Lutron RadioRA 3 offers new options for installers and homeowners
Lutron RadioRA 3 opens new possibilities. One of the popular options for a smart home is intelligent lighting, and the leader in this sector is Lutron. These systems add significant practicality, aesthetic advantages, and efficiency benefits to a home. Typically, they are operated via attractive on-wall controllers or within an app. Much of the functionality also happens automatically, pre-programmed to suit different times of the day or events. Prestige Audio is proud to be one of the longest standing authorised installers of Lutron with over 20 years experience.
So far, so good. However, unless the house was undergoing refurbishment or was being built from scratch, these systems could be challenging to install. The need to ‘pull wire’—associated with the operation of these systems—meant the disruption put customers off. Lutron has come up with a clever solution to this issue with a new platform called RadioRA 3.
RadioRA 3 A Step Change
Lutron does not release new products frequently, preferring to rely on proven technology that systems installers and homeowners trust. So, when it does bring something new to market, the industry takes notice. The new RadioRA 3 has caught everyone’s eye!
The company has launched its new platform, RadioRA 3, introducing a system that sits between its existing solutions: HomeWorks and RA 2.
HomeWorks QSX is the flagship product, designed for the largest and most high-end homes. It’s an excellent system, but the costs can mount up, particularly for larger properties. RadioRA 2 is the ‘entry-level’ system—a great introduction to smart lighting but limited in the number of circuits it can support. RadioRA 3 sits in the sweet spot between these. The new offering delivers the chance to invest in smart lighting at a different price to HomeWorks, with little compromise in performance or finish. This also comes without much of the disruption associated with fitting a new lighting system.
Before RadioRA 3s release, if you wanted to add smart lighting to a home without disruption, wireless systems were an option. However, these could be restrictive in terms of the number of devices they supported and could suffer from reliability issues— a no-go for integrators like us, as bombproof reliability is a must. In this new platform, Lutron’s own highly reliable Clear Connect RF wireless technology has been introduced at a new price point, allowing whole systems to communicate seamlessly without the disruption of rewiring. The only visible change for homeowners—apart from their beautiful and intelligent lighting, of course—will be new controllers where the old light switches were.
Other attractive additions
Lutron has also released a new line of wall controllers called Vierti—a stylish range designed specifically for the UK. Vierti reflects European design sensibilities, drawing inspiration from movements such as Bauhaus, strongly embracing the principle of form following function. In short, Vierti delivers retrofittable simplicity in an elegant form.
Also launched was Lumaris RGB + Tunable White Tape Light—a simple yet effective way to add mood and accent lighting. This intelligent ‘tape’ can be added to joinery, coffered ceilings, or under surfaces—with no need to pull new wiring.
All of these new products use Lutron’s Clear Connect RF technology, providing a reliable, attractive, and fully retrofittable system at a new price point for this well-respected brand—great news!