The Aqara Smart Switch with Neutral is designed to provide users with control over their home lighting and appliances with a smart home system. We recently installed some of these switches and have been using them. We wanted to be sure to share our opinions on them. This review will take a look at the features, installation process, and performance of the Aqara Smart Switch. We will discuss how it works with other smart home devices and its compatibility with various smart home ecosystems. By sharing its features, functionality, and overall value, we want to give you the information you need to make an informed decision about the Aqara Smart Switch with Neutral.
About the Aqara Smart Switch with Neutral
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Uses Zigbee for communication | Needs a Zigbee dongle or hub |
| Acts as a Zigbee repeater | Takes up a bit more space in the electrical box |
| Easy to pair | Need to be handy to install |
| Easy to use for non-tech people | |
| Works as a normal switch if internet is out |
About the Aqara Smart Switch with Neutral
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The Aqara Smart Light Switch with Neutral line is smart switch designed for homes that have neutral lines. These are Zigbee based switches that use the Zigbee protocol to communicate. You will need a Zigbee hub of some sort in order to use the devices in your smart home. Since these switches have a neutral line, they can act as a Zigbee repeater, helping your Zigbee network to be more mesh-y and stable. This increases reliability of your Zigbee devices and network overall since the failure of one central router will not bring the whole network down.
Smart switches like this are great since they also work in a “dumb” fashion. Pressing on the button acts just like a regular switch, turning whatever devices that are connected to it off and on. Having a backup manual mode like this is a great failsafe for smart home features. No one wants a light that suddenly won’t work if the internet is disconnected.
Product Features:
- Physical light switch works even without internet
- Zigbee communication protocol
- Requires a Zigbee hub
- Acts as a Zigbee repeater
- Requires a Neutral line
Aqara Smart Switch with Neutral Review
We recently installed a couple of the Aqara Smart Light switches in the house to help control lights that were being left on, or to just make our lives easier. We put one on the back yard light that kept getting left on overnight, one on the garage light that kept getting left on for days, and one in the living room so we could be lazy. With a little bit of automation, this means that our backyard and garage lights get turned off automatically after everyone has gone to sleep. For the living room, being able to turn the lights on from the couch is a game changer.
These switches were relatively easy to install, with detailed instructions included with them. The one issue we had was due to our home’s wiring, it wasn’t quite color coded correctly. However, with a bit of testing we were able to get the line and load wires sorted out and get this switch installed correctly.
The switches come with a screwless wall plate that looks very sophisticated. However, we opted to stay with the wall plates that match all of the other wall plates in the home. There were also a couple of screws and some wire nuts included to make install easier.
Adding the switches to our existing Zigbee network was simple. We simply held down the light switch until the discreet led on it started to flash. This put it into pairing mode and let it connect to our network.
We haven’t had any of the issues that some other folks report with these switches, with reduced reliability and connection stability. We’ve had these issues with other devices, but so far these switches seem pretty solid and reliable.
FAQ
Does the Aqara Smart Light Switch work with Alexa / Google / HomeKit?
The Aqara Smart Light Switch can be used from Alexa / Google / HomeKit if your Zigbee hub is compatible with that smart home ecosystem. The way it works is that your light switch would connect to your Zigbee hub. Then the Zigbee hub would need to be connected to your smart home controller and sending information to it for Alexa / Google / HomeKit to work. This would allow you to control the switch from the various apps or via a voice command if you wanted to.
Do you need a neutral wire for the Aqara Smart Switch?
Yes, for this specific model of the Aqara Smart Switch ( with Neutral wire ) you do need the neutral wire. Aqara does have a very similar model of this switch that does not need the neutral wire that we’ve also reviewed and that has been quite reliable. Having the neutral wire on these switches allows them to act as a Zigbee network repeater, improving the reliability and stability of your Zigbee network.
Do you need to be a professional to install the Aqara Smart Switch?
No, you do not need to be a professional to install the Aqara Smart Switches, but you should be knowledgeable of and comfortable working with mains electricity. If this is not something that you feel safe or comfortable working with, you should by all means call a professional to install these switches for you.
In Summary
The Aqara Smart Switch with Neutral offers users the ability to control lighting and other connected devices through both physical button presses and smart home automation. Its compatibility with various smart home ecosystems, such as Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, and Google, allows for integration into a wide range of existing setups. Installation requires a neutral wire which may not be present in all homes, especially older ones, and should be only be done by those comfortable with electrical work or by a professional. The switch’s design is simple and should blend in with most home decors. Overall, the Aqara Smart Switch with Neutral is a great addition to a smart home for those seeking to upgrade their light switches.
