Upgrading Switches With Switchmate

Another day, another light switch. That's what it starts to feel like after writing about home automation for a while. There are so many "smart" switches out there that a company has to do something fairly unusual to catch my attention. As it so happens, a company called Switchmate has done just that. Their idea is to create a device that can be added to existing light switches to make them smart, rather than buying a completely new switch and installing it yourself.

What they've come up with is the Switchmate, a small block with a button on the front, and essentially a mechanical finger on the back. The whole thing attaches to your light switch plate with magnets, so you don't even have to break out the screw driver. Once it's in place, pushing the button on the front will move a piece in the back that flips the actual switch up or down. Then, of course, you can connect to the Switchmate from your phone and control your lights remotely, or set up timers and triggers to automate things.

So what's the downside here? It's easy, it's simple, and it's relatively cheap at $50 per switch. Well, honestly, it's not the prettiest of solutions. Yes it's fairly small and sleek looking, but it's still a strange looking block hanging off of your wall. And because it's not connected to your home's wiring at all, it has to run off of batteries, which will need to be replaced from time to time. So it's not quite as "set it and forget it" as most home automation systems could be. But if you're a renter, it's one of the only smart light switches out there that don't require breaking out the tools and going against your lease, so it could be a nice starter for someone wanting to break into home automation. If this isn't your thing? Well, another day, another switch.