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The Engbrighten Z-Wave dimmer switch is one of my go-to switches when building out my smart home. It is built with the Z-Wave Plus protocol which allows it to be included in any Z-Wave smart home system. It fits in any standard 1-gang light switch location and the installation is extremely simple with their SimpleWire technology.
Installation
If you have never replaced a light switch before, you can check out my post on how to replace light switches. It is a simple process but you will be dealing with voltage that can cause serious harm if not done correctly. If you do not feel comfortable performing this on your own, or your local jurisdiction won’t allow it, then call an electrician to do it for you.
These switches come with what is known as SimpleWire. What this means is that the switch itself will determine which is the line and which is the load wire. In most other switches, you need to make sure you wire these up correctly in order for the switch to work, but this smart switch will actually handle that for you. It takes a big step out of the install and really cuts down on install time.
I would recommend this smart dimmer just on that fact alone. The simplewire makes it simple. NOTE: This product contains an extra layer of security in the form of a Z-Wave DSK pin number. The number is printed on both the box and the switch, but you will need it when you go to include it into your system. So don’t throw the box away before you’ve included it. Also, keep track of which box goes to which switch in the case you’re installing more than one at a time.
Adding it to the System
Using Home Assistant and Z-Wave JS, adding this switch to my system was a breeze. The inclusion process started up quickly and the hub and the switch were able to communicate quickly. This smart switch does include the Z Wave DSK so there was an extra step required to get it included which is a nice step for added security.
The dimmer switch will talk to the z-wave hub in order to get all of the important information in the system, so it may take up to a couple of minutes. But once that is done, you can name the new device and it is ready to go.
What Sets This Apart?
With the slew of smart switches on the market, why would you buy this one over the others? That is an easy answer. There is the dimmer switch itself, which is the entire reason you buy the switch. In that it does it’s job perfectly and quickly. The Z-Wave Plus allows it to communicate with the hub using the newest protocol settings. But what sets this switch apart is the extra features you get when you add it to your system.
Double-Tap: When you add this to your smart home system, you get the ability to add actions based on double taps either on or off. That is two more actions you are able to add to the switch on the back end of your smart system.
Triple-Tap: You thought you were done with two taps? Hit it again then, and you’ve got triple tap actions with the on or off paddle. This means you have another two actions you can add to your system.
So aside from the main use of being a dimmer switch, you can set actions or routines for double and triple taps on this one switch, which allows you to control even more of your house with the same physical switch. I for one use double-tap on my office light to trigger my morning routine. What could you do with 4 extra actions on every smart dimmer in your house?
In Conclusion
With it’s standard price point, ease of install, and slew of extra features, this switch should be the gold standard for when you need a smart dimmer in your house. I have used them in every setup I have designed and they still work flawlessly every time I include a new one into my system. I will recommend the Enbrighten Smart Dimmer Switch every day of the week. If you’re looking to buy more than one, follow the link and there are usually packages that have multiple dimmer switches.
