Lightwave – Smart Home Geeks

Lightwave Smart Home tech hits Europe!

Henry McLean-Low — Fri, 12 Apr 2019 10:11:04 +0000

Lightwave, the UK Smart tech company, this week announced their expansion into Europe.

Lightwave’s fully integrated smart plugs, sockets and light switches will now be available across Europe. This includes Germany, where a recent survey found 43% of people said they would consider investing in smart home tech.

Lightwave’s smart power sockets and smart dimmer switches come complete with intelligent energy monitoring. As well as two-way communication. Allowing you to know if there is an unexpected power surge when you are out. As well as having a lock function, allowing you to lock switches and power sockets – perfect for parents! They also worked closely with Apple for the European expansion to ensure the new models are HomeKit compatible.

“We are incredibly excited to be expanding into Europe. With more than 10 years of growth under our belts in the UK, we’re confident we are bringing to market the smartest socket available in Europe.
“Spearheading our European expansion through Apple retail and online stores means we’ll get in front of our target customers from day one. Following the launch, we’ll be continuing to consider the needs of our new customers across Europe and ensure we’re providing them with a complete, integrated, smart home solution to meet the needs of the modern homeowner.”

CEO of Lightwave, Jason Elliott

Lightwave’s European model will be available online. Via Apple’s online store, Lightwave’s website and Amazon. They will also be available in 57 Apple retail stores, with plans to expand into selected APRs (Apple Premium Resellers).

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Lightwave rf Lighting starter kit review

Henry McLean-Low — Thu, 06 Dec 2018 17:02:33 +0000

Lightwave rf Lighting starter kit review

Simple to installRetrofits existing switchesAlexa, Google & Apple connectivityFeature packed appConnects to Lightwave tech

Checking bulb / fitting compatibility can be tricky

4.4Overall Score

How it works

3rd party connectivity

Cost

Setup

Reader Rating 3 Votes

What does the Lightwave rf Lighting Starter Kit do?!

This starter kit contains everything you need to start automating your homes lights. The great thing about this solution is it retrofits your existing light switch and works with most existing lights and fittings.

Due to the way Lightwave works it has an impressive range, meaning the hub can be 15m away from the switch. Unlike ZWave, Zigbee or WiFi with shorter ranges.

How easy is it to setup?

Setup requires basic DIY, as you need to replace your existing switch – if you are unsure please seek professional help. The switch is installed like any ‘normal’ light switch – we did it easily.

You also need to setup the hub and app. Setting up the hub was easy and the app guides you through the setup in a few steps.

What’s the connectivity?

Lightwave rf works with an impressive list of integrations, including:

Amazon Alexa
Apple HomeKit
Google Assistant

These then connect into the scenes and features allowing you to control via voice or the control app, for example Apple Home.

We tested it with Alexa and the command was instantly completed with zero lag.

Lightwave Lighting & Power Starter Kit (Smart Series)

Check the Price on Amazon UK

How much does this the Lightwave starter kit cost?

£185 – the good thing is once you have the hub in the starter kit you can buy additional switches from only £59.99. This is reasonable when compared to other smart light solutions, for example Philips Hue.

The switch comes in stainless steel or white, it also includes a handy spacer for switches with a shallow back box.

What’s it like living with it?

Great – the app is full of features including:

Automation – If you have additional lightwave products like sensors they can be used to automate. As well as a rules and timers.
Scenes – Allowing you to easily set your favourite scene for TV or reading.
Schedules – Great for security if you are away on holiday and want to simulate occupancy and make people think you are home.
Wake Up – Creating gentle wake up routines

One slight frustration was checking if the switch is compatible with existing light fittings, they do have a feature on their website however its not very extensive.

The range is as impressive as advertised, with no issues having the hub quite a distance from the switch.

What are our final thoughts?

This is a different approach to smart lighting and prevents the problem most smart lights have, that when the switch is off the bulb becomes dumb.

Where this solution really comes into its own is it connects to the rest of the Lightwave range, allowing heating, power and presence automation.

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Home Alone…in the tech era!

Henry McLean-Low — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 14:07:23 +0000

Sadly the summer is long gone and the days are getting darker. Now is the time to check your home security. Simple steps can prevent your home becoming a statistic. For example mimicking presence to deter potential criminals. Think ‘Home Alone’ but controlled from your smart phone.

In a recent survey Lightwave discovered that 64% of respondents say they mimic occupancy (leaving lights on or the curtains open or closed) in order to deter thefts.

Introducing Lightwave’s latest Lighting Starter Kit. Their smart kit comes with everything required to mimic occupancy and control lights via their app.

Thanks to an integration with IFTTT the system can also be connected to a vast range of smart home tech with automation rules.

If you prefer voice Lightwave is fully Integrated with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple Home Kit.

The kit can be be easily retrofitted and is available now. For more information visit Lightwave’s website.

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