Lutron Caseta: I purchased 6 hard-wired controllers along with 8 remote controllers. The contractor had to wire the additional switches in the traditional way to pass local building code, then had to tie up the switches to place the wireless remotes. However, the contractor recommended Lutron as a solid, professional brand so was surprised this was not included in this Homekit review. Overall, I have to say that while I am happy with these three products individually, I have yet to see the Homekit functionality integrated to provide "if-then" capabilitiy. For example, to be able have a "goodnight" scene that simultaneously dims the lights on the Lutron, sets the temperature down on the Ecobee, and locks the doors on the Schlage Sense. I feel that until Homekit provides this capability I have paid about 30% more for what is still a promise...
I've compared Lutron vs Insteon, and Lutron wins hands down. Dimmers doesn't feel like a toy, no lag, and support for low voltage lighting. The problem with Insteon is that the homekit hub only supports certain Insteod devices, so if you are looking to leverage some of those devices you have to wait until the Pro bridge supports it.
As for your if-then capability and scene capability, homekit already has it, but Apple doesn't come with a home app. You need to use one to create scenes with multiple manufacturer devices and triggers that have if-then capabilities. Here's a review of some Home apps that can do the job.
Powerhouz is another new app that's cheaper and as good if not better than Home to do all this. Note that the homekit triggers aren't terribly advanced right now. I can make a trigger to detect when I approach a geofence and turn on lights/set temperature after sunset, but I can't set the condition to 1 hour after sunset for example. I also can't create a trigger that runs at sunset everyday. For those, I have to rely on triggers within each device manufacturer's apps, where I can't control multiple devices across manufacturers.
Misuse of the term "best" in this article title. The iDevice switch is horrible, just check the reviews on Amazon. It continually drops network connection to my Airport base station and will not reattach until it is unplugged and rebooted. Finally took it out and threw it away. I have Insteon leak detectors but purposely avoided the Insteon Hub Pro based on the horrendous reviews on Amazon. I went with the non-Homekit hub for now (works just fine) and if/when they finally fix the Hub Pro I will upgrade to that. Anyway, the point is this article should be taken down rather than have readers buy these items based on AppleInsider's recommendation.
That said, The Schalge Sense and the Ecobee 3 thermostat have worked flawlessly from the start.
The big problem I find with the iDevices or iHome switch is that you must use your iOS device to control it. With the Lutron Caseta dimmers, you can control from the iOS, device, the dimmer itself or use Lutron's Pico remote.
Additionally, since the Lutron hub talks to Lutron's servers (as well as directly with iOS) you can control your Lutron accessories remotely without having an AppleTV (you must use Lutron's app).
Check out this video of using Siri on an Apple Watch to open a garage door, lock doors and control many other HomeKit accessories.
If you ask Siri on an iPhone to unlock/open a door, she first asks you to unlock your phone. The Apple Watch will unlock doors without any additional steps because it is alway authenticated.
I have 4 iDevice switches and they work very reliably. In one month, I have had two of them become disconnected until I unplugged them and plugged them back in. It wasn't a big deal. If you don't have an iOS device or Apple Watch, you can still turn on the iDevice switch by pressing the button on its side.
Choosing a smart homeKit for your home is very complicated and
difficult. There are many safety factors that you need to consider
before you should set out to buying one. We are going to help you
through the selection process. Here it is the Best Apple HomeKit Enabled Accessories: Your Complete Guide to a Smart Home that are available in the market.
Comments
As for your if-then capability and scene capability, homekit already has it, but Apple doesn't come with a home app. You need to use one to create scenes with multiple manufacturer devices and triggers that have if-then capabilities. Here's a review of some Home apps that can do the job.
http://www.cnet.com/news/homekit-apps-the-good-the-bad-and-the-clumsy/
Powerhouz is another new app that's cheaper and as good if not better than Home to do all this. Note that the homekit triggers aren't terribly advanced right now. I can make a trigger to detect when I approach a geofence and turn on lights/set temperature after sunset, but I can't set the condition to 1 hour after sunset for example. I also can't create a trigger that runs at sunset everyday. For those, I have to rely on triggers within each device manufacturer's apps, where I can't control multiple devices across manufacturers.
That said, The Schalge Sense and the Ecobee 3 thermostat have worked flawlessly from the start.
The big problem I find with the iDevices or iHome switch is that you must use your iOS device to control it. With the Lutron Caseta dimmers, you can control from the iOS, device, the dimmer itself or use Lutron's Pico remote.
Additionally, since the Lutron hub talks to Lutron's servers (as well as directly with iOS) you can control your Lutron accessories remotely without having an AppleTV (you must use Lutron's app).
If you ask Siri on an iPhone to unlock/open a door, she first asks you to unlock your phone. The Apple Watch will unlock doors without any additional steps because it is alway authenticated.
I have 4 iDevice switches and they work very reliably. In one month, I have had two of them become disconnected until I unplugged them and plugged them back in. It wasn't a big deal. If you don't have an iOS device or Apple Watch, you can still turn on the iDevice switch by pressing the button on its side.