Your Guide to Types of Switches for Your Home
From classic toggle switches to motion sensor models.
Lighting is a key component of your home. It has the power to brighten, calm, or shed light on your go-to spaces. Light switches make it possible to turn on/off table lamps, wall sconces, or ceiling lights/fans without a second thought, limiting the number of times you have to manually plug in a light fixture. Keep reading to discover the types of switches that are typically used in home electrical wiring and how they can benefit your lighting and electrical needs.
What Is a Switch?
Types of Switches: Physical Configurations
Types of Switches: Electrical Configurations
Tips for Choosing a Switch
Important Safety Note:
We strongly recommend enlisting the services of a licensed electrician to assist with installing light switches in your home, as it requires working with electrical wires. Select the option for professional installation at checkout and we'll connect you with a professional who can come to your home and install light switches at your convenience.
What Is a Switch?
Before we go over different types of switches, we have to define them. Understanding light switches and how they work will help you in your understanding of each type. A switch is an essential piece of electrical hardware (typically mounted to a wall) that attaches to a home's electrical wires so you can turn on power to lights, ceiling fans, or electrical outlets with the "flip of a switch." Light switches attach to a home's electrical wires when the wires are wrapped around the light switch's screw terminals (these are typically brass or black screws located on one or both sides of the switch). When the light switch is turned on, an internal component (called the gate) closes. In its closed position, the gate touches both screw terminals, allowing the electrical current to resume. When the light switch is turned off, the gate is opened, which creates a gap between the screw terminals and disrupts the electrical current. For more information on light switches, review How to Wire a Light Switch: Step-By-Step Guide.
Types of Switches: Physical Configurations
This section goes over light switch options based on their on/off mechanisms/control types. The physical configuration of a light switch can influence appearance and ease-of-use, so they're super important to consider.
Toggle Switch
Rocker Switch
Push-Button Switch
Slider Switch
Motion Sensor Switch
Smart-Enabled Switch
Pull-Chain Switch
Toggle Switch
A toggle switch simply refers to the type of mechanism that allows you to turn a light switch on and off. Toggle switches consist of an up-and-down lever, usually labeled "on" and "off". This is the classic light switch that's found in most homes. Toggle switches can be single-pole, three-way, or double/four-way switches – which we define in the electrical configurations section, below.
Rocker switches are the more modern version of a toggle switch. They're called rocker switches because they have a flat surface and raised ends that allow you to turn the light switch on and off with ease. Like toggle switches, rocker switches can also be single-pole, three-way, or double/four-way switches. They're also commonly paired with multi-location switches and dimmer switches.
Push-button switches are common for more modern light switches and doorbells! You might also see these paired with dimmer switches or smart-enabled switches to turn on the switch before adjusting the light levels or accessing Wi-Fi features. Push-button switches are usually single-pole, but they can also be three-way or double/four-way as well.
Slider switches are usually paired with dimmer switches and consist of a switch that slides up and down to increase or decrease the amount of light a fixture produces. Slider switches can be single-pole, three-way, double/four-way, or multi-location, making it easy to find a slider switch to power the number of light fixtures you want!
Motion sensor switches either have built-in lights or are connected to light fixtures via single-pole, three-way, or double-pole/four-way switches. These are energy-saving light switches that are common for basements, garages, and outdoor spaces. When you walk past a motion sensor switch, the light turns on for a period of time and then turns off when it no longer senses movement. These types of electrical switches might also have a toggle or rocker switch so you can manually turn the light on or off when you need to.
Smart-enabled light switches connect to your Wi-Fi and allow you to turn on/off or dim a light fixture using an app on your smartphone. These come in almost any switch configuration (single-pole, multi-location, three-way) and add modern convenience to your home.
Pull-chain switches are common for ceiling lights, ceiling fans, and lamps. Some ceiling fans have multiple pull chains: one to activate the light and one to activate/change the speed of the fan. These are standard light switches for sheds, basements, garages, or closets.
Types of Switches: Electrical Configurations
This section goes over light switch options based on their electrical configurations and where they work best in your home.
Single-Pole Switch
Three-Way Switch
Double-Pole or Four-Way Switch
Multi-Location Switch
Dimmer Switch
Single-Pole Switch
Single-pole switches can be toggle, rocker, slider, or push-button switches. Single-pole switches connect to and turn on/off one light fixture, outlet, or appliance, and are the standard type of light switch for residential homes. They have two screw terminals (usually brass screws) that wires attach to, and a grounding screw (usually a green screw that prevents electric shock). Because single-pole switches only activate one fixture, they usually have an on/off label on the switch itself.
Three-way switches are available as toggle, rocker, slider/dimmer, push-button, or motion sensor switches and allow a single light fixture to be turned on/off from two different switches. These types of switches work best in pairs of two and consist of two (brass) screw terminals that connect to the traveler wires, one (dark-colored) common screw terminal that connects directly to the light fixture, and one (green) grounding screw terminal that connects to the grounding wire (to prevent electric shock). This is a common switch used for staircase or hallway lighting because it allows you to turn on/off the light without going back up/down the stairs or hallway.
For example, you turn on the light switch at the top of the stairs to help illuminate your way down. At the bottom of the stairs you turn on/off the other switch – essentially flipping the switch to the opposite position of the one at the top of the stairs. This closes the current and turns off the light. When both switches are in the same on or off position, this turns the light fixture on.
Tip!
You can use a three-way switch like a single-pole switch if that's all you have, but ultimately, single-pole switches are the most budget-friendly for simple electrical hook-ups.
Double-Pole or Four-Way Switch
Double-pole or four-way light switches are also available in a variety of switch configurations, including toggle, rocker, slider, and more. These types of light switches are typically installed between two three-way switches (they cannot be used by themselves), and they make it possible to turn on/off a single light fixture from three locations – sometimes even more! This is because they have four screw terminals (two on each side), which makes it easy to connect wires from two different three-way switches that are located in opposite directions. On each side of a four-way switch, there is usually one black (common) screw terminal that connects the switch to the light fixture, and one (brass) screw terminal that attaches to wiring from a nearby three-way switch.
Multi-location switches come in a variety of configurations but they're usually paired with dimmers or smart-home switches. These types of switches are super versatile, as they can be used like three-way light switches to control a light fixture from more than one location. However they can also be configured to hook-up to multiple light fixtures on the same circuit.
There are two types of dimmer switches: slider or rotary. Slider dimmers have a switch that slides up and down, while rotary dimmers have a knob you turn to increase or decrease the light output of a light fixture. These switches are usually paired with a rocker or toggle switch so you can turn the light on/off in addition to controlling the light's brightness. They're most commonly available as single-pole or three-way switches, but they can also be double/four-way.
Tip!
Considering a dimmer switch? Review How to Install a Dimmer Switch to learn more about the process.
Tips for Choosing a Switch
- Consider Ease of Use: Think about which light switch types and features would make your day-to-day life easier. Whether it's a pair of three-way switches so you can turn off a light from different locations or a smart-enabled light switch that you can control from your phone, there are so many convenient light switch options!
- Keep Style In Mind: You should also consider how different light switches will look in your home. Not only are rocker or smart-enabled switches more seamless to use, but they also have a sleek modern look that can bring your home up-to-date. Toggle switches and pull-chain switches offer a more classic look if you want to maintain a traditional feel in your home.
- Ensure the Light Switch Is Compatible With the Light Fixture Bulb: This is an important tip for choosing a light switch. Certain light switches may not be compatible with dimmer bulbs, LED bulbs, and other bulbs with different wattages. To ensure you choose the right light switch, browse by light bulb–compatibility, including LED, CFL, incandescent, halogen, florescent, or universal.
