What Do Smart Light Bulbs Do?
Light bulbs have grown exponentially smarter in recent years. You can now replace your standard incandescent bulb with a variety of connected solutions you can control with just a few taps on your smartphone or tablet. Some also connect some with smartwatches and fitness trackers as well as virtual assistants, so they can be controlled from your wrist or with just the sound of your voice. But with so many options flooding the smart home market, which one is right for you? We’ve rounded up our highest-rated smart bulbs, along with some points to consider while shopping, to help you decide.
How Much Do Smart Bulbs Cost?
Smart bulbs use light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and a variety of technologies to work, so they are more expensive than traditional bulbs. That’s important to keep in mind, especially if you want to upgrade your entire house. But smart bulbs also use less energy and last a lot longer—meaning you can save money in the long run. And as you can see, most of the options on this list fall well below $100, so the price of entry isn’t as steep as it used to be a couple of years ago. You can now even find sub-$10 options, including the Philips Wiz and Wyze Bulb, two of our favorites.
Color and Luminance
Some of the bulbs on this list are just white, while others have the ability to take on any color of the rainbow. Color is a fun way to add atmosphere to your home, but often results in a pricier bulb.
Most of the smart bulbs we review are marketed as equivalent to 60-watt incandescent models, which sounds self-explanatory, but some bulbs are brighter than others. To see just how bright a light is, you need to look at the lumens it puts out (listed in the table below): the more lumens, the brighter the light. But even then, the light can disperse in a narrow beam or distribute brightness in a wide swath, so make sure to read the reviews to find out how each bulb works.
Another factor to keep in mind is color temperature. Higher temperatures, like 8,500K, look like harsh office lighting, which is fine for staying awake or working. Lower temperatures, like 2,500K, translate to a cozy, warm glow that’s perfect for relaxing.
How Do You Control Smart Light Bulbs?
Since you’ll mostly be controlling these lights from your phone or tablet, you want to make sure that it’s easy to do. If you have multiple bulbs, for instance, you’ll want a companion app that lets you easily arrange them in groups, and adjust the brightness and/or color of an entire group at one time. Do you have a smart display or smart speaker? Look for a bulb that works with Alexa or Google Assistant so you can control it with your voice.
Of course, any bulb plugged into a socket can always be turned on or off by just flipping the switch. We pay close attention to how each app works, and provide a detailed overview in each review.
Smart Bulb Features
Smart bulbs offer a degree of control and interactivity you just can’t get with traditional bulbs, like scheduled timers and remote control options. They’re also more convenient; it’s easier to tap on a smartphone screen than to get up and trudge over to a wall switch.
Aside from keeping you out of the dark, most of the bulbs listed here can be scheduled or controlled remotely, which is great if you want to save on energy costs or you often forget to turn off the lights before leaving the house. Some bulbs use geofencing, which means they work with the GPS in your smartphone to pinpoint your exact location, and can automatically turn the lights on or off when you get home or leave the house. Color-changing bulbs are great for mood lighting, and some can even sync up with certain movies and TV shows.
As touched on, some bulbs hook up with Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s HomeKit, or Google Assistant, so you can control your home lighting with your voice. You can also integrate some of the bulbs on this list with security cameras, thermostats, and other smart home devices. If This Then That (IFTTT) compatibility lets you create recipes that automatically cause your lights to react to certain triggers, like phone notifications or changes in weather.
Right now we don’t recommend bulbs that do double-duty as a speaker, as we haven’t found any particularly good ones in testing.
Do Smart Bulbs Need a Hub?
There’s one more important factor to keep in mind. Some smart bulbs need to connect to your smartphone through a home automation hub like the Philips Hue Bridge. Other bulbs cut out the middleman and connect to your phone or tablet directly via Wi-Fi, while some connect with Bluetooth, but in that case, you’re limited to control only when you’re within Bluetooth range, which means you can’t change the lights when you’re away from home. Adding a hub also means spending a bit more money and requires an additional step in the installation process.
With all that in mind, we’ve gathered the best smart bulbs we’ve tested here. Depending on your needs, any of these options can help you connect your home lighting to more than just a wall switch.
For more ways to bring tech into your house, check out our favorite smart home devices overall. And for a simple, affordable way to bring smart features to your existing light bulbs, see our story on the best smart plugs.
