Best plug-in dimmers according to redditors

I too use mine for "sore muscles".

You might want to look into one of these. Solves the intensity issue.

I bought a house with in-wall controls that everyone said to rip out. I am extremely glad I ignored them.

If the phone rings or something comes up, I don't want to fire up the Sonos app and start navigating around to control the volume. Also, it requires you buy a sonos controller for each room if you want to control them individually.

Ultimately, I got a big amp and wired up all of downstairs on one bus and a couple extra sonos devices for specific rooms/areas and it works great.

Yes, there is a volume control on the amp, the sonos, AND the room. But it works great and I'm extremely happy to have volume controls in-wall and not just on my phone.

Also, I replaced all the knobs with these; they look nicer and you can visually tell from across the room what the setting is: http://www.amazon.com/Leviton-SGVST-W-Strauss-Transformer-Control/dp/B002MA57TU?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

I know they sell exactly what you're asking for, you see it on nightstands in hotel rooms sometimes.

Here's a dimmer model that goes between the lamp and the outlet and then has one cord going up to the nightstand switch.:


https://www.leviton.com/en/images/lc/TBI03-1LW-new.jpg

"Dimmable" LED bulbs are able to be dimmed with an external dimmer. This will work in any dedicated lamp but you wouldn't want to hook a dimmer to a lamp that also combined some other function as the other function might not respond well to the power being reduced.

The next step would be to buy a dimmer. The safest way to get started would be with a cord dimmer like this or this. Just make sure it explicitly says it works with LED bulbs - an "incandescent/halogen only" dimmer isn't what you want.

That's all you need assuming you aren't interested in a "smart" dimmer (controlled by a device). If that is what you are looking for you should head to /r/homeautomation.

Most will only turn on/off unless specified. I've ordered this one, which should be able to dim: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B019G6RQCS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This one's zigbee but I think they also have a z-wave one.

Got these dimmers on Amazon for some tabletop lamps. Very very happy with it.

Leviton TBL03-10E Tabletop Slide Control Lamp Dimmer, 300-Watt, Black

link here

Insteon keypadlinc 6 button dimmer and in-line dimmer (links below)

They can be set to communicate with each other without needing a hub.
The keypad is used like this. The main on and off buttons would turn on the vanity lights. Holding the off button dims the light. When it reaches the brightness you desire, you let go.
The other 4 buttons can be programmed to control scenes for the vanity and tub lights.
1 scene would obviously be toggling the just new fixture over the tub.
The other 3 could be a full brightness scene, medium brightness and sexy time.....
Or add another in line relay or on/off micro module to your fart fan and one of the buttons could control that.

Without a hub you won't have any "smart" control ie voice, phone or when you aren't home. They also won't be included in homekit, home assistant or any other automation software you might use.

But if you get a hub then all that can be yours on top of just having a really slick keypad in your bathroom.

Insteon 6-Button Dimmer Keypad, White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UDHWP7G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_riXFDbKK8MEXA

Insteon 2475DA1 In-LineLinc Dual-Band Remote Control In-Line Dimmer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008CPHW5Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ikXFDbS7JY078

Love it! What kind of tree is that? It’s perfect for that area. May I suggest a dimmer for the market lights? Something like the one below is what I used on my market light set up and it makes such a difference!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A80756O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_h-G4Cb5T68DRN

I believe that wouldn't work because those 30 watt drivers output DC power for LEDs, but lamps like you linked are designed to work with AC power. Although the Tradfri bulbs are LED, they are designed to work with AC power and have a small driver built in, where as the panel you linked requires an external driver.

There are a couple ways to approach this:

• use a tradfri bulb in the lamp you are building
  
• use a zigbee switch at the wall, like this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019HTH2A0
  
  I'm not sure if the Tradfri hub supports that kind of in wall switch, but if you're interested in a project like this you probably ought to consider larger options. Ikea is just one maker of zigbee bulbs and accessories (Tradfri). There is a whole zigbee ecosystem. If Tradfri won't work with the wall switch, you could get a Wink hub that will work with both your Tradfri bulbs and the switch.

I have the mat on top of some cardboard and the tub on top of it. Not as many holes in the bin for ventilation and we use fresh greens and veggies to feed them and those keep the humidity pretty high already, you can also use a damp sponge in a dish to help, as long as there is no standing water because the roaches can drown. By switch I meant a dimmer switch to go between the outlet and the mat, like this

https://www.amazon.com/DEWENWILS-Dimmable-Incandescent-Halogen-Extension/dp/B07CZXMGRB/ref=sr_1_12?keywords=sliding+switch&qid=1574313948&smid=A33V0LA7KRMN9P&sr=8-12

I believe all the Iris stuff is ZigBee, so if you either installed a ZigBee light switch in your garage (or whatever is closest to where your car) or installed a plug-in module that's ZigBee, that should work.

As long as it has constant power to it (ie: not battery powered) both should act as a ZigBee signal repeater.

I believe GE makes ZigBee versions of both.

Just double check your Iris stuff to make sure they're ZigBee - I'm 99% sure they are.

Edit: here are a couple links to what I'm talking about:

In-Wall Switch: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015YJAHY0
Plug-In Module: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01E9GKOWO

I'd go with this dimmer: https://www.amazon.com/Leviton-TBL03-10E-Tabletop-Control-300-Watt/dp/B00A80756O/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=TTCL+100H&qid=1567435080&s=gateway&sr=8-4

It's pretty much the same, but handles LED more consistently (less flicker as you attenuate the voltage going into the light. Generally you don't have to worry about flicker, but sometimes it happens when you dim all the way down to like 10%. Dimmers for LED seem to handle at least that aspect better).

For power, you will need an extension cord unless you want to plug the light directly into an outlet just inches away. Usually, you plug the Quasar power connector into the extension cord and then you connect the extension cord into the dimmer and then finally the outlet. My suggestion, is to either buy the lightest weight extension cord you can find, just something really thin, as it will drag less on the light if you have it gaff taped to say, the ceiling / walls or anywhere else.

I started by using cheap 15 to 20 ft small extension cords and then finally moved onto using zip cord / lamp wire. The advantage to using zip cord is that it is very very light weight and can be hidden easily and the best part is that you can make your own cords extremely easily, any length you want and add plugs anywhere along the cord quickly by using add-a-tap plugs (allows you to connect multiple tubes to the same cord).

https://www.amazon.com/cord-lamp-SPT-1-black-roll/dp/B000WS87VY/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=zip+cord+18%2F2&qid=1567435425&s=gateway&sr=8-4https://www.hollywoodexpendables.com/product/add-a-tap-female-wire-plug-adaptor/https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Install-Add-Tap-Brown/dp/B01C2CFY2M

Creating your own cords is very very convenient and easy to do.

TronicsPros DC 12V-24V 3A LED... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016TLH9D4?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

You could probably dim those. Just make (or buy) some sort of PWM LED controller.

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EDIT: Sorry, I shouldn't assume everyone knows these things.

So, an LED is a DC appliance. It can't be AC really. All 'AC' LED lights just rectify the AC into DC. :P

So what makes the AC replacements 'dimmable'?

Well, the AC ones that cooperate with AC dimmers contain a controller that converts the variance in the ~120 volts input AC (when you use the resistive 'old style' dimmer switches for incandescent lights) to a Pulse Width Modulated DC signal driving the LEDs. When the voltage coming in is higher, each 'pulse' is longer with less space between them. When the voltage coming in is lower, each 'pulse is shorter with more space between them. That's an over simplification, but that's the concept. LEDs aren't really 'dimmed', they're 'pulsed' to create the dimmed effect.

​

EDIT 2: You can buy LED drivers (control modules) that have dimmer controls, which run off a DC input voltage (like 12 volts).

​

EDIT 3: Sorry, hope you read this last edit here:

https://www.amazon.com/TronicsPros-12V-24V-Controller-Connector-Monochrome/dp/B016TLH9D4/

Presto! A thing that is literally a 'make this 12 volt LED thing dimmer with a dial' add-on. :)

Does this look like the dimmer you speak of > https://www.amazon.com/TronicsPros-12V-24V-Controller-Connector-Monochrome/dp/B016TLH9D4/ref=sr_1_3?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1530323873&sr=1-3&keywords=dc+led+light+dimmer#customerReviews

zwave

zigbee

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B019HTH2A0/ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1510316625&sr=8-1-fkmr1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=zigbee+jasco

Be careful with that. Since it's a dimmer, and not a true switch, all of it's output is PWM. There's no instant on or off. If I were you, I'd go the switch version of that outlet.

There are plenty of dimmable plugs, just not that use the Zigbee protocol.

Edit: this and this are examples

I put dimmer switches on my ordinary bedside lamps. Left the nursery one on its lowest setting all night so we could do changes without turning it on and off. Bedroom one I kept under my pillow. Very handy, very cheap.

I just put one of these in a box, with a RCA jack on the output end to go to the dew heater, and a 2.1mmx x 5.5mm jack on the input end for 12V power from my battery / power supply. Box and connectors from Digikey, PWM from Amazon. It sounds like you are handy so it would be a piece of cake.

Isn't Arduino WAY overkill?

Dew controller (with DSLR power supply)

Inside the box

You just need to get her a light dimmer switch to plug the magic wand into.

Then you could get a zigbee switch like this or this and pair it to the Hue hub.

Less demand? Not really sure. You can get Zigbee switches though: https://smile.amazon.com/GE-Wireless-Compatible-Monitoring-45856GE/dp/B019HTH2A0

I don’t know much about electrical code, but this is what we’re currently using - not code? And if not, do you know why? They are super popular on Amazon.


Outdoor Dimmer, Wireless RF Smart... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DZDVQZV?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

So the plus just gets you Zigbee control. I have an Echo Plus, but all my smart home devices are wifi, and not Zigbee (except a few hue lights, but I already have the hub for that).

So I'm controlling:

• 2 smart light switches, 1 smart dimmer (all wemo)
  
  
• ~6 hue bulbs
  
  
• 2 tp link bulbs
  
  
• wemo outlet
  
  All over wifi.
  
  You'd need the echo plus to control:
  This light switch without a hub, but you wouldn't need it for this other switch.
  
  I did some googling, and it looks like no Apple TVs do Zigbee. So the normal echo should be able to do everything it can currently do. The plus just opens the option to directly control Zigbee devices.
  
  edit: as /u/RichardBLine correctly pointed out, Echo Plus supports Zigbee and not Z-wave. I've updated the post and links. Thanks!

GE ZigBee Wireless Smart Lighting Control Dimmer, In-Wall, LED & CFL Compatible, Energy Monitoring, HA1.2, Includes White & Light Almond Paddles, Works with Amazon Alexa and Echo Plus, 45857GE https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015YJAHY0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_5SFhAb7330P5M

I use these.They are paired with the Smart Life app which you can use in the Home app. Once they are paired you can give each one a name and say for example "Hey Goole turn on the bed light". They're cheap and you can choose to use them for something else in the future. They do click when they turn on and off like a real switch which can be annoying or satisfying.

Edit: for light switch I bought these. I plan on putting them I side the fixture or the switch but I haven't set it up yet so I can't report on them.

100w would be too hot at full power in a 20g.


Heres the dimmer I got on Amazon for $11.

Dimmer

1. Remove the switch.
   
   
   
2. Put the two wires together that were connected to the switch. Permanently completing the circuit.
   
3. Cover the switch plate with a blank.
   
   

• Switch eliminated and outlets remain hot.
  

4. Plugin modules and some kind of controller. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00E1OXK3A?pc_redir=T1 and https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00KU7ERAW/ref=pd_aw_sim_60_2?ie=UTF8&dpID=41c69qIkmkL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL100_SR100%2C100_&refRID=00WM6YZN7XDZTDB7WD6X
   
   Are both sides of your outlet controlled by the switch? If not, you should just be able to change around the way they are wired so that they'll always be hot.

This works great for SmartThings dimming light strip:
https://amazon.com/gp/product/B00E1OXK3A
https://amazon.com/gp/product/B009TCZNEI

You can get the rope light in different lengths and colors from the same vendor.

For Holiday Lights, I'm squared in the E1.31 and Renard control with Falcon Player at the helm. I don't need to home automate my animated displays though if I had a means to control the schedule via a home controller and other communication between them, that would be cool!

I did some digging and though I won't get dimming, I'm gonna grab these. They won't do DC dimming but I was experimenting around and my DC dimmer seems to save dimming states when it's powered off. So I think this would work - we don't dim the under cabinet lights much anyway.

I use "GE 45852GE Zigbee Smart Dimmer Plug-In 2-Outlet Lighting Control, No Wiring Required Works Directly with Alexa Plus, Echo Show (2nd Gen)"
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019G6RQCS

Needs a Zigbee hub (such as found in Echo Plus or Echo Show 2nd gen)

You could go with an Insteon keypadlinc and then use lamp modules or bulbs at the other end. The keypad has 6 or 8 buttons, and you can control one of the lights directly with the module. The other lights you can either use an in-line module, or the bulbs themselves, and hardwire them in your junction box.

Keypad Linc

In-line Dimmer


Lamp Module

Insteon Bulb

I know it contradicts a lot of what you're asking for but I thought I would explain the set up that I've just created for my house. I have Arlo cameras and Samsung SmartThing hub that came with a motion sensor. I bought a GE smart switch to replace the light switch that turns the porch light on. The nice thing about the Arlo cameras is that they show up as motion sensors on the SmartThings hub. Now I have a couple of options for my porch.

I've configured SmartThings to activate the porch light (and garden lights) to come on if the Arlo detects and motion. The Arlo will at the same time trigger the recording to start and stay on until all motion calms down. Then I have another SmartThings routine that will turn off the porch (and garden) light if no motion happens for the following X minutes. The problem with this is that the Arlo doesn't react immediately to the motion (maybe routing through their cloud services and back to SmartThings) so I've been using the SmartThings motion sensor to trigger in addition to Arlo.

Overall pretty happy and it's been pretty reliable so far.

PS: I'm no electrician and was easily able to switch out the light switch but if you're worried about doing this yourself you could always just use a smart bulb.

I have number 1 (mingdak version) on my 3 gallon tall (12 x 12x 6) and its actually too bright for my java fern.

I ordered a inline dimmer for it
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A5193J8/ref=ya_st_dp_summary?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Hoping to lower the output.
I also ordered a bunch of 2835 620nm red leds to replace some of the white ones.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077HKMFWM?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A5193J8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_hQgpDbBS7950B

I have that light with that dimmer on a 12” x 12” cube.

The dimmer isn’t absolutely necessary but the light is bright so you’d probably want to dim it down if you aren’t doing a high light/ high tech setup.

As you progress in the hobby, it’ll give you room to raise the brightness as you get into co2 injection and fertilization.

Three light kit with led panels at 400 gonna be tough.

Just make sure you are getting reasonable cri, unlikely that low. Another option that would fit in that range would be something like this:

Softbox qty. 3
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DLVR1JK/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_VVTEDb9K7EDK0

Bulb quad splitter qty. 3

https://www.amazon.com/JACKYLED-Light-Bulb-Socket-Adapter/dp/B07BFMY8TR

Led bulbs, qty 12, two six packs

https://www.amazon.com/Hyperikon-Dimmable-Equivalent-Qualified-UL-Listed/dp/B0779C6F3Z

Dimmer qty. 3

https://www.amazon.com/Leviton-TBL03-10E-Tabletop-Control-300-Watt/dp/B00A80756O

Cheapy stands, qty. 4 (at least one will break)


https://www.amazon.com/CowboyStudio-Photography-Light-Stands-Cases/dp/B001WB02Z4

Add in some sandbags, extension cords, etc and up and running as cheap or cheaper than bad quality led panel lights. Not an elegant, durable, or great solution but way better than poor natural light and then can save up for proper lights at better budget maybe?

So the light switches control the neutral, and you have no hot to gangbox? I don't see how a dumb dimmer could possible work without controlling the hot.

There's two solutions. The first is not to worry about the switches, and use smart bulbs instead. Obviously, with a chandelier, that may not be cost effective.

The other is what you're thinking, but using an inline dimmer instead of an inline switch. Here's one (as an example).

With either method, you're presumably need some way to actually control them, such as Lutron Picos or something.

Honestly, the third option of fixing the wiring would be the best, if the wiring/house allows feeding a new wire to the gangbox.

WiFi and Zigbee is the same everywhere. Only Z-Wave uses a different frequency in EU and NA

https://www.amazon.co.uk/45856GE-ZigBee-Switch-Monitoring-Certification/dp/B019HTH2A0/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_60_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=0NT17G41XWQQ58WG015F

My house had similar wiring in several rooms, so I removed the wall switches and simply tied the wires together so the outlets would remain on. Then I bought some of these and mated them to a SmartThings hub to do something similar to what you describe:

• SYLVANIA LIGHTIFY 2 Button Wireless Dimmer Switch
  
• GE ZigBee Smart Lighting Dimmer, Plug-In, 2-Outlet, Led & CFL Bulb compatible
  
  In the SmartThings App, you can set up Routines "[Room Name] Lights On" and "[Room Name] Lights Off", and you can set them to "Automatically perform '[Room Name] Lights On' when... Something turns on or off." Then you pick the switch you wanted to perform the routine.
  
  Beware, there's a caveat:
  
  Communication from the switch, through the Zigbee network, to the hub, to the Internet, to the SmartThings service, and all the way back to the outlets is slow -- like, it takes 5 whole seconds to turn the lights on -- which, even after a year, is still enough time to make me think, Oh, I probably didn't actually click the switch. It's not something I would recommend to the average person who just likes things to work, but, if you're looking for a very specific solution with the lights and wiring you have, it is actually faster than using voice control. Good luck.

Try this one.

This one lists working with Alexa and Google Assistant, plus it has a good diagram for wiring.

I can't find any that specifically say they work with HomeKit.

I use these with my lamps: Schlage Z-Wave Home Dimmer Module

That price is not currently great though, pretty sure I only paid $20 a piece for mine. There are other versions of the same thing, so look around.

The thing that makes these cool is that they can be configured to be "load sensing". This allows you to turn the lamps on from the lamp switch even if the Z-Wave module is set to off (it will detect the load and turn itself to on). You still will have the problem of the lamp switch being off, which is the exact same problem you have with smart bulbs. These are cheaper than smart bulbs and act as Z-Wave repeaters, which if you have other Z-Wave sensors all around can be nice.

I have 2 lamps connected to one of these (via multioutlet extensions) in both my living room and bedroom.

TL;DR: load sensing Z-Wave modules behave identically to smart bulbs, but may be a good alternative.

Think im gonna just byte the bullet and use one of these: https://www.amazon.ca/Kohree-Dimming-Outdoor-Control-Weatherproof/dp/B07F87DH21/ref=pd_sbs_60_1/133-7173378-1233900?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07F87DH21&pd_rd_r=b4653286-a259-470a-a18a-69ced41a9dc7&pd_rd_w=phUIC&pd_rd_wg=vvxpq&pf_rd_p=4cf4f791-afd4-44de-a643-8ab281642d0c&pf_rd_r=MS3856998Y528F70TBDC&psc=1&refRID=MS3856998Y528F70TBDC

​

Just wish it supported google assistant :(

Thanks for the super detailed explanation!

So with this switch: https://www.amazon.com/Ulincos-Switch-Momentary-Suitable-Mounting/dp/B07D2DPNZW/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=momentary+switch+LED&qid=1559236337&s=hi&sr=1-7

it says "The touch switch is rated for 7A MAX /DC 6-24V."

With a 6A 12V power supply, and this switch, no MOSFET would be needed at all, right?

I'm sorry I have to say this, and I hope you don't take this as personal attack, it's certainly not meant as one, however, if you have to ask the question you did ask, you're almost certainly not qualified to build circuits that operate on mains voltage. Apart from the danger of electrocuting and killing yourself, there's a high chance for you start a fire.

What I would recommend is to get a dimming inter-plug that speaks zigbee. There are plenty of these around, and there are zigbee modules for arduino, raspi and pretty much everything else that you then use to speak to the inter-plug. That way you can build the low voltage part but don't have to mess with the mains voltage part. This here would be an example of what I mean: https://www.amazon.com/GE-Wireless-compatible-Monitoring-45852GE/dp/B019G6RQCS but there are many others from many other manufacturers as well.

https://www.amazon.ca/Leviton-TBL03-10E-300-watt-Tabletop-Control/dp/B00A80756O/

Oh! I must be misunderstanding, then. When I think of "smart switch," I think of this. We have these all over the house to control the lights we don't need to dim.

What were you talking about?

Either this http://www.lowes.com/pd_339580-1353-45635_0__?productId=3707740&Ntt=iris&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNtt%3Diris&facetInfo=

Orrrr.


Linear PD300Z-2 Z-Wave 300-watt Plug-In Lamp Dimmer Module, Small, White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E1OXK3A/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_7kJNub1FTRTXB



Or really any other z-wave recepticle

If your outlet is controlled by a switch, you can replace the switch with a 15 amp smart Z-Wave switch. That will handle controlling power to the outlet. Then, you can install a Z-Wave plug-in lamp module to control dimming for the load.

Bear in mind that cutting the power to the outlet will effectively drop the lamp module from your Z-Wave network (temporarily) and that may have a negative impact on your Z-Wave network. A better solution would be to use the multi-tap feature of the switch to trigger an automation in Home Assistant to control the lamp module. For example... a double tap could turn the load on or off and a triple tap could set the dim level to 50%.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015YJAHY0/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I use these now. "Ok Google, turn on the chandelier", "OK Google dim the living room lights 50%". "Ok google, turn off all of the lights".

Love them and has made life much easier for my wife and I.

Try an Inline dimmer it looks a little hot