Lutron or Rako? Choosing Lighting Control for a London Home

Lutron or Rako? Both are excellent lighting control systems, and the right one depends on your house more than on the brand. As a rule, Lutron suits homes that want the widest choice of keypads and blinds that move with the lighting, while Rako suits renovations and period properties where flexibility and value matter most.

We install and programme both across London and the Home Counties, so we have no reason to push one over the other. This guide sets out how they differ, where each one works best, and the questions that usually settle the choice in a few minutes.

Lutron or Rako at a glance

Here is how the two compare on the points London homeowners ask us about most.

Neither is a budget system and neither is a gamble. Most of the difference comes down to the look of the keypads, how the house is built, and whether motorised shades are part of the plan.

When Lutron is the better choice

Lutron is the lighting name architects and interior designers ask for. The reasons are usually visible on the wall: its Palladiom and Alisse keypads are engraved and come in metal, glass and colour matched finishes, and in a finished London interior that detail matters.

• You want blinds and lighting as one. Lutron shades move in near silence and sit in the same scenes as the lights, so Dinner can dim the room and lower the blinds together.
• It is a larger house or a new build. HomeWorks is Lutron's flagship for bigger homes, with the capacity and wiring options a large project needs.
• It is a renovation or apartment. RadioRA 3 is wireless, so keypads and dimmers can be added room by room without opening up walls.
• Your designer has specified it. If the lighting design and keypad schedule already assume Lutron, staying with it keeps everyone on the same page.

Our Lutron page covers the systems we install, and the Lutron installer page for London covers how we work across the city.

When Rako is the better choice

Rako is British made and is one of the most popular lighting control systems in UK homes. Its strength is flexibility: the same system can be wireless in one part of the house and wired in another.

• A period property you do not want to chase out. Wireless Rako dimmers fit behind existing switch plates with no new control cabling, which is ideal for a Georgian or Victorian townhouse with original plaster and cornicing.
• A full refurbishment or new build. Wired Rako puts the dimmers and relays in a central cupboard. Rako's own wired RAK application sheet shows the keypads and modules linked on Cat5 data cable, either daisy chained or star wired, with RAK8 units holding eight modules each.
• You want to start small. Rako is easy to extend room by room, so you can begin with the kitchen and living room and add more later.
• You are replacing an old system. Rako is one of the systems we use to replace JCL FlexiDim on the existing wiring, because FlexiDim was usually star wired back to one location.

See our Rako page and the Rako installer page for London for more, or our guide to replacing JCL FlexiDim if that is your starting point. We are an accredited Rako installer.

Lutron or Rako in a London house: what changes the answer

London work brings its own conditions, and they often decide the choice before the keypads do.

Period townhouses and listed buildings

Where walls and ceilings must be protected, wireless is the starting point. Both RadioRA 3 and wireless Rako avoid new control cables, so the question becomes which keypad look suits the rooms and whether the windows need motorised shades.

Mansion flats and apartments

Building managers often limit how much work can be done and when. A wireless system with a short installation is easier to get approved, and both brands offer one.

Basement conversions and new build penthouses

When the walls are open, a wired system is the more robust long term choice: HomeWorks or wired Rako, with the dimming equipment in a ventilated cupboard and keypads on data cable. Plan this before first fix, because adding it later costs far more.

Homes with a wider smart home system

If Crestron or Control4 already runs the music, cinema and heating, both Lutron and Rako can sit underneath it, so the lighting appears on the same touch screens and app. Our comparison of home automation systems covers that wider choice.

Five questions that usually settle it

1. Are the walls open or finished? Finished walls point to wireless; open walls make wired an option.
2. Do you want motorised blinds or curtains? If shading is central to the design, Lutron's shades are a strong reason to choose it.
3. Which keypads do you, or your designer, prefer? Look at real samples. Keypads are touched every day and are the part of the system you will notice most.
4. How big is the house, and will it grow? Both scale well, but Rako's room by room approach suits a phased project.
5. Is there an existing system to replace or extend? Extending what is there, or reusing its wiring, can save a lot of disruption.

Whichever you choose, the quality of the design and programming matters more than the logo. Good lighting control has the right dimming curve for each LED fitting, sensible fade times, and scenes named the way you actually live. That is the part we spend most time on, and it is set out on our lighting control page for London.

Questions we are often asked

Is Lutron or Rako better for LED lights?

Both dim modern LED fittings well when the dimmer is matched to the fitting. We check each type of fitting during design and set the dimming curve for it during programming, which matters more than the brand.

Can I mix Lutron and Rako in the same house?

It is possible through a home automation system such as Crestron or Control4, but we rarely recommend it. One lighting system throughout is simpler to live with and to support.

Can lighting control be added without rewiring?

Yes. Lutron RadioRA 3 and wireless Rako both work with the existing wiring, so most rooms can be upgraded without chasing walls.

Do you support Lutron and Rako systems installed by other companies?

Yes. We take over, reprogramme and extend existing Lutron and Rako systems, and look after them through 1Install Care, with most support done remotely.

Which is cheaper, Lutron or Rako?

It depends on the system, the number of circuits and the keypads chosen, so we price each house rather than quote a rule. Our Quote Builder gives a room by room budget in a few minutes.

If you are planning work in a London home and want an honest view on Lutron or Rako, we are happy to look at your plans or visit and talk it through.

Book a consultation or call our head office on 01344 937999 (London office 0208 064 0196).