With the explosion in smart home technology over the past few years, there have been a plethora of new lighting control vendors entering the space, each offering slightly different products to cater to the needs of the growing market.
At Hadley AV, we have tracked the progress of these vendors with interest, as we always look to stay in touch with the latest developments and trends to help our clients make better, more informed purchasing decisions. We have seen the emergence of four key players in the lighting space, that we most often suggest to clients as our recommended brands.
Top Smart Home Lighting Brands
In our opinion, the top four lighting control brands are as follows:
- Lutron – One of the most established names in the space, Lutron have almost 60 years’ experience working with lighting technology. They pioneered home lighting controls in the 1960s, producing early dimmer switches. Today Lutron offers both residential and commercial lighting solutions designed to save energy and enhance safety and comfort.
- Control4 – Control4 are well known for their smart home controllers, and their lighting solutions take full advantage of this expertise, integrating lighting seamlessly with other technologies around the home. This enables complex functionality such as lights coming on when the TV is paused.
- Rako – Rako specialise in wired and wireless lighting control systems, offering a variety of control options that can be retro-fitted, or installed into new builds. They offer the full range of lighting components including control panels and cover plates, control modules, interfaces and other accessories. Their innovative solutions are designed to create the perfect environment and are easily controlled via the Rako app.
- Mode Lighting – Mode began life in 1970 designing disco lighting systems, taking advantage of the latest developments in sequencing electronics and colour change technologies. Mode has built on that expertise and now focuses on innovative lighting solutions for the residential and commercial markets. With an in-house R&D team, Mode is constantly pushing the bounds of possibility. Their solutions are more technical in nature and require greater specialist knowledge for implementation, but on the flip side, they are well placed to design and build highly complex and customised solutions that you might not find elsewhere.
While these brands might not always be the most competitive on price, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks and they more than justify the cost. There may be a temptation to look at lower cost alternatives, but in our experience, this usually represents a false economy as you are sacrificing functionality or quality.
Leverage our Lighting Brands Expertise
At Hadley AV, we have experience working with a wide array of lighting brands and understand the nuances of each. We work with our clients to understand their unique requirements before selecting a manufacturer that will suit them best and more often than not we come back to the four brands outlined above.
If you have specific questions about any of these brands, or would like further guidance on which brands will be most suitable for your smart home needs, don’t hesitate to get in touch and speak to one of our lighting experts.