Got Amazon to actually refund me on 3 Wemo switch/dimmers after having them for 6 months because of how bad they were. Moved to Meross switch/dimmers and they have worked very well since then. No issues.
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Belkin's Wemo Brand Launches New Smart Dimmer With Thread Support
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Thread is not necessary for Matter support. Matter is only concerned with messaging protocol, it does not concern itself overly much with the messaging method. Thread is just one option for device communication; WiFi, BlueTooth, and Ethernet are also first class citizens.
If you're planning to do more than 3 switch replacements, if you're not doing Lutron Caseta, you're doing HomeKit wrong. Lutron Caseta's have been the most reliable HomeKit accessory since launch.
One of the older Leviton units allowed you to reboot directly from the switch (there was a little pull out arm). That was particularly handy because mine needed rebooting weekly, at least until my patience ran out.
FWIW: I've never had to reset a Lutron Caseta switch, though I have once rebooted the hub.
Ordered 3, after a bit of a rocky start, all 10 of the Wemo Thread outlets we purchased earlier this year are working great.
Except that’s exactly what Zigbee was supposed to be and look where that ended up. I fully expect Matter to be exactly the same or prohibitively expensive to facilitate the continuation of corporate greed.
Highly unlikely any product will be backwards compatible - they’ll release all “new” with thread.
Nanoleaf has already pulled this stunt with some of its products, claiming a software update won’t work. Thus the big sales lately to clear out older product to make way for the same with thread compatibility.
Lutron has its faults too. For one, the design is terrible. Reaching into a dark room on a flat surface to hit the “100%” button isn’t the most convenient. Conversely, reaching back to hit the “off” button as you’re walking out is also just as bad. I have one Lutron switch connected to my driveway flood light that is very unreliable. Doesn’t fire with the automations I have set on a consistent basis. The plastic plate covering the switch feels cheap and flimsy and the paint used for the icons on one of my switches is rubbing off. The switch scratches easily too.
They’re also expensive and the Pico remotes aren’t supported by HomeKit. Can only control dumb bulbs and the locator lights on them are way too dim. The only way to see them is up close and at approximately eye level. I’m a huge fan of HomeKit adaptive lighting and since these are dumb bulb only, that feature is moot with them.
I discovered the LIFX switches and they’re leaps and bounds better than Lutron. Come in two and four gang versions. The physical switch itself is very customizable, can control smart and dumb bulbs and each button on the switch has three actions all configurable in HomeKit. I’m in the process of converting all my multi gang switch boxes to a single gang box housing one four gang LIFX switch. That gives me 12 HomeKit actions in one switch. Hue recessed lights for one switch (100%, 50%, off), HomeKit Hunter ceiling fan for the next (100%, 50%, off), HomeKit roller blinds (open, 50%, down) and three scenes for the last switch for my strip lights. IMO, the glass faceplate on the four gang LIFX switch is much more aesthetically pleasing than any third party screwless wall plate.
I’ll have a good mixed amount of Lutron dimmers, switches, fan controllers, picos and outlet lamp controllers I’d be willing to give away for relatively dirt cheap pretty soon if anyone is interested.
If these will be anything like the Wemo Stage Smart Scene Controller with Thread, then we’re in for a big treat.
That was sarcasm. I bought one to test and it was the worst money ever spent.
Surprisingly though, after years of issues, my many Wemo Mini outlets have been pretty solid in HomeKit as of late.
That was sarcasm. I bought one to test and it was the worst money ever spent.
Surprisingly though, after years of issues, my many Wemo Mini outlets have been pretty solid in HomeKit as of late.
Wemo, Belkin's smart home accessory brand, today announced the launch of the HomeKit-enabled Wemo Smart Dimmer with Thread support. As with the prior Wemo Smart Dimmer, it is unreliable and non responsive most of the time.
there fixed it for you
+1 for Caseta, never had a single issue in years, it just works. I have 8 of them.
No, it’s the culmination of separate companies (who wanted to each set the standard themselves so they could monetize it through licensing) finally giving up after realizing their approach doesn’t work.
Thanks for sharing, yeah, my understanding is a lot of Wemo's WiFI devices are trash. I never owned anything Wemo until the Thread plug became available earlier this year. The first month or so was a bit rocky, but since then they've been solid. I don't think I've had to reset one of them (have 10) in at least two months. Now that I've said that, they'll all go offline this afternoon.
I ordered three of these dimmers yesterday, to replace three z-wave dimmers that I import through Home Assistant that have been giving me fits since I moved two locks from Z-Wave to HK. These dimmers were solid before I moved the locks, now they have issues. Slowly but surely moving everything to native HK.
So very true! I have my house half switched over to Caseta, it is rock solid. I am super happy with it. If Apple could make the HomePod experience as reliable I'd be all set.
Same experience.
I have smart outlets / switches from Kasa, Amazon, TPlink, and Wemo. Wemo are by far the least reliable. I have gradually relocated them to where they matter the least.
A switch is likely impossible. How to power it with no neutral? Maybe they could use a rechargeable battery that could last for months.now please launch a switch with it too
Dimmers can work because they never shut off the power to the lights 100%. They only dim the power to the point where the light does not come on. A switch is different. With a switch "off means off", and there is truly zero current in the wire.
Were they thread switches of WiFi?
The ones that work best for me are either Philips Hue, which are battery-operated Zigbee, or Lutron Casseta. Not one failure or dropout in years.