It is possible to use a smart plug to dim the lights, but only if it is a dimmable smart plug. The Z-Wave Plus Smart Light Dimmer Plug is the greatest dimming smart plug. For your safety, make sure you’re using a bulb that can be dimmed.
Smart plug vs. smart plug dimmer: Which is better?
Using the standard smart plug, you can turn on and off your lights. You can use your phone to control your lights, and you can set up timers and automations to turn them on and off for you. However, that’s about all I can say at this point.
However, smart plug dimmers are able to accomplish all the above in addition to dim your lights.
The phrase “dim your lights” genuinely refers to lowering the brightness of your bulb or lamps (If more than one plug may be used with the smart plug dimmer).
The first three seconds of a total of 15 seconds
As a result, you’ll want to do some research before purchasing the first smart plug you see:
- A built-in dimmer is included
- It is compatible with your current smart home system. There must be some kind of hub for smart plug dimmers to operate.
- Dimming your light bulbs is possible with this device.
- Supports the amount of lampshade prongs it has. A three-pronged connector is the most important thing to keep in mind when purchasing a smart plug dimmer.
Although there aren’t a lot of smart plug dimmers on the market today, here are the top four and how they stand up against each other.
The most effective smart dimmer plugs
| Z-Wave Plus Smart Light Dimmer Plug | Leviton DZPD3-2BW Decora Smart Plug-in Dimmer | GE Zigbee Smart Dimmer Plug | Lutron Caseta Smart Home Dimmer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product | ||||
| Supported bulbs & loads | LED, CFL, & INC/HAL: 500W | LED & CFL: 100W; INC/HAL: 300W | LED & CFL: 100W; INC/HAL: 300W | LED & CFL: 100W; INC/HAL: 300W |
| Protocol | Z-Wave Plus | Z-Wave | Zigbee | Patented Clear Connect® wireless technology |
| Smart hub required | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Supported smart hubs | SmartThings Wink ADT Pulse Trane Vivint Nexia Honeywell, HomeSeer Harmony Home Hub Extender Vera Connect Iris |
SmartThings Wink ADT Pulse Trane Vivint Nexia Honeywell, HomeSeer Harmony Home Hub Extender Vera Connect Iris |
SmartThings Wink PEQ Logitech Harmony Home Hub Extender Cox Rogers Comcast Xfinity Comporium |
Requires Lutron smart bridge |
| Works with Amazon Alexa | yes* | yes* | yes* | yes |
| Works with Google Home | yes* | yes* | yes* | yes |
| Number of supported plugs | 1 smart plug per device | 1 smart plug per device | 2 (1 always on, normal outlet & 1 ZigBee enabled outlet) | 2 smart plugs per device |
| Number of prongs supported | 3 prong | 2 prong | 1 always on outlet (3 prong) & 1 ZigBee enabled outlet (2 prong) | 2 prong |
For Alexa and Google Assistant-compatible smart hubs, this feature is not available (most are)
Z-Wave Plus Smart Light Dimmer Plug
Pros:
- Most smart hubs are compatible.
- A three-pronged plug is supported.
- Inexpensive
Cons:
- It’s a bit difficult to get started.
- Check Amazon’s Price
Leviton DZPD3-2BW Decora Smart Plug-in Dimmer
Pros:
- Most smart hubs are compatible.
- Inexpensive
Cons:
- A two-pronged plug is the only one supported.
GE Zigbee Smart Dimmer Plug
Pros:
- A standard outlet and a smart outlet may be used at the same time.
- Provides reports on energy use.
- Inexpensive
Cons:
- In spite of its size, it won’t obstruct any of the outlets.
The Lutron Caseta Smart Home Dimmer.
Pros:
- For each device, there are two smart plugs, allowing you to control two bulbs
- Optionally comes with an actual remote that you may use instead of your phone’s.
Cons:
- Lutron Smart Bridge (you may check the pricing here) is required to use this feature.
- There is a price to be paid for the plug + and the smart bridge.
Lighting that can be controlled by a smart plug’s dimming feature
A smart plug’s ability to lower lights depends on whether the bulb in issue can be muted at all!
Summary
- A dimming range of 100% is available for all Incandescent/Halogen (INC/HAL) bulbs.
- There is a wide variety of dimmability for LEDs, with most ranging from 70 to 90 percent
- While some CFLs may be dimmed, most only allow for an 80 percent reduction in brightness.
A combination of Incandescent and Halogen
With a filament that heats up, these bulbs have been in use for more than a century.
Most incandescent and halogen lamps can be dimmed and have the widest possible range of controlled dimming settings (0 percent -100 percent ). Consequently, these lights provide quite a bit of dimming control.
In general, they use a lot of energy and last just a short time.
Diodes that produce light (LED)
We perceive light because electrons flow through them and create photons. LEDs don’t need filaments and instead use electrons to create photons. There is little to no heat generated by photons.
LEDs are capable of generating a great deal of light while using very little power.
Because of this, LEDs have significant advantages over traditional types of “bulb” lighting in terms of both energy efficiency and lifespan.
You’ll want to examine the package to see whether the LED bulbs you’re considering are dimmable.
Because they use so little power, their dimming range is quite limited (70-90 percent ).
Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL)
About one-fifth of the power used by incandescent bulbs is used by compact fluorescent lights.
They’re undoubtedly familiar to you. Fluorescent bulbs used in schools and hospitals look like this, except they’re coiled into a bulb. Thus, compact fluorescent lighting.
To be on the safe side, only dimmable CFL lights may be used in a dimmer, and even then, only to a maximum of roughly 20% before problems arise.
Before purchasing a CFL bulb, make sure the box clearly states whether or not the light may be dimmed.
It’s possible that your smart plug dimmer isn’t compatible.
If you’re using a smart plug dimmer to dim a floor, table, or hanging light, you’ll get the same warning flags.
A look at a few of the most typical concerns you could encounter:
- To dim the bulb you’re attempting to use, you’ll have to go to a much lower setting.
- It begins to blink or flicker at certain levels of dimming.
- Suddenly, the light bulb or lamp begins to create a buzzing or humming sound.
- When dimmed to a particular degree, the light goes off altogether.
- Upon reaching a certain threshold, the bulb begins to shine brighter and more rapidly.
- Despite the dimmer’s efforts, the lamp remains at the same brightness.
If you have any of these difficulties, the first thing to check is the bulb. Inquiring minds want to know: When dimming your lights, are you using the wrong bulb?
It’s possible to troubleshoot the dimmer and/or light further if the bulb is working properly. However, it’s more likely that a lamp and a smart plug dimmer aren’t compatible.
Smart plug dimmers have several advantages.
It’s a lot more important than you think to pay attention to the lighting in your own house.
The more intense the lighting, the more powerful the person’s emotions — both happy and negative — become. This is one of the most remarkable results in the study of lighting and its effect on humans.
Tolerable levels of light intensity are possible throughout the daytime. Light intensity might have a detrimental affect on us at the end of the day when we are attempting to relax. It interferes with our capacity to sleep and relax.
Also, it is pleasant to start the day slowly when we get up early in the morning. What about you? Do you want your emotions heightened when you first get up?
Your mood and overall well-being may be improved by using smart plug dimmers to adjust your home’s lighting settings.
Conclusion
Our attitude and emotions are greatly influenced by the lighting in our house. Controlling our lighting’s brightness may go a long way.
While there aren’t many smart plug dimmers on the market, there are a handful that do a great job of controlling the lights in your home.
You’ll want to be sure of a few things before you buy:
Check to see whether your smart plug dimmer is compatible with your smart hub before using it.
Verify that the lights you’re attempting to dim can be dimmed and that your smart plug dimmer is compatible with them.
Make sure the smart plug dimmer you’re using can handle the amount of plugs on the bulb you’re dimming.
You’re ready to buy now that you’ve ticked all of these items off of your list.
Please tell us about your experience with these items.
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