But the thinness of the speed control rocker makes it somewhat uncomfortable to press. I like that the primary rocker provides obvious visual confirmation as to whether the switch is in the on or off position (the ones on Leviton’s Z-Wave products don’t “flip”). Where Lutron’s fan controller has five buttons to control on, off, fan speed up and down, and a center button that can remember a “favorite” setting, Leviton’s device has one broad rocker to turn the fan on and off, and a second wafer-thin rocker to the right of that to select fan speed. The other major difference is the controls on the device itself. Depending on Wi-Fi could leave you vulnerable to range issues, but this shouldn’t be a problem if you’re using a newer router, especially if it’s a mesh network model. It connects directly to your Wi-Fi network on either the 2.4- or 5GHz frequency bands.
The most obvious feature that sets Leviton’s fan controller apart from Lutron’s is that it doesn’t require a hub or a bridge. Let’s take a deep dive into the Decora Smart Wi-Fi 4-Speed Fan Controller to evaluate its pros and cons. And if you also don’t want to deal with a smart home hub, smart home devices that operate directly over Wi-Fi-such as everything in Leviton’s Decora Smart Wi-Fi lineup-are the better choice. What if you don’t want a smart speaker in your house? Then you will be happier sticking with one ecosystem. Michael Brown / IDGĪlexa doesn’t care that I have Leviton’s Wi-Fi fan speed controller installed next to the company’s Z-Wave dimmer.
SMART FAN CONTROL SOFTWARE
You can use the smart speaker’s software to do pretty much everything, including tying devices from otherwise disparate ecosystems together so everything can be controlled with voice commands. Once you’ve set up a new smart home device and connected it to your digital assistant of choice, you don’t need to deal with each manufacturer’s app. But as smart speakers like the Amazon Echo and Google Home have risen to prominence, that’s no longer much of an issue. The best reason to use a single smart home platform is so that you’re not dealing with multiple apps to control everything. Leviton’s product isn’t a bad choice by any measure, it’s just that the Lutron Caséta Smart Fan Speed Control is better-even if is more expensive if you don’t already have a Lutron Caséta Bridge. And as much as I like the Leviton Decora Smart Voice Dimmer with Amazon Alexa, I don’t think the Leviton Decora Smart Wi-Fi 4-Speed Fan Controller is the best one on the market. Smart home dabblers might want to follow it, but enthusiasts are better off buying the best device in a given category, regardless of protocol. Times have changed, so that advice isn’t as valid as it once was. Start with Z-Wave or Zigbee or Lutron or Wi-Fi for lighting control and stay with that platform when you choose a smart thermostat, garage-door controller, water-leak sensor, or what have you. I used to recommend picking one smart home ecosystem and sticking with it.
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