Philips Hue Good Wall Swap Module Assessment
Abstract
General, this can be a little bit of a distinct segment product, interesting to a subset of Philips Hue customers. However, in case you are one of many goal prospects, then this can be a unbelievable product permitting you to transform your present gentle switching into a sensible change for Philips Hue.
Professionals
- Converts present gentle switches into a sensible change
- Permits you to have a cleaner look vs a dumb change + dimmer module
- Simple set up and small module that can probably match into commonplace depth again bins
Cons
- Wants a battery (5-year life)
- Can solely be used with Philips Hue lights
The Philips Hue wall change module was launched a few years in the past and is designed to show your outdated dumb gentle change into a sensible change.
The principle promoting level of that is that it avoids anybody switching the sunshine socket off utterly whereas permitting you to retain your present gentle change {hardware} for a cleaner look.
Whereas you may get a totally built-in good change, these are practically all plastic and low-cost trying. Compared, conventional gentle switches can be found in a a lot wider vary of engaging designs, supplies and hues.
Different Philips Hue Opinions:
How does the Philips Hue Good Wall Swap Module work?
I should admit that I did not look into this product an excessive amount of earlier than getting it into evaluate. I simply assumed it was like most good change modules.
Nonetheless, it really works a bit otherwise than others, and it will restrict the enchantment considerably.
The module itself isn’t connected to your own home lights wirings in any respect. You terminate the wires, after which the module is connected to your gentle becoming and powered by a CR 2450 battery.
Attributable to this design, the sunshine socket is left completely on, and the module then integrates along with your Hue set-up. This may solely work with Philips Hue lights.
Due to this fact, there are some things to contemplate when shopping for this:
- All lights linked to the change have to be Philips Hue
- The battery has a couple of 5-year life
- You will have to be comfy with putting in issues onto your own home wiring
Unfavourable Opinions
I’ve seen one scathing evaluate by Hibbert Dwelling Tech of this module as a result of above. He’s not completely unsuitable in his evaluation; the above components will restrict the enchantment of the module, and there are different merchandise on the market which can be arguably higher relying in your wants and set-up.
I think he has made the evaluate extremely vital for the elevated views, and I feel the module will work for lots of people completely properly.
It will have been good if Hue had launched a correct gentle change that built-in with the system. Various choices energy themselves by means of the button presses, avoiding the necessity for a battery.
Nonetheless, the module design means you get to maintain your personal {hardware}, and if in case you have invested cash into nice-looking gentle switches, you’ll in all probability not need to exchange them with plastic white switches.
Using a battery is sort of annoying, however you might be solely changing it as soon as each 5 years. The modules is not linked to your own home wiring. You in all probability ought to change your lights off by way of the RCD when changing the battery as a precaution, however the substitute ought to solely take a minute.
The change does have restricted performance, however I personally assume it would not have every little thing I want. With wall switches, I simply need to change the sunshine on/off, and with this module, I keep away from anybody by chance switching the sunshine socket itself off.
Assuming the sunshine change is linked to solely Philips Hue gentle switches, I feel it does every little thing I need, however I respect everybody’s wants are completely different.
Set up
I had an electrician set up this as I used to be having my upstairs lights rewired. Nonetheless, after I eliminated the change to take a look at the way it was put in, it appeared extraordinarily simple.
You mainly terminate the present wire with the Wago connector, then join the module as much as the sunshine change with the included cables. It is likely one of the best good change installations I’ve seen.
One factor that struck me about this module is how small it was. As a part of my rewire, I requested new deep again bins for good switches, however I feel I might have put in this within the present shallower again bins I had. It’s a lot smaller than different modules I’ve checked out earlier than.
Prior to now, I had purchased a Fibaro Z-Wave module, however this was a lot tougher to put in, and it was too giant to suit into my outdated again bins, which meant I by no means put in it.
Philips Hue App & Set Up
With all of the Hue sensors and switches, you want a Philips Hue Bridge. I coated the performance of the Bridge compared to the Bluetooth management of Hue the opposite day. For my part, it’s an important buy for any Hue lighting system.
Including a module to the Hue app is kind of like the opposite switches. The one distinction with that is that it’s good to toggle the sunshine change a few occasions, and it will enable the Bridge to determine it and add it.
When you could have added the module to your system, you will have to assign it to the room you might be utilizing it in.
In Use
The general performance of this module is sort of fundamental. As you’ll be able to inform from the set up, the change is not connected to your own home wiring and the sunshine socket is completely wired to be on.
Due to this fact any lights linked to the change have to be Philips Hue, or they are going to be completely switched on.
In my workplace, I’ve a easy pendant ceiling gentle with a Hue white and color atmosphere bulb, then two laps with the identical bulbs. With the module mapped to my workplace, the sunshine change now controls each the ceiling gentle and the 2 lamps.
The module means that you can map completely different scenes to the variety of change presses. So after I enter the workplace, switching the sunshine on places it into vivid, then if I toggle it on/off shortly, the subsequent scene is energised, and the third is dimmed.
It’s not so good as utilizing the dimmer or the faucet dial change, but it surely works completely properly.
Personally, I solely use the change to modify my lights on/off. In my workplace, I take advantage of the identical scene all day, however within the residing space, I’ll change the scene relying on what I’m doing.
So if I’m watching a film, I’ll select one thing darker and extra comforting reasonably than vivid, however I’m not going to stand up from my chair and toggle a lightweight change. I’ll do that from my cellphone, or extra just lately, I positioned the faucet dial change close to the place I sit for simpler scene modifications.
Value and Various Choices
The Philips Hue Good Wall Swap Module has an RRP of £40 and is on the market on Amazon for round £37.
It’s not the prettiest resolution, however you may get Hue wall change covers which let you mount both the dimmer or good button. These sometimes price lower than £10, and a dimmer change is about £20, and also you obtain the identical factor, stopping individuals from switching off the sunshine and providing you with management of the Hue bulbs. It’s considerably simpler to put in too.
There are a number of third-party choices which can be classed as Pals of Hue/Works with Hue:
- Senic Pals of Hue Swap – £60 – This will match on a again field, and also you’d have to wire the sunshine change completely utilizing the same Wago lever connection terminal to the one which’s included with the Hue module.
- Retrotouch Pals of Hue Good Swap – £54 – That is successfully the identical because the Senic, only a completely different design.
Various Choices:
- Sonoff has a ZigBee Mini Good Swap module for simply £14, and that is wired into your electrics, so would not want a battery, and so they declare it really works with Hue.
- Aqara Good Wall Swap H1 – £39 – I personally have a number of of those Aqara switches round my dwelling, they’re nice for making dumb lights good. When you use Dwelling Assistant or a sensible hub corresponding to Homey, you’ll be able to then use these switches to regulate your Philips Hue bulbs. You’ll be able to arrange the change so the buttons not change on/off the bulb and as a substitute perform automation (corresponding to setting a scene).
General
I personally just like the Philips Hue good wall change module. Within the one room I’ve it put in, it does precisely what I need, permitting me to modify my Hue lights on/off with out powering them down utterly and avoiding the ugliness of faceplates to cowl my change.
The necessity for a battery is a bit annoying, however I can respect why it’s there, and I do not assume will probably be an enormous annoyance in just a few years when it wants changing.
There are alternatives out which can be superior in case you are glad to switch your complete gentle change, however I feel Hue launched a module as a result of there have been already full gentle change merchandise. This module means that you can hold your present {hardware} which will likely be essential to some consumers.
General, this can be a little bit of a distinct segment product, interesting to a subset of Philips Hue customers. If you’re one of many goal prospects, then this can be a unbelievable product.
I’m a UK tech blogger and have been within the trade for over 10 years now, working Mighty Gadget and its sister websites and contributing to different websites across the net. I’m enthusiastic about all tech, together with cellular, wearables, and residential automation. I’m additionally a health fanatic, so I cowl as a lot health tech as attainable.
Final replace on 2023-07-25 / Affiliate hyperlinks / Pictures from Amazon Product Promoting API
