I've installed several of these dimmers in our home, in both one and two dimmer configurations. They are both attractive and functional, and they allow you to use multiple dimmers on a 3-way circuit without any rewiring. They work well with both incandescent bulbs, compact fluorescents and LED lights that are dimmable, and provide the fullest range of dimming I have seen with these types of bulbs. They come pre-programmed to bring lights to full brightness quickly, and to turn lights out by slowly dimming them, allowing you to see where you're going even after turning out the lights. A pair of small buttons allow you to set the brightness level, and that level will be maintained even after a power failure. Double tapping the switch always brings it back to full brightness, however, which is very convenient. Every aspect of how these dimmers function is programmable, from ramp-up and ramp-down times to dimming modes. However, the programming sequence is not at all intuitive, so most people will undoubtedly use the default program. Programming involves tapping specific buttons in a specific sequence - it's a bit like programming some cars or resetting the check engine light, where you may have to turn the ignition on, then off, turn on the left turn signal and blink the headlights twice. One thing that may not be clear from the instructions is that you are not limited to using only one companion switch with this master switch. If you have the wiring for it, you can wire several companion switches in parallel, all of which can control the same light. There is also a version that includes two dimmer switches in one unit, which is very handy when space is limited. One caution is that these are electronic dimmers and they need a small amount of power to function. That power comes from current flowing through the circuitry, even when the switch is off. It's difficult to find in the instructions, but they require a minimum 40 watt load to function. That's no problem with an incandescent bulb, but many LED's use much less than that. For example, a light fixture that has two 1600 lumen bulbs (equivalent to 100 watt incandescent bulbs) may use as little as 26 watts. In theory, that's not enough for these dimmers to function. Sure enough, I had a light with three 5000 lumen bulbs, each using only 7 watts. It wasn't enough for the dimmer to work. However, when I replaced the bulbs with 800 lumen bulbs, each using 9 watts, the dimmer worked without any problems. So it would appear they can function with anything above 25 watts or so, but the stated minimum is 40. Finally, a word about intelligence. Lutron was the original manufacturer of mood lighting, with multi-zone dimmers, each controlling multiple lights and with programs that, with a single button, allow one to set a bunch of lights to specified levels simultaneously. The Maestro is not one of those. These are not smart dimmers and they can't be controlled by Alexa, or via the Internet. You can't even use an app to control all of your dimmers from your smart phone. These are also a lot less expensive than smart dimmers, and they're a lot less confusing to the uninitiated. When your mother-in-law visits, it won't take her any time at all to figure out how to use one of these that controls the dining room lights. With a smart dimmer, it might take some time to learn which button to push, or to say, "Alexi, set lights for dinner." Furthermore, there's no danger that these dimmers will ever be hacked the way a smart dimmer can be. After all, smart devices usually have almost no security and there have already been cases of people 'gas-lighting' their ex-spouses remotely to drive them nuts. No such worries with these switches. Simple, elegant and highly functional - what more could you want?
