Lutron Caseta Wireless Single-Pole/3-Way Smart Lighting Lamp Dimmer and Remote Kit | P-PKG1P-WH | White

10 reviews for Lutron Caseta Wireless Single-Pole/3-Way Smart Lighting Lamp Dimmer and Remote Kit | P-PKG1P-WH | White

1. 

   5 out of 5

   Daniel T. Egnor – April 23, 2020

   I’ve tried a lot of “smart” home automation products and honestly Lutron’s Caseta light of lighting controllers is maybe the only one that I actually like using and installing.It *just works*, everything is high quality, the controllers can be installed on the wall or on nice pedestals, the dimming is smooth, the whole thing just feels like luxury instead of like some fiddly broken techno gadget. It’s instantaneous and the range is impressive (they SAY 30 feet but it works flawlessly over hundreds of feet for me).This particular kit includes a plug-in dimmer and a remote. This only works for plug-in lights (and it’s only two-prong), not other appliances. (You wouldn’t want to “dim” a toaster, anyway.) There are on/off/up/down controls on the plug adapter as well as on the remote. It’s perfect for floor lamps, table lamps, etc.I highly recommend their bridge (if you don’t already have one), hook it up to your router and you can use app control (or integrate with Alexa, Google Assistant, etc). I also highly recommend a pedestal for the remote, if you’re not wall mounting it — it makes it easy to keep track of and use in place.

2. 

   5 out of 5

   Steve Danke – May 22, 2020

   I didn’t initially realize this product existed so I am very happy I found this product to remotely control a lamp that is plugged into a regular outlet. It perfectly integrates with my Lutron bridge, Alexa and other Caseta light switches I have throughout the house.This is my third consecutive house I equipped with Lutron Caseta and I have not had a problem with any of their switches and bridges in over about 8 years.There are other options available, but I recommend sticking with products that are developed or designed in the US and avoid products that require installing an obscure app on your phone. I first purchased a different product and returned it when I didn’t understand the application’s confidentiality agreement. No such issues here.Happy light switching!

3. 

   5 out of 5

   Budd – July 23, 2020

   One of the best traits to Lutron is they are reliable. You get what you pay for here. Great quality product you can count out. Many of the wifi IOT devices I have can be finicky at times or even go offline. Lutron has never let me down. I bought these to replace some finicky wifi plugs. Also, the PICO remotes are awesome. You can pair them to the device without the Lutron hub and setup a four way switch for 100s less then adding wiring. These are a sure purchase. Keep in mind, these are just for dimmable lights, not motors or other switch type devices.

4. 

   5 out of 5

   PhotoGraphicsPhotoGraphics – July 23, 2020

   This isn’t the best choice of an outlet mounted dimmable on/off power switch. It is the only choice. Sure there are a few no name brand switches that can be operated with a handheld remote control and there are an increasing number of outlet switches can be operated using an app or even with your Alexa device, but there is nothing I could find anywhere that is a brand name dimmable switch that you can simply plug something in to, walk up to it and turn it on and off and dim it up and down just as if it was a wired wall switch. Nothing. That alone makes it worth its weight in gold. And to cut right to the chase it works and it does exactly what I expected it to do.WHYTo detail that, in my case the need was for me to install a track light above the kitchen counter space I use most often for food prep. When they built the house they put lights over the sink and over the stove and over the center of the kitchen floor but they left one long countertop entirely without its own lighting. Installing the track light was easy as shown in my pic, it is in exactly the right place and I use Philips Bight White LED 50 watt bulbs in three track light fixtures with frosted side flutes. The lighting is perfect but when I’m not actually working at the counter it sure would be nice to be able to dim the down a little.The problem is that unless I wanted to pay a lot to have an electrician wire a permanent wall switch in, the best way to power these lights is to simply plug them in to an outlet right above the counter. There are some simple power switches that you can get at the local fixit store that can turn a light on and off but I wanted to do that plus be able to dim them. The Caseta switch could not be more perfectly designed. Without the need for remote controls or apps or anything complicated any family member can simply tap the on or off buttons or touch the up or down dimmer buttons. There is a second outlet available on the switch that I am considering to use to plug in a task light over the stove for added convenience.This switch would be perfect just the way it is and no matter where I looked it was the same price everywhere. I chose to opt for this kit that includes a wireless remote control because of a special deal one day and I’m glad I did. Now if someone leaves the kitchen task light on accidentally I can turn it off from the next room without having to get up. That to me is convenient, if not entirely necessary.IS A HUB NECESSARYThere is one important thing that needs to be cleared up about the product description and that is that no, it is not necessary to buy an expensive hub to use these switch as I described above. It works perfectly out of the box as a stand alone product or with the remote control without any additional accessories. You need a hub ONLY if you want to control the switch with an app or by using Alexa or a similar device. Okay, I use those personal assistants every day for a lot of reasons but I think it overcomplicates the function of a simple outlet switch to have to use an app just to turn something on and off. I think the whole idea of requiring a hub for any of these devices will be obsolete in a year or two for three reasons – they are overpriced, there is no compatible standard between them, and they require plugging them in to an Ethernet port on a router, which as the world goes wireless is becoming a dinosaur relic. My house doesn’t even have an accessible Ethernet port these days and it won’t be long before most houses don’t.WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE WALL DIMMERThe wall dimmer is close to perfect in design. You simply plug it into an outlet, plug your light into it and you’re done – no apps or programming or learning complicated commands. There are four push buttons that you can actually feel move. Two of them are white and two of them are dark gray. The top white button turns the light on and the bottom dark gray button turns it off. When power the light instead of it just popping on or off the brightness fades softly up or down. The middle two buttons are actually a split diagonal with the upper white part increasing the brightness and the bottom dark gray part dimming the light.WHAT THEY COULD IMPROVE ABOUT THE WALL DIMMERThe first thing that seems obvious that I would recommend is that the white on button should glow softly so it is easy to find in the dark. The second thing is that there should be memory function so you can have the light turn on to a preset level if you choose. And the third thing is that the design makes you use your bottom outlet on your wall plug, which means when you press any button the whole device rocks up and down a little. Yes you could plug it in to the top outlet but if you do then you lose the use of the bottom outlet on your wall plug. By plugging it in to the bottom outlet if you have something else plugged in above it the cord drapes down right in front of the push buttons on the Caseta. I solved that by plugging in a Hug-A-Plug adapter which routes the cord off to the side and also gives me back an extra unswitched outlet.WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE REMOTE CONTROLRemember I didn’t really need a remote control, but as long as it was included I like that the buttons replicate the function of the wall plug almost exactly but as a bonus they include a fifth little round button that memorizes your favorite light brightness and lets you turn the power on to that exact level.WHAT THEY COULD IMPROVE ABOUT THE REMOTE CONTROLIf you own an Apple TV you know how customers feel about the slim remote control, fifty percent of the time you will grab it upside-down and either nothing will happen or you push the wrong button. Lutron makes the same mistake here, unless you look very closely at the remote you have a one in two chance that you will be holding it upside-down. The other mistake, which should be so obvious, is that they make the remote all one shade of white instead of following the excellent theme of using white buttons for on and dark gray buttons for dim or off. What were they thinking.

5. 

   5 out of 5

   Yul Ullu – July 23, 2020

   I just installed this device yesterday. It replaced a non-wireless dimmer with a slider bar that constantly had my LED bulbs flickering at the lower setting. In defense of the old dimmer, I bought it about 25 years ago and it wasn’t made for LEDs.What I like about the Lutron: Easy installation, I no longer have a bunch of cables managing my dimmer, it is compatible with my LEDs (no flickering), the way it gradually lights or dims when switching on or off and the great option of having a center-button on the remote, which is a one-touch, fixed-dim-setting which I use for the morning, and the full blast lighting for the evening that is activated by the on switch on the top of the remote. Oh, I almost forgot, having this operated by the remote is wonderful.What could be better: Not much to improve. Maybe the remote could be a little bit bigger, not for ease of use, but because remotes have a way of getting lost in my living room and a larger remote would be easier to locate.I didn’t have to make the any adjustments to the Lutron for my LEDs, like the video suggests. It worked perfectly out of the box. I would definitely purchase this item again.

6. 

   5 out of 5

   ALBERTO VARGAS – September 25, 2020

   ¿What’s easier to use than just pushing a real button?I don’t know why there are no other products like this, with a convenient remote control.My old parents can’t bend and kneel to manipulate out of reach switches. They are also not tech savvy, so switches/dimmers that rely on phone/tablet control are not an option.The remote control is small, can be either carried or fixed in a convenient location, allowing easy control of lights whose built-in switch is in an inconvenient location.Alexa control is not a requirement per se. This dimmer works stand alone, so it’s almost fool proof.Might add Alexa integration later.Installation is easy! Can be done by almost anyone, no need to hire electricians or techies!

7. 

   5 out of 5

   Victor Elia – September 29, 2020

   I use this in my utility closet where I have overhead work lights plugged into an outlet. This is an easy way to add a switch that is truly wireless. Setup could not be simpler and the communication signal, although proprietary, is extremely reliable. This is no doubt the best current offering for smart plug in lights on the market. I mounted the remote on the wall where a normal light switch would go. Responsiveness of pushing the on button is nearly instantaneous. The off button has an interesting dim out feature that over the course of a few seconds, quickly dims the light to completely off. I also integrated this switch with my Google Home and can control the lights with my smartphone, voice, and other smart controls. These switches are not cheap, but the make for an easy install and superb user experience.

8. 

   5 out of 5

   Captain Packrat – January 18, 2021

   I recently got a new bookcase headboard with reading lamps built in, but the switches are really hard to reach when I lay down in bed. This kit allows me to use a remote control that I can put in a more convenient location, or I can use a voice command with Alexa (requires a Caseta controller and an Echo device, sold separately). It also lets me dim the lights, a feature my lamps didn’t originally have.On the down side, if you’re using CFL or LED lights, you have to make sure they’re dimmable or else they might flicker or behave oddly; dimmable bulbs are usually slightly more expensive.

9. 

   5 out of 5

   Bob – January 18, 2021

   I’ve been using the plug-in dimmer to control some LED tube lights for a while now. The system has been totally reliable. But I wanted to be able to dim the lights, and the bulbs I had were not dimmable. So I picked up some dimmable 4-ft tubes, 6 of them so I could get the total brightness I wanted, and connected them to the plug-in dimmer. The bulbs are 16 watts each, so the total is 96 watts, just below the 100-watt limit if the dimmer. Lutron did not show my bulbs in its compatibility list, neither did the bulb maker did not list the plug-in dimmer in its compatibility list. They did show compatibility with an expensive ELV dimmer, but that’s only available in a wall-mount. But my plug-in dimmer works perfectly, going from max brightness down to 18%, near its low limit of 15%, with no flickering or buzzing at all. I’m very satisfied. And now, since my lights are set to come on at sundown, I have them come on at 50%, saving power (and $$) until I want them brighter. The system just works, and works well.

10. 

    5 out of 5

    M. J. Mccaffrey – January 18, 2021

    This dimmer/remote combo has helped us solve several lighting problems in our relatively small house.The Caseta plug-in lamp dimmer is a cousin to the  Lutron PD-6WCL-WH Caseta Wireless 600-watt Single Pole In-Wall Dimmer . Its internal programming and controls are the same, but it is housed in a plastic case that features two, two-blade polarized outlets. The dimmer can take the bottom plug of a standard duplex outlet (presuming it is installed with grounding slot down). The other physical difference between the lamp dimmer and the wall switch is that the former has a single LED indicator instead of the seven LEDs on the wall switch. Grey plastics for the “lower” and “off” buttons are a nice cosmetic touch.The Pico remote has the same controls and single LED indicator as the lamp dimmer, and adds a domed center button to implement a “favorite lighting level” feature. This remote has a long-life lithium button cell. Lutron says the battery will last for 10 years of ordinary use, and it is easily accessible for replacement. There is a wide slot on the back with a removable cover. This allows the Pico remote to be mounted on accessories that include pedestal stands (single or double) and a wall plate adapter. I think it’s essential that you choose one of these mounting options, as the remote on its own is so small that it is easily misplaced.The huge improvement that Caseta features over earlier Lutron electronic dimmers is that it can be “trimmed” by the customer to match different lighting loads. For example, a  Maestro eco-dim 600 Watt Single-Pole Multi-Location Dimmer  can control incandescent or halogen bulbs. But you need one special version of the Maestro to handle compact fluorescent or LED bulbs, and others exist to control low-voltage magnetic ballast bulbs and low-voltage electronic ballast bulbs. The Caseta dimmer doesn’t solve this problem completely, but it should handle any dimmable 120VAC lighting load. As another reviewer noted, it’s a good idea to check the Lutron site for approved bulbs, but that’s a large and growing list.As for the main problem that this dimmer solved: We have two floor lamps placed in barely-accessible corners of our entertainment room. Turning them on and off was previously a long reach, and of course they did not dim. A fireplace separates the two, so putting them on a single circuit was not an easy way out for us.We added a pair of Caseta dimmers, one at each corner. One nice feature of the Pico remote is that it can control more than one dimmer. So, we “paired” both dimmers to a single Pico remote, which is mounted in a wall plate. We also added LED dimmable bulbs to the floor lamps. The lamps now operate in tandem, and can be set at any brightness level we choose.We own three other Caseta lamp dimmer/Pico remote sets, which are being used to control lamps on three buffet units. Since the outlet is otherwise inaccessible behind each of these large pieces of furniture, this has added enormous convenience and an element of “mood lighting” in the rooms where they are located.I found programming easy and intuitive, and the only irritating aspect for me is that the “favorite” button is ONLY on the Pico remote. It doesn’t matter as much in this application, but it still seems like a huge oversight that I wish Lutron would address.I recommend these dimmers highly.