Turning the stair light off is not a problem of your age, it happens for your dad grandpa and so on. It happens quite often you have to wonder around your dark hallway or staircase looking for the switches to turn the lights on, and after going up who will turn them off. Old problem, smart solution, the smart 3-way switch.
These switches provide smart control along with manual control over electrical fixtures of your home. With the best 3 way smart switch, you can easily convert the whole system into home automation. Control the appliances from two different places and even over your smartphone.
Our Top 5 Picks of Best 3-way Smart Switches
In this section of the article, we have accumulated our top 5 choices of 3-way smart switches along with their unbiased reviews. Let’s get started and dig deeper to exploit the benefits and pitfalls of each smart switch.
1. Kasa 3 Way Smart Wi-Fi Light Switch, 3-Way Kit by TP-Link – Control Lighting from Anywhere
Assets
Kasa HS210 3-Way Smart Wi-Fi Light Switch comes first in our recommendation list. This is an easy-to-install smart switch with a proper installation guide provided by the Kasa app. It requires a neutral connection to be installed and a ground connection is also recommended. You will be needing 2.4GHz Wi-Fi connection for non-dimmable lights.
You can control the switch hands-free using Amazon Alexa, Microsoft Cortana, or Google assistant device through voice command.
Moreover, you can also supervise with Kasa app which opens the door of multiple functionalities of this switch. If you are not home, you can still monitor the electric fixtures using the Kasa app of your smartphone.
The main thing that hooked my attention is that you can schedule the lights using timers and countdowns. So, you can discipline your electrical appliances to turn on or off automatically using this 3-way smart switch according to your daily routine.
Another remarkable option offered by this smart switch is the “Away Mode”. Potential burglars and thieves always keep their eye on your property and crave for an opportunity. By turning on this mode, lights will turn on and off automatically and will not let them notice that you are not home.
Downsides
- The Wi-Fi compatibility eventually burns out.
2. 3-way Smart Light Switch, Treatlife WiFi Light Switch
Assets
Treatlife WiFi 3-way smart Light Switch is featured with a screwless plate. For installing this you need neutral wire along with other wires and a 2.4G Wi-Fi connection. The easy-to-follow instruction on wiring will guide you to install it.
For Non-dimmable lights, it offers maximum 1250W output power with 10 A current. This single pole/3-way switch needs no hubs or 5G connection is required.
You can manually control it from two locations in staircases or hallways. Alternatively, you can get an app control using the Smart Life App installed on your smartphone. So, if you are on a tour far from home you can still audit the lights.
Additionally, you can automatically supervise the electronic appliances of your home through your voice command using Alexa or Google Assistant. You can switch on DVD players, smart tv, antenna, and other tools.
This automation is done by providing personalized applets using phones location. This greatly helps you to turn on the lights while your hands are full.
The app enables you to schedule and reschedules the electrical appliances based on your daily routine. Also, you can share many devices and team up all the smart switches to control all the lights altogether.
The Vacation mode is very useful to get rid of the invaders roaming around when you are outside. This improves the security of your home greatly.
Downsides
- The switch often shows off in the app when it is not.
- It doesn’t support mesh Wi-Fi.
3. Wemo Wi-Fi Light Switch, 3-Way – Control Lighting from Anywhere
Assets
Next, we have Wemo Wi-Fi Light Switch on our list. It is a single-pole and three-way smart switch that fits into the wall outlets for traditional 3-way switches.
You can smartly author this using Amazon Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant, or Apple home kit. So. Just give a short and clear voice command to turn on the lights of your room when entering a dark room with hands completely occupied.
To feature wireless control, it is operated by your home Wi-Fi connection.no dedicated hub is needed here. You can monitor the devices anytime anywhere by free Wemo App on smartphones.
I like the feature that you can randomize the light. This will turn on and off the lights randomly and deceive the thieves to assume that you are at home while you are not.
You can also set timers on the electrical fixtures connected with the smart switch according to your requirement. This will greatly assist you to stay worry-free as the lights and other devices of your home will be scheduled based on your daily routine.
For installing this you have to ensure that the outlet provides a neutral connection. If there is not any then try to manage from other outlets or else you cannot install the switch.
Downsides
- Frequently loses connection and resets.
- It lacks compatibility with other manual 3-way switches.
4. Etekcity 3 Way Smart Switch Works with Alexa
Assets
Etekcity 3 Way Smart Switch is controlled by the free VeSync app of your phone. This app is designed to provide numerous features that will make your daily life much easier. The wattage rating of this switch is 1800 watts and the voltage rating is 120V.
There are three modes offered by this switch. The first one is the schedule mode. You can easily put the lights on schedule using the app according to your schedule. Second, there is a timer mode. With this mode, you can set a timer to turn on or off the lights.
And finally, you will get the away mode. By turning on away mode when you are not home, you will be able to get better security around your home. This will smartly help you get rid of the intruders by tricking them.
You can connect this switch with Alexa or Google Home. So, you will no longer have to wonder around your room in darkness to search the switch. Just simply give a voice command and turn the lights on without using your hands.
This will enable you to accumulate all the smart switches and control them with one tap. To get all this, this smart switch needs a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and neutral wire for installation.
Downsides
- You will need a large wall box to accommodate the wirings and nuts.
- The Wi-Fi connection indicator light keeps turned on always.
5. 3 Way Smart Wi-Fi Light Switch, Individual 3 Way Switch
Assets
Finally, we have Nexete 3 Way Smart Wi-Fi Light Switch to complete our picklist. This 3-way single pole switch can replace seamlessly the traditional 3-way or 4-way switches of your home.
This switch can easily sync with your Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Google Home, or IFTTT. Smartly give out short and clear voice commands to turn on or off these switches without using your hands.
You can also control the switches by pairing it with the “Smart Life” or “Tuya Smart” app on the smartphone. This enables you to wirelessly control the switches beside the manual control.
There is six step-by-step procedure given to instruct you how to install and connect with the app. Installation just needs a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi connection and the neutral wire is a must for that.
You can also set time and delay schedule the switches with the app to turn on or off on a timed event. This enables you to create a fake scene from anywhere to keep your home safe.
Also, this smart switch offers overload protection to provide power saving. This will efficiently eliminate wasteful standby power and remove the overheating of your electric devices.
Downsides
- Gets hot frequently and can short if metal plate is used.
- It doesn’t support a 5G router.
control electrical fixture from 2 different locations
Things to Examine in a 3-way Smart switch
In the bulk of 3-way smart switches available in the market, you cannot choose one just by judging the outlook. There are some qualities that your 3-way smart switch should have to make you extract the maximum in your budget. Let’s have a look.
Installation
Some 3-way smart switch installation demand for neutral wire and ground wire. So, you have to consider if you can provide those connections to your wall outlet. An easy to follow instruction will assist you to install the switch without depending on an electrician.
Also, some switches contain a bulk of heavy wiring and screws that may need a large wall box to accommodate. For old residences, these types of switches are not ideal to be installed with other switches.
Wi-Fi Compatibility
The majority of the 3-way smart switches require a Wi-Fi connection to get paired for controlling purposes. Make sure the switch that your going to buy supports your existing connection. Or else you will end up needing to get another suitable connection to control the smart switches which is impractical.
Many smart switches do not support mesh Wi-fi or 5G router. Most of the 3-way smart switch demands for 2.4GHz Wi-Fi connection for control.
Compatibility with Home Assistant
Home assistants are now used widely in every automated home. To get one step ahead with technology, smart switches offer a connection with home assistants and enable you to control electrical appliances through voice commend.
So, ensure the 3-way switch is compatible with your Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant, IFTTT, or any other home assistant you use.
App Quality
3-way smart switches require a certain app to be installed on your smartphone to be monitored. For example, Kasa, Smart Life, Wemo, Tuya, etc. are some free apps used in 3-way smart switches.
Some apps are of low quality and show false notifications when you are not home. Also, some of them have a connectivity issue and may not work with a single tap. So, you should make a little research by going through the reviews to check if there is an issue with the app control.
Timer and Scheduling
Numerous smart switches feature timer and scheduling options for your convenience. This is greatly useful to match your daily routine and let you stay worry-free.
For example, proper scheduling will turn the lights on automatically when it is evening. Or, if you can’t get to sleep in darkness, by setting a timer the lights will automatically turn off when you are asleep.
Away Mode
This is a greatly helpful feature of 3-way smart switches. By activating this mode, the lights of your residence turn on or off randomly to create a fake scene when you are not home. this does not let the thieves notice that there is no one at home and take this as an opportunity. Thus, this feature enhances your home security.
Safety
Some switches have issues with wiring and screws. This type of switch gets frequently hot. This is a design flaw that makes the switches unsuitable for switchboard that contains metal plates. So, avoid this type of switches that can originate devastating house fire.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: How 2-way and 3-way switches are different?
Ans: A 2-way switch can be turned on from 1 location but a 3-way switch can be turned on from two different locations.
Q: How can you identify a 3-way switch?
Ans: A 3-way switch consists of 3 terminal screws and a ground screw. Two of the terminal screws are often copper or bronze-colored. So, you can identify by counting the screw terminals.
Q: What is the common wire in a 3-way switch?
Ans: The three wires are colored in red, black, and white. While working with the ideal wall outlet, the wires are default. The white one is familiar and connected to neutral, and the rest of the two are hot wires.
Final Note
To get one step ahead in your home automation, this is high time you should consider replacing the traditional switches of your residence with 3-way smart switches.
Among the above ones, you can anticipate the best performance from the well-known brands of smart switches like Kasa. Smart switches from Wemo are also well known for their performance. Hopefully, this will help you to get the perfect set of smart switches for your home and make your life easier than ever.
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