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In this article, I examine seven of the best wifi landscape lighting controllers [smart low voltage transformers]. I aim to help give my fellow yard birds better control over the outside lights that adorn your yard.
My picks for the seven best wifi landscape light controllers are as follows:
- #1 – Ring Transformer
- #2 – GE Z-Wave Plus
- #3 – VOLT Max Spread Kit
- #4 – VOLT LED Transformer
- #5 – Sterno Home Paradise
- #6 – Lightkiwi
- #7 – Malibu Power Pack
Yard Birds Rejoice
If you’re a yard bird like me, you want your yard to be the envy of your family, friends, and neighbors alike.
One way to completely bedazzle your outside space is by using smart lighting to illuminate your lawn, landscaping, gardens, walkways, stairs, and driveway.
Once you start to add several lights, you’re going to want to centralize the control over getting them to work together.
But how do you orchestrate control over all those cool lights smartly?
The answer is a smart landscape lighting transformer. This is also sometimes referred to as just a low-voltage transformer. These controllers are a great way to help you manage your connected lights from an ideal location.
📚 Related: 11 Wicked Smart Home Yard Ideas
Best Wifi Landscape Lighting Controllers: Recommendations
Following is a list of smart landscape lighting transformers and controls that I recommend based on over 30 hours of research. While I really like the Ring Transformer for control over both Ring and non-Ring lights, there are also some solid offerings at a variety of price points from GE, Orbit, Malibu, Sterno, DEWENWILS, Lightkiwi, and VOLT.
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In the remainder of this article, I will do my best to help you first decide if you need a smart landscape lighting transformer and then decide which is the best one to meet your lighting system needs.
What Is a Wifi Landscape Lighting Controller?
The best wifi landscape lighting controllers give you more control over your outside lighting configuration. It offers key benefits for controlling LED, CFL, halogen, and incandescent bulbs.
Benefits of wi-fi connected landscape lighting transformers include:
- Wirelessly control on ON/OFF functions of ALL landscape lighting
- Schedule ON/OFF functions and create custom scenes
- Remotely control lighting using smartphones, tablets, PCs, and smart universal remote controls
- Energy monitoring capability allows remote monitoring of watt- and kilowatt-hours
- The ability to set a digital timer for automatic dusk-to-dawn scheduling
- Battery backup in the event of a power outage
📚 Related: 5 Best Robot Lawn Mowers for 1/2 to 1 Acre
Do I Need a Wifi Landscape Lighting Controller?
So do you really need a smart landscape lighting controller? It depends. While you can get by without one, it really is the only way that you can orchestrate control over your entire outside landscape lighting configuration.
As an added bonus, some of these will allow you also to control large loads and hard-wired applications such as water heaters, landscape lighting, spas, pool pumps, and heaters.
You can check out this helpful installation video from Cal at the Lighting Doctor to get a general sense of what is involved with the installation.
⚡Pro Tip: When in doubt, please contact a certified electrician to set up your transformer.
It is important to note that most of these require a special hub to control your smart lights. I will note the hub for each of the products below.
OK, on to my top seven landscape lighting transformer picks!
#1 – Ring Transformer
My Rating (Out of 100)
First on my list of the best wifi landscape lighting controllers is the Ring Smart Lighting Transformer. This is a great little controller that allows you to connect your compatible low-voltage non-Ring landscape lighting to the Ring Transformer and Ring Bridge to enable smart controls over non-Ring lighting.
For example, if you have a mix of Ring landscape lights and traditional low-voltage outdoor lighting, you can manage your landscape lighting using Ring’s dashboard. You can also receive notifications when motion is detected and turn lights on and off using the Ring app on your mobile devices.
This is my pick for simple, affordable control over Ring devices and traditional landscape low-voltage lighting. The Ring Bridge connects the Ring Transformer to your Ring App to put smart lighting at your fingertips. You can connect the landscape lights to all your Ring Smart Lights, Ring doorbells, and cameras via the Ring Bridge. This way all of your Ring and non-Ring lights will be connected to the Hub. The benefit? For example, if one Ring device detects motion, it can turn on all your connected lights.
Hub Required?
Yes, requires Ring Bridge for smart controls. Sold separately. One Ring Bridge is supported per household.
Pros
Cons
#2 – GE Enbrighten Z-Wave Plus
My Rating (Out of 100)
The GE Enbrighten Z-Wave Plus is a heavy-duty, 40-amp smart transformer that is both indoor and outdoor rated. It is rated at 120-277V and also provides robust energy monitoring capabilities. While it requires a Zwave hub in order for it to work, it is compatible with Samsung SmartThings, Wink, and Amazon Alexa. Pretty bright. Inside the box are quick-connect terminals for easy installation.
For these reasons, this gets my top recommendation for a smart landscape lighting transformer. Oh, and as of this writing, it is also “Amazon’s Choice” as well. When added to a Z-Wave network, the heavy-duty switch enables wireless control systems and on/off functions for a large load, hard-wired applications such as water heaters, landscape lighting, spas, pool pumps, and heaters.
Check out this handy overview video:
Hub Required?
Yes, Zwave
Pros
Cons
#3 – VOLT Max Spread Landscape Lighting Kit (with Controller)
My Rating (Out of 100)
The VOLT Max Spread Landscape Lighting Kit is a great turn-key solution for yards you want to separate into multiple zones. It includes a built-in 60 Watt power supply and lets you program three independent zones to allow a landscape to be sectioned off. This will allow you to create some really cool lighting configurations by area, function, or type of light fixture.
For example, one zone can control spotlights that highlight the architectural and landscape beauty of the house, while another zone can control pathway lighting for easy nighttime entry into a home long after the spotlights are off.
This is one of the best wifi landscape lighting controllers that include a full kit with included mounting hardware for all of you DIYers out there.
Check out this helpful installation video from the Adventures and Stuff YouTube Channel:
Hub Required?
No.
Pros
Cons
#4 – Volt LED Low Voltage Transformer
My Rating (Out of 100)
Don’t get zapped when it comes to installing your landscape lighting. The VOLT 300W LED Low Voltage Transformer has got you covered with its intelligent power distribution for easy DIY installation and control, a variety of lighting modes, and low-profile magnetic transformer design.
With its modular timer and photocell included, it’s never been easier—or quieter—to install outdoor lighting even in the awkward places that always seemed too difficult before! This is definitely one of the best wifi landscape lighting controllers out there.
Hub Required?
No.
Pros
Cons
#5 – DEWENWILS Smart
My Rating (Out of 100)
Keep your outdoor lights smart and safe with the DEWENWILS Smart Low Voltage Landscape Transformer. This handy tool works with Alexa and Google Home, making it easier to control your landscape lighting. Plus, with various timer modes and the ability to convert household voltage to a safer level, managing your outdoor lights has never been more efficient or worry-free.
Durability and safety come standard in the DEWENWILS transformer. Thanks to built-in overload protection, your devices are safe from unexpected power surges. The weatherproof design can withstand rain, snow, and dust, ensuring years of reliable use. With its easy installation process, you can keep your outdoor lighting on point, regardless of the season.
Hub Required?
No.
Pros
Cons
#6 – Lightkiwi for Landscape Lighting
My Rating (Out of 100)
Coming in at number 6 on my list of best wifi landscape lighting controllers is Lightkiwi for Landscape Lighting.
This is a low voltage, professional-grade, landscape lighting 300 Watt transformer with stainless steel housing, multi-tap 12V, 13V, 14V, 15V, photocell, and timer. The 600 Watt transformer, will not let you control your lights with your smartphone but you can add an optional timer or photocell to automate certain features.
This includes turning on your lights on at dusk, with an option of waiting one to nine hours to turn them off. You can also automate them using a Dusk to Dawn option or override it with an optional photocell and connect it to a plug-in timer.
Hub Required?
No
Pros
Cons
#7 – Malibu 300 Watt Power Pack
My Rating (Out of 100)
The Malibu 300 Watt Power Pack is one of the best wifi landscape lighting controllers that ship with a sensor and a weather shield that is built to withstand the harshest of outdoor elements. This is good news for those of us who live in the Northeast.
Malibu transformers reduce household electrical current output from 110 volts to a much safer 12 volts output, providing a safer, more practical electrical current level. This reduces power consumption and lowers the risk of fire. The transformer is easy to install with electrical and DIY handyperson knowledge.
All Malibu transformers have a digital reading, automatic timer, and clock controls facilitating simple automation. This is a great product to round out my list of the best wifi landscape lighting controllers.
Malibu transformers range in power from 45 to 900 watts. To decide which transformer best suits your needs use the below formula:
Total watts of light bulb * number of light bulbs = Minimum transformer size.
A standard bulb requires 30 watts of power. If you have 10 30-watt bulbs needing power, you will need at least a 300-watt transformer.
For example:
30-watt light bulb * 10 light bulbs = 300 minimum transformer size.
The company recommends purchasing at least 100 watts above your calculated minimum transformer size.
Hub Required?
No
Pros
Cons
Best Wifi Landscape Lighting Controllers: Your Turn
I hope you enjoyed my review of the best wifi landscape lighting controllers you can buy today.
So what do YOU think about these transformers? Do you agree with my picks? Perhaps there is a product you like better than didn’t make my list?
Do you plan on purchasing one of these controllers? What features do you look forward to using the most? Is voice control integration a factor with Alexa, Google Assistant, or HomeKit a factor for you?
Please leave me a comment below and let me know.
Also, if you liked this review of the best wifi landscape lighting controllers, would you mind sharing it using the colorful social media buttons at the top and bottom of this page? It really helps us out a lot – thanks!
Related Posts
If you enjoyed reading this review of the best wifi landscape lighting controllers, you might also like some of my other articles:
- 7 Best Smart Outdoor Lights
- What Are The Best Philips Hue Outdoor Lights?
- 3 Best Smart Paver Lights for Retaining Walls
- 7 Best Smart Outdoor Lights for Porch & Patio
Tim Brennan, a tech blogger and host of the @TecTimmy YouTube channel, writes about smart homes at oneSmartcrib, home theaters at UniversalRemoteReviews, and AI in writing at Writeinteractive. He holds a Journalism degree from Northeastern University and has covered technology for three decades. He lives on the ocean in Nahant, Massachusetts.
Please subscribe to my YouTube channel for a fun take on all things tech.