Lutron Caseta Smart Home Plug-in Lamp Dimmer Switch, Works with Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and The Google Assistant | PD-3PCL-WH | White

This isn't the best option for a dimmable on/off power switch mounted on an outlet. Sure, there are a few no-name brand switches that can be controlled with a handheld remote control, and an increasing number of outlet switches can be controlled with an app or even your Alexa device, but there is nothing I could find that is a brand name dimmable switch that you can simply plug something into, walk up to, turn it on and off, and dim it up and down like a wired wall switch. Nothing. It's worth its weight in gold simply because of that. And, to get right to the point, it works and does exactly what I expected. br>br>WHYbr>br>In my case, I needed to install a track light above the kitchen counter space where I do most of my food prep. They put lights over the sink, over the stove, and over the center of the kitchen floor when they built the house, but they left one long countertop completely dark. I used Philips Bight White LED 50 watt bulbs in three track light fixtures with frosted side flutes, and it was easy to install as shown in my photo, it is in exactly the right place, and I used Philips Bight White LED 50 watt bulbs in three track light fixtures with frosted side flutes. The lighting is ideal, but it would be nice to be able to dim the lights a little when I'm not working at the counter. The problem is that, unless I want to pay a lot of money to have an electrician install a permanent wall switch, the best way to power these lights is to plug them into an outlet directly above the counter. I wanted to be able to dim the lights as well as turn them on and off, so I bought some simple power switches from the local fixit store. The Caseta switch is a masterpiece of engineering. Any family member can simply tap the on/off buttons or touch the up/down dimmer buttons without the need for remote controls, apps, or anything else complicated. For added convenience, there is a second outlet on the switch that I'm considering using to plug in a task light above the stove. br>br>This switch would be perfect as is, and the price was the same everywhere I looked. Because of a special offer one day, I decided to go with this kit that includes a wireless remote control, and I'm glad I did. Now, if someone leaves the kitchen task light on by accident, I can turn it off without getting up from the next room. That strikes me as useful, if not absolutely necessary. br>br>IS A HUB NECESSARYbr>br>There is one important point to clarify about the product description, and that is that no, an expensive hub is not required to use these switches as described above. It works perfectly as a stand-alone product or with the remote control without the need for any additional accessories right out of the box. You only need a hub if you want to use an app or Alexa or another similar device to control the switch. Okay, I use personal assistants all the time for a variety of reasons, but I think it overcomplicates the function of a simple outlet switch to have to use an app just to turn something on and off. I believe that requiring a hub for any of these devices will become obsolete in a year or two for three reasons: they are overpriced, there is no compatible standard between them, and they require connecting them to an Ethernet port on a router, which is becoming a dinosaur relic as the world moves toward wireless. My house no longer has an accessible Ethernet port, and it won't be long before the majority of houses do as well. WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE WALL DIMMERbr>br>THE DESIGN OF THE WALL DIMMERbr>br>THE DESIGN OF THE WALL DIMMERbr>br>THE DESIGN OF THE WALL DIMMERbr>br>THE DESIGN OF THE WALL DIMMERbr>br>THE DESIGN OF THE WALL D You just plug it in, plug your light into it, and you're done – no apps, programming, or complicated commands required. There are four push buttons that can be felt moving. Two of them are light gray and the other two are dark gray. The light is turned on by pressing the top white button, and it is turned off by pressing the bottom dark gray button. When the light is turned on or off, the brightness gradually increases or decreases. The middle two buttons are actually a split diagonal, with the upper white portion increasing brightness and the lower dark gray portion dimming it. br>br>WHAT THEY COULD IMPROVE ABOUT THE WALL DIMMERbr>br>The first thing that comes to mind is that the white on button should glow softly so that it is easy to locate in the dark. The second feature is a memory function, which allows you to set the light to a specific level if desired. The third issue is that the design forces you to use the bottom outlet on your wall plug, which means that pressing any button causes the entire device to rock up and down slightly. Yes, you could plug it into the top outlet, but you'd lose access to your wall plug's bottom outlet. If you plug it into the bottom outlet and something else is plugged in above it, the cord drapes down right in front of the Caseta's push buttons. I fixed it by connecting a Hug-O-Matic to my computer. Plug adapter that allows me to route the cord to the side while also providing an additional unswitched outlet. br>br>WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE REMOTE CONTROLbr>br>Remember, I didn't really need a remote control, but since it was included, I like that the buttons almost exactly duplicate the function of the wall plug, with the added bonus of a fifth little round button that remembers your preferred light brightness and allows you to turn the power on to that exact level. br>br>WHAT THEY COULD IMPROVE ABOUT THE REMOTE CONTROLbr>br>If you own an Apple TV, you know how customers feel about the slim remote control; 50% of the time, you'll grab it upside-down and either nothing happens or you'll press the wrong button. Lutron makes the same mistake here; unless you examine the remote closely, there's a one-in-two chance you're holding it backwards. The other blunder, which should be obvious, is that they made the entire remote one shade of white rather than sticking to the excellent theme of white buttons for on and dark gray buttons for dim or off. What in the world were they thinking?.

Jeremy McGuire

| Oct 30, 2021

br>I've compiled a list of advantages and disadvantages that I've encountered. PRO: br>br>PRO: br>br>PRO: PRO: PRO: PRO: PRO: PRO * 300 watt Incandescent/Halogen load or 150 watt LED loadbr> * Quite reliable, quick/responsive. br> * Smooth Dimming for entire range on LED, Incandescent, and Halogenbr> * Impressive RF Wireless Rangebr> * No Neutral Wire requiredbr> * Includes RF Pico Remote with memory that can be tied to other Caseta productsbr> * Includes RF Pico Remote with memory that can be tied to other Caset br> * Can be linked to sync with other Caseta productsbr> * Simple Setupbr> * Secure Encryption when used with iOS devices and the Lutron Bridgebr> * Solid Build Quality from a trusted name in lightingbr> * Completely Silent does not hum, buzz, click, or emit any audible soundbr> br> * If hub is not present/available, can be controlled via remote or physical control panel (you will just be unable to control via a smart phone/tablet app). br>br> * If using version 2 Bridge - You can use Siri on your iOS device to control the power status and brightness of all or individual lights if they are Apple HomeKit certified. NICE! br>br>CON: if you're looking for a unique way to express yourself, this is not the place br> * Uses Lutron's proprietary "Clear Connect" wireless control protocolbr> * Power failure results in outlets set to Full OFF not returning to previous statebr> * Memory Button only on Pico Remotebr>br>There are a few drawbacks to the dimmer, but I believe the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. I would recommend this system to anyone who already owns a Lutron Smart Bridge or another compatible hub. br>br>Thank you for reading my review! br>If you found it useful, please select "Yes" at the top of the page. If not, please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.

Poppy Ayers

| May 25, 2021

In my kitchen, I have a Lutron Caseta wall dimmer switch (I don't have a neutral wire, so Lutron is pretty much the only smart wall switch option). A Lutron Caseta Smart Bridge is also in my possession. Overall, I've been very pleased with them. br>br>I wanted to install some LED lightstrips under a cabinet, so I looked for a Lutron Caseta solution that would allow me to control them alongside the main lighting. As a result, I purchased the Lutron Caseta Smart Home Plug-In. A dimmable LED strip is included with the Lamp Dimmer Switch. br>br>After double-checking that the lightstrip, transformer, and Lutron plug-in are all in good working order, I went to install everything after making sure that all of the dimmer switches were compatible (they were). So far, it's been great, and I'd give it five stars if I could. br>br>However, when I went to the Lutron app to link the plug-ins, it was a different story. There's no way to do it with a dimmer and a wall switch. The wall switch can only control its own light and is not connected to the plug-in in any way. in a dim light (or any other light for that matter) I can program the Pico remote to do whatever I want (i. e. The main lighting and the plug-ins are both under your control. I ended up connecting the Lutron Caseta Smart Bridge to my Samsung SmartThings hub and adding an automation that turns the plug-in dimmer together), but my wall switch is very conveniently placed and that's the one I use all the time. br>br>What I ended up doing was linking the Lutron Caseta Smart Bridge to my Samsung SmartThings hub, and I added an automation that turns the plug-in dimmer together. When the wall switch is turned on or off, it turns on or off the dimmer. Unfortunately, there is no way to sync the dimming levels between the two, which means the lightstrip on my plug-in is dimming at the same time. The main light is on when it is on (regardless of its brightness) and off when it is off. To put it another way, I could have gotten the same result with a $10 smart plug. br>br>To summarize, it is a fantastic product in and of itself. However, if you want to control the plug-in, you'll need to use a different method. Only Pico remotes can control the dimmer when it's used with other Lutron Caseta devices.

Alanna Armstrong

| Mar 14, 2021