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Caséta Wireless by Lutron Smart Lighting Review

By Kate Herrick

Contributing Writer

February 11, 2019

Looking to add a little light to your life? Lutron has a product for that.

Lutron is a smart lighting company with a huge range of lighting, shading, and fan control products for homes and buildings of all sizes that you can install yourself or have professionally installed.

One of Lutron’s most accessible and highly rated product lines is Caséta Wireless by Lutron, which lets you control the lighting in your home in seemingly endless ways. We’ve got all the info you need about Caséta products to help you decide if they’re right for you.

Compare Caséta Wireless by Lutron Products

	Smart Lighting Dimmer Switch Starter Kit	Smart Lighting Lamp Dimmer Starter Kit	Smart Bridge	Smart Lighting Dimmer Switch and Remote Kit	Smart Lighting Lamp Dimmer and Remote Kit	Smart Lighting Switch for All Bulb Types and Fans
Product image
View on Amazon	View on Amazon	View on Amazon	View on Amazon	View on Amazon	View on Amazon	View on Amazon
Smart Bridge included	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Included equipment	1 in-wall light dimmer, 1 remote	2 plug-in lamp dimmers, 2 remotes, 2 tabletop pedestals	N/A	1 in-wall light dimmer, 1 remote	1 plug-in lamp dimmer, 1 remote	1 in-wall light switch
Number of devices controlled	Up to 17 lightbulbs	Up to 2 lamps per dimmer	Up to 50 devices	Up to 17 lightbulbs	Up to 2 lamps per dimmer	N/A

Caséta Wireless by Lutron

Pros

Installs easily
Has lots of custom settings and presets
Integrates with all major voice assistants and other home automation products
Can be monitored through free smartphone app
Offers geofencing
Has a built-in security mode for when you’re away from home
Supports three-way switches

Cons

Costs more than other systems
Doesn’t have custom fade duration settings
Has limited warranty coverage

Caséta Wireless by Lutron is an easy, DIY lighting system that supports up to 50 devices. The system replaces regular light switches and plugs with smart dimmer switches and wireless remotes, all connected by the wireless Smart Bridge and controlled through a free smartphone app.

Caséta integrates with all the major voice home assistants, several DIY home automation systems, and other smart products. Between those integrations and the other smart features, it’s one of the most versatile smart home lighting solutions out there.

Features of Caséta by Lutron

Installation

Considering how much the system can do, installation is impressively quick and easy. The Smart Bridge requires you only to plug it into your router and a wall outlet; the rest of setup happens in the app. Installing a switch is as simple as turning off the power to the switch you’re replacing, removing it, attaching the new switch, and adding the base plate. Flip the power back on and it’s ready to go.

Remote access and control

Through the app (for iOS and Android), you can name individual lights, group lights together by room, and create automation events. The app itself is easy to navigate and well-organized.

Geofencing

Caséta comes with a geofencing feature, which means when it detects your smartphone within a certain range of the house, it’ll turn the lights on so you walk into a bright home.

Caséta comes with a geofencing feature, which means when it detects your smartphone within a certain range of the house, it’ll turn the lights on so you walk into a bright home. Once you leave that range, Caséta turns off the lights.

Security Mode

If you'll be out of town for an extended period of time or away from home for the evening, you can activate Security Mode. This will run your lights on a schedule that makes it look like you’re home, adding a layer of security.

Three-way switches

One advantage Caséta has over competing systems is that it works with three-way switches. If your home has two light switches that control the same light (for example, a light switch at the top and bottom of the stairs), a Lutron switch and Pico remote will let you control the light from either location.

Compatibility

Not only can Caséta integrate with other home automation systems but it also connects directly with all the major voice assistant platforms and protocols:

With so many integrations, your options for creating “scenes,” or home automation and security events, are nearly limitless. You can ask your voice assistant to turn the lights on or off; you can set up a program to turn on the lights automatically when you get home or at a specific time of day; you can even turn on Security Mode to schedule lights to go on at regular intervals.

Higher up-front costs

The main disadvantage (really, the only disadvantage) to Caséta is that the products are expensive. Each switch costs between $50 and $100. You’ll also need the Smart Bridge to make some of the devices work, which is another $80–$100. There are similar systems with lower costs, but we feel that the wide compatibility and customization options balance out the pricing.

One other thing to keep in mind: if you already have LED lightbulbs in your home, make sure you use only approved LED lightbulbs with Lutron dimmers and switches. (You can check the compatibility of LED bulbs and Lutron dimmers here.) If you choose to use a bulb that isn’t on the approved list, you run the risk of it not working properly, damaging the Lutron dimmer or switch, and voiding the warranty.

Caséta Wireless products: Where to start and how to expand

The Caséta Wireless system sounds amazing, but where to start? We recommend starting with a kit to bundle several products together, but you can also build your system piece by piece.

Smart Bridge

Lutron L-BDG2-WH Smart Bridge

The Smart Bridge is the center of the Caséta Wireless system and a must-have to make everything work together. The Smart Bridge plugs directly into your router and a wall outlet—the rest of the setup happens in the Lutron app—and controls up to 50 Caséta Wireless devices. You can buy the bridge separately or as part of a starter kit.

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Pro Tip

The Smart Bridge and all Caséta products use Lutron’s Clear Connect RF technology to connect to each other. This is a quiet radio frequency that doesn’t interfere with Wi-Fi enabled devices.

Smart Lighting Dimmer Switch Starter Kit

We definitely recommend using a starter kit to begin your smart lighting transformation. The Caséta Smart Lighting Dimmer Switch Starter Kit comes with one switch and one remote, as well as the necessary Smart Bridge, to get you started.

The dimmer switch controls up to 17 lightbulbs, including LED, incandescent, and halogen bulbs, which should be more than enough for the main rooms in an average-sized home. The kit gives you the option of controlling the lights from the switch itself, from the remote, from your smartphone, or even from your home voice assistant speaker.

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Pro Tip

Why should I use a dimmer?If replacing regular light switches with dimmer switches seems unnecessary, consider this: if you dim a lightbulb by 10%, you are using 10% less energy, which extends the life of the bulb. You save money both on energy costs and on lightbulbs replacements.

Plug & play: Smart Lighting Lamp Dimmer Starter Kit

Smart Lighting Lamp Dimmer Starter Kit

If you have a room that relies mainly on lamps for illumination, the Smart Lighting Lamp Dimmer Starter Kit is for you. This kit comes with two dimmers that plug directly into wall outlets, two remotes with tabletop pedestals, and the Smart Bridge.

Each dimmer can control up to two lamps, giving you access to four lamps with one kit. With this kit you can control the lamps as easily as an overhead light from your smartphone, and the remote pedestals make it easy to locate the remotes.

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Smart Lighting Dimmer Switch and Remote Kit

Once you have a Smart Bridge, you can add dimmer switches all over your home. This kit comes with just one dimmer switch and one remote, letting you expand your control to another part of your house. Even without the Smart Bridge, the dimmer switch works manually and the remote lets you control the lights from anywhere. If you want smartphone access you’ll need the Bridge.

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Smart Lighting Lamp Dimmer and Remote Kit

Like the Dimmer Switch and Remote Kit, the Smart Lighting Lamp Dimmer and Remote Kit can expand your Caséta Wireless system with the separate purchase of a Smart Bridge, or it can be used as a standalone lamp dimmer. One dimmer controls up to two lamps, and the remote works anywhere in the house.

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Smart Lighting Switch for All Bulb Types and Fans

Unlike the other switches, this one only turns lights and ceiling fans on or off and does not have any dimming capabilities. However, it’s a great solution for bulbs, light fixtures, or ceiling fans that need a more basic switch.

If you add the Smart Bridge, you can turn those lights on or off from your smartphone. You can also purchase a two-button remote separately for on/off control. Heads up: his is one switch that requires a neutral wire during installation.

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Professional smart lighting system by Lutron

If you would rather go big with a whole-home, professional smart lighting system instead of a DIY approach, go with RA2 Select. This professionally installed system supports up to 100 devices throughout your home, including dimmers, switches, shades, and fans.

Like Caséta Wireless, RA2 Select integrates with other home automation systems and voice assistants, including Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomeKit, Sonos One, Samsung SmartThings, and IFTTT. It’s also compatible with several professional home automation systems, including Control 4, Crestron, and Savant, which are all on our list of the best home automation systems.

Caséta Wireless by Lutron vs. Philips Hue

When you think of smart lighting, you probably think of smart lightbulbs, and one of the top smart lightbulb brands is Philips Hue.

The difference between Philips Hue and the Caséta Wireless system is that Hue focuses on LED bulbs that you can control directly from your smartphone, whereas Caséta Wireless is all about dimmer switches and not the bulbs themselves.

Both systems have advantages, but if you want to add some smart lighting to your home, we recommend starting with Philips Hue smart lightbulbs. You can do so much with them, they last a long time, and they fit seamlessly into larger smart home systems. If you’re looking for a lighting system, not just smart lightbulbs, Caséta Wireless by Lutron might be exactly what you need.

Would you consider using a Caséta system in your home? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.