Dimmer switch or bulbs?

[u/TheRealJMQ]

In my family room I have a smart 3 way switch set up to control the overhead lights.

I am interested in replacing the lights with ones that dim. What’s the best way to accomplish this?

Replace the smart switches with ones that have a dimming function? Does how would that work since it’s a 3 way switch? Would I need 2 dimmers?

Replace the bulbs with smart bulbs? That would make it where I don’t have to replace the switches and I could set up a scene / command to dim the bulbs.

Something else?

Thanks!

[u/jjaidank]

Do you have a SmartThings hub (and other smart devices)?
If so, the easiest thing would be to replace the bulbs with smart bulbs paired with your SmartThings hub. Remember that you would leave the bulbs powered even when they are not delivering light. You would no longer use the 3-way switches, just use SmartThings to switch them on, off, and dim.
Alternatives to SmartThings are available, but this is the SmartThings channel.

[u/TheJessicator → u/jjaidank]

Setting up smart bulbs to work that way is such an awful experience, though. If you're going to use smart bulbs on a switched circuit, it's always neat to make sure the switches work as expected. That said, I would recommend using smart dimmer switches that have a smart bulb mode. My personal favorite are the ones by Inovelli, but I believe the Zooz ones are also good.

[u/TheRealJMQ → u/jjaidank]

Yes, I have dozens of devices and hubs including SmartThings. You actually answered the main question I didn’t ask which was would the switches always have to be on even though they’re smart switches. Sounds like the answer is yes.

I have small kids who like to turn the lights on and off so since this room would always have to be on to use the dimming features sounds kids replacing the switches may be the better option.

[u/mrcrashoverride → u/TheRealJMQ]

Get the TpLink/Tapo three way switch set. Dimmable bulbs are fun and cool, but it’s always best to design for the babysitter or mother in law random visitor etc…A switch anyone can walk into the room figure out and control. A bulb you must make sure the switch is on and then use an app to dim.

[u/danh_ptown]

There are a lot of depends. Most smart dimmers will require a regular, or companion switch. So 1 smart dimmer and either the existing regular switch, or a smart companion device.

With just regular switch you can only dim/brighten from one of the 3-way locations. The models with companion smart device allow dim/brighten from either end.

Jasco/GE/Honeywell/UltraPro, all manufactured by Jasco, use a companion device at the opposite end. I have a few of these installed.

[u/PuzzlingDad]

Whenever possible, I highly recommend installing the smarts at the switch, rather than the bulb. The smart circuitry needs power, so bulbs mean you need to leave the physical circuit always powered which then requires a workaround to give you back wall control. So if you are going to need to replace a switch anyway, just do that in the first place and install smart switches/dimmers.

As for how a 3-way dimmer works, I've seen two approaches. Some manufacturers make it so you can keep the existing dumb switches with just the primary dimmer connected to the load being smart. With this setup, the other switches just control on/off and the primary location has the dimming.

Other manufacturers have a dedicated "companion" switch that doesn't control the load directly but does have the ability to send dimming commands to the primary dimmer. This means you can dim from any location.

We have Leviton dimmers and their companions for all our multi-way circuits and it works well.

[u/RHinSC]

I have found that there are really only 2, reasons for a smart bulb: 1) When a swith can't control the particular bulb, e.g., the switch controls a circuit containing multiple bulbs and/or other devices, or 2) You have a need to set the color and/or temperature of the bulb(s) independently or at different times. Otherwise, the smart switch is much more robust. Frequently, my Zigbee bulbs will automatically come on after power is restored. Annoying!

[u/Cheech47]

Switch, absolutely. As was said earlier, you just need the regular dimmer switch (probably about $60-ish) and a companion switch ($20-ish) to do the job.

Replacing bulbs on a switched circuit is asking for trouble if literally anyone else but you is using them. Have anyone over? They're going to go for a wall switch, and unless you've got tape over it they're going to flip it and screw your automations up.

[u/can_i_have]

Switch