The 8 Best Z-Wave Light Switches in 2020: Reviews & Guide

Because it is compatible with so many hubs and can so easily be wirelessly controlled, this is our pick for the best Z-Wave light switch. Honeywell is a trusted brand name, and this switch doesn’t disappoint.

It’s compatible with the Honeywell Z-Wave certified hub, but you also can use it with SmartThings, Ring, HomeSeer, Wink, Trane, Fibaro, ADT, Nexia, Vera and others.

Also of note is that this switch can be controlled from anywhere in the world via your smartphone, tablet, PC, Z-Wave remote or another device. If you’re a fan of Amazon Alexa, it’s compatible too so that you can enjoy voice control. It’s further compatible with Google Assistant.

Installation requires hard-wired connections with a neutral wire. Use this switch with incandescent, halogen, CFL and LED bulbs. The switch is equipped with a blue LED indicator light so that you can easily find the switch in a darkened room.

Control the lighting in any room with a range of presets that change the atmosphere according to your schedule.

What Customers Are Saying

Fans comment that setting up these switches with various hubs and apps is a breeze, and so is installation. However, some people feel that the housing is too big for existing light switch boxes.

Pros/Cons

With proprietary QuickFit and SimpleWire, this GE smart dimmer review suggests that this switch is easy to install even for those who have no experience with electrical projects.

This switch works with Z-Wave certified hubs such as Vera, Harmony Home Hub Extender, HomeSeer, Honeywell, Nexia, Vivint, Trane, ADT Command, ADT Pulse, Ring, Wink and SmartThings. You can use voice controls after integration with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.

This switch comes with a much smaller housing than prior models, making it a sensible choice for people with limited space. Use your smartphone, tablet or PC to control your lighting remotely or simply use the manual switch.

Create alerts, personal schedules and custom scenes to choose the right environment for any time of day or activity. Feel free to use this switch with incandescent and halogen bulbs as well as CFLs and LEDs. Thanks to QuickFit and SimpleWire technology, you’ll have no problem installing these switches in minutes.

What Customers Are Saying

People love the ability to program the unit as a three-way switch, and most of them report that pairing with hubs is a breeze. Nonetheless, some people say that pairing SmartThings has some issues.

Pros/Cons

Our pick for the best Z-Wave LED dimmer is part of the GE Enbrighten line. You can control it with your voice using Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. It also works with all of the usual suspects as far as Z-Wave hubs.

With a 20-percent smaller housing when compared to earlier models, it should be a cinch to fit this unit into an existing box. Also, because this is the latest model, it doesn’t have any heat tabs, which should streamline the installation.

The dimmer can be operated manually or with a smartphone or other device. Set alerts, scenes and schedules with ease. Integrate this dimmer switch with add-on switches to get even more control. It works with all types of dimmable bulbs, including CFLs and LEDs.

What Customers Are Saying

People who have tried this switch love the intelligent dimming as it remembers your last setting. However, some users found the series of commands needed to program settings confusing.

Pros/Cons

If you are a dedicated SmartThings user, then you’ll appreciate this selection. In fact, this is our choice as the best dimmer for SmartThings.

This product from Inovelli is a three-way smart switch. It works with existing dumb switches, GE add-on switches, and AC Z-Wave Switches. As you might expect, it’s compatible with a range of Z-Wave hubs including HomeSeer, ISY, Ring, and others. Voice control is possible through Amazon Alexa.

This switch comes with lots of fun extras. Use the favorites button on the switch to lock the doors and turn off the lights at bedtime. Tap twice on the paddle to set the scene for movie night. Tap three times, and you can arm your security system. Altogether, you have the capacity for as many as 13 scenes.

A customizable LED bar changes colors to alert you to certain events. For instance, the indicator may turn red when the security system is disarmed or it may pulse purple if a door is unlocked after 10:00 pm. Is the garage door open? A blinking cyan light alerts you.

The app also has handy tools for monitoring power and energy usage, something that users appreciate. They also like the comprehensive user’s guide. Nonetheless, a few people feel that the switch’s response times are slow.

Pros/Cons

If you want to jump on the Z-Wave bandwagon but don’t want to break the bank, then it’s important to find the cheapest Z Wave light switch. That’s exactly what this Leviton model promises.

It’s a coordinating switch remote that’s suitable for multi-location switching. Use with the Bluetooth Decora Digital or Decora Smart switches, which operate by Z-Wave, Wi-Fi, or HomeKit. You choose to use this switch remote as a three-way or for up to nine additional locations.

Without an LED locator light, this device can be hard to find in a dark room. Still, it’s handy to be able to use this switch remote to control the lights from multiple locations.

What Customers Are Saying

Although many people love how well the remote works, some found that the housing is too big to fit into their switch box.

Pros/Cons

This Z Wave wall light switch doesn’t require an add-on switch. It works with any three-way switch as long as the neutral wire is present. This on/off switch even has smart skills as it can instantly provide status updates and remembers and restores its on/off status after a power outage.

Enjoy manual or remote on/off capabilities using any mobile device or computer. You can even integrate it with Alexa to control the lights using your voice. A wide selection of Z-Wave hubs may be used in connection with this on/off switch including SmartThings, VeraPlus, Fibaro Home Center Lite, Wink and Hubitat.

What Customers Are Saying

People have high praise for the customer service and tech support center at Zooz. If you encounter any problems, you only have to ask for help. However, some people are displeased that this switch is only available in white.

Pros/Cons

This Z-Wave LED dimmer light switch makes it possible to remotely dim and turn off or on all connected light fixtures. All you have to do is replace an existing wall-mount switch with this one. Thanks to the 500-watt capacity, this switch can handle LED, halogen and fluorescent lighting.

The dimmer switch works via a Z-Wave network and hub, allowing you to control brightness and operation. Additionally, this switch is a repeater that can extend your hub’s reach by as much as 130 feet.

With an additional trim ring kit, you can change the color of the switch from white to almond, brown or black.

This switch is compatible with all other Z-Wave Certified products including sensors, security, access and climate. Made by Nortek Security & Control, this dimmer switch can take your home into the future.

What Customers Are Saying

Customers say that installation and pairing are pretty easy. Others complain about the size of the housing being too deep for switch boxes.

Pros/Cons

This Z-Wave smart dimmer doubles as a repeater to extend the range of your hub. Integrate it with Google Home, Alexa, SmartThings and IFTTT technology to get the most functionality out of this reliable dimmer switch.

Thanks to a 600-watt capacity, this dimmer switch can handle most lighting loads. A series of multi-tap and press and hold sequences make it possible to create as many as 10 unique scenes.

Additionally, this switch supports Z-Wave S2 Security. This means that you can control some security systems using this technology.

What Customers Are Saying

Customers say that this dimmer switch doesn’t cause LED bulbs to emit a hum. They also like that the LED locator light on the switch isn’t too bright. Also of note is the fact that the dimmer reports its status to the hub, eliminating the need for the hub to poll for status.

However, some people noticed a flicker in their lights when they were turned to less than 50 percent brightness.

Pros/Cons

Smart Lighting

When you add Z-Wave light switches to your home, then you can take advantage of smart lighting. This is the technology that makes it possible for you to remotely control the lights in your home.

Specific Schedules

In addition to making the lights brighter or dimmer or turning them on or off, you have the ability to create schedules and scenes for specific times of day and activities.

Energy Bills

Smart lighting helps you to save money on energy bills and simplifies your life by allowing you to control your home's lighting from anywhere.

Voice Controls

The technology also may integrate with voice-activation controls through Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

Wiring

Essentially, there are two categories of smart switches. These are on/off switches and dimmer switches.  While some of these switches must be wired into a box, others are plug-in modules that don't require any wiring at all.

Compatibleness

Many smart light switches take advantage of Z-Wave technology. Z-Wave is a radio protocol that requires a compatible hub that allows your smart devices to communicate with your phone or tablet. Before you choose a smart light switch, it makes sense to ensure that it's compatible with your existing hub.

Additionally, if you want to use your voice to control your smart light switches, then you'll need to make certain that those switches work with your choice of Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa or others.

Three-Way Switches

Z Wave dimmer reviews suggest that it also is wise to consider any three-way switches that you may have installed in hallways or large rooms.

Some smart switches are readily configurable as three-way switches while others are either incompatible or require quite a bit of programming to make them compatible.

Light Bulbs

Give some consideration to your light bulbs as well. For instance, you may need to look into whether or not your existing bulbs will work with the switch you've chosen. If you're using smart bulbs, you may have to switch to dumb bulbs.

How does Z-Wave technology work?

Z-Wave is a wireless technology that enables smart devices to communicate with each other. It does this by building a wireless mesh network that enables various devices to "mesh" together. This is accomplished by sending signals via radio waves at a dedicated frequency. Devices that have Z-Wave technology possess a signal repeater that sends and receives data.

What is a smart light switch?

Smart light switches are one example of network-enabled smart-home devices. With these switches, it's possible to control any hardwired lights by using an app or a virtual assistant. That means that you can turn lights off and on or dim them from anywhere in the world. These switches also enable you to program schedules and scenes.

Do smart light switches need neutral wires?

A majority of smart light switches require a neutral wire. This isn't a concern in most newer homes built after 1970. Older homes may have been built without the requirement for a neutral wire. This means that you may need to find a smart switch that doesn't require a neutral wire, which can be difficult. Additionally, a second hub or bridge may be needed to activate the smart light switch on your network.