Lutron RA2 Select — Rick's Pick for Whole-Home Lighting
After 28 years of Lutron installs, RA2 Select is the tier I install at most luxury homes. 90% of what RadioRA3 does at 25-35% of the cost — and you can manage it yourself after install.
RA2 Select is the highest tier I install routinely
I install hundreds of Lutron systems and RA2 Select hits the sweet spot. It does 90% of what RadioRA3 does at 25-35% of the price. Whole-home dimming, scenes, occupancy sensors, native integration with Sonos zones via Picos, native HomeKit / Alexa / Google. The hardware ages 15-20 years. And — critically — the homeowner can manage scenes and add devices themselves from the Lutron app after install. That dealer-free maintenance is the part that makes it different from RA3.
The pitch
Lutron RA2 Select is a wireless lighting system for medium-to-large homes (up to ~100 devices, 50,000 sq ft). It uses Lutron's ClearConnect RF protocol — proprietary, very reliable, 50ms response from switch press to bulb. Every dimmer is rated for 15+ years of life. The system is hub-based: one Lutron Caseta Smart Bridge Pro 2 acts as the central controller for the whole house. Add devices to the hub via the Lutron app. Scenes, schedules, occupancy/vacancy automation — all configured from the app, no dealer required.
What's in a typical RA2 Select install
Lutron RA2 Select Main Repeater
The central hub. Connects to your network. Controls up to 100 devices across the entire RA2 Select system. One per home (in most cases).
RA2 Select In-Wall Dimmer
Replaces standard wall switches. Adjustable dimming curve per fixture. Fade-on, fade-off feels expensive. 600W or 1000W ratings.
Pico Keypad (3-button, 4-button, 5-button)
Tabletop or wall-mounted scene controllers. The killer feature — one button on a Pico can trigger "Movie Night" (dim 6 lights, lower shades, play Sonos cue) without touching the app.
Occupancy / Vacancy Sensors
Bathroom, hallway, closet, garage. Lights turn on when you enter, off when you leave. Genuinely changes how a house feels.
RA2 Select Fan Speed Control
Ceiling fan speed control via the same Pico keypads. Integrated with the rest of the lighting scenes.
Sivoia QS Wireless Shades (optional)
Lutron motorized shades that integrate natively with the RA2 Select system. Same Pico can control "Lights down + shades close" as one scene.
What an RA2 Select install actually costs
| Home size | Devices | Total cost installed | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2,500 sq ft | 20-30 dimmers + 6-8 Picos | $6,000-$10,000 | Whole-house dimming, basic scenes, 1-2 occupancy sensors |
| 4,000 sq ft | 35-50 dimmers + 10-15 Picos | $10,000-$16,000 | Full automation, multiple zones, 4-6 occupancy sensors, integrated shades |
| 6,000 sq ft | 60-80 dimmers + 18-25 Picos | $16,000-$22,000 | Loaded — every room, every closet, every closet has a sensor |
| 8,000+ sq ft | 80-100 devices | $22,000+ | At this scale, consider whether RA3 is worth the upgrade (it usually isn't) |
Pricing assumes professional installation. DIY is technically possible but you need to be comfortable with mains-voltage wiring. Most installs include 6-12 hours of labor for a Lutron Pro to configure scenes, sensors, and Sonos/Apple Home integration.
Strengths and weaknesses
✓ Where it wins
- Dimming quality is the best in the consumer market — silky smooth, no flicker, no audible buzz
- Hardware ages 15-20 years — Lutron switches from 2010 still work
- Pico keypads are the integration secret weapon — one button can trigger Sonos scenes, shade movements, and lighting all at once
- Homeowner can manage from app after install — no ongoing dealer dependency
- Native HomeKit, Alexa, Google integration
- Up to 100 devices per system — covers nearly every realistic luxury home
- Adjustable dimming curves per fixture (LED, CFL, incandescent, MLV)
✗ Where it loses
- Requires professional installation in most cases (mains wiring)
- $8K-$20K install price tag is real
- No color-changing — Lutron focuses on dimming, not color (use Hue for that)
- Hard cap at ~100 devices — very large homes (8,000+ sq ft loaded) hit the ceiling
- The Lutron app is functional, not flashy — no "smart home dashboard" eye candy
- Proprietary ClearConnect RF — devices are Lutron-only
When RA2 Select is the right pick
RA2 Select is the right pick if you have a 2,500-6,000 sq ft home, you want whole-house dimming with scenes and occupancy sensors, you don't want to be locked into a programmer-dependent control system, and you have $8K-$20K to spend. That covers a large portion of luxury homes in the US.
It's also the right pick if you're building or renovating — every room you wire is a room you control properly for the next 20 years. RA2 Select pairs especially well with Sonos audio (Picos can trigger Sonos zones) and Apple Home (every dimmer shows up natively).
When to step down to Caseta
If you only want to upgrade 5-15 switches and don't need to scale further, Caseta is the right answer. Same dimming quality, app-managed, $300-$2,000 DIY. The Caseta hub caps at ~75 devices total — fine for most small-to-medium homes.
When to step up to RadioRA3
RadioRA3 makes sense only in very specific cases: homes over 8,000 sq ft with 100+ devices, homes that need deeper integration with Crestron or Control4 systems, and homes where the owner specifically wants dealer-managed scene programming. See the full comparison for the deciding factors.
★ How to actually buy RA2 Select
RA2 Select is dealer-only — you can't buy it on Amazon. The hardware ships through Lutron Pro dealers who handle the install. If you're in the DC metro area, that's us at SWAT A/V — drop a note for a quote. Anywhere else, find a Lutron Pro Service Provider via Lutron's dealer locator. We don't earn affiliate commission on RA2 Select recommendations — we install it ourselves in DC, and recommend it for everyone else because it's the right hardware regardless of who does the install.