5 Reasons Why A Wireless Smart Switch Is Useful For Your Home

Smart home gadgets can be as simple or complex as you'd like to have them. From smart lights and doorbells to smart thermostats and motion sensors, there's no shortage of ways you can customize and enhance your living space. However, one simple yet versatile way of elevating your smart home setup that you may not have considered prior is as easy — or even easier — as flipping a switch. 

At first glance, it may be hard to wrap your head around how significantly different smart switches are compared to traditional household light switches. But diving deeper into their capabilities, it becomes clear that they will give your home's lighting and electric system an instant upgrade. Smart switches link to your home's wireless system in order to control and automate your lights, fans, and other household appliances typically controlled by a switch. Smart switches provide a far easier and more varied manner of controlling your home's many applications than similar products such as smart bulbs. With an ever-increasing variety of smart switches on the market, as well as a wide range of control methods, you're bound to find a place to be able to fit a smart switch in your life. 

Need more convincing? If you've been on the fence about getting a smart switch fired up in your home or simply want to learn more, keep reading as we go through six key reasons why you should seriously consider getting a smart switch setup. 

Before we dive deep into the meat of this article, it's worth knowing that not all smart switches are made equal. This isn't to say that one is worse than the others, but depending on your needs and preferences, you may get more use out of a specific smart switch that may not prove as effective for the next person. For many, a wireless smart switch is more than sufficient. 

Smart switches come available in wired and wireless formats and are battery-powered. You might assume that battery-powered switches will need their batteries replaced constantly, but the good news is that most popular brands have batteries that can last upwards of 10 years. They offer more convenience as a result due to requiring less technical know-how to set up. From there, your smart switch will then connect to your Wi-Fi or Bluetooth and be able to be controlled through means such as a smartphone app or a central hub. 

As for specific brands, you'll have no shortage to choose from. Names such as Kasa, Lutron, Leviton, and Philips are among the most popular and best-reviewed options out there, with outlets such as The New York Times, TechRadar, and Tom's Guide highly recommending them.

Life has gotten busier and busier for many of us, and it can be overwhelming to stay on top of everything. Having one less thing to think about day after day can sometimes be all that's needed to clear your mind and help you focus. The convenience offered by most smart home devices is perhaps their most obvious benefit, and smart switches are no exception. 

You may not think about it all that much, but turning on and off certain appliances around your home is part of your regular routine. From turning on lights in the morning to changing the air conditioning at night, having your appliances up and running is a subconscious but important part of your day-to-day life. With a smart switch, you can have your appliances scheduled to work around your day, such as having your coffee maker turn on as soon as you get up, the lights turn on when you get home, or stopping the fan right before you go to bed. Best of all, you have the ability to control all of these operations and settings from anywhere in your home or even away from it, allowing for increased command and flexibility over how your daily life is run.

Finding new ways to keep your cost of living down feels like a never-ending battle, especially in recent years with inflation making it even more difficult to save. Your energy bill is no exception and may even be among your most irritating expenses. For those in a constant battle with this expense, a smart switch is a worthwhile buy that can help make a dent in your electric bill in the long run. 

With your smart switch, you have ultimate control of your home's electric system. This means you have the ability to turn applications on and off, schedule how long they stay on, and control their intensity when they are on. Since you can manage these controls from any location, you don't have to worry if you realize that you accidentally left a light on or a fan running while you're out of the house. This, combined with avoiding many of the common pitfalls that will typically spike your energy bill, has the potential to make a serious impact on how much you save a month.   

The nice news is that the upfront costs of purchasing a smart switch are not as much as you might think. While there are plenty of smart switches in the $50 to $70 range, you'll also have no problem finding far more economical yet quality options that go for around $20 to $30. Even at their most expensive, installing a smart switch system is generally a more cost-effective method than purchasing a large quantity of smart bulbs. 

It never hurts to put in the extra effort to keep your home secure from intruders. It's easy to underestimate the severity of these crimes, with more than half of the estimated one million yearly American burglaries being home break-ins. What's worse is that only a small percentage of reported burglaries get solved. While it's impossible to truly predict if you'll ever find yourself in such a scenario, there are many actionable steps you can take to ensure that you don't wind up as part of such statistics.

A smart switch is likely not the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to home security measures. Nevertheless, there is a surprising array of home protection benefits that a smart switch system grants you. First off, while it's been debated if leaving your lights on at night truly does all that much to stop thieves, it still doesn't hurt to have some lights or appliances on to make it appear that there is activity going on inside the house. If you're out of town, doing this remotely can be especially helpful. Likewise, your smart switch can also connect with your other smart home appliances, such as alarm systems, door locks, motion sensors, and cameras, to activate them whenever needed for increased security. 

It goes without saying that an electrical fire would be a nightmare. According to the Electrical Safety Foundation, 51,000 electric household fires occur every year, costing a collective $1.3 billion in property damage. They're also startlingly common reasons for home fires, ranking third after cooking and heating-related fires. However, you may also be surprised that smart switches can also help keep you safe from household disasters such as fires. 

A major cause of electrical fires is overloaded circuits and outlets. Even though fuse boxes are designed to stop power on their own when an overloaded circuit is detected, a poorly functioning or worn-out fuse box may not be able to do so. This can especially be an issue during certain times of the year, such as the holiday season, when households typically have extensive lights and decor, as well as more visitors who will need to use their electricity. A smart switch can help appease these issues thanks to its unmatched control capabilities. With your appliances and devices automated to turn and off on a specific schedule, there's far less of a risk for your home's electric system to experience any overloading. 

Home is truly what you make it. How you organize and decorate your household is key to that, but you may not have ever considered how lighting can set the mood for how you feel walking through any given room. With the conveinence and integration offered by smart switches, creating the ideal mood for your home is easier to achieve than ever before.

Of course, the way you go about doing this will depend on your personal preferences and lifestyle. Have a hard time getting up in the morning? Your smart switch can act as an alarm by blasting your lights when it's time to get up. Want a sophisticated look to your dining room for a dinner get-together with friends or family? Program your switch to turn on the appropriate lights while leaving others off. Seeking a cozy atmosphere before going to bed? Use your switch to turn on the lamp that you use for reading and get settled in. There are countless ways you can use your smart switch to help shape the home and life you want for yourself. So after getting used to how everything works, take the time to experiment and get creative with what you can do with your smart switch. You may be surprised by just how much these handy appliances can achieve.