#BRILLIANT SMART HOME CONTROL PANEL PLUS#

When I’m away, my Brilliant account integrates with my smart home devices from compatible companies, so I can use the Brilliant app - and only the Brilliant app - to make adjustments and create scenes.Īgain, if you’re looking for significantly more automation with less effort on the set-up side of things, systems like Control4 are a great option.

When I’m home, I can use the physical panel to adjust the lights and sound. With Brilliant’s platform, you don’t need to be a smart home expert, but you also don’t need to pay a smart home expert to set it up for you. I won’t be renting my home out, but I do want my handful of devices to be organized under a single umbrella of sorts. I recognized a number of similarities between my smart home needs and my reader’s. That’s shy of the reader’s $6,000 quote, but doesn’t include the cost of security cameras and service fees. Going the DIY route with Brilliant, you’ll spend about $1,600, while you’ll spend at least $3,000 for Control4’s products. This Control4 price list I referenced doesn’t include rates for security cameras, although I’m sure you can assume they’ll cost more than Ring ones. So reader, if you’re seeing this, know that you’ll need the $250 Ring Floodlight Cam or $200 Ring Spotlight Cam instead of any of the other best security cameras when you go the Brilliant Control Panel route. As it stands, only Ring cameras can be checked via the Brilliant app or Brilliant panel. I will also say Brilliant’s partnerships are a little limited in the security camera space. Meanwhile Control4 asks for $108 per motion sensor.

#BRILLIANT SMART HOME CONTROL PANEL PLUS#

Security devicesĪs for motion sensors, it makes most sense to get the Ring Home Alarm Security Kit, which costs $299 for a pack of motion sensors, plus an alarm base station, alarm keypad and indoor security camera. The $229 Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus probably has more comparable features to Control4’s option, though. The Ring Video Doorbell Wired costs just $60. If the reader wants a video doorbell, they could get a Ring one. However, Control4’s door station offers intercom features and acts like a video doorbell, too. The Control4 “door station,” is quoted anywhere from $1,295 to $16,000 - I could only imagine spending that much for a place with a dozen entrances. The Schlange Encode, which I’m using in my smart home, costs $250. The reader also mentioned they’ve used Schlage smart locks in the past. Control4 offers just one thermostat option, the Wireless Thermostat by Aprilaire for $345.

The Honeywell Home model I’m using in my build is just $79 and also compatible with Brilliant, but has less features than Ecobee. Next, the reader specifically said they’re familiar with the $250 Ecobee SmartThermostat, our favorite of all the best smart thermostats. If you’re not comfortable with wiring, you’ll also need an electrician to replace your standard switches with a Brilliant panel, but even then, you should still be able to save at least $200.

Of course, Brilliant’s app turns any smartphone into a mobile smart home remote of sorts. I personally prefer a stationary, in-wall screen, yet you might be attracted to the freedom Control4’s tablets allow. When I installed smart switches instead of smart lights, this was one thing I splurged on.īy comparison, both Control4’s entry-level wall panel and entry-level tablet cost $950, but you hypothetically only need one or the other. A 3-gang panel costs $399, although you could get a single switch panel for $299. The most apt DIY analogue is the Brilliant Smart Home controller, a touchscreen smart switch that not only lets you turn your lights on and off, but can be used to manage other smart devices in your house, such as smart speakers and smart plugs. Control panelĬentral to Control4 and other professionally installed smart home systems is a control panel, which lets you manage everything in your house. They wanted a system that could manage a smart door lock, smart thermostat, motion sensors and “possibly” a couple of cameras for their driveway and an ocean view.ĭefinitely not because I’m hoping to secure a beach rental for the summer, I wanted to see how much it would cost to create a Control4-type experience using off-the-shelf smart home devices. The reader even provided a short list of products they want connected in the home.

Brilliant smart home control panel