Best No Neutral Smart Light Switches – Zigbee and WiFi Light Switches for UK Homes
Traditional UK wiring did not run the neutral wire to the light switch. Typically, only the live (and switched live) wire would run to the switch, while the neutral wire would be present only at the light fitting and at the consumer unit (fuse box or circuit breaker panel).
In recent years, there’s been a shift toward running a neutral wire to light switches, primarily to accommodate smart switches and other devices that require a neutral wire to function correctly. This has been a relatively recent development, happening broadly within the last decade or so.
It used to be reasonably difficult to find a smart light switch that did not require a neutral wire. But, in recent years, a large number of options have been launched, giving UK homeowners an easier way to upgrade to smart lighting.
One consideration you need to factor in when buying a smart switch is that they take up much more space than traditional light switches. You will likely need deep back boxes or you can buy light switch spacers. Spacers are not the most attractive of solutions, but they are the easiest.
Best No Neutral Smart Light Switches
Aqara Smart Wall Switch H1
- ✽【NOTES】Requires the Zigbee Aqara HUB to work. The Aqara Smart Wall Switch H1 EU uses Zigbee 3.0, which has better stability, compatibility and more features. Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and IFTTT are supported
- 【No Neutral Wire Required】No need to worry about your device not being compatible. The Aqara Smart Wall Switch H1 EU can be installed even if your existing wiring doesn’t have the neutral wire.
- 【Support of Round Wall Boxes】The Aqara Smart Wall Switch H1 EU supports both square 86-mm and EU-type round wall boxes. (Note: Not all twin/double wall boxes are supported. Please check product dimensions before purchasing.)
- 【2-Way Switch Setup Support】 You can achieve more use cases by combining the Smart Wall Switch H1 EU with other Aqara products. With the Aqara Wireless Switch H1 EU, you can easily control the same lights from two or more locations without having to add additional wiring. (Note: Additional Wireless Switch H1 is required for a 2-way setup.)
- 【Home Automation】Our Aqara Smart Wall Switch H1 EU can be part of your home automation solution. By converting to the Wireless Switch Function, our switch can, for example, be controlled by automations with the Aqara Motion Sensor or the Aqara Wireless Mini Switch while the switch button will control something else. Zigbee2MQTT and comparable third-party USB dongles are not officially supported by Aqara. Full product functionality may be limited or unavailable.
I personally use the Aqara Smart Wall Switch H1 on most of my light switches now, and I, therefore, think this is the best smart light switch.
It uses Zigbee, and you can either pair it up with an Aqara smart hub or use a third-party solution such as Homey.
Sometimes the double rocker is cheaper than the single. You can program the buttons to do whatever you want, they can toggle the electrical switch, or you can map them to do something else.
Tapo S210 / S220 Smart Light Switch
- No Neutral Wire Required - Super easy wiring. No neutral wire required, Tapo Hub Tapo H100 Required (sold separately)
- Hands-Free Voice Control- You can use Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to control your switch with voice commands like “Alexa, turn on the light please”
- Tool-Free Battery Replacement - Easily replace batteries after installation, no need of other tools, send notifications when the battery power is low
- Remote Control – Instantly turn the light on/off wherever you are through the Tapo app, Preset a schedule to automatically manage devices, With 2 years manufactory warranty
- Away Mode – Automatically turn the light on and off at different times to give the appearance that someone is home
Tapo launched their smart switches last year, coinciding with the launch of the Tapo H100 smart hub. At less than £20 for the switch, this is probably the best value-for-money smart light switch on the market.
The Tapo H100 smart hub is also only £150, and you can get smart motion sensors for £14. This should mean that Tapo is by far the most affordable solution for smart lighting.
Tapo also has an excellent range of smart bulbs that are affordable. I recently fitted the Tapo L630 bulbs in my bathroom as they were significantly cheaper than Philips Hue. I will quite likely swap out my Aqara smart switch in the bathroom for one of these switches.
MoesGo Tuya ZigBee Smart Light Switch
- New design with both neutral wire and single live wire in one switch panel; no capacitor required, offering better user experience with no electric current noise; requires Tuya ZigBee hub for normal use and compatibility with other Tuya smart devices
- 2/3 way circuit allows two switches to control one light, as well as multi-control association of this switch to other smart switches via the app; ON/OFF relay remembers last status and backlight setting; the soft button design ensures a seamless blend with walls; note: you can multi-control associate this switch to multiple different switches, but several gangs on one switch is not available, only one gang on one switch can be associated for multi-control.
- Can be controlled via app, touch control, and voice; achieve multi-control by associating to other smart switches for 2/3-way circuit application
- Compatible with Alexa, Google Home, and Yandex for hands-free voice control; you can also use the Smart Life/Tuya app for remote control anywhere, any time; set timers, schedules and countdown (1/5/30 mins, 1 hour, etc.) with the app; share control with family and friends for added convenience
- Both neutral required and single live wire design means there's no need to worry about purchasing the wrong version
This is a well-reviewed and affordable smart light switch. This model uses ZigBee, and it states that you need a Tuya Zigbee Hub for it to work. MoesGo sells a Zigbee hub for under £30.
Some reviewers on Amazon have stated they got this to work with HomeAssistant ZHA and an Echo Zigbee hub.
This works with or without the neutral wire.
MoesGo Tuya WiFi Smart Touch Wall Light Switch
- 1【No neutral wire required】Easier installation;anti-scratch tempered glass panel suits any home decor; A capacitance is required for normal work that is included in the package；Only supports 2.4 GHz network; offers easy pairing via WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity
This is the WiFi version of the previous switch and therefore doesn’t require a separate hub to work as you can control it directly from the Tuya app using WiFi.
The downside to using WiFi is that these use more power than the Zigbee counterparts, and they add congestion to your network. I’d recommend using Zigbee whenever possible.
Candeo Smart Switch LED Dimmer
- SMART VOICE & APP CONTROL: Seamlessly integrates with Zigbee 3.0 hubs like SmartThings, Hubitat, Home Assistant and Tuya Zigbee gateways. Control your lighting hands-free via Alexa, Google Assistant or HomeKit (via Philips Hue) voice control.
- EASY INSTALLATION: Designed for UK homes, this dimmer switch (with adjustable minimum brightness) installs easily without a neutral wire required, fitting standard 25mm back boxes for straightforward retrofitting.
- WIDE BULB COMPATIBILITY: Supports dimmable LED and incandescent bulbs up to 250W, ensuring smooth, flicker-free trailing edge dimming across various lighting types for versatile home illumination and light adjustment.
- 2-WAY MULTIWAY FUNCTIONALITY: Compatible with retractive push switches, allowing for 2-way circuit setups and flexible lighting control for convenience & energy saving from multiple locations.
- MODERN DESIGN & SAFETY CERTIFIED: Features a sleek semi-matt finish with a rotary knob that remembers your last brightness setting. CE and UKCA certified, with built-in protection against overloading and overheating for safe operation. Designed for creating dimmable light ambiance and energy efficiency.
The Candeo smart dimmer is perfect if you are using dimmable dumb LED bulbs. This is an ideal alternative to using the overly expensive smart GU10 bulbs.
It is a Zigbee-based switch, and they state that it works with the Philips Hue Bridge. Though, the dimmer does not work on Hue bulbs. Once installed, the lights can then be remotely controlled with any compatible Hue Dimmer switch, Hue button or Hue remote control.
This has some caveats with the bulbs that you can use. The bulbs need to be dimmable and are a minimum of 5W each, and the total load is a minimum of 10W.
Yagusmart WiFi Smart Wall Light Switch
- ☆Two Wiring Methods: Whether you have a neutral wire or not, this switch can meet your needs.
- ☆Voice Control: Smart Light Switch for Amazon Alexa, IFTTT and Google Home, activates the on/off button with voice commands, making life easier.
- ☆Remote Control: Even if you are not at home, you can use the mobile app to remotely control the device from anywhere and control the lights on/off at any time.
- ☆Timing Function: You can set the time to turn the light on/off, wake you up and start a new day.
- ☆Safety and Quality Assurance: If you have any questions, please contact us before evaluation, we will do our best to solve the problem for you and provide you with a 100% risk-free satisfaction guarantee.
This WiFi switch is very affordable and has a lot of reviews with a good overall rating. However, some of the reviews indicate that getting it to work isn’t as easy as the other switches on this list.
People have criticised the poor instructions, and if you don’t use a neutral wire, it looks like you will need to fit the yellow capacitor (supplied) to the ceiling rose on the light fitting.
One review has said that you don’t need to use the app that the QR code leads you to, it will work with TuyaSmart, and they were able to get it to work with Homebridge by running a Raspberry Pi with a plugin called “homebridge-tuya-web v0.1.7”.
Resistor or Capacitor Bypass
Certain smart switches that don’t require a neutral connection may need an auxiliary component, typically referred to as a bypass resistor or capacitor, to function correctly with low-power lights. This factor might increase both your expense and the number of steps in the installation process.
Generally, the manufacturer will specify the least power needed for the switch to work properly and at what level the bypass becomes necessary.
Requirement for Ground Wire
Several smart switches that operate without a neutral connection also demand a ground wire. So, if your electrical box doesn’t have a ground wire, these types of switches are not suitable for your setup.
What are the benefits of a neutral wire?
I will preface this section by stating that I am no electrician, and I have sourced this information from the Internet.
In a typical electrical wiring setup, you will encounter three types of wires: live (hot), neutral, and earth (ground). Some setups, especially in lighting circuits, use a switched live wire, which is the live wire post-switch. Each of these wires serves a unique and crucial function in the electrical circuit:
- Live (Hot) Wire: This wire carries the current from the source (like your breaker panel) to the load (like a light bulb or appliance).
- Neutral Wire: This wire carries the current back to the source after it has passed through the load. This creates a complete circuit for the electricity to flow.
- Earth (Ground) Wire: This is a safety wire that provides a path for the current to flow into the ground in case of a fault, thereby reducing the risk of electric shock.
- Switched Live Wire: This is a live wire that has been routed through a switch. This allows the current to be interrupted (switching off the light, for example) or allowed to pass (switching on the light).
Now, when it comes to benefits:
Live and Switched Live Wires
- They enable the control of an electrical circuit, i.e., switching on and off the appliances or light fixtures, etc.
Neutral Wire
- Enables a complete circuit to be formed for current flow.
- The presence of a neutral wire can allow circuits to be completed even when the switch is off, allowing some devices to have functionality like maintaining digital clock settings, remote control functionality, or, in the case of smart switches, maintaining their network connection.
- With the rise of smart devices, having a neutral wire in switch boxes has become more important, because many of these devices require power to operate their control and communication circuits even when the switch is off. In this case, the device uses the neutral wire to complete a circuit for just its own power.
Should I rewire my lights with a neutral wire?
Whether or not you should rewire your lights to include a neutral wire at the switch depends on your specific needs and circumstances. Here are a few things to consider:
- Smart Switches and Devices: If you plan to install smart switches or other smart devices that require a constant power supply, then yes, having a neutral wire at the switch can be necessary. Many smart switches need the neutral wire to power the communication circuitry even when the switch is off.
- Code Compliance: Some regions’ electrical codes require a neutral wire at each switch location, even if it’s not currently being used. If you’re updating your home’s electrical system, it might be a good idea to add neutral wires to comply with this standard.
- Future-Proofing: Even if you don’t need a neutral wire now, adding one can future-proof your home’s electrical system. As smart home technology becomes more prevalent, having a neutral wire at each switch can make it easier to install new devices in the future.
However, rewiring a home can be a significant undertaking. It can be expensive, time-consuming, and disruptive.
I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.
In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing.
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