Deako takes a unique approach to smart lighting with its modular system, and now it’s offering a next-generation switch and app that promises to make installation and configuration even easier than before.
The appeal of Deako’s system lies in its use of backplates that, once hardwired to your home’s electrical system, allow you to hot-swap one type of Deako lighting control for another—you don’t even need to turn off the power. If you have an on/off switch controlling your ceiling cans, for example, but you’d prefer to be able to dim those lights, you can just yank the switch out of the backplate and pop in a dimmer. Boom! You’re done.
Once you’ve installed a Deako backplate in your electrical box, you can plug in–and later hot-swap–any of its smart or simple lighting controls.
Deako
Deako is celebrating its 10th anniversary by taking the wraps off an all-new smart switch: the Deako Smart Switch Gen2 ($100, pictured at the top of this page) features an integrated, dual-function LED light bar at its base.
In Locator mode, the Beacon Light bar emits a soft glow when the lights it controls are turned off, to help you find the switch in a dark environment. Status mode, meanwhile, provides a visual cue to let you know if the controlled lights are on or off. The feature can be programmed in the Deako app.
Deako has added a new Magic Linking feature to its app that automatically configures multi-way circuits (lights that are controlled by more than one switch; i.e., 3-way or 4-way). Once the switches are installed and activated, the app automatically configures them to work together without the user needing to have any electrical knowledge—you don’t even need to do any programming.
All of the company’s smart devices support both Bluetooth mesh and Wi-Fi, and they’re compatible with DIY smart home ecosystems such as Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Home Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings as well as professionally installed smart home including Alarm.com and Control 4.
Deako also offers a collection of “simple” switches and dimmers that offer local manual control.
This news story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart dimmers and switches.