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CES 2025: Lutron Debuts HomeKit-Compatible Caséta Smart Shades

Flight Plan said:
I hate D-cell batteries. I believe they are a scam.

They're so big, and they can be filled OR NOT FILLED with electrolyte. There's way too much opportunity for scams. The manufacturer can put half the electrolyte in them and fill them with lead weight to make them feel like they're real D-cell batteries. But half the batteries you find are super light. They DON'T have the full capacity expected from D-cell batteries of days gone by.
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Just buy branded ones from a reliable source then? If you're spending thousands on smart blinds, why would you skimp on buying cheap batteries?
 
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Curious how these will compare to Smartwings shades that offer integral Lio battery and Matter/Thread HK connectivity.
 
bierdybard said:
Caséta is specifically a smart lighting brand, not a full-on home automation brand. Why should they diverge from what they do so well? That's just a recipe for loss of focus (and of quality) across the line.

Plenty of good plugs out there with no issues.
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they make a lamp dimmer which I use as a smart switch but works poorly with LEDs so it would be nice to have one that did. they also make an outdoor plug so why not a standard indoor one
 
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bierdybard said:
That plug is meant specifically to be used with lamps, for lighting. It even says in the instructions: "Use only with dimmable LED, dimmable CFL, halogen, or incandescent lamps."
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I am well aware of what is it, I have many of their switches and dimmers, what is your point?

Furthermore, if you are going to call my request for an updated plug out as "diverging" then what do you call shades?
 
Rychiar said:
Is this really any different than the Serena ones they've been selling for years? it's all wayyy overpriced.
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well, for one, these new shades are apparently good for you if you like Grey, Grey, Grey, or White - no other colors allowed. The Serena shades come in many different fabric options and many different colors, which for us has been a Good Thing(TM). Big thumbs up for the Serena shades, we control via Homekit every day, the tiny Lutron hub is tucked away and never sees the light of day. I forget it's there. No Caseta for me, until they get some actual variety of colors. Swing and a miss Lutron, try again.
 
Still pricy. I know they are Lutron....I do like the other brands that have solar charging options. that seems the best when you have a powered device right beside a window.
 
Rychiar said:
they make a lamp dimmer which I use as a smart switch but works poorly with LEDs so it would be nice to have one that did. they also make an outdoor plug so why not a standard indoor one
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I’d like to see (a) a 15A indoor plug controller that’s not $80 and (b) a less expensive outdoor/weather rated controller that’s not so large.

Would also be good if the dual outlet lamp controller could address each outlet separately.
 
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Flight Plan said:
And here's one sweet bonus with Caseta: You no longer have to mess with 3-way switches. I was able to wire a 3-way switch closed at one end and replace the switch with a battery-powered switch. At the other end, I have the standard Caseta switch (on and off) and at the modified end, it's just an on-off caseta remote that has been installed in that electrical box, with the tied-off wires tucked into the box behind the remote. Once you install the remote and the lightswitch cover plate, it looks and acts just like any other lightswitch in the house. It's going on 2 years now, it gets used dozens of times each day, and the CR 2032 battery has not yet needed to be replaced.

Another cool thing about these Caseta remotes is that you can install one ANYWHERE you would like another light switch. You don't even need to cut a hole in the wall or install a box. Just screw the remote's mounting frame directly into the drywall, then screw a light-switch surround plate into it, pair the remote to the main switch, and boom; now you have a switch WHERE YOU NEED IT and you don't have to walk halfway through the house just to turn on some lights in the dining area.

The only caution I would offer is that if you're installing a "fake switch", you want it to look just like the real switches in your house. So be sure to measure the correct height off the floor (so the fake switch is level with all the other switches in the house), and measure too from the edge of the door jamb or corner of the wall, so that it's not too close to the edge of the room. Match your plates to whatever else you have in the room, and even YOU will forget that the switch isn't real!
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I'll second this. We remodeled our kitchen 10 years ago and "un 3-way'ed" the can lights. Our electrician was skeptical when I had him do it. I remember saying "well, if we hate it you'll have another job waiting for you." That was 2015. We've added a few of the "fake" remotes as you mention. They work great. Still haven't replaced any 2032 batteries.

Another example is our basement. We have a drop ceiling with can lights. You could turn on the stairway lights from the top of the stairs, but not the main cans throughout the basement. So, we just bought a dual switch plate and added a remote next to the existing plug for the stairway light. Now, we can turn on the cans from the top of the stairs. Additionally, I have a homekit automation set up so that whenever the basement cans turn on, a couple of lamp plugs in the basement also turn on. I'm a big fan of the whole system.
 
BJMRamage said:
Still pricy. I know they are Lutron....I do like the other brands that have solar charging options. that seems the best when you have a powered device right beside a window.
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Ummm, you're over thinking it - i've had Lutron Serena shades on the same D cell batteries for 18 months now and counting. There is no overheating issue, these are massive sun-drenched windows, stuff just works sometimes. I know, hard to fathom. Price, that's where you have a real point - the Serena's are way too expensive. Maybe Caseta can offer some more color/fabric options and then I'd be more optimistic about them at a lower price point.
 
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I had 20 Serena shades in my last house and 5 in my current. Also have at least 35 caseta switches. All work perfectly fine in HomeKit.
 
ManWithAPlan said:
Ummm, you're over thinking it - i've had Lutron Serena shades on the same D cell batteries for 18 months now and counting. There is no overheating issue, these are massive sun-drenched windows, stuff just works sometimes. I know, hard to fathom. Price, that's where you have a real point - the Serena's are way too expensive. Maybe Caseta can offer some more color/fabric options and then I'd be more optimistic about them at a lower price point.
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If you plan to stay in the house a while, it isn’t that bad price wise.
 
erthquake said:
Hmmm. Good point. I had a good idea where these could go in my house, but it gets hot in summer afternoon sun.
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I've had the Serena roller shades with 8 D-cells in my 3rd floor sun facing window in NY and the batteries last 2-3 years with daily opening. I was really happy with the Serena's even if $$$. Hope these new ones work as well.
 
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ManWithAPlan said:
well, for one, these new shades are apparently good for you if you like Grey, Grey, Grey, or White - no other colors allowed. The Serena shades come in many different fabric options and many different colors, which for us has been a Good Thing(TM). Big thumbs up for the Serena shades, we control via Homekit every day, the tiny Lutron hub is tucked away and never sees the light of day. I forget it's there. No Caseta for me, until they get some actual variety of colors. Swing and a miss Lutron, try again.
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While not cheap these are considerably less than the Serena's that run closer to $600 for a 48"x80" translucent white shade so Caseta is making some improvement over Serena for sure.

I also noticed over on the Serena site new "Select Shades" coming in "Q1 2025" so maybe some improvements there too or that same ones under a different name ?

Serena Select Roller Shades
With the same extensive library of fabrics and a low-profile design, Serena select is the simplest way to bring the essential Lutron shade experience to your home.
 
CloneBB said:
If you plan to stay in the house a while, it isn’t that bad price wise.
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Our Serena shades were about 2x what similar shades/blinds would have cost without the automation. Yes, that's a lot of extra money if you're doing a bunch of windows. But in my case it paid for itself about 2 days in when I no longer had to open all 10 manual shades in my bedroom.
 
That is a pretty steep price. Not my market obviously but I would love something like this but it would probably need to be half the price for me to even consider it.
 
ManWithAPlan said:
Ummm, you're over thinking it - i've had Lutron Serena shades on the same D cell batteries for 18 months now and counting. There is no overheating issue, these are massive sun-drenched windows, stuff just works sometimes. I know, hard to fathom. Price, that's where you have a real point - the Serena's are way too expensive. Maybe Caseta can offer some more color/fabric options and then I'd be more optimistic about them at a lower price point.
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I'm only suggesting solar power since it is by a window...not for ny exploding battery type issues others mentioned. I'd prefer to NOT need to buy batteries ll the time (maybe you cn use rechargeable in these)
 
BJMRamage said:
I'm only suggesting solar power since it is by a window...not for ny exploding battery type issues others mentioned. I'd prefer to NOT need to buy batteries ll the time (maybe you cn use rechargeable in these)
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The batteries last a pretty long time - I've replaced 0-1 times the batteries I've had in shades for 5 years. I would think you could use rechargeables, but given the long replacement cycle it may not be worth the higher price.
 
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