Wireless Two-Way Dimming: Add a Dimmer Anywhere

Two-way dimming — the same lights raised and lowered from two different switch positions — is one of the most useful things you can add to a room, and one of the most awkward to retrofit. The dimming is easy; getting a control cable to the second position is the hard part. This guide explains how to add true two-way and multi-way LED dimming to an existing circuit with no chasing, no rewiring and no extra cable, using trailing-edge Wise Fusion dimmers: a wired master on the cables you already have, plus wireless slaves you can place — or move — anywhere.

The Two-Way Dimming Problem

Picture a bedroom with a single dimmer by the door. You want to dim the same lights from the bedside too — a classic two-way arrangement. On a new build that is just an extra length of cable run back to a second switch box at first fix. In an existing room it is a different story: you would be lifting floors or chasing a channel across the wall to get a switch line to the bedside, making good the plaster, and redecorating afterwards. For one extra dimmer, it is rarely worth it.

The same problem shows up everywhere once you look for it — a landing you want to control from the top and bottom of the stairs, a hallway that should switch from either end, a living room where the sofa is nowhere near the door. Traditional two-way wiring needs a physical cable between every switch position and the load. Add a third position and the cabling multiplies again.

Wireless control removes that constraint. The lights still take their power feed as normal, but the command to dim no longer travels down a switch cable — it travels by radio. That is exactly what Wise Fusion does, and it is why you can add a second or third dimmer to an existing circuit in an afternoon.

Why LEDs Need the Right Dimmer

Before the wireless part, the dimmer itself has to be right for the load. Most modern homes are on dimmable LED, and LED does not behave like the old halogen or incandescent lamps that leading-edge dimmers were designed for. Put an LED load on the wrong dimmer and you get the familiar problems: flicker, buzz, a narrow usable range, or lamps that drop out or flash at the bottom of the dial.

Wise Fusion masters use trailing-edge electronic dimming, which is the technology suited to modern dimmable LED and low-wattage loads. It gives a smooth, flicker-free fade right down to a low level — the difference between a dimmer that technically works and one that actually looks good. The standard master is rated for 25–250W of LED; where a project uses 0/1-10V LED drivers, the 1-10V master drives those up to 450W.

How Wise Fusion Works

Wise Fusion splits the switch from the wiring. It is a two-part system — a wired master and one or more wireless slaves — that share a single 868.3 MHz radio network with the rest of the Wise Controls range.

The wired master

The master is a trailing-edge dimmer that replaces your existing plate switch. It goes on the same back box and the same cables — no re-chasing walls — and dims the circuit straight away with three buttons per gang: on/off, raise and lower. On its own it is simply a very good LED dimmer. Its extra trick is that it also listens for radio.

The wireless slaves

A slave is a battery-powered switch that talks to the master over radio. It needs no mains wiring at all, so it goes wherever you want the second control — the far end of a hallway, either side of a bed, or by the living-room sofa — and it can be moved later without lifting a floorboard. Because the link is radio rather than a switch cable, you get true two-way and multi-way dimming without pulling a single extra wire. Add up to 16 switches to one receiver, and adjust the lights from any of them with all positions staying in sync.

That is the behaviour in the demo above: the wired master and the wireless slave both drive the same two circuits, and moving either one updates both.

Wise Fusion Products

Wise Fusion is a mix-and-match range — build anything from a single retrofit dimmer to a whole-house scene system on the same platform. Here is how the pieces fit together. Every item below links straight to the product, and the range links go to the full Wise Fusion listing.

Wired Masters

The master is the heart of the system — the trailing-edge dimmer that replaces the existing switch and does the actual dimming. Choose a 1-gang or 2-gang master to match the number of circuits at that position, in white or a solid-metal finish to suit the room.

Browse Wise Fusion Masters

Wireless Slaves

The slaves are what make it two-way. Each is a battery-powered radio switch that pairs to a master and needs no wiring — fix it to any wall or leave it loose. A 1- or 2-gang slave adds a second dimming position; a 7-channel slave stores four scenes plus master raise and lower, driving several circuits from one plate.

Browse Wise Fusion Slaves

Switching & Scene Kits

If you want the whole two-way solution in a single order line, the ready-matched kits pair a master with the right slave: a straight 2-way switching kit, a switching-scene kit, or a remote-scene kit. Order one line and you have both ends of the circuit.

Browse All Wise Fusion Products

Scenes & Multi-Way

Two-way dimming is where most people start, but the same platform scales a long way further. Because a single Fusion receiver pairs with up to 16 switches and stores up to 64 scenes, you are not limited to a second position — you can add a third and fourth, or move up to full scene control.

A 7-channel slave, for example, sets downlights, wall lights, pendants and LED strip to preset levels on a single press — an everyday scene, a dinner scene, a film-night scene. A keyfob or an entrance button can fire a "master off" for the whole house as you leave. And because Fusion shares one radio network with the rest of the Wise range, a Fusion master will also answer to any Wise keypad, remote or keyfob, and sit alongside Wise Box and Wise Scene products on the same system. Add a Wise Daisy hub later and you get app, Alexa and Google voice control on top, with your existing masters and slaves working exactly as before.

Two-Way Dimming FAQ

Can I add two-way dimming without running a new cable?

Yes — that is the whole point of Fusion. The wired master goes on your existing switch cables, and the second position is a wireless slave that needs no mains wiring at all. It is the tidiest way to add two-way or multi-way dimming to an existing circuit, with no chasing walls.

Does the wireless slave need batteries?

Yes — each wireless slave runs on a small long-life battery. It only draws power when you press a button, so it lasts a long time between changes. That is what lets it be completely wireless: mount it, or move it around the room whenever you like.

Is it suitable for LED?

Yes. Wise Fusion masters use trailing-edge electronic dimming, the right technology for modern dimmable LED and low-wattage loads — smooth and flicker-free. The standard master handles 25–250W; the 1-10V master drives 0/1-10V LED drivers up to 450W.

How many switches and scenes can one dimmer take?

A single Fusion receiver pairs with up to 16 switches and stores up to 64 scenes. A 7-channel slave gives four scenes plus master raise and lower, controlling several circuits from one plate.

Will Fusion work with my other Wise switches?

Yes. The whole Wise range shares one 868.3 MHz radio network, so a Fusion master can be triggered from any Wise keypad, remote or keyfob and sit alongside Wise Box receivers and Wise Scene keypads on the same system.

Choosing between systems? Our guide to dimming controls compares the main options, and What Is Scene Setting? covers storing lighting moods on a single keypad.