Best Smart Light Bulbs
Cree offers an inexpensive, functional, light bulbs for SmartThings. These come in daylight or soft white, and as a standalone bulb or six-pack. Wtth a 25,000 hour rated life, these are guaranteed to brighten your room. In addition to being SmartThings compatible light bulbs, Cree Connected bulbs work with Amazon Echo devices, Wemo, Wink, and ZigBee hubs. Best Smart Light Bulbs If you want to dive into smart home technology, then you should start with the start smart lighting with smart light bulbs. Well, smart bulbs are not supposed to answer your questions, they are called smart, because their controlling system is no longer restricted by the near switch any more.
We’re planning to review Signify’s newly announced Philips Hue with Bluetooth, which doesn’t require a hub for adjustments. Be sure to also read our separate post about Works with Nest.
Your guide
Grant Clauser
We researched more than 20 smart LED bulbs and spent eight weeks testing 10 contenders to decide that Philips Hue is the best way to convert existing lamps and lights into smart lights without swapping out existing switches, and the Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance A19 kit is the best way to start. Hue’s top-of-class customizability, reliable mesh network, and large ecosystem—which includes support for all major smart-home platforms and many accessories—stand out among its increasingly cheaper, less-established competition.
Our pick
Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance A19 Starter Kit
This system is the best to get started in smart lighting, is easily expandable, and works with all major voice-control platforms including Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $135.
Philips Hue A19 smart light bulbs (the kind that fit traditional lamps and fixtures) make it easy to create vibrant, colorful scenes; set up wake, sleep, and away automations; and integrate with motion sensors and wireless switches from its wide family of accessories. It also supports most other smart-home systems, including Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Samsung SmartThings, and Works with Nest. And because it works separately from your home’s Wi-Fi on its own mesh network, it’s more reliable than most systems. The downside to this approach is that Hue needs a separate Hue Bridge, but this doesn’t add to the overall cost if you buy it with a starter kit—we recommend the White and Color Ambiance A19 Starter Kit. (Alternatively, the Echo Plus has a built-in bridge.) Hue is not the cheapest option (additional color-capable bulbs are about $50 a pop, and white bulbs are about $12 and $15 each depending on how many you buy), but its reliable performance and wide compatibility make it a solid choice for any smart-home enthusiast or newbie.
Advertisement
Runner-up
LIFX A19
This Wi-Fi bulb doesn’t require an additional hub or gateway, so it’s good if you need only one bulb; the app is easy to use and the bulbs are the brightest of all color-changing bulbs.
Buying Options
If you’re set on a color-changing bulb, but insist on more light output, the LIFX A19 is brighter than any A19 smart bulb we tried. LIFX bulbs connect directly to your Wi-Fi network, so they don’t need an additional gateway or hub, which also means you can buy one bulb to get started—no need for a starter kit. LIFX bulbs work with several smart-home systems, including Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and HomeKit, though not as many as Hue bulbs. LIFX offers a variety of light styles in addition to the standard A19 bulbs, but the family isn’t nearly as large as Hue, which might be important to people who plan to expand their lighting system. Because LIFX relies on Wi-Fi, how reliable its bulbs are depends on how good your network is. It also makes them less whole-house friendly (especially if you have a large home) than Hue, which uses a Zigbee mesh network.
Budget pick
Sengled Element Color Plus
An inexpensive smart bulb system that’s good for people who want easily controllable lights, but don’t expect to expand much.
Buying Options
Not everyone wants to drop $50 or more per bulb just to turn a light on with their smartphone. Sengled’s Element Color Plus system’s bulbs will shed light for a fraction of the price. They’re pretty bright (though not as bright as Hue or LIFX), come in white and color-adjustable versions and connect via a Zigbee network and a hub. The app is easy to use and includes a few preselected lighting settings, and they work with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, but not Apple HomeKit.
But smart bulbs are just one way to make your lights smart. If you’re comfortable replacing switches, an in-wall dimmer might be a better option if you’re able to make permanent installations in your home, especially if you frequently have guests who are unfamiliar with voice- or phone-controlled lighting. Or if you want more versatility beyond lighting, you could experiment with plug-in switches.
Best Smart Light Bulbs 2016
More smart home lighting ideas
Smart Light Bulbs How They Work
The Best Plug-In Smart Outlet
There are so many great smart plug options out there, but after two years, we still think the Wemo Mini is the most reliable and versatile overall.