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The satisfying click: Why vintage push-button light switches should make a comeback [1]

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Date: 2025-07-28

These vintage push-button light switches look extremely satisfying to use. If I had them in my home there would be a little problem for the people I live with. The lights would constantly be flickering on and off because I wouldn't be able to resist the urge to push the button every time I walked by it.

Push-button light switches can be found in some older American homes. They operated on a simple yet ingenious principle. Each switch contained two buttons — one to close the electrical contacts (turning the light on) and another to open them (turning it off). When one button was pressed, it would automatically release the other button, creating a satisfying mechanical interaction that we don't get to experience with today's light switches.

While original push-button switches have largely disappeared from American homes, their distinctive aesthetic hasn't been totally lost to history. You can still buy carefully crafted reproductions of push-button light switches. I'm tempted to get one for my bedroom, where I can play with the light switch all day without disturbing the peace of the household.

See also: The death stairs of Pittsburgh





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