While the speaker is surprisingly loud given its sizeable to fill a modest-sized room with music in my testingthe microphone often had trouble hearing me, even if the room was otherwise silent (but especially if it was playing music). CONTROL FROM ANYWHERE: Dont feel like getting off the couch. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate. However, after a factory reset everything worked fine. The look of it is pretty sleek. Amazon Alexa Guide: Tips, Tricks, and How-Tos, Trek Fetch+4 hands-on: What it's like to ride Trek's first electric cargo bike, Dell XPS 15 OLED (2023) review: Best in class gets better, Lululemon Blissfeel Trail review: This might be my favorite Lululemon running shoe yet, These $59 noise-cancelling earbuds are a total bargain, I wore weighted leggings for my workouts here's what happened, Framework Laptop 13 (2023) review: The Anti-MacBook gets an upgrade, Street Fighter 6 review: The king of fighters is back, Want to try Apple's new VR/AR headset? Amazing if you love technology! How to Use the ecobee App with an ecobee Switch+ It is not a replacement for a full fledged audio system. Our goal was to automate that process by leveraging the built-in occupancy detector, so the lights would turn on automatically when someone entered the room. Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions. I can also operate the Switch+ from Google Home via SmartThings. All Rights Reserved. Ecobee barely acknowledges that theres an Ecobee app in its manual, much less does it walk you through how to set it up and configure the switch to work with Alexa. Sure, you can tell it to turn the lights on or offor tell any other Alexa device in the house to control the lights connected to the Switch+or you can have it do any of the other Alexa things you can do, like set alarms, play music, or ask what the name of that kid in Whiplash was. The App will scan for your ecobee Switch+. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Ecobee Switch+ Smart Light Switch, Amazon Alexa Built-in at Amazon.com. However, one of the key features of the ecobee Switch+ is the native integration with Amazon Alexa that ecobee made possible by adding a dedicated far-field microphone and speakers to the Switch+. For what it is turned out to be a great product but it has some limitations at the moment. BEST BUY, the BEST BUY logo, the tag design, and MY BEST BUY are trademarks of Best Buy and its affiliated companies. As a result, I have no hands-on experience with ecobees other integration options, such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or Samsung SmartThings. It requires your name, email, and a password. Ecobee already built Alexa into its smart thermostat, so why not a light switch? Unfortunately, the Turn off after XX setting in the Home app doesnt take occupancy into account, so our corner lamp would turn off after 15 minutes, regardless if we were still in the room or not. I was able to create an automation through HomeKit for it and several other lights in my home to trigger when I come home at night. The device also has a night light which you can set to tun on automatically when it is dark. That too works perfectly. Smart On uses the motion sensor to automatically turn the light on when someone enters the room and Smart Off will turn off the light if no motion is detected after a predetermined period of time (between 15 and 60 minutes). The speaker quality is better than my echo dot. You can also set a little nightlight at the bottom of the switch to start glowing whenever the room is dark. ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year three years straight. That works perfectly. If you want to play music from the Switch+, expect modest sound quality, as the speaker only measures about an inch in width and a few millimeters in heightacross the top. In addition to the load and line wires, which are often red and black, you should also see the ground (green) and neutral (white) wires. You can getLutron's Caseta Switches and Belkin's WeMo Dimmer, which both received good reviews here on CNET, for less. But this year, it's mixing things up with the Ecobee Switch Plus, a Wi-Fi-connected light switch packed with smarts of its own. Download the documents included with your thermostat, camera, sensor, light switch, etc., including quick-start and installation guides, user manuals, and wiring diagrams. PROs: -Alexa built in -Has ecobee sensor built in -motion detection -Various smarthome platforms supported -ease of installation -sleek looking switch CONs: -not 3 way switch capable -a little tight in the switch box -Alexa built in -speaker is not amazing This is a perfect addition to a smart home. Once set up, you can add the Alexa skill and also set up your preferences. It gave all the information needed to be prepared for the installation. Setting that up in the Google Assistant took just a few clicks, and it works as advertised. Get in line, Apple hints and leaks all but confirm xrOS heres what we know, The best tech tutorials and in-depth reviews, Try a single issue or save on a subscription, Issues delivered straight to your door or device. In-store pricing may vary. A CNET editor since 2013, Ry's beats include smart home tech, lighting, appliances, broadband and home networking. To make that work, I purchased a HomeKit-enabled smart plug from iDevices ($29.95 on Amazon) and connected the lamp to it. These are all clever features, but they need refinement before I'd be willing to use them fulltime. The speaker is decent but not a replacement for a real audio system. -motion detection Being a good earth citizen, Im trying to be conservative with the available resources and so I usually push the button of the ecobee to turn off the lights as I pass through the dining room. The ability to control the lighting in your home can have a big effect on your living space. The Switch+ is more than just a smart wall switch that connects to your Wi-Fi and can be controlled using a mobile app: It can do everything an Amazon Echo does, such as tell you the current news, weather and sports scores, play music, and control other smart home devices. If youd like to support me, please use my links or purchase one of my supplements or branded shirts. Install is straight forward, disconnect the existing switch and connect the appropriate wires for the new ecobee Switch+ device. We have configured our ecobee Switch+ for indoor mode and to automatically turn on the chandelier of our dining room when someone enters the room, regardless of what time of day it is. After a few seconds the light turned amber and I clicked Register, and then Get Started. Once this is complete, then youll have it fully joined to your network.). Ecobee Switch+ Review: The Smart Switch Gets Smarter Select ecobee Switch. When I unboxed the switch, I could already tell that ecobee used only high-quality plastic that feels good and doesnt have any flimsy parts. If youre looking for something thats more sophisticated, take a look at the Noon Lighting System (but be aware its much more expensive). Alexa Built-in. Average We have several ecobee sensors ($79.00 for a 2-Pack on Amazon) spread out across the house to get exact temperature readings from the areas we occupy most throughout the day. Food & Beverage List (Ultimate Human Diet), HomeKit Light Switches & Dimmers Review, Review of the ecobee4 smart thermostat with HomeKit, Calendly vs. WhenWorks Review of scheduling apps, purchase one of my supplements or branded shirts, Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, Samsung SmartThings, IFTTT, Vacation Mode, Indoor/Outdoor Mode, Do Not Disturb, Smart Off, Supports all major home automation platforms, Seamless integration with ecobee thermostats, Built-in smart sensors to detect occupancy, ambient light, and temperature, Integrated far-field microphone and speaker for native Amazon Alexa support. Talk to this smart switch, and it'll talk back. Looks like ecobee is just trying to make their own smart product platform like wink and smarthings. Haritha is a Content Writer at PartsXP.She has a great understanding of today's marketing strategies that yield strong results and always happy to create valuable content & share her . Thats why I disabled that setting and instead, created a second automation routine that would turn off the corner lamp when the ecobee Switch+ turned off the chandelier, which only happens 15 minutes after the occupancy sensor has stopped detecting motion. Thanks to automatic line/load switching, you can connect the red and black wires interchangeably and the ecobee switch will figure out which is which. Not only can it turn your lights on and off automatically when it senses someone in the room, but, when linked to Ecobee's thermostat, it will be able to regulate the room's temperature, too. He received his undergraduate degree from Boston College, where he worked on the campus newspaper The Heights, and then attended the Columbia University school of Journalism. Use the camera to scan the HomeKit code on the back of the switch installation manual or on the back of the switch wall plate. Good Select Allow Location Access. The top quarter has a small, perforated section for the Switch+'s speaker, while the bottom section is solid white; pressing this part turns your lights on and off. More important, the actual switch is obvious enough for anyone who isn't technologically savvy, so they'll know what to push to turn on the lights. With the ecobee Switch+ the situation is different, because many of the settings associated with the built-in sensors of the ecobee switch are not available in the Home app, including: The settings above are relatively self-explanatory, and I mention some of them throughout this review, based on how we leverage them. Did you know? Everything you need comes in the boxno need for an electrician. You will be reminded to verify the Switch+ is glowing amber. Ecobee Switch+ Smart Light Switch - Ecobee Ecobee Switch+ turning on light with no occupancy when ac comes on Reviews ethics statement. Michael A. Prospero is the U.S. Using the Switch to serve that purpose was a great idea -- but you won't be able to do it until this summer, when Ecobee plans to push the feature out via software update. If you're not sure about this, contact an electrician. With the Ecobee Switch+, it now comes to the humble light switch. Ecobee Switch+ Smart Light Switch, Amazon Alexa Built-in. Once I determined where I was going to install the Switch+ I turned off the power to that circuit, removed the old switch, and connected the appropriate wires (the app offers illustrated instructions for identifying and connecting the wires). ecobee Switch+ Smart Light Switch, Amazon Alexa Built-in Thanks! If you need to troubleshoot your Switch+ and Alexa, you can use this article here: Switch+ and Amazon Alexa. EASILY INSTALL YOURSELF: It only takes about 45 minutes, thanks to an in-app step-by-step walkthrough and handy videos. Troubleshooting Switch+. It also won't work as an external temperature sensor for Ecobee thermostats until a software update arrives this summer. Ive been working with computers for ages, starting with a multi-year stint in purchasing for a major IBM reseller in New York City before eventually landing at PCMag (back when it was still in print as PC Magazine). Ecobee has long been a mainstay of the smart thermostat space (and a chief rival of Nest). Turn the power back on and walk through the setup process on the app. (If you use the Switch+ to control an outdoor light, you can set it to automatically turn the light on at dusk.). Pros: I mentioned above that we have a second lamp in the corner of our dining room that I wanted to control from the smart switch. It also works with Apple's HomeKit, Google Assistant, IFTTT applets, and the SmartThings hub, and it will eventually double as a remote room sensor for an Ecobee thermostat. - not all features appear to be available currently - scheduling being one of them Like many third-party Alexa devices, the Switch+ does not support some of the features built into Amazon's Echos. The Switch+ is a wall switch (which means it must be wired to an electrical box) that uses two neutral wires (white), two load wires (black), and a ground wire (green). Price of Natural Gas Delivered to Residential Customers", Use of energy explained: Energy use in homes (Basics). Speak into the embedded microphone, and your light switch can do just about anything that your standalone Echo device can do. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). It will work with Google Assistant, which I may switch to shortly. We think of ourselves as a guest in your home, so we won't sell or misuse your data. ($169.99 $249.99) Your thermostat automatically turns off your HVAC system to save money and energy. I signed in to my Amazon account, linked the two accounts, and promptly received a voice notification from the switch that I have successfully linked it with Alexa. I would love to see Bluetooth functionality like the Echo Dot, as well, to allow for playing music on larger speakers, but again, space is likely at a premium. I created an IFTTT applet to have a Netgear Arlo Pro 2 camera record a 10 second-clip whenever the Switch+ light turned on, and it worked every time. One of the benefits of smart-home devices and voice assistants is that you can easily customize your environment by simply speaking a few words. If you click an affiliate link and buy a product or service, we may be paid a fee by that merchant. 1996-2023 Ziff Davis, LLC., a Ziff Davis company. Once Alexa was up and running I tapped Set Up Switch+ Smart Features. Am I compatible with the Switch+? - ecobee The Smart On feature never failed to turn the light on when someone entered the room, and the Smart Off feature worked well also. While Alexa integration is becoming more common in smart devices that arent speakers, theres a difference between those and devices that are Alexa voice assistants in their own right. Missing is an option to create lighting schedules and settings to dim the lights. It will ask if you want to set up Alexa, then asks for your Amazon login credentials. That said, the lack of dimming controls or three-way switch support will likely serve as a deal-breaker to some. I'm sure it would be a challenge to fit 3-way/4-way functionality and a dimmer along with Amazon Alexa and WiFi into a single light switch, so I'm only knocking off one star for that, but it does limit the locations in which I would be willing to install it, as I like to have dimming, and my house has many 3-way and a couple 4-way circuits. Its foolproof, even for people who might be squeamish about exposed wires sticking out of their wall. Smart switch that is controllable via most of the voice activated platforms - HomeKit, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, it's a motion detector and occupancy sensor that can turn itself on or off depending on room occupancy status, it's a timer that can be set to turn light on at sunset and off at sunrise (for the outside light), it's an automatic night light and it's a smart speaker with integrated Amazon Alexa in it! Switch+ General Questions - ecobee Overall, we are thrilled with this product as it takes the place of of an Amazon Echo speaker and a nightlight, and is a great introduction or addition to a smart home. It does not have bluetooth to cast music. Once the Switch is in place and the power is back on, you'll just need to open up the Ecobee app to finish pairing everything with your home network and your Alexa account, along with your HomeKit account if you're planning on controlling the light using Siri commands. The home screen has a large on/off button with a light ring that glows green when the switch is on and is gray when it's off. At $100, the Switch+ sounds very expensive, but if you compare the price to a standard smart switch (about $30) plus that of an Amazon Echo Dot ($50), the $20 price upgrade isnt bad considering youre reducing clutter considerably. Its a force of habit, and so I catch myself triggering the occupancy sensor of the Switch+ on occasion, which turns on the two lights in that area. Once the account is set up, it guides you through the installation, quickly finds and joins your WiFi network, and is ready to go. This is a switch with a legit Alexa hub built into it, blue light and everything. The first thing youll need to do is shut off the electricity and grab a screwdriver. Ecobee Switch+ Review - PartsXP. Electrical Parts And Supplies - PartsXP Download documents included with your ecobee device. Thats a unique feature that most other smart switches dont offer. When its set to turn off lights after no one is in the room for a certain amount of time it would be annoying to have the lights turn off on the middle of cooking a meal. -a little tight in the switch box In my testing, all these functions worked well, though the motion sensor was sometimes a bit slow to pick up on someone entering the room, and the occupancy sensor was prone to picking up shadows as movement. Fortunately, there is a tiny) button on the Switch+ itself to disable Alexa; when Amazons assistant is inactive, the blue LED will glow red. You can learn more about how I make money here. Doesnt have full Alexa support at the moment. This device can, however, connect to another speaker that works with Alexa via the Alexa Skill. Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. We found both the device and the faceplate were well-designed, with thoughtful detail. Smart home devices have come a long way over the past few years. Ive seen a couple reviews where consumers were a bit disappointed with this switch, but in each case it seems they failed to research exactly what this switch is currently capable of before buying it. In this guide, we explain where Alexa comes from, exactly how Alexa works, where Alexa gets its name, and more. Visit our corporate site. PCMag supports Group Black and its mission to increase greater diversity in media voices and media ownerships. But before you do anything else, make sure to turn off the breaker and double-check that there is no current flowing through your old switch by using a voltage tester. Tap the name of the scanned device: ecobee Switch+. Im not a handyman but had no issues installing my ecobee Switch+ in less than 15 minutes. It may be a good option if you already have an ecobee thermostat. This is done through a combination of the ecobee and Alexa app. Smart Thermostats & Smart Home Devices | ecobee ecobee Switch+ Review - Beginners guide to smart home automation by Just few things to notice, remote temperature sensor feature still not working, I bought with this in mind for my bedroom and was planning buy few more , but relocated switch recently as lost hope use it in pair with my ecobee. Maybe thats one of the reasons why it took me so long to write a review I barely had to think about it. About the Author. The microphone button is used to adjust the speaker volume and enable Alexa sounds when you make a request. How to Fix WiFi Connectivity on ecobee Switch+ The Switch+ supports Apple's HomeKit platform and works with other smart products using the SmartThings Hub and IFTTT applets, and it supports Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri voice commands. With the Ecobee Switch+, it now comes to the humble light switch. Its the latest smart home offering from the Toronto-based company known for popular smart thermostats like the Ecobee4. This is in my wifes office, and we use the intercom feature to communicate when in different rooms. Amazon's Alexa two-way voice technology has been embedded in clock radios, thermostats, televisions, and even lamps. Adding alexa to my kids room while making sure the light goes off after 30 minutes of inactivity should help reduce the electric bill. Sensor tech and built-in Alexa access make this an intriguing smart switch -- we just wish it'd dim the lights. I would by 10 more if they came with dimming. It opens to a My Devices screen that shows all installed thermostats and switches. Added it to the one switch that got left on over and over again in my home. You can push the main button to turn on the light or set it to operate automatically when you enter the room. The EIA reports that the U.S. residential sector consumed 4.65 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in 2021.3 We divided that number by the total number of households in the United States (122,354,2194) to determine that the average home consumed 38,004 cubic feet of natural gas in 2021. Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology. Given our particular use case for this switch, I probably wouldnt use it to turn on the lights, but I could imagine changing the temperature on our ecobee4 thermostats or asking Alexa to play music on a connected speaker. 2023 CNET, a Red Ventures company. 3 U.S. Energy Information Administration, Frequently Asked Questions: How much natural gas is consumed in the United States? I dont care about the temperature of our dining room, but we have a couple of spots in our home where having additional sensors and smart light switches would be beneficial. Going through the dining room saves me approximately two seconds as opposed to using the door right next to it. Ecobee plans to enable two new features in the Switch+ this summer. Also, looses its WiFi connection. But I dont trust Amazon, and so I disabled Alexa and the built-in microphones of both the ecobee Switch+ and ecobee4 thermostats, and I appreciate that ecobee provides such an option. You dont see Ford pushing out a new car and say radio and navigation work great! The fact its an Alexa speaker and will soon feature temperature sensor technology gives this little guy an edge over anything else weve seen on the market. For instance, you can't program the lights to turn on automatically at, say, noon. The ground is for safety. In my testing, it responded quickly and accurately to my commands.
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