This accessory solves the biggest problem with Philips Hue smart bulbs

Philips Hue bulbs are one of the easiest ways to give your existing lighting fixtures smart home capabilities, including through Apple’s HomeKit platform. The problem with Philips Hue switches is that when the wall light switch is turned off, the smart lights become unresponsive. the Lutron Aurora Fading It is a simple but ingenious way to solve this problem.

to update: Since I initially posted this review, I have… Keep adding to my Lutron Aurora setup. I can also vouch for its long-term reliability. They now play a crucial role in my smart home implementation. I wish they worked beyond the Philips Hue accessories, but other than that, I have very few complaints.

The ideal long-term custom solution Lutron Casita Keysbut if you’re renting and that’s not an option, the Lutron Aurora remains my top recommendation for buyers in the US where these switches are popular.

the problem

Most of my house is fully furnished With Philips Hue bulbs, including lamps and fixtures. I’ve slowly built up a HomeKit lighting setup over the years, and the versatility of the Philips Hue bulbs has made it easy to maintain the setup, despite moving apartments and eventually house.

Philips Hue bulbs are also incredibly beneficial for renters: they simply replace “dumb” bulbs and require no wiring changes or other upgrades your landlord might not approve of.

For me, I’ve become very familiar with never using a physical light switch — I know that everything can be easily managed, thanks to the Home app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, as well as Siri. I have automations set up for specific times of the day, scenes for things like work and relax, and automations for leaving and arriving home.

But as anyone with Philips Hue smart bulbs has attested, when a wall light switch is turned off, the smart bulbs won’t respond. This is because Hue bulbs require the lights to remain “on” at all times to be controlled via the Hue app or HomeKit. Probably not You Flip this light switch on and off, instead turn on someone you live with or guests.

Lutron’s Aurora dimmer is designed to solve this problem.

The dilemma

the Lutron Aurora It is a simple accessory designed to fit your existing switches. The installation process is incredibly straightforward, with the circular-shaped dimmer mounted over your switch. Then you screw the base using a screwdriver and install the front cover.

Once the device is installed, you can set up Aurora integration with the Philips Hue app. The Aurora dimmer integrates with Philips Hue through the “Friends of Hue” platform. As you can see in the screenshots below, simply select the Lutron Aurora from the “Friends of Hue” list in the Hue app. From there, you can choose what happens when you control the Lutron Aurora.

Side note: Everything is managed via the Hue app, not the Home app or Lutron app. This means you’ll need to make sure your rooms and accessories are synced between the Home app and the Hue app. This can be a tedious process, but it’s worth it in the end.

You can Lutron Aurora pairing With multiple accessories, which means one switch doesn’t need to control one set of lights. For example, I set up mine to control an overhead fixture as well as a floor lamp, both of which use Philips Hue bulbs.

This also means that you don’t necessarily have to buy a Lutron Aurora dimmer kit for every room. For example, if you have two fixtures or lamps, you can set them up so that the Lutron Aurora lamp controls both – or even all the lights in the room.

Once the setup process is complete, the Lutron Aurora works much like a regular light switch. Aurora can be pressed as a button to turn the accessory on and off or rotated left or right to increase or decrease the brightness of the accessory.

Again, the benefit here is that you retain smart control of the home, even if you or someone else in your home accidentally flips a manual light switch.

There are some restrictions. First, the Lutron Aurora only works with Philips Hue bulbs, so if you have other smart bulbs spread throughout your smart home setup, you should keep this limitation in mind. Secondly, Lutron Aurora dimmers only fit US classic “heart” style switches. If you have another style of wall switch, the Lutron Aurora will not work for you.

Other solutions

There are other solutions to give smart home lighting control within the wall. For example, Lutron Caséta interior dimmers (review) Replace existing light switches in your home with hardwired switches. Philips Hue also sells its own products Smart dimmer switchbut this does not fit with your existing adapters.

These solutions offer their own benefits, such as the Lutron Caséta switches being able to also control ceiling fans (review), but they’re not as easy and renter-friendly as the Lutron Aurora.

Lutron Aurora is Available on Amazon for just under $40. If you’re a Philips Hue user, this is an easy way to add some extra convenience to your smart home setup, even if it’s more useful to your family members and other guests than you.