Smart light switches are common now, but they are not all the same. The Enbrighten Zigbee Smart Light Switch is one option you might see when you start looking for ways to control your lights with your phone, voice, or a smart home hub. If you are wondering how it works in daily use, how hard it is to install, and if it is a good pick for your setup, this review walks through those points in plain detail. Keep reading to see what this switch does well, where it falls short, and whether it makes sense to add it to your smart home.
About the Enbrighten Zigbee Smart Light Switch
Product Features:
- Zigbee smart light switch
- Locally controlled and connected
- Slimmer body to fit better in tight switch boxes
- SimpleWire auto-detect line and load terminals
- Dual ground ports designed for cleaner daisy-chaining in multi-switch boxes
- Energy monitoring when paired with a compatible hub
- Acts as a Zigbee router
Enbrighten Zigbee Smart Light Switch Details
The Enbrighten Zigbee Smart Light Switch is a hardwired smart switch that works with Zigbee hubs and pretty much any smart home system that has Zigbee. It uses a QuickFit housing that is up to 20 percent less deep than older Zigbee models from the same brand, which can help when you are dealing with shallow or crowded switch boxes. The design also gets rid of break-off tabs, which can make it a bit easier to fit into multi-gang boxes or older boxes that do not have much space.
The switch also uses SimpleWire, which means the line and load terminals auto-detect which wire is which during setup. This can cut down on guesswork during wiring. There are dual ground ports that are offset from the mounting screw area, which can help when you need to daisy-chain grounds in a multi-switch setup. It is meant to be wired like a standard in-wall switch, while adding smart control through Zigbee.
For voice control, you can pair the Enbrighten Zigbee Smart Light Switch directly with 1st and 2nd generation Echo Plus, Echo Show 10, or Echo Studio. With those models, you do not need any extra hub to use voice commands for the connected lights. Other Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant devices can also control the switch when you connect it through a compatible Zigbee hub. When used with a hub that supports it, the switch can report energy use, though the detail and features for energy monitoring depend on what the hub supports.
Our Review
I installed the Enbrighten Zigbee Smart Light Switch to replace an older switch that used a timer for my outdoor lights. The install itself was pretty simple for a basic swap, but I did run into a problem because I was replacing a three-way switch and I lost track of my traveler wire. Once I sorted that out, the rest of the wiring felt straightforward, and the switch fit right into the spot of my old non smart switch. One note, if you are planning on using this switch as a three way like I am, you will also need the Enbrighten Add-on Switch.
Pairing the switch with my existing Zigbee network was quick and easy. It joined my network without trouble and has stayed stable and reliable since then. I use it to control my outdoor lights, and they now turn on automatically at night without me needing to adjust anything. My old timer switch would sometimes lose its time memory and just not turn the lights on or off, but this new switch has been consistent and on time every night.
I also like that this switch has energy monitoring, so I can see how much power my outdoor lights are using. It can act as a Zigbee router too, which helps extend the range of my Zigbee network in that part of the house. For what I needed, this switch has done what I wanted without any issues.
Pros and Cons of the Enbrighten Zigbee Smart Light Switch
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Easy install | Neutral wire required |
| Slimmer body | 3-way setup needs an add-on switch |
| Fast and reliable pairing | Energy monitoring depends on hub |
| Energy monitoring available | |
| Acts as a Zigbee router |
Summary
The Enbrighten Zigbee Smart Light Switch is a steady option for someone who wants basic smart control without a lot of extra features. It works with common Zigbee hubs, keeps a simple look on the wall, and handles on and off control the way most people expect. The setup process may take some patience, and the lack of advanced options may not fit every smart home plan, but for a person who wants a standard switch that ties into a Zigbee system, it does the job in a plain and reliable way.
