This button could be the easiest way to control your smart home

Smart homes don't need to be complicated.

While the smartphone was once hailed as the hub for controlling all of your smart home devices, Amazon's Echo has shown with Alexa that voice commands are more intuitive.

Logitech thinks controlling smart homes should be as simple as a press of a button. Or two presses. Or a long press.

The company's new Logi Pop Home Switch is just that: a button. The 2.5- x 2.5-inch button comes in four different colors and connects to various smart home platforms and devices including Philips Hue, Insteon, SmartThings, WeMo, LIFX, Lutron and more.

The starter kit comes with two buttons and a connection bridge for $99.99. Each additional button costs $39.99.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

The buttons can be programmed to turn on your a specific smart home device like a light bulb or a speaker, and a function can be assigned to a single press, double press and a long press.

In a demo, Logitech showed me how the Pop's three different presses can trigger different preset "moods" or "scenes."

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

For example, a single press could turn on the lights, a double press could turn on the lights and the speaker and a long press could turn on your entire Batman command center (lights, TV, speakers an all).

Enabling one-touch smart home automation, like in the latter scenario, however, will require a Logitech Harmony hub-based remote (sold separately) to control entertainment device like TVs, set-top boxes, sound systems and even Sonos devices.

Assigning smart devices and connecting devices is done through the Logi Pop app for iOS and Android. It looked simple enough.

I've yet to try the Pop Home Switch, but if it's as easy as Logitech makes it seem, it could be a simple non-voice-activated smart home switch that the smart home needs. Sometimes the best things are the simplest things.