Only downside is you lose out on the color-changing stuff, but honestly, I barely used that after the first week anyway.
That’s kind of what I figured would happen with the color bulbs—seems fun at first, but then you just want regular lighting most days. I’ve been looking at smart switches too since they’re cheaper in the long run if you’ve got a bunch of fixtures. Did you have to do any rewiring or was it pretty much a swap? I’m not super handy, so that’s my main hesitation.
I was nervous about the rewiring part too, but honestly, it wasn’t as bad as I thought. The switch I got just needed me to turn off the breaker, unscrew the old one, and hook up a couple wires—took maybe 20 minutes. That said, if your house is older or doesn’t have a neutral wire, it can get tricky. I watched a bunch of YouTube videos first just to be sure I wasn’t about to fry myself. If you’re not comfortable with it, maybe ask a friend who’s done it before? But yeah, once it’s in, you don’t have to mess with bulbs anymore, which is nice.
I get where you’re coming from, but I’d actually argue that swapping out the switch isn’t always the best route, especially if you’ve got multi-way switches or older wiring. In my last place, the wiring was a mess—no neutral, and the boxes were super shallow. Ended up going with smart bulbs instead because it was way less hassle and didn’t require tearing into the wall. Sure, you have to replace bulbs eventually, but for some setups it’s just simpler.
That’s a really practical approach, honestly. I’ve run into similar headaches with older properties—sometimes the wiring just isn’t worth the trouble to update unless you’re already doing a major renovation. Smart bulbs can be a clever workaround, especially when you want to avoid patching drywall or dealing with ancient switch boxes. It’s all about finding what works for your space and not forcing a solution that doesn’t fit. Sometimes the simplest fix is the best one.
FINALLY UPGRADED MY LIVING ROOM LIGHTS—ANYONE ELSE TRIED SMART BULBS?
Had to deal with this exact issue in a duplex I was flipping last year. The wiring was a mess—old knob and tube, half the switches didn’t even work right. Ripping out walls just to run new lines wasn’t worth it for what the place was. Ended up using smart bulbs and plugs instead. Not perfect, but way less hassle and no drywall dust everywhere. Sometimes you just have to pick your battles...
