Remotes & Buttons

Discover the Best Remotes & Buttons for your Smart Home.

In a modern and equipped smart home, many things can act as When-cards for Flows. Think of the current state of a device, your room temperature, and even the sun's position. The possibilities are limited solely by your imagination.

This is where smart remotes and buttons come into play. They can supercharge your Flows by giving you an additional way to toggle your lights or other smart devices. They balance modern automation controls and traditional remotes with a physical button press.

This article lists the best smart remotes, buttons, and wireless switches compatible with Homey. We highlight their unique features and differences to help you choose the best option.

Choosing a smart remote

Unlike wired switches to operate your ceiling lights, wireless switches, and buttons can be installed and used anywhere in your home. Several things differentiate models from one another, including:

• Communication Protocol: Opt for smart remotes or buttons that rely on mesh communication protocols like Zigbee, Z-Wave, or Thread. These protocols have better battery life and performance than Wi-Fi-based models.
• Aesthetics and Build Quality: Consider the design, build quality, and aesthetics of the remote or button, as these devices are likely to be placed in visible areas. They should complement your home décor while being durable enough to withstand regular use.
• Functionality: Look at the functions highlighted in our Best Buy Guide, such as the ability to control multiple actions or scenes with different button presses or combinations. Enhanced functionality can significantly improve your smart home experience by providing greater control and customization.
• Power Source and Battery Life: Evaluate the device's power requirements and battery life, considering whether it uses replaceable or rechargeable batteries. Longer battery life and convenient power options are essential for hassle-free and continuous use.
• Cost and Value: Assess the cost of the remote or button to its features and capabilities to ensure it offers good value for the price. Balancing cost with quality and functionality will help you choose a device that meets your needs without overspending.

Brand	Model	Protocol	Buttons	Battery Life	Price
Aeotec	Wallmote Quad	Z-Wave	4	6 months	€54.99
Aqara	Cube	Zigbee	6	2 years	€24.99
Aqara	H1 Wireless Double Rocker	Zigbee	2	5 years	€24.99
Fibaro	Keyfob	Z-Wave	6	2 years	€51.99
Ikea	Styrbar Remote	Zigbee	4	2 years	€10.00
Innr	RC 250 Remote	Zigbee	5	2 years	€19.99
Trust	AYCT-102 Remote	433MHz	10	1 year	€13.49
Philips Hue	Tap Dial	Zigbee	4	2 years	€49.99
Shelly	BLU Button1	Bluetooth	1	2 years	€14.90
Sunricher	8-Button Switch	Z-Wave	8	2 years	€41.95
ThirdReality	Smart Button	Zigbee	1	3 years	€19.99
Tuo	Smart Button	Thread	1	1 year	€34.99

The Aeotec WallMote Quad is a versatile and stylish smart switch designed to enhance your home automation experience. This smart remote features four touch-sensitive buttons, activated with simple taps, swipes, or long presses.

Each button on the faceplate can control lights or scenes created with Homey Flows. For example, if you need to dim your kitchen light, simply slide your finger across the panel to send the command. A blue LED on the WallMote indicates a successful trigger, while an orange LED signifies a low battery. 

The Aeotec WallMote uses rechargeable batteries instead of replaceable ones, requiring a recharge every three months via a USB cable. While rechargeable batteries offer convenience and reduce e-waste, the WallMote could benefit from a longer battery life. 

This Z-Wave-compatible device works seamlessly with Homey Bridge and Homey Pro. By leveraging your existing mesh network and router nodes, it reliably sends data packets to Homey, ensuring dependable and efficient connectivity. 

Priced at 54.99 EUR, it's also among our list's more expensive wireless remotes.

The Aqara Cube is one of the most innovative smart remotes ever made. Its square-shaped and boxy design resembles a toy rather than a smart device. The perfect example of deceiving looks.

This smart remote has sensors that detect the user's rotation, shake, slide, flip, or tap actions. These can serve as When-cards in Homey, resulting in some interesting and peculiar automation.

For example, shaking the Cube with the top side up can activate your Movie Night Mood. Or flipping the cube 180° turns of your coffee maker. With Homey and Aqara's Cube, your smart home has endless imaginative possibilities.

The Aqara Cube uses Zigbee to communicate with Homey Bridge or Homey Pro and relies on a single CR2450 battery, which can keep it going for 2 years.

Unfortunately, its versatility is also its pitfall. Accidentally knocking the Cube off the table will start all Flows you've created and light up your home like a Christmas tree.

Aqara's H1 Wall Switches line-up for EU markets includes the Wireless Double Rocker, a dual-switch wireless scene controller encased in the company's award-winning H1 case. Using a simple sticker, the H1 can be effortlessly installed on any wall or surface.

It relies on Zigbee 3.0 for communication, integrating seamlessly with Homey Bridge and Homey Pro. Each button on the switch can be configured as a trigger for single, double, and long press actions and used in Homey Flows.

The H1 boasts an incredibly fast response time of only 50ms, a feature Aqara calls high-speed click mode. Pressing the buttons also generates satisfying acoustic feedback, providing an audible indicator of a successful button press.

Another standout feature of the H1 is its impressive battery life, which Aqara claims can last up to 5 years. This longevity is even more remarkable, considering the H1 uses only one CR2450 single-cell battery.

This extended lifespan is achieved through Aqara's efficient Zigbee implementation, which sends very small data payloads to conserve battery power. However, this advantage comes with a caveat: Aqara's battery-powered devices can be selective about the Zigbee routers they communicate with.

For the wired version of the H1, check out our Wall Switches & Dimmers Best Buy Guide.

Unlike most remotes meant to stay in your home, the Fibaro Keyfob is designed to be carried around with you as a keychain. This allows you to start Flows and Moods in your driveway or yard, wherever you stand. 

The Fibaro Keyfob has 6 buttons, each capable of triggering 4 actions. You can single, double, triple press, or hold each button to fast trigger lights and other devices. Holding one of the buttons can be configured to dim or brighten your lights. 

To prevent accidental button presses while carrying the Fibaro Keyfob in your pocket, you can program a PIN sequence as a protection mechanism that needs to be pressed before the device can be operated. This is useful, clever, and solves a potentially very annoying issue. 

This Keyfob relies on a single CR2450 battery to keep it going for an estimated 2 years. This battery life is easily achievable, considering the Fibaro Keyfob uses Z-Wave to communicate with Homey Bridge or Homey Pro. 

Its sturdy build quality, IP54 weatherproof rating, long battery life, and extensive feature set enabled by the 6 buttons come with a hefty price tag, as the Fibaro Keyfob costs slightly above 50 EUR.

The Ikea Styrbar is a budget-friendly smart remote compatible with Homey Bridge and Homey Pro. The Styrbar uses Zigbee to connect and transmit data, leveraging your mesh network for more stable communication. 

The Styrbar has four buttons, each marked with a symbol to differentiate its purpose. The left and right arrows are designed to cycle through lights in your home, while the top and bottom buttons dim or brighten the lights. 

Paired with Homey, you can utilize long and short presses as simple When-cards in Flows. These can activate Moods or toggle other devices around your home. The Styrbar can last for 2 years on a good set of AAA batteries. 

This Ikea remote is available in white and stainless steel variants, with a very attractive price tag of only 10 EUR. Getting several of these and scattering them around your home will not strain your budget. It's important to keep in mind that the Styrbar is a bit larger and bulkier than first-generation Tradfri remotes or other comparable smart buttons.

The Innr RC250 Remote Control is a 5-button wall-mounted remote primarily designed for controlling lights. Innr has an extensive product portfolio of bulbs, LED strips, luminaires, and string lights that, like the RC250, use Zigbee as a communication protocol.

The RC250 comes with a wall plate that holds the remote, allowing you to take it off the wall whenever needed. This feature lets you move around with the device while ensuring it always has a designated place on the wall so you don't lose it.

Once paired with Homey, you can monitor the battery level, toggle the lights, or dim and brighten their illuminance. Unfortunately, this remote doesn't support double or triple-press actions for its buttons. The Innr RC250 boasts an impressive battery life of 2 years, powered by a single CR2450 battery.

The remote measures 65x65mm, a convenient balance between too big and too small.
With its 5 buttons and a price hovering around 20 EUR, the Innr RC250 is an attractive choice for triggering lights and devices in Homey with a single button press.

If you want a smart remote that looks and feels like a traditional TV remote, consider the Trust (KlikAanKlikUit) AYCT-102 model. This smart remote features five sets of two buttons, allowing you to control devices with dedicated on/off toggles.

Once this remote is added to Homey Bridge or Homey Pro, you can create Flows by choosing the channel, button, and state. You can also create groups of devices and control them simultaneously.

A great feature of the AYCT-102 remote is its communication protocol. Operating at 433 MHz, this remote can cover large areas such as yards or gardens. For example, you can walk around your greenhouse with this remote in your pocket and toggle devices as you go along.

The Trust AYCT-102 is powered by a single button-cell CR2032 battery, lasting up to a year. Its design and size could be better, especially considering it uses a tiny battery. On the other hand, the AYCT-102 is a very affordable smart remote.

The Philips Hue Tap Dial is a stylish and user-friendly smart remote designed for seamless integration with the Philips Hue ecosystem. It connects through Zigbee to the Hue Bridge, which pairs all Hue devices to Homey.

The remote features four buttons that you can program to control different rooms or zones. The central dial lets you quickly dim or brighten your lights, making it super intuitive to adjust the lighting on the fly.

With its magnetic base, you can mount the Hue Tap Dial on a wall or stick it to other surfaces, so it's always within reach. Its sleek, modern design ensures it looks great anywhere in your home and feels comfortable in your hand.

Powered by a replaceable coin cell battery, the Hue Tap Dial has a long battery life, so you won't have to worry about frequent replacements. It's compact, measuring just 60mm in diameter, making it a discreet yet powerful addition to your smart home.

If you're entrenched in the Hue ecosystem and want to add an elegant and practical tool to your smart lighting system, the Philips Hue Tap Dial is a fantastic choice.

If size is a decisive factor in choosing a smart button, look no further than the Shelly BLU Button 1. This tiny keychain remote measures only 36x36x6mm, making it the smallest smart button in our Best Buy Guide.

Its lightweight design makes the Shelly perfect for carrying in your pocket, as a keychain, or as an attachment to your backpack. It's also available in several colors, allowing you to personalize and make it your own.

The Shelly BLU Button 1 features a single button capable of triggering up to four actions based on single press, double press, triple press, and long press. This flexibility lets you control multiple devices or initiate different Flows and Moods with just one button.

Powered by a replaceable CR2032 coin cell battery, the BLU Button 1 offers long-lasting performance of up to 2 years. When triggered, the remote can emit visual and audible hints, confirming the action has been sent.

The main drawback of the Shelly BLU is the short range of its Bluetooth connectivity. You must be near your Homey Bridge or Homey Pro to trigger actions.

Similar to the Trust AYCT-102 smart remote, the Sunricher Smart Switch has 8 separate buttons that are usable in your smart home. Sunricher products are rebranded and distributed by Vesternet, iCasa, Namron, and ROBB Smarrt. Each vendor offers its own Homey App, ensuring seamless integration of Sunricher-made devices with Homey right from the start.

Available in both Zigbee and Z-Wave variants, the Sunricher 8-Button Wall Switch allows you to choose your preferred protocol. Homey supports all smart home communication protocols without exception, ensuring compatibility with whichever version you select for integration with Homey Bridge or Homey Pro.

Designed primarily for usability, this 8-button wall remote features separate on/off buttons for independent control. A single press toggles your lights while holding the On button increases their brightness, and holding the Off button dims them.

Sunricher wireless switches are also available in 2 and 4-button variants, with several button layouts. Like the 8-button version, some models use the I / O layout for toggling and control, while others have dedicated scene buttons.

The Sunricher 8-Button Smart Switch can be easily installed with a sticker on any surface. It is also compatible with standard 55mm switch frames, allowing you to cover existing switch boxes with a simple set of screws. Powered by a single CR2450 cell, the remote can last up to 2 years before needing a battery replacement.

While the Sunricher excels in practical usability, its design and aesthetic fall short compared to other remotes highlighted in our Best Buy Guide, making it a choice that may not appeal to everyone.

The Thirdreality Smart Button is a simple yet versatile Zigbee remote compatible with Homey Bridge and Homey Pro. You can customize this button by choosing from the four available colors: white, red, yellow, and blue.

This smart button offers a range of actions that serve as When-cards in Flows, including single press, double press, hold, and release, providing ample flexibility to supercharge your smart home.

Mounting the Thirdreality Smart Button is a breeze thanks to its magnetic strip or sticker options, allowing you to place it wherever it's most convenient. Homey integration lets you easily monitor its battery life directly from your smart home hub. It's powered by a set of AAA batteries, which can keep the device going for up to two years.

Because it uses standard AAA batteries, the Thirdreality Smart Button is longer than most remotes, measuring 90mm. Its shape is convenient to hold and handle, although its long body length may not be suitable for everyone.

The TUO Smart Button is a small, compact, portable one-button remote compatible with Homey Pro. This model uses the latest Thread communication protocol, utilizing the Homey Pro as a Border Router.

Despite its small size and having only one button, the TUO can start Homey Flows with single, double, and hold actions. This tiny button allows you to carry it in your pocket and activate Moods on the go. Additionally, if you choose to wall-mount it, you can do so with the included magnetic plate.

Powered by a single CR2032 battery, the TUO Smart Button can last up to a year. It's built quite sturdy for such a small device and feels very premium when handled.

As the first Matter-over-Thread device of its kind, the TUO Smart Button comes with a higher price tag compared to similar remotes. This is not helped by the fact that the TUO has only one button.

Final Thoughts

No matter which model you choose, adding smart remotes and buttons to your setup brings versatile functionality to Homey. Whether you're starting Flows, adjusting Moods, or just controlling lights, these devices offer a classic button control experience in a smart home. Hopefully, our Best Buy Guide addresses your specific needs.

With Homey leading your smart home, you open doors to endless possibilities beyond basic lighting control. Smart buttons serve as triggers for any action you can imagine, limited only by your creativity and imagination.