Leviton Decora Trim Zigbee dimmer (model DG6HD) review: An in-wall switch with an understated variety

Leviton’s fresh in-wall dimmer is Zigbee 3.0 certified, nonetheless judging from the aesthetics you wouldn’t understand it was fresh, or maybe a trim machine in any respect. The corpulent-size trot variety beautiful is decidedly classic, so customers who don’t desire their wall switches to face out in any technique comprise a compelling possibility right here.

The DG6HD hardware aspects my least celebrated variety for wiring connections: Screw-down posts equivalent to those you’ll uncover on many ragged-college switches. Because so many wires must be related—four at a minimal, 5 when you happen to’re the snarl of it as a three-technique switch—it must snappily salvage crowded when you happen to’re searching for to maneuver spherical the receptacle with a screwdriver. (Screen: You’ll want Leviton’s DD00RR partner switch for a three-technique installation.)

This review is phase of TechHive’s coverage of the one trim switches and dimmers, where you’ll uncover reports of competing products, plus a purchaser’s info to the aspects you’ll want to always still take phrase of when searching for to uncover this vogue of product.

Making matters worse is that you’ll additionally desire a pigtail to glue to the just (white) wiring bundle. Leviton entails one in the sphere, nonetheless I strangely had a form of exertion with it. The wire was very stiff, and wedging it into a wire nut alongside with three other wires was tense, as one among them would invariably hurry out of the bundle when searching for to tighten it. After about 10 minutes of making an strive and failing to salvage a formidable connection, I indirectly gave up and dug up a more flexible pigtail I had laying spherical, which labored perfectly on the first strive.

Christopher Null / IDG

Once installed and wedged lend a hand into the receptacle, I moved on to pairing the unit with an Amazon Echo Plus. (This switch is additionally appropriate with the fresh fourth-generation Amazon Echo and Comcast’s Xfinity Home Contact Screen cloak, nonetheless Samsung SmartThings certification was still in activity as of this writing.) The pairing done snappily, and within a jiffy I was in a plight to manipulate the dimmer by design of order or the Alexa app. With my Echo Plus correct a dozen toes some distance from the wall switch, I below no circumstances encountered any exertion with disconnects, and both on/off and dimming operations were responsive.

Naturally, you must presumably maybe maybe presumably also additionally administration the dimmer by design of the switch itself, and Leviton makes this straight forward and intuitive courtesy of a slim, second trot to the very finest of the principle switch. Neutral support the aspect trot up or correct down to brighten and sad; the principle trot only serves to toggle the energy on and off. Having the secondary controls doesn’t truly mar the switch beautiful, and it’s arguably more convenient than having the principle trot pause double accountability. A row of inexperienced LEDs to the left of the trot illuminate to give you a visual info to the total energy surroundings, nonetheless they perambulate sad after about a seconds.

Christopher Null / IDG

One uncommon feature to fresh: While both a white trot and beige trot are integrated in the sphere, only a white hide plate is integrated. At a ticket of $43—the most costly Zigbee dimmer I’ve encountered—Leviton could presumably maybe maybe be wise to throw in some extra extras to enhance the price proposition. Whenever you happen to don’t want dimming, a Zigbee on/off switch (Leviton model DG15S) is supplied for a pair of dollars much less.

The bottom line: Right here’s a functional dimmer possibility for those with a Zigbee environment, nonetheless there’s truly nothing grand in the technique of extras to advantage spending additional for it. Jasco’s Enbrighten Zigbee dimmer is one alternative you must presumably maybe maybe presumably are searching for to take phrase of.

• Leviton Decora Trim Zigbee dimmer (model DG6HD)

  This Zigbee dimmer has a classic variety—and a top-shelf ticket mark.

  Specialists

  • Clear, straight forward hardware structure
  • Rapid pairing and operation with Amazon Echo gadgets with Zigbee radios

  Cons

  • Hardware variety makes it tense to wire
  • No longer SmartThings certified (as of review date)
  • Very pricey

Christopher Null is a primitive technology and trade journalist. He contributes repeatedly to TechHive, PCWorld, and Wired, and operates the websites Drinkhacker and Movie Racket.