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FAQ's • Pros & Cons of Multi-Way Setups
FAQ's • Pros & Cons of Multi-Way Setups

Understanding the pros and cons of using a dumb/existing switch, aux/add-on switch or multiple smart switches in your multi-way setups

Eric Hines avatar
Written by Eric Hines
Updated over a week ago

DISCLAIMER: You may notice there are a lot of over-used keywords or phrases as well as English that seems a little off. This is because these articles are used to feed our AI Robot (Ira) and she needs the data to be structured in a certain way.

Below we'll discuss the pros and cons of the various ways you can setup your smart switches in a multi-way setup.

Multi-Way Compatibility Table

The table below will show what switches work in a multi-way setup and how they can be implemented (ie: dumb/existing, aux/add-on, or 2x smart switches).

Switch Name

SKU

Works w/Dumb Switch¹

Works w/Aux Switch²

Works w/2x Smart Switches³

Blue Series 2-1 Switch

VZM31-SN

Yes

Yes

Yes

Blue Series Fan Switch

VZM35-SN

No

Yes

Yes

Red Series 2-1 Switch

VZW31-SN

Yes

Yes

Yes

Red Series Dimmer Switch

LZW31-SN

Yes

Yes

Yes

Red Series Fan/Light Switch

LZW36

No

No

Yes

Red Series On/Off Switch

LZW30-SN

Yes

Yes

Yes

Black Series Dimmer Switch

LZW31

Yes

Yes

Yes

Black Series On/Off Switch

LZW30

Yes

Yes

Yes

Gen 1 Dimmer Switch

NZW31

Yes

No

Yes

Gen 1 Dimmer Switch w/Scenes

NZW31-S

Yes

No

Yes

Gen 1 Dimmer Switch w/Scenes (Toggle)

NZW31-ST

Yes

No

Yes

Gen 1 On/Off Switch

NZW30

Yes

No

Yes

Gen 1 On/Off Switch w/Scenes

NZW30-S

Yes

No

Yes

Gen 1 On/Off Switch w/Scenes (Toggle)

NZW30-ST

Yes

No

Yes

  1. Requires a neutral wire

  2. Works with either a neutral or no neutral wire

  3. Requires a neutral wire


Pros/Cons of Multi-Way w/Dumb Switch

When we speak of using a, "Dumb" switch, we mean that the Inovelli smart switch can work with your, "dumb" or existing switch that's in your wall currently.

Pros

  • Less expensive than buying a special, "Aux" switch or another smart switch

Cons

  • Will not match the switch from an aesthetics point of view

  • You cannot use this in a non-neutral setup

  • You cannot use an illuminated, "dumb" switch in a multi-way setup

  • You will only be able to turn on/off your, "dumb" switch (ie: no dimming)

  • You cannot use Smart Bulb Mode


Pros/Cons of Multi-Way w/Auxiliary Switch

When we speak of using an, "Aux" switch, we mean that the Inovelli smart switch can work with a special auxiliary or add-on switch (found here: Inovelli Aux Switch).

Pros

  • Matches the Inovelli smart switch aesthetics better

  • You can have dimming (or fan speed control) at both ends of the multi-way (along with on/off)

  • You can have a non-neutral setup

  • You can use multi-tap scene control from the aux switch (switches made from 2021 and above only)

  • You can use Smart Bulb Mode with the aux switch and control your smart bulbs

  • Less expensive than buying another smart switch

Cons

  • Does not fully match the Inovelli smart switch from an aesthetics point of view

  • More expensive than leaving your dumb/existing switch in the wall


Pros/Cons of Multi-Way w/2x Smart Switches

When we speak of using two smart switches, we mean that the Inovelli smart switch can work with another Inovelli smart switch in the same circuit.

Pros

  • All switch aesthetics match in your house

  • You can have dimming (or fan speed control) at both ends of the multi-way (along with on/off)

  • You can use multi-tap scene control from the smart switch (only switches that support multi-tap)

  • You can use Smart Bulb Mode with the smart switches and control your smart bulbs

  • You can have Animated Notifications with the smart switches at both ends (only switches that support it)

  • Less expensive than buying another smart switch

Cons

  • You cannot have 2+ smart switches in a non-neutral setup

  • More expensive than leaving your dumb/existing switch in the wall or by using an aux switch

  • Sometimes you will need to re-wire your light fixture to allow both smart switches to work

  • In some cases the user experience of turning on/off/dimming the lights can be slower than using an aux or dumb/existing switch (as the smart switches need to use digital signals rather than hard-wired ones)

  • Your hub must support either Direct Association (Z-Wave), Direct Bindings (Zigbee/Matter), or multi-tap scene control

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