I absolutely LOVE the Lutron Casetta platform and the products, BUT, here is why I am currently installing Leviton. My introduction to Casetta began with Serena Shades several years ago. I installed wall-mounted Pico remotes that controlled the blinds and my Sonos system. They looked great, all you have to do is replace your current wall plate with one with an additional switch spot and mount the Pico in there as well. When Luton released their new Decora style Diva and Claro, I was very excited to order several. I do have a neutral wire in my home, so that was not a deciding factor. My light switches are the Light Almond color, so I had to wait a few weeks before those were made available, but once they were, I had them shipped. Installation was very easy, and on the 3-way installation you are able to save some cost and simply leave the "dumb" switch in place and it works well. I started exploring the 4-button Pico remote for scene control, I wanted to imitate a Control 4 type system, but on a budget. Those Pico remotes were going to do it, but they were expensive at $140 ea. This caused me to pause and do a little more research. That is when I discovered the Leviton Decora Wi-Fi (2nd Gen) product line. The switches and dimmers were almost 45% less expensive than Lutron, and they offered a 4-button scene controller switch for $46. Leviton also has a smart outlet in that product line which I liked, it has a cleaner look for me. And, just like the Pico Remote, they have an Anywhere dimmer and switch that is battery-powered and can be installed anywhere and paired with any switch/dimmer. I have spent the past week installing 60+ switches and outlets, and I am quite pleased. The Leviton product line is supported by Apple HomeKit and I was able to get them all loaded into the platform. Although I never tried the Lutrom motion sensor, I use the Aqara motion sensor to trigger some automation. I am also able to use the Leviton 4-button scene controller to operate my Luton Serena blinds thanks to AppleHomekit. Overall, I think that the Lutron Diva dimmer was a better look with the slide adjustment, but, for 45% less, I am very happy with the Leviton product line.
Within 3 months of starting my SmartHome, I replaced all of my light switches with Lutron Casetas. They are every bit as rock solid as you say. We have had some local internet issues lately where the external connection drops of 1-5 minutes. My boys (ages 10 & 14) were both convinced that we did not have smart lighting controls because, unlike many other aspects in the home, these never go down even with internet issues (there are other devices, but the ubiquity of lights makes it easier to notice). My only complaint is that the lighting control when away (for random lights to come on and off) is troublesome to rely upon. It’s funny how quickly the price is not a factor when you see how absolutely reliable these devices operate. You might need a lot of time and/or different SmartHome devices to experience this benefit. My Apple Home is now 1.25 years in the making and I have about 150 devices. For devices used daily, there is nothing that matches to pure perfection of Lutron’s reliability.
After watching dozens of videos on smart switches, I chose Lutron Caseta. I actually like that Caseta has its own hub. If I someday change my backend home automation platform, my lighting investment stays intact. No hassles with Z-Wave or Zigbee. My guest and wife acceptance factor has been 100%. Nobody seems confused by the switches or Pico remotes. I don't have to tell anyone to leave a switch on to avoid upsetting my HA system. Reliability has been near perfect over the years. I have slowly added switches and remotes over time. I didn't automate every room from the outset. That slow/measured approach eliminated the chance for disappointment from unreliable or failed technology in the early stages. (And that's never been a problem with Caseta.) My slow approach also let me spread cost over time. Initially, I was a bit shocked by the cost per switch/remote but looking back I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Wiring and setup is easy and quick. Adding new switches and remotes to my HA platform is easy. I don't even think twice about the cost. How much would I really be saving if I chose a cheaper solution that was harder to implement, required fiddling, or was unreliable? I don't have any smart bulbs. We use 2700K LED dimmable bulbs and are fine with a single color temp.
What would be nice is also knowing which wall switches allow for scene selection meaning they don't have to physically connect and disconnect the light circuits. In those cases, I can have wireless lights and control them individually. It also means my guests can use the wall switches without turning off my smart lights.
Thank you! After struggling with other manufactures "solutions," I trusted your video and I installed Lutron Caseta products. They were simple to install and get working and with the hub, they work in Homekit.
Have use Lutron caseta for many many years. However my most recent home I have a casita of sorts about 250’ away from the main home. Wifi gets there but caseta hub doesn’t. Overall we love caseta. Putting a light switch on the wall for a 3 way that doesn’t exist. No problem. Using one pico remote when you get home to illuminate halls entry outside etc. boy that’s super nice. Next is to try a repeater for the casita casetas. And a motion detect to greet when coming home. Never been disappointed with caseta in any application. Setting up schedules remotely is nice for a second home. My only other request from Lutron is to have a single gang box box that switches two loads. I have one single gang box that has two light switches and neither are 3 way. No decent caseta path option. Alexa and google play very very well with caseta. Thanks for a the great video.
Nice job, Brad! Well done and very informative. I have any Caseta switches and plugs though out our house. I even have one of the Aurora switch and it just jogged my memory that I have another location that needs one. Thanks as always for the great HomeKit videos!
8:16 may be worth noting that with the new Diva and Claro switches, this isn't mandatory. Both include a blue wire on the back that can be wired to any existing dumb switch on the circuit (unsure if it works in 4-way configurations or not). Just make sure that if there is a dumb dimmer in the circuit, that you replace that switch with the Caseta switch. Previously, only the standard/off switch was compatible with other dumb switches.
I have a Hubitat hub and I was hoping not to have any more. After spending too much money trying no neutral required switches that didn't work with my 3 way switches I broke down and bought a Lutron Casada and Pico kit with the pro hub to work with the Hubitat. Turned out to be the best decision for the 3 way switches the only drawback is the Casada switch turns on full brightness.
5:17 this option to use adaptive lighting exists if you choose Last on State in the menu shown at 4:55, you just need to set the adaptive lighting once and you're good to go. In case I do ever use the colour options or something other than adaptive lighting, I just ensure the adaptive lighting option is selected for every light that supports it in my good night and leave home scenes so they're good to go next time I use the Aurora dimmer to turn on my smart bulbs.
Glad to find your channel cause I just started a Caseta Lutron smart system and used to have a smart thing z-wave system before at an old house. I used SmartThings has worked great for me but would like to use HomeKit and would like to get items that use those but still like to use Alexa to control with voice cause I already have at the house
I have two diva smart switches right now with a OG pico that was in the starter set and then another diva dimmer that came with the new paddle pico switch for the top of the stairs cause I don’t need a dimmer there
Completely agree on Lutron stability, and I hate the price. My Meross I hoped would be a great alternative, but I am constantly having to deal with them (no way I would want my wife needing to deal with these should something happen to me).
I thought the new Diva and Claro switches worked with your traditional switches in a three way setup, not requiring you to use the pico remote option? Is this incorrect?
The Claro can work with a traditional mechanical light switch. The Diva or regular caseta dimmer can not, you will need the pro version which cost more.
Not for me. I’m personally looking forward to the Nanoleaf Sense+ thread enabled light switch with built in motion and ambient light sensors. Looks super bulky though because of all that’s in it unfortunately. Supposedly finally coming out this year.
Both Philip Hue & Lutron switches & hubs are ridiculously expensive. Much cheaper options with better color saturation are available instead of the Philips Hues bulbs.
There is actually a lot more to dislike about these. I’ve had them a few years now. I don’t mind the lack of “tactile” feel, but what i hate is how mushy the buttons are. They just feel really cheap to me. I hate how few products they actually have available. Sure the fan switch is nice, but doesn’t work with DC motor ceiling fans. Or that they could easily have made a combo light/fan switch for instances like yours. The switches themselves are huge and have the pigtails rather than screw terminals which means adding more wire nuts to a box. I’ve had to mix and match where I put the main switch and a pico just so I have somewhere to put the extra wiring in a multi-gang box. Lutron actually has a TON more products available, but in their RA2 or I guess now RA3 platform. Can I upgrade to the RA3? No. It isn’t backwards compatible, and only available to installers. So I would have to replace every single Caseta switch out and replace my Caseta hub with the RA3 hub which looks EXACTLY the same, only black and over triple the cost. They could have easily made the systems backwards compatible or slowly bring some of their RA3 products to the Caseta line with very little effort, but doesn’t seem to care. Like when they came out with the outdoor plug for Caseta a year or so ago, that is just a waterproofed version of an RA3 product with a permanent plug on it and they acted like they re-invented the wheel. As far as I’m concerned, I don’t think they have any desire to grow or innovate, which sucks because of the reliability which is the only thing I think it has going for it. And I would gladly pay more money to go with RA3, but I can’t just go and buy the products. It’s so annoying
LOL. If I had a dollar for every time somebody said this without having to actually deliver a functional Smarthome system to a client. There are no free lunches in this product category. If you want it to work, work with integrations, have a esthetic options, scene controls, and to ALWAYS work (including 20 years from now) There are only 2 or 3 brands. And Lutron is the best in that small group.
Wow… so much complexity. Not for me. Hubs, remotes, apps, smart switches, motion sensors, smart lights, yikes. I am a technophile, but I’ll keep looking.
![BOWKYLION - วิงวอน (ex-change) [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/cLdnZWDaO-w/mqdefault.jpg)
I absolutely LOVE the Lutron Casetta platform and the products, BUT, here is why I am currently installing Leviton. My introduction to Casetta began with Serena Shades several years ago. I installed wall-mounted Pico remotes that controlled the blinds and my Sonos system. They looked great, all you have to do is replace your current wall plate with one with an additional switch spot and mount the Pico in there as well. When Luton released their new Decora style Diva and Claro, I was very excited to order several. I do have a neutral wire in my home, so that was not a deciding factor. My light switches are the Light Almond color, so I had to wait a few weeks before those were made available, but once they were, I had them shipped. Installation was very easy, and on the 3-way installation you are able to save some cost and simply leave the "dumb" switch in place and it works well.
I started exploring the 4-button Pico remote for scene control, I wanted to imitate a Control 4 type system, but on a budget. Those Pico remotes were going to do it, but they were expensive at $140 ea. This caused me to pause and do a little more research. That is when I discovered the Leviton Decora Wi-Fi (2nd Gen) product line. The switches and dimmers were almost 45% less expensive than Lutron, and they offered a 4-button scene controller switch for $46. Leviton also has a smart outlet in that product line which I liked, it has a cleaner look for me. And, just like the Pico Remote, they have an Anywhere dimmer and switch that is battery-powered and can be installed anywhere and paired with any switch/dimmer.
I have spent the past week installing 60+ switches and outlets, and I am quite pleased. The Leviton product line is supported by Apple HomeKit and I was able to get them all loaded into the platform. Although I never tried the Lutrom motion sensor, I use the Aqara motion sensor to trigger some automation. I am also able to use the Leviton 4-button scene controller to operate my Luton Serena blinds thanks to AppleHomekit.
Overall, I think that the Lutron Diva dimmer was a better look with the slide adjustment, but, for 45% less, I am very happy with the Leviton product line.
Lutron Caseta 4 button scene pico switches can be found for $60 new. BTW, they are great!
Within 3 months of starting my SmartHome, I replaced all of my light switches with Lutron Casetas. They are every bit as rock solid as you say. We have had some local internet issues lately where the external connection drops of 1-5 minutes. My boys (ages 10 & 14) were both convinced that we did not have smart lighting controls because, unlike many other aspects in the home, these never go down even with internet issues (there are other devices, but the ubiquity of lights makes it easier to notice).
My only complaint is that the lighting control when away (for random lights to come on and off) is troublesome to rely upon.
It’s funny how quickly the price is not a factor when you see how absolutely reliable these devices operate. You might need a lot of time and/or different SmartHome devices to experience this benefit. My Apple Home is now 1.25 years in the making and I have about 150 devices. For devices used daily, there is nothing that matches to pure perfection of Lutron’s reliability.
After watching dozens of videos on smart switches, I chose Lutron Caseta. I actually like that Caseta has its own hub. If I someday change my backend home automation platform, my lighting investment stays intact. No hassles with Z-Wave or Zigbee. My guest and wife acceptance factor has been 100%. Nobody seems confused by the switches or Pico remotes. I don't have to tell anyone to leave a switch on to avoid upsetting my HA system. Reliability has been near perfect over the years. I have slowly added switches and remotes over time. I didn't automate every room from the outset. That slow/measured approach eliminated the chance for disappointment from unreliable or failed technology in the early stages. (And that's never been a problem with Caseta.) My slow approach also let me spread cost over time. Initially, I was a bit shocked by the cost per switch/remote but looking back I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Wiring and setup is easy and quick. Adding new switches and remotes to my HA platform is easy. I don't even think twice about the cost. How much would I really be saving if I chose a cheaper solution that was harder to implement, required fiddling, or was unreliable? I don't have any smart bulbs. We use 2700K LED dimmable bulbs and are fine with a single color temp.
What would be nice is also knowing which wall switches allow for scene selection meaning they don't have to physically connect and disconnect the light circuits. In those cases, I can have wireless lights and control them individually. It also means my guests can use the wall switches without turning off my smart lights.
Thank you! After struggling with other manufactures "solutions," I trusted your video and I installed Lutron Caseta products. They were simple to install and get working and with the hub, they work in Homekit.
Have use Lutron caseta for many many years. However my most recent home I have a casita of sorts about 250’ away from the main home. Wifi gets there but caseta hub doesn’t. Overall we love caseta. Putting a light switch on the wall for a 3 way that doesn’t exist. No problem. Using one pico remote when you get home to illuminate halls entry outside etc. boy that’s super nice. Next is to try a repeater for the casita casetas. And a motion detect to greet when coming home.
Never been disappointed with caseta in any application. Setting up schedules remotely is nice for a second home. My only other request from Lutron is to have a single gang box box that switches two loads. I have one single gang box that has two light switches and neither are 3 way. No decent caseta path option. Alexa and google play very very well with caseta. Thanks for a the great video.
Loved the motion sensors to turn on and off lights when we had COVID. Was one less thing to disinfect.
Nice job, Brad! Well done and very informative. I have any Caseta switches and plugs though out our house. I even have one of the Aurora switch and it just jogged my memory that I have another location that needs one.
Thanks as always for the great HomeKit videos!
8:16 may be worth noting that with the new Diva and Claro switches, this isn't mandatory. Both include a blue wire on the back that can be wired to any existing dumb switch on the circuit (unsure if it works in 4-way configurations or not). Just make sure that if there is a dumb dimmer in the circuit, that you replace that switch with the Caseta switch. Previously, only the standard/off switch was compatible with other dumb switches.
I have a Hubitat hub and I was hoping not to have any more. After spending too much money trying no neutral required switches that didn't work with my 3 way switches I broke down and bought a Lutron Casada and Pico kit with the pro hub to work with the Hubitat. Turned out to be the best decision for the 3 way switches the only drawback is the Casada switch turns on full brightness.
5:17 this option to use adaptive lighting exists if you choose Last on State in the menu shown at 4:55, you just need to set the adaptive lighting once and you're good to go. In case I do ever use the colour options or something other than adaptive lighting, I just ensure the adaptive lighting option is selected for every light that supports it in my good night and leave home scenes so they're good to go next time I use the Aurora dimmer to turn on my smart bulbs.
Glad to find your channel cause I just started a Caseta Lutron smart system and used to have a smart thing z-wave system before at an old house. I used SmartThings has worked great for me but would like to use HomeKit and would like to get items that use those but still like to use Alexa to control with voice cause I already have at the house
I have two diva smart switches right now with a OG pico that was in the starter set and then another diva dimmer that came with the new paddle pico switch for the top of the stairs cause I don’t need a dimmer there
Completely agree on Lutron stability, and I hate the price. My Meross I hoped would be a great alternative, but I am constantly having to deal with them (no way I would want my wife needing to deal with these should something happen to me).
Great job on this video!
Subscribed.
Lutron is Lutron.
They have always been bulletproof.
8:00 - The Diva 3 way has a matching switch. You can add up to 10 I believe.
I thought the new Diva and Claro switches worked with your traditional switches in a three way setup, not requiring you to use the pico remote option? Is this incorrect?
The Claro can work with a traditional mechanical light switch. The Diva or regular caseta dimmer can not, you will need the pro version which cost more.
Great point! There is a Claro Smart Accessory Rocker Switch that can used with Diva and Claro for 3-way switches. I'll add that to the description.
What hunter fan did you get and controls does it give you
Not for me. I’m personally looking forward to the Nanoleaf Sense+ thread enabled light switch with built in motion and ambient light sensors. Looks super bulky though because of all that’s in it unfortunately. Supposedly finally coming out this year.
I prefer Kasa TP-LINK great switches and software
5:10 this does exist with the first party Hue tap dial that's been out for a few months now
Matter 1.0 support coming for WiZ Portable Smart Button
Is the Lutron hum Matter complient?
They just work…
If the Wi-Fi goes out and you have Smart Bulbs you are in trouble. If you have Smart Switches you can still hit the switch and be fine.
Both Philip Hue & Lutron switches & hubs are ridiculously expensive. Much cheaper options with better color saturation are available instead of the Philips Hues bulbs.
??? You can buy a starter kit for $99 that includes a $60 switch, $20 pico remote, and the hub.
4:32 I really hope you did not pay over $8 for a basic toggle switch lol they are usual around the $2 CDN mark at any hardware store
There is actually a lot more to dislike about these. I’ve had them a few years now. I don’t mind the lack of “tactile” feel, but what i hate is how mushy the buttons are. They just feel really cheap to me. I hate how few products they actually have available. Sure the fan switch is nice, but doesn’t work with DC motor ceiling fans. Or that they could easily have made a combo light/fan switch for instances like yours. The switches themselves are huge and have the pigtails rather than screw terminals which means adding more wire nuts to a box. I’ve had to mix and match where I put the main switch and a pico just so I have somewhere to put the extra wiring in a multi-gang box. Lutron actually has a TON more products available, but in their RA2 or I guess now RA3 platform. Can I upgrade to the RA3? No. It isn’t backwards compatible, and only available to installers. So I would have to replace every single Caseta switch out and replace my Caseta hub with the RA3 hub which looks EXACTLY the same, only black and over triple the cost. They could have easily made the systems backwards compatible or slowly bring some of their RA3 products to the Caseta line with very little effort, but doesn’t seem to care. Like when they came out with the outdoor plug for Caseta a year or so ago, that is just a waterproofed version of an RA3 product with a permanent plug on it and they acted like they re-invented the wheel. As far as I’m concerned, I don’t think they have any desire to grow or innovate, which sucks because of the reliability which is the only thing I think it has going for it. And I would gladly pay more money to go with RA3, but I can’t just go and buy the products. It’s so annoying
Matter 1.0 save Apple HomeKit 💯
You lost me at Hub!
Meross just works too. 1/4 the price and no hubs. This vid makes little sense in 2023. Seems like a vendor pushed for this.
LOL. If I had a dollar for every time somebody said this without having to actually deliver a functional Smarthome system to a client. There are no free lunches in this product category. If you want it to work, work with integrations, have a esthetic options, scene controls, and to ALWAYS work (including 20 years from now) There are only 2 or 3 brands. And Lutron is the best in that small group.
@@scottroberts3078 that’s cool. Thanks for sharing that
Meross is dogshit. I have their garage door opener and 1/2 the time I try to use it it doesn’t respond. Lutron is rock solid in comparison.
Wow… so much complexity. Not for me. Hubs, remotes, apps, smart switches, motion sensors, smart lights, yikes. I am a technophile, but I’ll keep looking.