12 Clever Uses For Smart Switches Around The House

Whether you are managing a large property with multiple rooms, a tiny house in the mountains, or an ordinary suburban home, it's likely smart switches can add value to your life. Smart switches are like gatekeepers between the electricity source and the various pieces of technology that operate in your home. Depending on the appliance, they can be used to turn things on or off, set timers, or check how much energy is consumed. In many ways, smart switches are one of the most convenient ways to transition your conventional home into an automated, smart home. However, some of them do require a little more setup than your typical smart plug.

Depending on the specific smart switch you get and the type of communication protocol it uses, the maximum expected range will vary. However, several things in your home can act like obstructions and influence the actual range, such as your home's walls and interference from other devices. In addition, there are different ways to control smart switches, such as with your mobile phone, panels, physical switches, or even mini switches. In this article, we've listed several ways you can integrate smart switches into your daily routines from improving your home security, lowering your electric bill, to making sure your spaces are conducive to your different activities. Additionally, we'll mention some creative ways that smart switches can be used to create some pretty magical moments. Let's get started.

One of the most common and useful applications of smart switches is for track exactly how much electricity is going into powering your devices. In general, many smart switch brands offer metering mechanisms, which not only grant you a real-time view on consumption, but also give you the means to check the entirety of its consumption history once linked. For example, they can automatically turn off devices that have exceeded your preset maximum voltage. Although for your safety, it's generally recommended to not overload them and check for compatibility before installation.

If you're worried about the impact of adding another smart device to your electric bill, Meteor Electrical shares that the most consumption you can expect is up to 2 watts per day. In addition, this can even go lower than a single watt for certain product lines that use more efficient communication protocols than regular Wi-Fi. On the other hand, if you don't necessarily need to track anything that's hard-wired and have a ton of available outlets, smart plugs can help you save some money by offering similar solutions. For example, you can control your appliances when you're away from home, monitor your consumption, and automate routines. If you want to augment the smart switches in your home with these, we've listed some of the best smart plugs in the market that you can buy today, such as the Meross Smart Plug Mini, Philips Hue Smart Plug, and Kasa Outdoor Smart Plug. 

There is something magical and grand about living in places with high ceilings. Similar to the overwhelming cathedrals of the past, high ceilings give homes more space to breathe. However, grand designs like these can sometimes be difficult to get your switches to land in the ideal part of your room, including ones that let you turn off multiple lights at a time. Besides the switch itself, you can hook up smart switches like the Lutron Caseta Smart Switch to your smart home assistant, your phone, a remote (for a few extra dollars). Apart from bulbs in high places, these can also be useful if you live on a large property and don't have time to individually check the lights in each room, whether it's the shed, garage, or attics. Plus, some smart switches, like the Sonos DUALR3 can be used on other hard-to-reach products, like window openers and awnings. 

Alternatively, if you are a renter or are not comfortable tinkering with the switches in your home, you can also consider investing in a smart bulb instead. Apart from being able to easily move them around your house (or your next one), you also skip the installation expenses and be able to access a wider range of lighting options. While they're a little more expensive than standard bulbs, they do offer a ton of useful features that give you the benefits of a smart switch if lighting management is your priority.

Sometimes you get back from work and you're ready to pass out from exhaustion. Thankfully, with smart switches, you can make the experience of coming home, winding down, and going to bed more pleasant.

To create a safe, relaxing space, you can start by using a smart switch to gently closing your bedroom's blinds. By darkening the room a little, you create a cave-like environment that is more conducive to a restful night's sleep. In a tutorial by Sonoff, it recommends using the DUALR3 switch, which has a motor mode features that can easily work with roller shutters, blinds, and curtains. On Amazon, you can get the DUAL R3 for $25.99, which has garnered an average rating of 4.6 stars from more than 250 people. Apart from helping you sleep, it's also a convenient way to keep rain at bay.

Afterward, you can set your bedroom lights to support your pre-sleep ritual. For example, you can automatically turn off the big lights and turn on smaller lamps, which can give your room a cozier vibe. Depending on the season, you can also automate certain appliances like humidifiers, air conditioners, or space heaters to match your preferences. If you're curious, our team as SlashGear has tested a few gadgets for better sleep that you might want to consider hooking up to your smart switch.

Once your evening ducks are in a row, you'll want to build a routine for the morning as well. While we all have different rituals that make mornings more bearable, getting coffee is probably one of the most universal. While there are a ton of budget-friendly gadgets that you can get for better coffee, some people may be accustomed to the finer things in life and don't want to settle for anything less than an expensive coffee maker or espresso machine.

Depending on the type of coffee machine you own, you'll need to warm it up a few minutes before you actually have to use it. While some coffee machine manufacturers, like De'Longhi, share that their machines need less than a minute to be ready, others need a little more time. For the perfect pull, Blackout Coffee Co. mentions that espresso machines with double boilers could take up to 30 minutes before they are optimized for the best experience. If you would rather spend money to sleep an extra half an hour a day, you can set your smart switch to turn your machine on before you're scheduled to use it and turn it off when you've already left for work. In this way, you can pull a shot right away when you need it, so you don't have to wait too long. Plus, you don't need to worry about accidentally leaving it on when you're not home.

Creating a boundary between your personal and work life is hard on its own, but this problem is even more difficult when you work from home. After all, when your bed is only a few paces away, it can be hard to focus on anything else. However, one way to make your home office more conducive to work is to use smart switches. First, you'll want to make sure that temperature is comfortable. To do this, you can use a smart switch to automatically start things like your air conditioner, fan, or even a combination of the two, before your typical working hours. With this, you can make sure that it's your preferred temperature before even stepping into the room.

Next, you'll want to schedule timers on devices that you typically use, such as your computer, monitor, and other peripherals. If you want to take it a step further, you can assign a "switch" for different work modes, whether it's a cozy, deep work setting or a bright one for video calls and meetings. Lastly, you can create an "off" switch, which literally turns off everything related to work at the end of your work day, so you can spend more time winding down instead of turning things off one by one. If you're wondering what things you can consider adding to your office routine, we've also rounded up some underrated smart office products that might change your life.

Anyone who has ever bought home workout machines, like a treadmill or even a Peloton, will attest that it can quickly turn into an expensive drying rack if you don't have the discipline or establish the right routine. For people trying to stay true to their commitment for a fitter lifestyle, you'll want to support your new habits by putting as little resistance as possible, which you can (partly) do with smart switches. To do this, you can create switches for different workout "moods", which can both enhance your focus and give you one less thing to think about. For example, if you like doing HIIT workouts, you can set a switch for warm ups or high intensity programs, wherein smart exercise machines are turned on right away. At the end, you can even set the cool down switch to turn on the fan to help you breathe normally again.

On the other hand, if you're planning to do some calming evening yoga, you can create a switch that turns on little warm lights and your smart yoga mat. If you're not against using essential oils for better vibes, we've also covered the BeeWi smart oil diffuser before, which differentiates itself from other brands in two key ways: no water and no heat. Should you enjoy meditation, you can even set timed smart switch triggers, so you don't have to keep checking your watch if you need to stop and get back to normal life.

When it comes to date night, there's nothing more attractive than a person with a plan and with the right smart switches, you can impress anyone. After all, you'd want to focus on making memories with your date and not fumbling around switches and buttons. So, how do you set automations that can feel like magic? To start with, you can hook up your compatible light switch with your smart assistant of choice. Depending on how serious your dating life is, you can set a generic command, such as "It's a date!" Alternatively, you can set a personalized command, like "It's date night with Jane!" Afterward, you can set scenes and trigger actions like dimming the lights, playing some music, and turning on the oil diffuser that is filled with sensual scents. 

If you get smart switch that can handle tubular motors, it's possible to hook up electric screens, so you can project some romantic Netflix movies to enjoy. (Just make sure that the projector is authorized by the streaming platform.) If it's your anniversary, it might be even a nice way to project pictures of all the years you've had together. Afterward, a single push of a button can set up electric dining tables and barbecue grills, which keeps things cozy for dinner. And at the end of the night, you can use your smart switches to close up some curtains, even if you're nowhere near them.

These days, there are a ton of high-tech pet gadgets you can buy for your furbaby and many don't necessarily need a smart switch to work, whether it's smart water foundations, feeders, or cameras. However, there are still a ton of ways smart switches can enhance your pet's everyday experience, especially when it comes to pets that have more particular needs, such as aging or exotic animals. 

For example, when it comes to animals that can't regulate their own internal body temperature, like reptiles, their bodies can be super sensitive to extreme temperature changes. Thankfully, you can hook up a smart switch to a smart ceramic heat lamp with pet-safe, anti-chew features. Alternatively, you can also attach the smart switch to the Reptizoo Dimming Thermostat Heating Lamp, which is designed specifically for reptiles in mind. Selling for $26.99, more than 400 Amazon users thought it was a great find and gave it an average of 4.4 stars. Alternatively, you can also be creative and teach your pup how to use a wireless push button, like the SONOFF Zigbee Switch, to enable basic things, like turn on lights in their kennel, toys, or electric blankets. With an average review of 4.2 stars from over 230 people on Amazon, SONOFF's Wireless Push Button is like one of those fancy dog buttons, except it can give immediate feedback to your pet without your help. For under $20, it's definitely a unique way to teach your dog new tricks with less effort.

Creating the perfect environment for your marine babies to thrive can feel like a full-time job. Thankfully, smart switches can help automate a lot of things to help elongate the lifespan of your tank fixtures, as well as improve the overall quality of life for your aquatic pets, plants, and coral. To start with, you can schedule switches to turn on alternating filters during different parts of the day. Next, should your aquarium have corals, Reef Builders mention that wave makers are typically a must and that large tanks often need multiple wave makers. Because of this, you might want to consider using a smart switch to have multiple wave makers running at different times, which can simulate the different directions the water sometimes moves in the ocean.

And of course, let's not forget your aquatic plants. With smart switches, you basically give them the illusion of "sunlight", even if they spend their entire life indoors. Depending on your specific plant, the ideal number of hours may vary, but Aquaeon shares that you should expect to leave the right kind of lights on for 11 hours on average. For some plants, this can mean the difference between thriving and surviving. Lastly, if you want to take it a step further, Smarter Home shares a comprehensive guide on how to design a water change system for small tanks with the use of the under $10 Sonoff Micro Smart Switch.

Moving in the dark can cause trouble, like tripping or hitting objects, so adding a simple motion sensor light switch for places like bathrooms or garages can save you a lot of trouble. One best selling option that 14,000+ people think is worth giving around 4.6 stars is the Lutron Maestro Motion Sensor Light Switch, which you can get on Amazon for $22.93.

Apart from preventive measures, smart switch buttons can also help you in an actual emergency. According to Aqara, its Wireless Mini Switch is equipped to simulate alarms and send notifications once you press it. This can also be useful for elderly people, who encounter accidents and may not be able to immediately call for help. The Aqara Mini Switch works with both the Apple HomeKit and the Alexa smart home ecosystem and it also offers several control settings for when you do a single, double, or long press. Priced at $18.99, more than 2,000 satisfied Amazon customers have given this single button smart switch around 4.4 stars on average.

Lastly, with the 1-switch Brilliant Smart Home Control Panel, you can even see who's at the door before you decide whether you want to arm your home or not. This smart panel works with a wide range of smart home devices, like Yale, Ring, Hue, and Ecobee, plus smart home ecosystems like HomeKit, Google Home, HomeKit, and SmartThings. Knowing this, it's no wonder it garnered 4.1 stars from more than 300 people on Amazon.

For modern gardeners, there's no shortage of smart gardening gadgets that can help your plants thrive under any condition from moisture sensors, sprinkle control systems, to even robots to get rid of pesky weeds. In fact, there are even robotic lawn mowers, which can make sure your yard looks well-kept, even if your life is falling apart. With your smart switch, you can not only automate when certain gadgets turn on and off, but you can also enhance your experience of actually enjoying your garden too. 

With the help of smart motion sensors, you can use smart switches on everything from lighting changes that make flowers look more vibrant to elaborate soundscapes that match the vibe of where specific plants originate. Plus, you can even use smart switches to set timers on your border lights for your evening strolls, make fountains turn on when you pass, or even play calming spa music. Or, if you're feeling cheeky, you can trigger horror movie music instead, and give your guests something to talk about when they finally get to your front door.

Why else do we invest in technology, if not to get more time for the things that truly matter to us in our life? In many ways, our homes aren't just for us, they're also for the people we want to share moments with, whether big or small. With the right smart switch settings, you can ask your smart assistant of choice to create the perfect lighting for gatherings of all kinds — movie nights, reunions, graduation parties, or birthday parties. 

For example, you can use smart switches to light up decorations during a certain time, like hard launching your Christmas light set up. If you love hosting a good show, like making your little nieces and nephews do dance numbers, you can turn off multiple lights at once for a little bit or drama. Alternatively, you can change the lighting in every room to match the vibe that you want, whether it's chill and cozy or fun and wild. To top it off, you can even match the lights with different music genres as well.