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Philips Hue Compatible Light Switches

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Philips already have a couple of options that give you a physical switch that you can use with your Hue set up, these are the tap Hue Tap, and the dimmer switch.

These are great however what if you want to replace your physical wall switch. under the ‘Friends of Hue’ umbrella there are a number of switches that don’t need batteries or mains power and work just like a traditional wall switch. Using EnOcean’s innovative harvesting technology, each press of the switch generates enough energy to send a message using Zigbee to the Philips Hue Bridge to turn your lights on and off, as well as changing brightness and scenes.

Friends of Hue Light Switches List

Philips have announced new partnerships with Feller, Niko and Vimar under the ‘Friends of Hue Switch’, these are lighting management control companies that reduce light switches. They will become new ‘Friends of Hue’ partners making compatible light switches that will work seamlessly with Philips Hue.

Compatible Hue Switches

Which switches work with Philips Hue?

We look at the switches and Friend of Hue options that work with Philips Hue in more detail. They do require a bridge but all work with Philips Hue lights.  

Senic

A minimal light switch design that comes in gloss white, matt white, matt black and matt anthracite. This switch also has two versions, an indoor and waterproof outdoor switch too. Control up to 50 Philips Hue lamps and lights simultaneously. The Philips Hue app allows you set your favourite settings, rooms and lighting scenes with a few simple clicks.

This Friends of Hue switch generates  its own power so there is no need for mains power or a battery. Working with Apple HomeKit you can also use the switch with any compatible scene or device, including speakers like Sonos or Homepod, outdoor plugs or sprinklers.

The Senic with is a great stylish alternative to the Hue switch and dimmer, and also comes in different colors to suit your decor and home style.

Discover more at www.senic.com

Retrotouch

A UK Friends of Hue light switch, the Retrotouch switches are a stylish and modern design that can either be fitted to replace an existing light switch, or used as a wireless, battery-free solution, stuck on any wall, wherever’s most convenient for everyday use.

These look great with a glass finish, coming in white or black, and the option of a chrome trim too. With the double switch you can turn your lights on and off, set scenes and adjust the lights brightness.

Discover more at www.retrotouch.co.uk

Busch und Jäger

A double switch option that is available in a range of colors, gray, anthracite, aluminium silver, matte white, black and ivory white. This can be wall mounted using the included sticky pad, there are no screw holes, so this is not an option. The design is minimal although the main switch plate is chunky with a thick design, so it will stand prouder from the wall than your standard wall switch.

If this style suits you then this is a great option, it isn’t cheap but is well made and works well. 

Check them out here.

Niki Switches

“Using the Philips Hue app, you can configure the switches suiting your needs: switch your Modular lighting on/off at a touch of a button, select up to four pre-programmed scenes, dim the light to create a specific mood in your space. All these options straight from the wall switch.

Being fully wireless, the Niko switches can be freely positioned on the wall without the need for electrical wiring or installation. And since they use power harvesting (battery-free) technology, installers, building managers or consumers will never have to replace a battery or think about maintenance. The switches work wherever, whenever.”

Niko dimmer switch for Hue system

Check it out on Amazon UK here.

Vimar Smart Light Control

Another stylish well built friends of hue smart light switch, this switch can be wall mounted using screws or stick pads, like other switches this can be bought in different colours, it is very well built, and works well with Hue. 

Discover more at www.vimar.com

RunLessWire

A smilier switch design to the Hue dimmer and tap, the Runlesswire switch is a friends of Hue product that requires no batteries or wiring, it works in the same way as the Hue tap and uses kinetic energy.

RunLessWire Click for Philips Hue Self Powered (NO Batteries) & Wireless Smart Dimming Switch Friends of Hue Switch Control for Philips Bulbs & Phone App Works with All Smart Home Hubs - White

    This switch can be connected to your Hue bridge and can be used to change scenes, turn lights on and off as well as a dimmer too. This can be screw mounted or attached to the wall using sticky pads that come included. Ensure you have the latest bridge which is more square, and not the round first generation bridge.

    The RunLessWire switch works with Homekit, Alexa and Google Assistant. 

    Lutron – Aurora smart bulb dimmer

    A new switch from Lutron covers a traditional wall switch and turns it in a a smart dimmer switch that works with your Hue lights.

    Lutron Aurora Smart Bulb Dimmer Switch | for Philips Hue Smart Bulbs | Z3-1BRL-WH-L0 | White

      A common complaint and wish has been for something to cover or work with fixed wall light switches, people who are not familiar with your smart lights will just turn the wall switch on or off which will usually turn your hue lights off.

      Named Aurora this dimmer is Lutron’s first product to work with Hue lights and costs $39.95. It connects wirelessly to a Hue system without any secondary hub needed. Setup and management of the Aurora are handled through the Hue app on an iOS or Android device.

      This clever switch will cover your traditional switch taking just a couple of minutes to install and no wiring is needed to be done. As it is installed over a traditional light switch it prevents the switch from being used while acting and looking like the normal light switch.

      “The Aurora smart bulb dimmer locks an existing toggle light switch in the “on/up” position. That way, no one can accidentally turn the switch—and your Hue smart bulb functionality—off. Ships with mounting base and rotary dimmer.”

      The Aurora switch is available for order from MeetHue.com with shipping expected fro be in June.

      Hue Smart Button

      The latest button from Hue is the small smart button, a simple push button that comes with a wall mount. The button itself has a magnetic back so it can be placed on a magnetic surface such as a fridge door or stuck using the sticky back to a flat surface. 

      Philips Hue Wireless Smart Light Switch Button, White - 1 Pack - Portable and Battery Powered - Smart Home Control - Requires Hue Bridge - Easy, No-Wire Installation

        The switch can be set to turn lights on and off, and a push and hold can dim lights too. A small and simple button that allows you to have a  physical switch for turning Hue lights on and off. 

        How to add Hue Light Switches

        The Hue app has been updated with a feature that shows the add hue switches under accessories, it then shows you how to add new switches that are part of the friends of Hue.

        Adding Hue Switches

        No power Needed

        These switches will work just like the Hue tap, where pressing the button on the switch generates enough power to turn your lights on. Therefore there is no need to wire your light switches to the main power or replace your current switches.

        From the press release it read –

        “These new Friends of Hue switches provide the perfect way to bring the benefits and features of Philips Hue to a wider audience and are an addition to the existing control options such as the Philips Hue app, wireless dimmer switch, voice control, schedules and sensors.  With the flick of a switch you and your guests can use the smart wall switch to control your Philips Hue lights, without interrupting power to the system, as would be the case with a standard wall switch,” said Evert Schaeffer, Head of product management, Friends of Hue at Philips Lighting. “This is part of our ongoing commitment to grow the Philips Hue ecosystem to make connected lighting experiences more accessible for our customers in their homes.”

        The Friends of Hue smart switches offered by these partners will adhere to the standards of their respective markets. The first wave of Friends of Hue switches is planned to be available from the fourth quarter of 2018.

        The compatible light switches are expected to be able to turn your lights on and off, dim them and also change to your favorite scenes. By partnering with these companies a range of styles and options can be brought to market making it easier to find a solution that matches the style and decor of your home.

        Hard Wires Switches?

        Readers of this site are always asking for a replacement Hue switch, not that covers the switch but is hard wired. Well this new ‘Friends of Hue’ switch is a clever and unique design that will be available in the second quarter for a recommended retail price of 79.90 Euros.

        Hidden Socket with Friends of Hue switch

        The cleverly named and designed ‘The Hiding Place‘ from Germany turns your light switch into a hidden socket that then has a new Hue switch cover or a place to add a Hue tap. Sliding the button cover up reveals a plug socket which can also come with USB ports too.

        The Hiding Place for Hue

        This is designed to be an easy retrofit product replacing an excising light switch you have.

        The patented switch has an easy to release push function which allows the switch to open up revealing the socket, and can be simply pushed back down to hide the socket. There is an integrated lock that uses a magnetic key to prevent access to the socket as a security and safety feature. This switch is part of the Friends of Hue, and works seamlessly with Hue and can be set up via the Hue app.

        The switches can be set up to

        • Turn lights on/off
        • Dimming
        • Color changes
        • Setting Light scenes or routines

        The model above is the hidden socket with Hue Switch, it can also be bought in a slightly more expensive version that has 2 USB ports as well as the socket and has a charging cradle attached making it ideal for charging your phone. This will retail for 109.90 Euros.

        If you are a fan of the Hue tap then you can get a version that allows you to insert the Hue tap, instead of using a switch like above. The Hue tap version is 39.90 Euros, or 79.90 Euros with the USB ports and charging cradle.

        View more information on their website at https://www.dieversteckdose.de/hidden-socket/


        Founder & Editor

        Mike is the founder of Hue Home Lighting, a huge Hue fan with far too many lights, covering home and garden. A smart home gadget addict and also enjoys the odd bit of DIY

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        50 Comments

        1. Christopher Lee Sanchez

          Seriously, Phillips still cannot get right. Let me make this easy, take an existing Phillips Hue Dimmer switch, scale it down to the size of a decorated switch, add a mini transformer on the back and provide 3 connection points. Aeotec got a micro switch size down pretty small, complete with contacts. Why don’t we have this already? I currently use Z-wave switches and a Samsung SmartThings to translate protocols to Hue. It does work as good as Hue Dimmer. But as long as I have light switches, people will use those instead of dimmer switches just taped to the wall.

          New switches looks nice, but they are a complex answer to a question few in the US have asked for. Just give us a suitable hard wired switch replacement.

          Reply
          • Scott Jones

            I totally agree! I got excited about the headline of this article, but then realized it meant nothing. Philips Hue, if you are listening, consumers want a hard-wired switch to replace the standard light switch. Still holding my breath after all this time…

            Reply
            • Michał Bieńkowski

              I also agree! Philps Hue, listen to customers! Please introduce the wired version that could replace usual wall switches. Lights strips could also have a better solution for the building electrical installation integration. BTW if Philips Hue is so against the cables, why the bridge requires even two?! Why not use WIFI or at least power over ethernet?

              Reply
              • KR1SeS

                POE would require an upgrade of most home owners existing switch/router. WiFi is not nearly as reliable as wired.

                Reply
          • Beau Baphett

            I’ll add my voice to this in the hopes that Phillips and switch manufacturers will listen. Produce a wired switch replacement as has already been described.

            Philips, are you listening?

            Reply
        2. Benjamin t Gerold

          Hue Bulbs don’t pass the wife test. If there is a switch on the wall, the wife will use it.

          In order to effectively use this by someone who isn’t going to use their phone, or Alex etc. There is a switch on my wall now that controls the lights. I need a smart switch that I can put in there that will turn the connected lights, and any other hue bulbs that I want to connect on and off….

          Reply
        3. Jodhua

          This is great news! I love hue but was thinking of switching due to no compatible switches. Now have your team work on compatible sockets, (smart electricsl sockets) and I’m a lifer.

          Reply
        4. Kelvin

          Philips should also make a plain (NOT dimmer) switch replacement.

          I have a high wattage, bright yard light. Not dimmable. I am often not by its wall switch when I find I need to turn it on (or off).

          Siri would happily light up the back yard, except Hue has no way yet to toggle a SPST switch.

          Reply
          • James SYKES

            It’s impossible to make a non dimmable smart switch in the UK because our houses do not have a neutral wire.

            dimmable smart switches such as the LightwaveRF close the circuit and they use that power to run the electronics within the switch. it then uses the dimming function to raise the voltage on the line up to something that will run the lights.

            So just bear that in mind. You will have to put up with a dimmable smart switch if you expect you install it in a typical UK household. That or rewire your entire house.

            Reply
            • Brendan W

              I wouldn’t say impossible. There are Z-Wave dimmers/switches (Namely AEOTEC Nano Dimmer) that work without a Neutral and can be a switch or dimmer so can do both dimmable and non-dimmable lights.

              Technology exists to function using the voltage leak of the load to power the electronics.

              Reply
          • Jake

            You can use a Sonoff relay (flashed with Tasmota if need be), that will link to Alexa/gHome, although it won’t show up in the hue app.

            There are also zigbee relays that *might* show up in the Hue app, but I’ve not tested

            You’ll need to run some kind of power to the relay as well unfortunately

            Reply
        5. David

          I echo comments here. I wish to replace a ceiling fan with a standard ceiling lighting fixture that has 8 sockets for A19 bulbs. I realize Philips would rather me buy 8 Hue bulbs instead. Not gonna happen. I do have Hue color bulbs in other parts of the house where needed. In this case, I wish to have a basic, dimmable ceiling light controllable from the Hue or HomeKit app. A hardwired dimmer switch interfaced with the Hue smart bridge will do the trick perfectly…if Philips offered such a thing. Or am I missing something? Someone mentioned this as an option. Any experiences?

          Reply
        6. Christophe

          Hello I live on Belgium => sorry for maybe bad English expressions ^^

          I saw that some people are not quite happy because we will still have our initial switch from our initial electrical installation and it may cause some trouble with guests, wife, kids, etc…..

          But I think the presented smart switches answer to this problem. Correct me if I ‘m wrong but We could follow these steps (with Niko for me):

          1) I’m building my new home right now with a classis “niko” installation
          2) I will buy some philips hue lights + bridge
          3) I will buy some “smart switches” from niko
          4) In my house, I will remove my “classis Niko” switch
          5) Then, I will merge the light cable and the switch cable => The light will be always ON
          6) I install the smart switch above (instead of classic switch)
          7) I installed Philips Hue lights and I use the app to create my scenes for each switch

          With that, we won’t have additional switch => We replace the classic by the smarts one

          Am I correct?

          Reply
          • Carl

            Hard wiring a light socket isn’t likely to be up to electrical safety standards. How will you safely replace a bulb? Every appliance needs to be switched, and no, your circuit breaker isn’t sufficient.

            Reply
            • Herman

              ?? The circuit breaker is the safest option, , safer then turning of a switch?, at least in Belgium it is.
              The proposed solution by Cristophe is the only good one, you cannot pull the power completly on a HUE lamp, then you cannot activate it with for example with Google assistant, Siri or any other home automation system.

              Reply
        7. Stephen

          This is great news as the current dimmer does not match existing UK face plates and looks odd. Where hidden zigbee strips have been installed with isolator the light switches are a good option.

          Reply
        8. Jonas A.

          Will these be sold in Denmark, and will they be compatible with the LK Fuga size standard?

          Reply
        9. Parker

          I’m remodeling my house and would love to have the latest Phillips Hue lights and switches. But I’m struggling to imagine how the lights should get wired. With these switches, they should go on the walls where people expect to find them. But, I still need regular switches to be an over-ride, right? I can’t imagine anyone recommends have lights just wired to be always on. So now, my question is, do I really want to put the real light switches in a closer somewhere, like a circuit breaker? What if I want to replace a bulb with regular bulbs some day?

          Will these switches have a shape such that they can cover an existing switch? That would be ideal.

          Reply
          • Pedro

            Parker, your Hue lights should always be powered, even if they’re turned on. The whole concept of smart lights breaks down if your lights aren’t connected and you have to go around turning on the power. If you provide real light switches, people in your home are going to end up turning them off. Instead, have them permanently wired to be powered on and replace switches with smart versions that turn on/off lights via the Hue protocol, not by cutting/adding power. Your backup power cut is at your breaker board. While I’ve never had lights refuse to turn off, I could cut the power to them on my breaker board if it came to that. I use Siri on my HomePod or AppleWatch, the Home app and Hue Taps spread around. The Taps seem to work directly with lights instead of through the Hue hub. Sometimes I don’t get internet out on my patio but the Hue Tap on the patio always turns on/off the lights. It’s a good last resort before going to the breaker board.

            Reply
          • Tim

            Have Hue lights in the baby room. We put child proof covers over the wired light switch, looks better than a piece of tape over old switch. Single tap brings light to the changing table and a tiny amount of light to the main room. Double tap lights everything up in the kids room.

            Reply
        10. unclespeedo

          I’m glad so many people are voicing the same concerns I have. I landed on this page with a web search for “philips hue two switch circuit”.

          If you aren’t going to provide a replacement for a wired switch, please provide us with some safe recommendations/best practices.

          As long as my traditional light switches exist, the philips hue home comes with a large caveat.

          Reply
        11. Peter

          I have a Hue White Ambiance E27 Starter Kit in my shopping basket. Did some research. Ended up here. Alas… no purchase until I can swap out my physical switches.

          Reply
        12. Hue Home Lighting

          Philips have updated the Hue app with a section for ‘Friends of Hue Switch’ user the accessories section, so we must be close, however it is up to the switch manufacturers as to when they are released.

          Reply
        13. Simple Solution

          Unfortunately, everyone still trying over complicated solution to a simple problem… For those of us with basic wired light switches, need a wired replacement. Not always going to use a phone or voice solution like Siri for every light. Also completely crazy to totally rewrite entire house w/ an extra wire for smart switch (with constant power) or add a battery powered cover over existing switches or have multiple switches for the same light, one of which the wife/kids/guest isn’t supposed to use. The simple answer is a very small slider on the bottom of a basic switch to meet requirement that a switch can be used to cut power with a more prominent paddle above to send light control on/off message to hue w/o cutting power. When that finally happens it will be much easier for the masses to consider adopting hue to the whole home vs a single room gimmick.

          Reply
          • Richard F

            I completely agree with you, this solution would be perfect. I’ve got hue bulbs in my whole house now (most bought at massively reduced prices as Amazon returns, top tip there) but have the switching problem. I was hoping the the ‘Friends of Hue’ switches would provide such a solution however it seems they’re all aimed at high level installations, way above most people’s budgets. The closest I can come to your solution is to mount a switch inside the back box and install a modified (holes drilled into the backing plate) Xaiomi Aqara wireless switch over the top. This then has to run through an Aqara hub (UK ones not yet available) then talk via Apple Home (using scenes). Unfortunately I don’t have all the parts to test this although from my research this should work well. That said, I much prefer your original idea, particularly if it looked as good as the Aqara switch!

            Reply
        14. Andrew

          Do these new switches work well? I’m sorry to be blunt, but the Hue tap switch is horrible. I purchased one then almost immediately returned it for refund. It was imprecise, didn’t always work, and felt clunky. I would actually rather have a decent device with a battery to worry about, than a self-powered device that is so clunky as the hue tap switch.

          Reply
        15. James Elson

          I agree with the other comments here. I really need something to replace the wired switch. I already have a Hue Dimmer next to the real switch and this is just a variation on that theme.

          I need a switch that’s powered (so it doesn’t have the spongey feel of the battery-less wireless ones) that screws onto existing baseplates. As described above, it needs *some* way of cutting power bit this should be minor (eg a little switch, or lift up a flap to see it, or have the main switched removable to reveal the power switch).

          I played around with the idea of one of these secret key switches
          https://www.mkelectric.com/en-gb/Products/WD/gridplus/Secretkeyswitchmodules/Pages/K4894.aspx
          …mounted on the it’s usual grid plate
          https://goo.gl/images/9i6qY1
          …but then swapping out the faceplate
          https://goo.gl/images/TD5Yuc
          …with a custom made one designed to hold the hue simmer over the secret key switch.

          But I didn’t due to general inertia and the fact it would still look ugly.

          Reply
        16. Louise

          I wish Hue would produce a reliable wired dimmer switch, to control old fashioned non hue bulbs. I love hue bulbs but I also love our light fittings that have G9’s and ses e14’s golf ball bulbs. And after many headaches with Energenie dimmers i wish hue would produce their own version, and in brushed stainless steel please 🙂

          Reply
        17. Barry Bennett

          UK Customer here I have two nice solutions to this issue. The first and possibly more complicated; If you have a newish house with plaster board walls this is fairly easy. Isolate the power at the distribution board. Take off the old switch and back box, fit a 35mm deep two gang back box in portrait orientation (90° rotated from the normal orientation.) Bring the wires through and fit a architrave narrow switch. This easily fits inside the back box even with its own backing box. Restore the power to ensure the light is switched on. Next fit a blanking plate and affix the philips hue switch over the top. Passes the wife/visitor test because they just have the philips switch to press and you can easily remove the blanking plate should you need to switch of the light to change the bulb. (all parts available from screwfix and costs about £10

          The other option is a switch adaptor available from Amazon (the image is the one with the lime green background if you search for it) its called a hugo and is quite neat. This fits over the existing light so is a little bulky, but does a good job. Also about a tenner.

          Reply
        18. Lighting Don

          The reason why Phillips are not creating a proper light switch is not because it’s impossible it is because it would eat into their consumable bulb market.

          Philips want to continue to sell you bulbs rather than allow you to control your home with light switches.

          LightwaveRF supply dimmable smart switches. They have to be dimmable because that’s the only way you can configure a smart switch in a typical UK home without a neutral wire.

          However for all intents and purposes pressing the on switch means the light turns on. And it works perfectly fine.

          I have many Philips hue bulbs around the house and I think they are great however there are many situations where having individually addressable bulbs simply makes no sense.

          My kitchen for example has something like 14 spotlights. All I want is a smart light switch which allows me to control the entire bank of 14.

          the lightwave switch is 50 or so pounds which works fine however I then have to integrate that into something else rather than the hue system.

          My house now consists of 5 different smart systems. And the level of integration between each of them ranges from entirely ropey to just about livable.

          Until the manufacturers stop trying to tie everyone into their own system the better we need a future of interoperability between different products so that we can build a smart home as we see fit.

          Reply
          • Sanjay

            Don, I purchased a sub £30 zigbee controller from ebay to control my 15 kitchen spots, and all works great within the Hue app. The controller handles 300w, and each spotlight is 9w… 300w is plenty. This hybrid approach is perfect. I have genuine Hues where I want colour or white ambience, then downlights and lamps on a zigbee circuit.

            Reply
        19. Stavros

          Hi Guys ,

          Did anyone buy any of the 3rd party switches ? Do you know how much their cost is and where we can buy them?

          Reply
        20. DiDJ

          Best solution is this:

          https://www.ubisys.de/en/smarthome/products-d1.html

          You can have whatever lamp, but still you can control it via Hue.

          I have a pendant light that was using 200W halogen bulb. It was impossible to replace it with a Hue bulb as it was too weak. This Ubisys dimmer D1 aswered 100% my needs, it is recognized as a lamp in Hue App, can add it to room, can control it via Google Home… Just perfect!

          Please note that only D1 is compatible with Hue, all other Ubisys produce are not.

          Reply
          • Emile

            I agree, this is a handy product. But you cannot hide this in your wall, because most people won’t have that needed neutral wire when replacing a regular switch. Only (easy) solution is hiding it in the fixture or ceiling. But in that case you still have to cover your regular switch with some kind of blanking plate.

            Reply
        21. Peter

          Why can’t you just remove switch plate, connect wires inside the back box with connectors, then buy one of the these new feller/niko/vimar switches and screw onto the opening. Isnt that the whole point? If you need to turn off a lamp for any reason (very rare thing) just switch off at consumer unit. Sounds like most of you are overthinking it?

          Reply
        22. Andrew

          UK hue user, I’ve been looking for a hue compatible wired light switch but as you all know they don’t exist…as I have several groups of GU10 lights, around 34 in total, replacing all with hue bulbs is too expensive, so I have ordered 1 of these.

          All I need now are 2 of the Niko switches and I’m sorted.

          Reply
        23. matt barnes

          Why are these things so hard to buy in the UK.

          I want a couple of Niko switches. Surprised you cannot just go to a website, pick the layout and colour and press buy!

          Reply
        24. Chris

          The problem of light switch + hue dimmer switch could be solved as follows:
          1. Philips moves the magnets from the centre of the backing plate to the top.
          2. On the dimmer switch itself, the metal piece that is attracted to the magnets is also moved to the top.
          3. Now an opening is made around the middle of the backing plate so that the existing light switch is visible when the backing plate is mounted over that switch.
          4. The main switch is now underneath the dimmer switch, and it can easily be accessed when needed.

          Reply
        25. Ross

          Philips Hue – I’m going to make this really simple. If you (or one of your partners) don’t provide a wired switch solution, where I can replace my existing light switches, I won’t be using your products.

          If you do provide this solution, I will convert my entire house to use your bulbs.

          Multiply that by the number of other people asking for the exactly same thing then…. you do the maths.

          Reply

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