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Until now, Brilliant only offered its relatively high-end smart switches with a touchscreen, but at CES this week, the company is expanding its product lineup with a new dimmer switch and smart plug. Both require that you already own at least one Brilliant Control, so these aren’t standalone devices but instead expansions to the Brilliant Control system.
The main advantage here is that once you have bought into the Brilliant system for your smart home setup, you won’t need to get a new Brilliant Control for every room. Because the Controls start at $299 for a single switch, that would be a very pricey undertaking. At $69.99, the dimmer is competitively priced (and offers a discount for bundles with multiple switches), as is the plug, at $29.99. This will surely make the overall Brilliant system more attractive to a lot of people.
I’ve tested the Control in my house for the last few weeks and came away impressed, mostly because it brings a single, flexible physical control system to the disparate smart plugs, locks and other gadgets I’ve accumulated over the last year or so. I couldn’t imagine getting one for every room, though, as that would simply be far too expensive. Brilliant’s system works with Alexa and Google Assistant, and includes third-party integrations with companies like Philips Hue, LIFX, TP-Link Lutron, Wemo, Ecobee, Honeywell, August, Kwikset, Schlage, Ring, Sonos and others. The different Brilliant devices communicate over a Bluetooth Mesh and connect to the internet over Wi-Fi.
“Before Brilliant, an integrated whole-home smart home and lighting system meant either spending tens of thousands of dollars on an inflexible home automation system, or piecing together a jumble of disparate devices and apps,” said Aaron Emigh, co-founder and CEO of Brilliant. “With our new smart switch and plug-in combination with the Brilliant Control, we are realizing our mission to make it possible for every homeowner to experience the comfort, energy efficiency, safety and convenience of living in a true smart home.”
One nice feature of the dimmer is that it includes a motion sensor, which will allow for a lot of interesting usage scenarios. You’ll also be able to double-tap the switch to trigger a smart home or lighting scene.
The plug is obviously more straightforward, but it’s worth noting that it’s a plug you’d install in an electrical box, not a Wemo-style plug that you simply plug in. As with all Brilliant devices, that means you either have to be comfortable with doing some very basic electrical work yourself (and Brilliant offers very straightforward instructions) or have somebody install it for you.
Both the plug and dimmer switch are now available for pre-order and will ship in Q1 2020.
