SwitchBot is rolling out new permanent outdoor lights that work over Matter with Wi-Fi, support Home Assistant, and focus on both colorful RGB effects and clean white lighting for year-round use. The system is designed as a mounted, long-term lighting option for rooflines and outdoor spaces, with app-controlled scenes, animations, and smart home control, along with a physical wired controller that works even without Wi-Fi. The company is pitching these lights as something you install once and leave up through holidays, parties, and daily accent lighting instead of swapping decorations every season.
Matter support and smart home compatibility
The new permanent outdoor lights support Matter over Wi-Fi, so they can tie into multiple smart home platforms through a Matter controller. SwitchBot names Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Home Assistant, and SmartThings as compatible ecosystems when used through Matter. Once paired, the lights can be controlled by those apps for basic functions such as on/off control, brightness, and color or white adjustments that Matter exposes.
SwitchBot notes that these lights connect over Wi-Fi and do not require an additional SwitchBot Hub to join a Matter setup, though a Matter controller is still needed. The company positions Matter support as a way to let people mix and match their preferred voice assistants and control apps without being locked to only the SwitchBot app. The release also notes that third-party platforms like Home Assistant can manage the lights through their Matter support alongside other devices from different brands.
RGBIC effects and dedicated white lighting
SwitchBot’s permanent outdoor lights are built to handle both decorative color effects and everyday white lighting in a single system. The lights use RGBIC technology, which allows different colors to appear on different segments of the same strip for animated patterns and multicolor scenes. SwitchBot emphasizes effects tailored for holidays, parties, and events, with multiple preset options and customizable scenes through the company’s app.
At the same time, the lights include what SwitchBot describes as dedicated white lighting for daily use. Instead of only relying on mixed RGB to simulate white, the system uses dedicated warm-white and cool-white LEDs, adjustable from 2700K to 6500K, for more natural white light in everyday outdoor use. SwitchBot frames this as a way to keep the same lights installed all year, shifting between festive color effects and more neutral outdoor lighting from day to day.
Controls, automation, and the SwitchBot app
Control options for the permanent outdoor lights include the SwitchBot app, Matter-compatible smart home apps, and an included wired controller. The SwitchBot app is the main place for managing the full effects library, including advanced RGBIC scenes and special animations. Matter support lets other apps handle standard controls, such as on/off, supported lighting settings, and scenes in Apple Home, while animated effects are set up in the SwitchBot app.
The wired controller is mentioned as working without Wi-Fi, which means basic control is still available even if the network is down or the smart home system is offline. This gives users a local fallback for turning the lights on or off and stepping through 10 brightness levels without relying on phones or voice assistants. SwitchBot also points to automation options through smart home platforms, where users can schedule lights to turn on at certain times, tie them to routines, or group them with other Matter devices, depending on what each ecosystem supports.
What you need to set it up
To set up SwitchBot’s permanent outdoor lights with Matter, you need a Matter controller that supports Matter over Wi-Fi; the release gives an Apple HomePod mini as an example of a compatible Matter controller. A SwitchBot Hub is not required for Matter control of these lights because they connect natively over Wi-Fi. Once they are added to a Matter controller, you can link them to ecosystems like Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home, Home Assistant, or SmartThings, based on what that controller supports.
If you do not want to use Matter or do not have a Matter controller, the lights can still be controlled directly through the SwitchBot app and the included wired controller. The wired controller operates without Wi-Fi, so you can still run basic functions even in a simple setup. For full access to the RGBIC effects and detailed scene controls, the SwitchBot app is required, while Matter-connected apps will handle only the lighting settings that Matter exposes.
Installation focus and availability
SwitchBot describes these as permanent outdoor lights designed to stay mounted on homes and outdoor structures instead of temporary string lights that are taken down after each season. The design is meant for long-term use on rooflines, eaves, and porches, giving users the option to shift from subtle white lighting on regular nights to colorful animations for holidays and events without changing the hardware. The company positions this product as suitable for people who want smart holiday-style lighting that can also pass as everyday outdoor lighting the rest of the year.
The permanent outdoor lights are available now through SwitchBot’s own website and through its Amazon store, with pricing listed for the US and Canada. That gives buyers the option to purchase directly from the brand or through a major online retailer. SwitchBot notes the lights can also join the broader SwitchBot ecosystem, so they can be coordinated with other SwitchBot and Matter-compatible lighting for arrival and evening routines.
View the original press release.
