Three years ago, I installed Philips Hue recessed downlights throughout my home. They looked great, the colors impressed visitors, and voice control worked perfectly—until my family started using the wall switches. Every time someone flipped a switch, my expensive smart bulbs lost power and stopped responding to Alexa.
For that reason, I thought smart switches beat smart bulbs, but I wasn’t ready to replace my Hue lights. I found a better solution—the Intermatic ABRA Surface Switch—that keeps my existing bulbs while preventing anyone from cutting their power.
Dimensions (exterior)
3 x 3 x 3 inches
Colors
White
The Intermatic ABRA Surface Switch and Bluetooth Gateway Smart Plug bundle allows immediate home automation using an app to set scenes. Devices can be operated app-free or via Alexa, and the system is expandable with up to 50 additional switches. The smart plug also monitors energy usage
The problem with smart bulbs nobody talks about
Wall switches kill smart bulb automation
I’d set up perfect lighting scenes and configure Alexa routines, then someone would walk into the bonus room and flip the wall switch out of habit. The smart bulbs would go dark, lose their connection, and stop responding to voice commands.
My wife didn’t want to fumble with her phone every time she needed light. My kids couldn’t remember “just ask Alexa” when the switch was right there on the wall. Even I hit the switch myself sometimes.
The bulbs would eventually reconnect after getting power again, but sometimes that took several minutes. Other times, I’d need to open the Hue app and manually re-add them. Having “smart” lights that frequently acted dumb defeated the whole point.
After dealing with this, I found smart wall switches to be a better option than smart bulbs, but I had already invested in quality Hue can lights. I wanted a way to use them without having to replace the wall switch.
My solution: covering the switch completely
The Intermatic ABRA surface switch changed everything
Credit: Jonathon Jachura / MUO
I discovered the Intermatic ABRA Bluetooth® Surface Switch with Smart Plug/Gateway while searching for ways to keep people from using my wall switches. It mounts directly over your existing switch, physically preventing anyone from flipping it. The switch stays in the “on” position permanently, keeping constant power flowing to your smart bulbs.
The ABRA switch has dual buttons. The top and bottom buttons each support three different actions: single click, double click, and long press. That gives you six programmable controls from one device. You pair it with the ABRA app, link everything to Alexa, and set up routines for each button action.
The installation took maybe ten minutes. The surface switch comes with long screws for the wall plate cover. Remove the existing screws, then screw the plate to it using the longer screws, and snap the surface switch onto the plate. They also include a separate backer plate if you want to use the surface switch as a handheld remote instead of mounting it.
Stable connection with Wi-Fi
Why the included Bluetooth gateway is necessary
Credit: Jonathon Jachura / MUO
The package includes a 2-in-1 Bluetooth gateway and smart plug. The gateway connects the Bluetooth surface switch to your Wi-Fi network so Alexa can talk to it, and it’s built into a functioning smart plug. The surface switch is Bluetooth-only, so you need the Wi-Fi gateway if you want to perform automations. You can use that plug to control other devices or monitor energy usage.
The smart plug plugs into any nearby outlet, and the ABRA app walks you through pairing everything.
Setting up my custom button controls
Six different actions for complete lighting control
Credit: Jonathon Jachura / MUO
Credit: Jonathon Jachura / MUO
Credit: Jonathon Jachura / MUO
I installed the ABRA switch in my bonus room, where I have four Philips Hue recessed can lights. Setting up the button actions in the Alexa app was straightforward—you create routines that trigger when the ABRA switch sends a specific button command.
For the top button, I programmed the single click to turn the lights on, the double click to set the brightness to 100%, and the long press to change all the lights to white. The bottom button has the single click for lights off, the double click to decrease brightness, and the long press to change everything to blue.
These actions made sense for how we actually use the room. Coming in from the hallway, a quick tap turns on the lights. If we’re watching a movie and need more light during a break, double-clicking maxes out the brightness. The long-press color changes work for setting different moods—white for general use, blue when the kids want to pretend they’re underwater.
The response time is instant. My family took to it right away because it feels like using a normal light switch, just with bonus features.
The unexpected bonus: the smart plug gateway
Two devices in one package
The smart plug adds real value beyond just being a Bluetooth gateway. After setting up the surface switch, I had a perfectly functional smart plug sitting in the outlet near my bonus room entrance.
The ABRA app shows energy monitoring for whatever you plug into it. I currently have a floor lamp plugged into it, and I can control that lamp independently through Alexa or set up schedules for automatic on-and-off times.
This makes the $49.99 price tag more reasonable. You’re not just buying a surface switch—you’re getting a smart plug that’s a super useful smart home device on its own. Smart plugs alone typically cost $15–$25, so you’re really paying around $25–$35 for the surface switch itself.
The Bluetooth gateway functionality means you don’t need a separate hub, unlike my Hue bulbs, which require their own bridge.
Why this works better than replacing bulbs
Keep your existing setup, add automation
Credit: Jonathon Jachura / MUO
I spent good money on those Hue Recessed Lights. They retrofit perfectly into my existing can light housings, dim smoothly, and offer an excellent color range. Ripping them out to install smart switches would have cost me time and money while throwing away perfectly functional bulbs. And replacing the existing in-wall light switches with smart ones would require me to hire an electrician.
The ABRA switch lets me keep everything I already have while solving the fundamental problem. My family gets to use something that looks and feels like a regular wall switch. Guests can control the lights without needing instructions. Nobody accidentally kills the smart bulb connection anymore.
Voice control works every single time now. “Alexa, turn on the bonus room lights” never fails because the bulbs never lose power. I was genuinely tired of the disconnect-reconnect cycle.
The programmable button actions give me more control than before. Previously, I could ask Alexa to adjust brightness or change colors, but that meant talking out loud every time. Now I can tap buttons for instant changes without saying anything, which is better for late-night adjustments when other people are sleeping in nearby rooms.
A $50 fix that ended three years of frustration
After three years of dealing with smart bulbs losing connection due to the wall switches, I finally have a setup that works for everyone. The $50 Intermatic ABRA switch solved my smart bulb reliability problems without forcing me to replace any hardware or retrain anyone’s muscle memory. The lights stay on, voice control works consistently, and the physical buttons give us quick access to our most-used lighting configurations. If you’re dealing with the same wall switch frustrations I had, covering those switches completely is worth trying before you rip out your smart bulbs.
