full Matter support and may not update one like the other.
