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You lose the color thing if you're into that, but I'm not anymore, reliability has been flawless. This article covers the set up and general questions for Google Home Integration with Caséta and RA2 Select. Google Home allows voice control, routine, and extensive SmartHome integration. Smart home systems thrive and struggle based on how well they can connect to not only their own devices but with other pieces of smart home technology in your ecosystem.

The RA2 Select is able to connect to more devices and if size is the direction you are considering expanding in, it might be the right choice for you. The Caséta is able to connect to a more diverse range of smart home technology brands. If you want to be ready to onboard new technology from competing companies, such as Logitech, then the Caséta I might be the option you want to reach for. The Lutron Caséta and the RA2 Select are just two of the four options that they have when it comes to controlling your smart home’s lighting. These are their two biggest lines when it comes to light controls for homeowners. Deciding which one is right for your smart home can be tricky.
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Open will tilt the blinds so they are parallel with the ground. Close will change the tilt so they are as shut as they can be. Your credentials here are the same thing you used when setting up your account in the Lutron app. Sets the level of all included shades to the requested amount.
I really like Lutron’s Smart Away scene which automatically switches on and off selected lights in the evening to make the impression that someone is home. You can trigger this scene for example alongside your Ecobee vacation schedule or using HomeKit presence detection. For more advanced automations, you can always turn to HomeKit, Google Assistant, or Home Assistant, but for 99% of use cases, the Lutron app will be sufficient. Lutron Caséta offers more than just light switches and dimmers. The product range includes lamp dimmers , motion sensors, hardware remotes, fan controls, and others. The advantage of automating bulbs is that installation is simple – just switch your old bulb for the new one and pair it with the hub.
thoughts on “Lutron Caseta vs RA2 Select: Which To Buy?”
The Lutron Caséta integration was introduced in Home Assistant 0.41, and it's used by 1.9% of the active installations. Pico and Shade remotes are supported on the Smart Bridge (L-BDG2-WH), Smart Bridge PRO (L-BDGPRO2-WH), and RA2 Select (RR-SEL-REP2-BL) models. For more information on working with switches in Home Assistant, see the Switches component.
The key disadvantage is that these bulbs require the underlying switch to be powered on all the time, otherwise they lose connectivity. I think this is a big dependency and not a very sustainable design if you have people in your household who constantly forget about it. Changing old switches for smart dimmers is in my mind a better approach despite it requiring some very basic electrical knowledge. These dimmers will work regardless of your internet, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connectivity and require a zero learning curve for new users. Of course, the decision will be highly dependent on your situation (e.g., do you rent or own?), but if you are looking for a long-term solution, smart dimmers are the way to go. Plus Google Home gives you access to the power of Google Search.
Lutron Caseta Smart Bridge Hub L-BDG2 HomeKit Alexa Google NEW open box
One downside, though, is that Caseta is often unavailable outside of America. In this case, you may need to explore alternative smart switch providers, or look at the more expensive RA2 system. So now let’s take a look at the Caséta’s big brother the RA2 Select. The last factor we’re going to mention about the Lutron Caséta is that it has a maximum coverage of up to 2,500 square feet.
It seems like you can control just about everything with it. Lutron is also a leader in their industry, which is lighting controls. They are also leading the way for developing smart lighting controls, and other controls for items you might find around a house, such as lamps, shades, and ceiling fans. The first thing you’re going to notice about the Lutron Caséta is that it is only able to connect to up to 75 devices . Typically, this is going to be more than enough for your average smart home’s lighting needs. 75 individual components can easily cover a decent sized home.
Google Home and Lutron Caseta Smart Switches
This system also handles up to 200 connected devices which is ideal for these larger homes as well as users with more expensive systems. Create IFTTT recipes to integrate with even more smart home products – have your shades lower when it's sunny, or turn on the lights when your Ring doorbell rings. To get Lutron Caseta roller, honeycomb shades, lights, scene and switch working with Home Assistant. First follow the instructions for the general Lutron Caseta integration above.

I don’t see the devices in my Overview dashboard I assume because the dashboard is looking for entities. Dim lights, lower shades, and start a movie with one button press on Logitech Harmony hub-based remote controls or from the Harmony app. I have th system in my apartment I am renting when I showed up and the light bulbs were hardwired LEDs that couldn't be swapped out with smart bulbs. Moved to Smart switches and lutron was the best to work with Google home. This may sound crazy but the most important feature to Caseta or RA2 is how user-friendly their software is, like can I change things myself.
That’s a whole lot of square feet and should cover the needs of your average sized home. This website may contain user-submitted content and is for informational use only. Lutron disclaims any and all liability for the accuracy and correctness of content and conduct of any third parties in connection with or related to your use of the site. Lutron typically does not comment about products in development.
Thanks for the comment Jeanette, and that’s definitely all fair points. Yes, the fact that Lutron are a fairly reliable company with user friendly software is definitely a big selling point. (It’s similar to why I prefer Philips Hue for smart lighting, even though there’s cheaper no-name companies out there selling similar quality products). The Caséta and the RA2 Select both have room for expansion.
Google Home is engineered with far-field voice recognition, so your commands to “dim the lights” and activate your pre-programmed scenes are heard over the noise and from across the room. Now that you have all your Lutron Caseta devices connected, you may be wondering what commands you can use. When controlling your devices with your voice, you will use the naming that you have chosen in the Google Home app. It feel like it’s taking too long at first - you’ll be tempted to restart. One thing’s for sure, no matter which one of Lutron’s whole-home systems you purchase, you’re going to be getting one of the most high-end smart home products available. Control lights and shades from the SmartThings app and add more automation to your home.

I’m told user-software is available only on my cell, not my computer where I can see things displayed larger . Installers are telling me RA2 is best for my 3,000sf home for reasons I’m unclear. I have at least 52 outlets that was once Insteon that worked great for about 5yrs then then started fiddling with their hub technology and lighting no longer worked. Then I think they went out of biz but now trying to come back, I’m no longer confident in their technology.
How to Add Lutron Caseta to Google Home (aka Google Assistant)
However, the one in major kind of a higher price tag could be a quick deal-breaker for many smart home users. If you’re looking for the long and the short of both of these smart home systems, this is it. My guess is that Matter will consider the entire Caseta system as a single device. Matter will specify the communication between the Caseta bridge and other systems.
