We all think living in a smart home would be really cool. And many of us have enlisted smart home assistants, smart bulbs, and smart appliances to help bring that dream of a voice-controlled home of the future into reality. Unfortunately, most of us aren't living in a home constructed after 2015, and our house, condo, or apartment isn't so smart. It's dumb. Oh, so achingly dumb.
The problem is, making a dumb home smart often requires more than plugging in an Alexa. It can require all kinds of installations, wiring, and complicated Wi-Fi configurations that can squash dreams of a smart-connected home pretty darn fast. Fortunately, the Switchmate 2.0 Smart Switch might be one of the easiest smart innovations yet because it doesn't require any of those things. In fact, it's so smart that anyone can figure it out.
The Switchmate is basically a smart light switch — and getting it working is even easier than buying a new plate cover for the switch. The unit attaches magnetically to the screws in the existing wall plate for any traditional toggle or rocker switch and locks in place without any tools or wiring needed. As Wired puts it, it's "a ridiculous yet surprisingly compelling way to put some basic automation into your lighting without having to actually rewire anything."
Once you're synced to the Switchmate app through the simple connect button, your home bumps up a few IQ points, instantly granting owners the ability to control lighting to automatically turn on and off via app instructions.
With the Switchmate in place, users can turn lights on automatically when they arrive home or activate lights whether they're home or not, with multiple timers for total smart lighting control. If you're home, the unit even runs on voice commands with an Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.
And if you're still old school enough that you want to walk up to a light switch, touch it, and turn on your room lights…well, the Switchmate 2.0 makes that possible too.
The Switchmate 2.0 Smart Switch is the easiest possible way to bring smart lighting into a home without extravagant installations or rewiring — and it's even got the pricing to prove it's working-tech bonafide too. Retailing for $29, the Switchmate 2.0 is now on sale at $10 off, just $19.99.
Prices subject to change.
