Philips attributes the move to the “confusing differences in setup and resetting,” of the third-party bulbs and notes that they kept the new dimmer switch from working properly. Now it seems Philips has reversed its initial decision and is adding back the support. Does Lutron make the remote for Philips? Strangely, just as the Lutron remote was announced last week, Philips suddenly dropped “support” for once-compatible third-party ZigBee bulbs including … Cree and GE. Introduced earlier this year, the ZigBee wireless dimmer switch for Philips Hue works Just like Lutron's Bulb Remote.Ī Philips Hue Connection? What about the ZigBee-based Philips Hue? Earlier this year - right when Lutron first announced its new ZigBee remote - Philips also launched a four-button dimmer switch that looks and operates (including pairing) just like Lutron’s. And what about other IoT hubs like SmartThings? And for that matter, what about other ZigBee bulbs such as those from Osram (Lightify)?

For example, Lutron says it is compatible with Wink, so can it trigger a Wink-based home automation scene? Doubtful.

We also don’t know quite the capabilities of the remote. Users hold the remote four inches from each bulb to enroll them into the device.ĭetails are fuzzy on the device, and due to the holidays Lutron officials weren’t available to answer such questions as: Does this move harken a deeper involvement in standards-based home technology for Lutron? What about Z-Wave? The interesting thing about the remote is the process of pairing, which is accomplished through near-field communications. Multiple remotes (up to seven) can be paired with a single bulb. The Lutron remote can be used to group light bulbs so that one button-press can turn on a whole bank of lights (up to 30) … and then dim and brighten them at once. And the GE bulbs require a Wink home automation hub in the mix. But the device currently controls only Cree Connected LED bulbs and GE Link LED bulbs. Rather than having to pull out a smart phone to control smart bulbs, users can simply press a button on a nearby remote. Introduced in time for CES 2016, the four-button keypad sits on the tabletop or mounts into a Decora-style wallplate, just like Lutron’s Pico remotes for ClearConnect.

Lutron power booster