Smart home tech can not only save you money by preserving electricity, but they can also make your life easier with better controls. If you’ve got an older home without neutral wires, finding the right devices can be a challenge. Still, there are several solid options available and smart switches are some of the best smart home devices for modernizing an older home.
Smart light switches without a neutral wire are rare, but there are several brands catering to your needs. Lutron Caseta is a personal favorite, though it requires a second bridge or hub to get them "active" on your smart home network. A GE Cync switch works without a neutral wire or hub, making it the most affordable option.
Get a smart switch for an older home with no neutral wire
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It comes with the hub
The Lutron Caseta Dimmer switch allows you to set the brightness of your light right on the switch with dedicated buttons to turn it on and off. You can get this kit in a variety of colors to match your fixtures as well. This kit inlaces a smart hub as well to help you make the most of your smart switch.
No hubs required
GE CYNC’s dimmer switch has a ergonomic design that makes it easy to find the button, even in the dark. It has two buttons to control the dimmer as well. This switch doesn’t need a hub and used Wi-Fi for it’s connection. Once set up in the CYNC app, you can use your voice to control it with Alexa or Google Assistant.
Works with Apple, Google, and Alexa
Another quality smart switch for homes without neutral wires, the Aqara option uses a Zigbee-enabled hub and allows you to control either one or two light switches at once. It has the best smart home compatibility of the available options.
Get a kit with a hub
This Leviton Decora switch bundle comes with the paddle-style switch with a dimmer plus the Wi-Fi Bridge to get it connected. If you’ve already got a bridge, you can buy the switch alone. You can set it up with the Leviton app, and it works with Google Assistant, Alexa, and Apple HomeKit.
Classic look and feel
Looking for something with a traditional look? The GE CYNC toggle-style switch uses Wi-Fi for its connection and doesn’t need hub. You can set it up with the CYNC app and then control it with your voice using Alexa or Google Assistant. You can even control it when away from home.
Colors: black, white
Light switch design hasn’t changed all that much in the last few decades, but MoesGo has made something unique. This touch control light switch has a lit blue circle on the front where you need to touch so you can see it in the dark. It uses Wi-Fi to connection and works with voice control from Google Assistant and Alexa.
Upgrade your home with smart switches
Our favorite smart light switch without a neutral wire is the Lutron Caseta Smart Lighting Dimmer Switch. It works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, has a handy app, and works with almost any light fixture you have in your home. Plus, its Wireless Smart Bridge hub connects with things like powered window blinds, ceiling fan controllers, wireless "pico" switches that you carry around, and even motion sensors. With up to 75 devices controlled by the Smart Bridge, if you plan to use any other Lutron equipment, the extra cost is worth it because you won't need another bridge.
Unfortunately, this all adds up to an expensive purchase. If you want something a bit more affordable and don't need a dimmer switch, look into the GE Cync Smart Light Switch. It also works with Alexa and Assistant (or mobile app) without a neutral wire or a hub. It requires an adapter to work with specific light bulbs, but it's included in the box. It's the only truly affordable option available without a neutral wire, without worrying about an entire smart home family going with it.
If you're specifically looking for a HomeKit-compatible option, look into the Aqara Smart Light Switch, which works with all three smart home systems. It also gives you single or double rocker options in case you want to control more than one switch. You'll have to buy the Aqara hub as well, but both the switch and the hub are more affordable than Lutron's, giving you a good middle option.
Otherwise, if you decide that smart switches and hubs aren't worth the hassle, keep in mind that most smart bulbs don't require a hub and are fully compatible with any power outlet regardless of the neutral wire.
Smart switches never sleep
Many homes were wired before the National Electric Code required every light switch junction box have a neutral wire. If you own such a home, many of the best smart switches won't work for you. Almost every smart switch needs a neutral wire attached because they need to stay powered all the time.
Without a neutral wire, there is a single circuit between the bulb, power source (or junction box), and light switch. If you switch off the lights, the electric current is broken because no power is passing through the bulb. That's why you typically need a neutral wire, which directly connects the power source to the switch: If you turn off the lights, the circuit still breaks, but the neutral wire gives the switch its own persistent source of power.
If your house doesn't have neutral wires, your options are to rewire your home to add neutral wires, buy and add microcontrollers inside the switches to smarten them up or buy smart light switches that work without a neutral wire or microcontroller. We recommend you consult with an electrician before pulling out switches or starting any rewiring in your home. There's always the potential to get hurt, so be safe instead of sorry.
The easiest option is to simply buy compatible smart switches, but keep in mind that many of them only work by connecting through a compatible bridge or hub, which stores programming data like your wireless network details and login. These hubs won't cost as much as an electrician, but they're still fairly costly.
