← Buying guides
Wireless vs. wired lighting control
Both approaches have their place. Here's how to decide quickly — and how Wise Controls' wireless RF platform changes the maths.
| Decision factor | Wireless (Wise RF) | Conventional wired |
|---|---|---|
| Re-wiring required | None — keypads talk straight to receivers | New switch runs and chases needed |
| Add a second switch | Stick a slave keypad on any wall — no cable | Run two-way wiring back to the switch |
| Garden runs | IP-rated Wise Box receiver, wireless remote | Buried armoured cable to a fused switch |
| Scene presets | Stored on the receiver — one-tap recall | Manual dimmer adjustment per scene |
| Internet dependency | None — pure RF | None |
| Programming | Button-press pairing — no software | N/A (or proprietary panel software) |
| Voice / app control | Add Wise Daisy hub when you want it | Add a separate smart-switch retrofit |
How wireless actually works
Wise Controls uses radio-frequency (RF) signals between switches and receivers — not Wi-Fi, not Bluetooth, not Zigbee. The keypad on the wall transmits directly to the receiver near the light fitting. Pairing is done by button press: hold a button on the receiver, press the matching button on the keypad, the receiver beeps to confirm. Stored permanently.
When wireless wins
- Retrofit: No chasing walls to run new switch cabling. The keypad sticks straight on the plaster.
- Garden / outdoor: No buried switch runs. An IP-rated Wise Box receiver near the fitting, a weatherproof remote or PIR for control.
- Open-plan rooms: Multiple keypads control the same circuit without parallel cabling — add a slave keypad anywhere on the wall.
- Scene setting: One Scene receiver, one Scene keypad, multiple stored moods — no separate dimmer per circuit.
- Resilience: The RF system keeps working through internet outages — there is no broadband dependency.
When wired still wins
- Pure simplicity: A single switch, a single light, no scenes or remote control — a £15 wired dimmer is hard to beat.
- Battery hassle aversion: Wise battery-powered keypads run for years on a coin cell, but they aren't immortal. Mains-powered keypads avoid this entirely.
- Already-pulled cabling: If you've already got two-way switch wiring run and dressed, there's no obvious wireless saving.