The Best Smart Light Switches in 2024

Have you ever been in a situation where you’re really comfy in bed, but you need to get up to turn off the lights? Or maybe you just left your house for an evening out but you happened to leave the bathroom light on. Wouldn’t it be convenient to have some kind of wireless light control on hand for these situations?  

A smart light switch could be the answer to your problems – you’ll be able to control the lights right from your phone, even from a remote location. 

 A Wi-Fi light switch has other uses too – you can use them to schedule your lights to turn on and off whenever you’d like them to. Some smart home light switches can also function as a smart dimmer to reduce the brightness of your lighting. Plus, several smart light switches are compatible with Alexa, Homekit or Google Home, making it even easier to control your lights. 

If you’re looking into home automation, smart light switches could be a good place to start – there are various resources and guides online to help guide you through the process. You can even find helpful tips and advice on forums such as Reddit. 

If you’re a little lost on where to start when it comes to choosing a smart wireless switch, we’ve got you covered. If you were to compare smart light switches on your own, it’d probably be quite tedious – there are hundreds of different Wi-Fi electrical switches to choose from. 

To help you find the best smart light switch, we looked through dozens of smart light switch reviews and compiled the best-reviewed smart light switches all in one place for you. Read on to find the best Wi-Fi switch for your needs as well as the best smart light switch available in Canada. 

If you have smart lights, you will want to make sure that whatever smart light switch you purchase is compatible with your lights. 

Extra features 

Some smart light switches do more than just allow you to be able to control your lights via voice commands or from your phone. Some smart light switches can detect when it’s sunset or sunrise and adjust your lighting accordingly, while other smart light switches can randomly turn your lights on and off when you’re away to increase the security of your home. There are also smart light switches that have dimming functionality. If you’re on a tight budget, it’s good to keep in mind that smart light switches extra features will probably cost more than those with just basic functionality. 

Two–Way Switch or Three–Way Switch? 

Two-way switches are the typical light switches that let you control your lights from one physical location only. Three-way switches let you control the same set of lights from two different physical locations (like the lights above your staircase). To avoid any hassle, make sure you replace your regular light switches with the appropriate kind.  

App functionality 

You’ll want to make sure that the app is easy to use for whatever smart light switch that you choose – no one wants to have to deal with a glitchy app or an overly complicated user interface. 

With so many models of smart light switches available, it’d be difficult to go through every only smart switch review on your own. Our team spent over 12 hours reviewing and selecting the best smart light switches in Canada. We made our top picks by taking into account dozens of verified online reviews, as well as tester analysis from trusted sites such as the New York Times’ Wirecutter. 

The review process for this article was data-backed and fact-checked, but of course, it also includes our personal views.

For this buying guide, we were mindful of how much each smart light switch cost but put more weight towards features. To find the best WiFi light switches, we went through over 30 different models online. 

We wanted to provide a variety of options, each of which being useful in a different situation. For example, we wanted to have a smart switch option for people who need a switch for a 3-way switch installation, a smart switch option for people who need one compatible with HomeKit and so on and so forth. 

What is a smart light switch?

Also known as app controlled light switches, smart light switches are light switches that you can install in your home to have control over your lights without physically having to flip the switches yourself. In addition to this, many smart light switches feature the ability to schedule your lights to turn on and off during the day. 

Where to buy a smart light switch?

You can find Wi-Fi switches on sale at several Canadian retailers including (but not limited to): Canadian Tire Canada, Amazon Canada, Best Buy Canada, Walmart Canada, Lowe’s Canada, and Wayfair Canada. 

Are smart light switches worth it?

Smart light switches can be a great addition to anyone’s home. Here are some of the reasons why adding smart light switches to your home could be worth it: 

• If you’re forgetful about leaving your lights on, having a smart light switch makes checking the status of your lights easier and will save you energy and money in the long run since you’ll be able to control your lights from anywhere. 
• Being able to control your lights through an app can be particularly helpful for those with reduced mobility. 
• Some smart light switches also work as dimmers – some will allow you to set different light intensities according to the time. No more blinding yourself with bright lights when you need to get up in the middle of the night. 

• Smart lights can integrate with your other smart home devices. For example, some switches will automatically turn your lights off when your Nest thermostat switches to away mode. 

What is the best smart light switch overall?

Overall, it’s difficult to say which smart light switch is best because everyone’s circumstances vary greatly. However, if you’re looking for a smart switch that will work in pretty much any situation (ie. regardless of if you’re doing a 3-way switch set up and regardless of if you have a neutral wire), the Lutron Caseta smart home dimmer switch would be a good option to consider. (Note that if you want to be able to use voice control features, you’ll need to get a smart bridge separately.)

How much is a smart light switch?

In general, smart light switches can go from anywhere around $30 to well over $100 per switch. 

How do smart light switches work?

Smart light switches can function like traditional light switches do but they’re also connected to a network (usually Wi-Fi). Most smart light switches can be controlled via a smartphone app – you can schedule what time of day you want your lights to turn on/off or you can turn off your kitchen lights from all the way across the house. After you schedule an action on your smart light switch’s app, a signal is sent via the network your light switch is connected to and turns your lights on/off at the appropriate time. 

Which smart light switch should I buy?

That really depends on your specific needs, budget and smart home set-up. Our list above addresses some of these criteria – for example, if you need a cheap smart light switch that will also work with a three-way switch installation, we’d recommend the TP-Link Kasa Smart Light Switch. 

Lutron vs Leviton: Which smart switch is the best?

Let’s take a look at the differences between these smart switches. The Lutron smart switch we listed in our guide is compatible with more virtual assistants and smart home programs and doesn’t require a neutral wire. It also allows you to dim your lights, unlike the smart light switch we listed from Leviton. However, the Leviton smart switch doesn’t require a smart bridge for function, while the Lutron smart switch does. 

Both of these will work as part of a 3-way switch configuration, but the Leviton Decora smart switch will require you to buy a coordinating switch remote. 

When it comes to network compatibility, the Leviton Decora smart switch is compatible with both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks while the Lutron Caseta will only work with a 2.4 GHz network. 

Assuming you’ll only need the switch, in either case, the Leviton Decora switch is a little more affordable in comparison to the Lutron Caseta switch. 

Overall, it comes down to your needs. If you don’t want to go through the hassle of figuring out whether you have a neutral wire, or if you want a smart light switch that also doubles as a dimmer, the Lutron light switch we listed may be the better option for you. 

If you want a more affordable option that’ll work on 5 GHz networks and a smart switch that doesn’t need a smart bridge for voice control use, the Leviton Decora smart switch would probably be better. 

Here are a few smart switches that didn’t quite make it into our main list, but we thought they still may be of interest to you. 

C by GE 48717 Smart Switch/ C-start smart switch 

Here’s another smart light switch that you may have been considering if you were looking for one that also has dimmer functionality. Otherwise, the features it has are pretty standard – you’re able to schedule your lights to turn on/off whenever you want, and you can control your lights remotely via your phone.  

It even has a grouping function, where you can group multiple switches and bulbs together to be controlled from a single switch. Other important things to note are that this switch is compatible with both single pole and 3-way switch applications and you can group switches without travel wires. However, you will need a neutral wire for installation. 

The C by GE smart switch has a pretty steep price when you compare it to other smart light switches with similar features. There’s also a version of this product that can control your lights via its motion-sensor, the C by GE Smart Switch Dimmer. 

Overall, there are more affordable alternatives to this smart switch since this one seems relatively difficult. 

Legrand Radiant Smart Switch 

If you’re looking for a switch that has a colour option other than white, the Radiant smart switch from Legrand comes in both white and in light almond. As standard, this smart switch works with both Alexa and Google Assistant. It’ll even connect with smart products from Nest. 

If you’re looking for a smart light switch that’ll work as part of a 3-way installation, this smart switch will also check off that box. It does, however, require a neutral wire. 

However, various reviewers have found this smart switch problematic – it confusingly has several apps and this smart switch apparently can have trouble switching your lights off.