The Best Smart Light Bulbs
Smart light bulbs are here, and they're here to stay. These devices look similar to any regular LED light bulb, but hidden inside their exteriors are smart chips and WiFi receivers. Whether you control them with your phone or command them with your voice, smart light bulbs can totally customize your day-to-day lighting preferences. Here, we've come up with a list of the best of the best.
What to Look For
To stay on top of the smart device revolution, we decided to find the best smart bulbs by looking for options with easy setups, wide compatibilities, reliable connections, adjustable colors, and illuminating brightnesses. With these qualities in mind, our favorite smart bulb is from Philips, as their A19 white-and-color hue option offers fast and steady syncing and a wide color range. But if you want the speediest setup, we recommend going with our pick from Philips. Still, there’s a lot to consider, so keep reading for our in-depth reviews.
Philips Hue A19, White and Color Ambiance
The cutting edge
Philips has expanded to become one of the world’s biggest electronics companies, and their very first product was light bulbs. Now, Philips is changing with the times. They’ve designed the best smart bulb that money can buy. This versatile two-bulb pack is controllable with Google and Alexa products, so it’s a safe bet that your phone will sync right up. Better yet, the color range that these bulbs offer is astonishing. With 16 million vibrant color hues from which to choose, you can set the mood for any setting. And best of all? Setup is as simple as screwing in the bulb and pairing it to your device using the free app – no hub needed.
Pros
- Rated to last up to 22 years or 25,000 hours, so it’s both environmentally friendly and super reliable.
- You can control it using voice commands or the Philips Hue Bluetooth App.
- The various uses include dimming lights, changing the hue, and setting timers.
Cons
- Without one of the compatible hubs, the features are limited: you won’t be able to sync the lights with an entertainment center or make an automated lighting schedule.
- Pretty expensive, but the long life expectancy of 22 years makes it worth the investment.
Lumiman Smart WiFi Light Bulb
Illuminate your life
Usually, we expect cheaper options to have super limited functionality. Such is not the case with Lumiman. These affordable bulbs shine with all the colors of the rainbow and offer all the latest and greatest features in the world of smart bulbs at a fraction of competitors’ prices. Yes, you can set timers to adapt the hue and brightness levels to your sleep schedule. And indeed, this pick offers responsive voice commands through whichever voice assistant you use. Best of all, these bulbs offer group controls, so everyone in the family can tap into the control grid.
Pros
- The low price makes rigging up your house with several of these bulbs an affordable enterprise.
- Includes tons of great features, such as programmable on/off schedules, 16 million hue settings, and group controls, which typically come at a higher price
- Connects via WiFi rather than Bluetooth, which is generally more reliable.
Cons
- No “memory,” so it will reset if there is a power outage or the lamp is disconnected from the power source.
- The Lumiman App isn’t as effective as third-party apps, such as SmartLIFE.
Kasa Smart Light Bulb
Pick your power
If you don’t plan on throwing multicolored light parties but still desire customizable lighting, Kasa has got you covered. For an unbeatable price, this bulb offers a wide range of brightness intensities. And don’t worry, it’s not stark white like an operating room; instead, the soft white hue has a touch of warmth to it, so it fits right in with your living room decor. That comfortable lighting can be programmed to match your schedule (a big deal for those that need a little extra kick of bright light in the morning to get out of bed). Better yet, it’s easy to set up via WiFi and will even perform automatic firmware updates. The Kasa smart bulb brings wireless convenience to the world of classic lighting.
Pros
- The range of brightness is vast, from a super dim nightlight to extremely bright.
- Another affordable option, this bulb, can modernize a living room on the cheap.
- Although it doesn’t sport colors, the hue is a bit warm, so it’s not too harsh.
- One of the easiest setups we’ve come across – you can get everything synced within minutes using the app.
Cons
- Another option that’s limited without a hub, though it still offers all the essential features.
Philips Hue A19 Smart Bulb (White Ambiance)
Screw it in and sync it up
How many Alexas does it take to screw in a light bulb? Unfortunately, your virtual assistant can’t do the manual installation for you, but once the bulb is screwed in, she can connect to your new smart bulb in a snap. Another win for Philips, this device is “Certified for Humans” since the setup, configuration, and user controls are intuitive for anyone from the genus homo. Actually, all smart bulbs from Philips are hassle-free to install. That’s thanks to the fantastic Philips Hue app, which offers fast Bluetooth syncing and a user-friendly interface.
Pros
- A reliable and quality bulb from a reputable company, this pick is built to last as long as 22 years.
- Designed for a struggle-free setup.
- The Philips Hue App can add your preferred voice assistant to the system.
Cons
- A bit on the pricey side, though with such a long lifespan, these bulbs can save money in the long run.
Frequently Asked Questions
I’m struggling to connect my bulb. I thought this was supposed to be easy. What am I doing wrong?
The most common problem that people encounter when installing these smart bulbs is related to the WiFi connection. Many routers these days emit two different WiFi signals that you can connect to: 2.4GHz and 5GHz. And although most smart bulbs can only connect to a 2.4GHz frequency, most smartphones automatically connect to the 5GHz frequency. Thus, fixing the problem may be as simple as switching your phone’s WiFi connection.
When you scan for the internet with your phone, you should see your WiFi ID listed twice, one with “5G” and one with “2.4G” or “2G”. Try switching your phone to the 2.4GHz signal and try again. If that doesn’t work, disconnect your phone from the network entirely and try linking the bulb again. If it syncs, you can reconnect your phone to WiFi.
Do I need a hub to use a smart bulb?
You’ve probably noticed that a lot of these smart bulbs claim that they work without a hub. Although a central hub isn’t necessary for basic controls, it can open up a world of advanced features and possibilities. For example, many of the hubs can make your smart bulbs pulse to the beat of a song and change their hue to match the mood of a movie. Some even let you control the lights when you’re away from home and turn them off when you leave the house. Best of all, a hub allows you to set intricate light schedules that adapt to your lighting preferences throughout the week.
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