Leviton Decora Good Movement Sensing Dimmer evaluate: Get your transfer on

Finest Costs At present: Leviton Decora Good Movement Sensing Dimmer (mannequin D2MSD)

With each dimming and movement sensing inbuilt; plus, help for 3-way wiring setups, Leviton’s 2^nd-gen Decora Good Movement Sensing Dimmer (mannequin D2MSD) in-wall sensible swap has nearly all the things you can ask for.

As its identify explicitly states, that is an replace to an earlier mannequin, the principle additions being improved compatibility with third-party ecosystems and help for Leviton’s wi-fi distant management companion, which I’ll delve into in a bit. All informed, it’s effectively value its $40 avenue value.

Specs

This dimmer has an in depth checklist of options, however the in need of it’s that it’s fairly the loaded machine.

Once more, that is an in-wall swap that requires everlasting set up and the presence of a impartial wire within the field the place it’s put in. The swap is rated to help as much as 300 watts of LEDs or 450 watts of incandescent bulbs, or one other load of as much as 450 volt-amps. It’s additionally appropriate with MLV (magnetic low voltage) masses. As with most dimmers, fluorescent bulbs aren’t advisable to be used with this product (though dimmable compact fluorescents are OK).

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The swap connects to 2.4GHz Wi-Fi networks solely, and also you’ll want Leviton’s cell app for setup and administration. You may also combine the dimmer into Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Assistant ecosystems. It’s not, nonetheless, appropriate with Matter as we speak (Leviton tells me a firmware replace is within the works; lots of the firm’s different 2nd-gen Wi-Fi merchandise–together with its standard on/off swap and dimmer–already help Matter after a firmware replace).

The centerpiece of the machine is its built-in movement sensor, which sits simply above the button-style energy swap. This sensor includes a 180-degree subject of view with a most vary of 30 ft. Naturally, the sensor’s main operate is to show the lights on when movement is detected, although this may be simply disabled and adjusted within the app.

Bodily controls work as anticipated. Press the central button as soon as to toggle the sunshine on or off. Or use the pair of tiny buttons to the proper of the ability button to regulate brightness, both by tapping up or right down to rapidly soar by means of 10 broad ranges of brightness, or by holding one of many buttons right down to extra easily and regularly alter it, releasing while you get to the sunshine degree you need.

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Lastly, the machine helps the Leviton Anyplace Companion Dimmer ($27 at Amazon), a wi-fi distant management with a 50-foot vary that syncs with the D2MSD and replicates its dimming features (though not its motion-sensing characteristic). It’s additionally appropriate with the Leviton Anyplace Companion Change ($25 at Amazon) Powered by two coin-cell batteries, both machine could be mounted to the wall and coated with a plate to emulate a three-way swap with out requiring any wires or electrical work in any respect (the Change product, after all, lacks a dimming characteristic).

If the swap you’re changing is already wired on a 3-way circuit, nonetheless, you’ll want to exchange that different swap with a Leviton Dimmer Companion ($27 at Amazon) or Change Companion ($25 at Amazon)—each of that are wired merchandise—for the D2MSD to work.

Set up and setup

Like most wired sensible switches and dimmers, the D2MSD requires a degree of consolation with gentle electrical work and a modest quantity of know-how to finish the set up correctly (we will stroll you thru the method with this easy-to-follow information to putting in a lightweight swap). The machine is designed solely with pigtail connections, with wire nuts included within the field that can assist you join the 4 obligatory wires (5 if connecting to a 3-way circuit).

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As is widespread, the in-wall portion of the dimmer is relatively massive (although Leviton says the 2nd Gen machine is slimmer than the first Gen), so getting it into the receptacle so it’s totally flush towards the wall can take some effort, however I used to be in a position to wedge the machine into place with out a lot bother. A white swap plate is included within the field, which snaps on over a mounting body that connects to the swap with two small screws (so the screws received’t be seen while you’re completed).

From there, digital onboarding is accomplished by means of the My Leviton app. The app is easy, auto-discovering new Leviton units close by as quickly a they’re powered on. Just a few easy selections allow you to bridge the machine to your 2.4GHz Wi-Fi community. Oddly, whereas setup runs you thru a number of fundamental configuration choices, it doesn’t immediate you to replace firmware. You’ll wish to try this manually, beneath the “System Well being” menu choice within the Settings tab; out of the field mine was effectively old-fashioned.

If you wish to add the swap to HomeKit, the QR code is printed on a sticker connected to the swap, beneath the body.

Utilizing the Leviton Decora Good Movement Sensing Dimmer

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Out of the field, the D2MSD labored precisely as I anticipated it to. On the highest movement sensitivity setting, the swap was very aware of motion within the room. I put in the swap in my storage, on the identical wall because the door main into the home, about 6 ft away from it. The sensor was so efficient that the related gentle would sometimes be on by the point I took my first step from the home into the storage, with zero delay.

It’s nearly too delicate, to be sincere; but I discovered the medium and low sensitivity ranges to be too indelicate to make use of. The low setting usually wouldn’t activate with out me standing instantly in entrance of the dimmer and waving my arms. What I would love is a sensitivity setting someplace between excessive and medium, although that’s a really minor grievance.

The dimmer can both be set to return to essentially the most just lately used brightness degree or to a preset brightness every time it’s used. Fade on and off speeds can be set by the person.

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Digging deeper into the settings, the dimmer could be set in one among two modes: Occupancy turns the lights on when movement is detected and off when it stops; Emptiness requires you to show the sunshine on manually, it then leaves them on till movement stops, at which level it turns them off. You may configure the size of time for no movement to be detected till the lights flip off, with choices starting from 1 to 60 minutes.

An ambient gentle sensor constructed into the swap can be utilized to maintain the lights off if the room is already vivid from one other supply (akin to daylight from a window). This may be toggled on or off and the minimal gentle degree specified by a slider. (You’ll want to make use of some trial and error to dial this in.)

A ultimate movement sensor characteristic is the choice to allow or disable a pink LED inside the sensor to flash if movement is detected. There’s additionally a separate inexperienced LED beneath the movement sensor that may be set to be both on or off when the sunshine is energetic, or off altogether.

Christopher Null/Foundry

One other helpful characteristic of the swap is named Guidelight. That is an elective mode that turns the lights on very dimly throughout night time hours when movement is detected, however turns the lights on to your regular brightness settings throughout different instances. These hours could be configured manually or in relation to dawn and sundown, based mostly in your location.

I had zero bother with any of those options, and the dimmer labored flawlessly all through per week of testing. The {hardware} controls work effectively, and the app is straightforward to navigate and fast to reply. Novices ought to discover it straightforward to work with, however energy customers who need whole management over the best way it really works received’t be dissatisfied, both.

Must you purchase the Leviton Decora Good Movement Sensing Dimmer 2nd Gen D2MSD?

I’ve been utilizing a really comparable product, the motion-activated Kasa Good ES20M Good Wi-Fi Dimmer from TP-Hyperlink, for practically three years. After changing it with Leviton’s machine, I have to say the sting goes to Leviton.

These are each superb merchandise, however Leviton’s machine has a superior movement sensor, it helps 3-way circuits–together with that wi-fi distant–and I merely most well-liked working with the My Leviton app over the Kasa Good app. You’ll pay $15 extra for the D2MSD, nonetheless, so if money is a priority, TP-Hyperlink affords efficiency that’s practically nearly as good. Should you don’t want 3-way help, you’ll be able to’t go improper with both choice.