Wemo - Wireless Dimmer Switch - White

If you are one of those folks who are big into the smart home thing and are wondering where the smart dimmer switches are, stop wondering. WeMo just rolled out their version. And if you can get through the somewhat rocky installation, it mostly works. And does a few cool tricks. I say mostly works because Amazon’s Echo, which is supposed to work with the dimmer ,only works some of the time. Even after going through the somewhat lengthy and arcane process of linking it with the WeMo switch, it is just as likely to say “Sorry, light is not responding,” as carry out my command with a cheerful “OK” when I tell it to turn the dimmer on or off. Also be aware this is a light switch, not something you just plug and play. You need more than a passing familiarity with electrical wiring to install this thing. Just putting white to white and black to black isn’t going to hack it here. You need to know which of the two black wires that went to your old dimmer is LINE and which one is LOAD. And be sure there is a neutral wire because it wont work without one. . As well as being sure this is replacing a 1-way, not a 3- way switch (you can’t use the dimmer on 3-way circuits). If you understand all that, you are good to go. Installation is not hard. WeMo’s current crop of install videos are of little help here. There were not any yet for the dimmer when I did my install. And if you follow the instructions for the regular light switch, you could get into trouble. It does not matter which black wire goes where in that installation. The good news is the WeMo dimmer works with all types of lighting (regular old light bulbs, LED or CFL) as long as they are dimmable. You can even tune it to the proper type for best results during installation. A color changing LED light bar on the switch (that is off most of the time) helps you determine what the problem is, if there are problems. Problems and modes are color coded. See the instructions. Also be aware you HAVE to install the WeMo app on your smartphone or tablet to set up the dimmer and get it to do all those neat connected tricks. That was not an altogether smooth process for me. The Android app crashed a couple of times and/or just stopped working as I went the process of connecting it to my wi-fi system and doing the setup. Killing the app and starting over fixed the problem each time. And I eventually got it up and running. This product is new so maybe they will work out the bugs in time. Once installed the WeMo dimmer does several useful things. You can set it to come on at any time and any brightness and go off – every day or just some days. You can turn on a “night mode” that limits the brightness (your choice) if you turn it on in the middle of the night. Thereby avoiding the dreaded 1000 watt spotlight syndrome that comes from a going from complete darkness to full brightness when you throw the light switch. You can set it to go on and off at different times when you are away. And there is a timer that allows you to turn it on and then go off in the elapsed time you choose.. Of course, since it is connected via wi-fi. you can control it from anywhere with your smartphone or tablet. Or you can use it like a dumb dimmer switch. Slide your finger along the little row of tiny lights in the center of the switch to set the brightness when you turn it on. One other caveat. This looks best in a single switchbox. The plastic tabs that attach to the wall are thicker than the flat metal tabs on a standard switch. So if you are installing it next to other older switches in in a two- or three-gang switchbox the standard switch faceplate does not sit flush with the wall over the dimmer. This is less of an issue if you install it alone, since it comes with its own faceplate, which fits better.

I burned up 2 of these dimmers because technical support told me it is a 1800 Watt dimmer (No true)!!! Other than this major issue, it's pretty awesome.

The switch installation was fairly simple. All in all, it took about 15 minutes to install the physical switch. If I were to rate the switch on its own I would give it 5 stars. However, without the software, it is nothing more than an expensive light switch. The WEMO app is very buggy, on many occasions required a force close of the app and start over. One lockup occurred during the initial switch setup, which resulted in not being able to establish a connection to the switch. I performed a factory reset on the switch and started the installation process again. Thankfully the app did not lock up during the second attempt and the installation was successful. Once the app established a connection to the switch, it seemed very responsive, that is until the app locks up. According to WEMO, "IFTTT and WEMO are friends". Unfortunately, their friendship is on the rocks right now, because they are not on speaking terms. I attempted about 20 times to get the switch to connect to IFTTT with no success. Hopefully, there will be an update soon that enables this functionality, as this was one of the main reasons I chose this device. The app again locks up almost every time I try to connect the two services wich always results in a force close. The WEMO app thankfully has some limited automation settings, however, its functionality of this switch is severely hindered by not connecting to IFTTT. This switch does not recognize mesh networks, thus will only connect to a single point on the mesh network. It is also not supported by Google Wifis On.here connected device sharing service. Since Belkin does not specify compatibility, these are not deal breakers, but it is something to take note of if you plan on utilizing this service. Overall I am fairly disappointed with the functionality of this switch. It has dimming capabilities and an overall excellent build quality, it features standalone automation functions; which are all bonuses. But unfortunately, the buggy software overshadows all of the good things about this device, and for that reason, I cannot recommend this product. Positive (+) ~Easy Install ~Remote Access ~Dimming function ~Night Mode ~Automation Functions (Limited) Negative(-) ~Software locks up requiring force close ~Does not recognize mesh networks ~Unable to connect to IFTTT ~Changing Wifi network requires factory reset of the switch

Device is great. Does all the product says it will, remotely or device local. The app at first ran fine, I have 2 other wemo devices and once in a while the devices aren't ready to be toggled. Other than that it's great.

The wait is finally over. Installation is as easy as the Wemo light switch. After installation, you'll run through a calibration process and pairing to your network. Sliding your finger on the lightbar will adjust the brightness. This can also be done on the app. The app has additional features such as timer and night mode (pre-selected brightness). I hope they add the timer feature to other Wemo devices. I highly recommend this product. It functions well and looks great too.

The Belkin WeMo dimmer light switch is a product that is just adequate. It functions reliably, but does nothing else to exceed expectations. There are just enough nuisances that I cannot justify giving it higher than three stars out of five. To begin, let's talk about the pros, because there are some: PROS - To my surprise, it was actually quite easy to set up. I like the idea of the screwless faceplate, and the instructions were very straight forward. Connecting the switch to the network took a few tries, but they were to the point when it failed - this saves a lot of wait time. The switch itself was also able to work with LED lights, including ones which I had problems with dimming in the past. Overall, very good experience on that end. The switch itself was way more configurable via the app, which includes things such as a timer, night mode for dimmer lights at night, sleep timer, and even the option to simulate someone being home. All of these features are easily configurable through the app. CONS - There are two things that truly annoy me with this light switch. First, is the switch itself. I cannot understand why I am able to adjust the brightness levels when the lights are off. The amount of times I have accidentally adjusted my preferred brightness because I was looking for the switch in the dark, or accidentally touched the lowest setting, is too high. I really wish they would change this in the future because it is completely frustrating having to fidget with the dimmer until it's correct again. My second complaint, is the app itself. The version I'm using is on Android, and it is very unresponsive. Usually, in most apps, there is feedback to let the user know that you've pressed the buttons and they are working. Here, however, because pressing anything takes at least a second to respond, it has become a waiting game to see if the app has died or it's running slowly. Using the app to turn on my lights takes more than a second. I can adjust temperatures on my WiFi thermostat faster than I can turn on my lights. You can also guess that dimming lights with the app is pain. Want to see if your brightness level is correct? Well, you better wait a second between each adjustment before anything happens. I don't see why it has to take this long, because I can dim the lights instantaneously with the switch. My only assumption is that the light rely on Belkin servers to do its thing before the actions are applied on the switch. If that's the case, then that's highly inefficient. If I'm at home, then the lights should turn on, and then send information to the server. In the end, it is an advanced piece of technology that really should have gone through some more quality assurance before releasing to the public. If you must have a WiFi controlled dimmable light switch, then yes, it is a decent product. However, I would hold off until a new firmware is released, or version 2.0.

The install was easy in a newer home with roomy electrical boxes and recessed LED ceiling lights. Once installed, it was just a minute to get the device connected using the WEMO app. Amazon Echo and Google Home integration are there, too. Setting up with both services was simple and works great. A fantastic feature is the “Away Mode” which will randomly turn lights on and off to mimic home use. You can also create a “Long Press Rule” to turn on, toggle, or set away mode for other devices. If you have multiple WEMO switches or outlets, you can long press one light switch to turn everything on and off. I definitely recommend this product. I’ve found this to be the easiest solution for dimming built in LED lights, and the Amazon Echo and Google Home integration are easy to setup and use.

I was looking for a dimmer switch to operate with my Amazon Echo when I came across this switch. Prior switches I had purchased only allowed me to turn lights on and off whereas this switch allows me to dim my lights. I would highly recommend it for anyone who is looking to use the functionality afforded to you by having a smart home.