Smart LED bulbs are one of the easiest ways to upgrade your home with intelligent lighting solutions that are both practical and fun. These bulbs that change color allow you to personalize your space with vibrant RGB color options, a comfortable warm white or any light color that you can imagine. They are compatible with popular systems like Google Home and can operate transparently with smart switches and other lighting switches, making it a key element in your domestic configuration.
With the control of the application, you can adjust the brightness (no need for a separate gradator), define the schedules and even program lights to turn on or extinguish under certain conditions, such as when you connect to your domestic network. Whether you put lights for the cinema evening, you create a relaxing atmosphere or add a touch of color to your room, these smart lighting solutions are easy to install and surprisingly affordable.
What to look for in intelligent bulbs
Connectivity (at hub or not hub)
One of the biggest calls for smart lighting solutions is to be able to control them from your phone. Most of them are able to do so by connecting to it via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, or via an external concentrator, which manages the connection for them. Bluetooth connectivity limits the beach in which you can control the light, so it is the best for a limited number of bulbs and those that you do not expect to control when you are absent.
The bulbs that change Wi-Fi colors are easy to install and can be cheaper overall because they don’t need a hub to connect them. However, having something like a central zigbee center can make your whole system more reliable because its connection is distinct from the network of your home. For this reason, centers -based bulbs tend to be more extensible, so we recommend them mainly if you may want to have dozens of smart lights around your home.
White or color?
Most bulbs that change color that you will find today are “white and colored” bulbs, which means that they can shine in vibrant RGB color options such as blues, roses, green and all Stay, as well as shine with different white temperatures. But there are white bulbs, and they are often a little more affordable than their colored counterparts. Although we recommend climbing for white and colored devices, if you only prefer white, make sure you get a bulb that can spread over the color temperature spectrum (usually about 2000 to 5000 Kelvin) , offering you different levels of fresh and hot white light.
Application characteristics
One of the advantages of intelligent lighting solutions is the amount of control you have on them thanks to their various applications control capacities. Most companion applications allow you to do things like defining lighting hours and timers, group together individual lights in room designations and create your own personalized lighting “scenes” with different RGB options. But we have seen other features that are not as omnipresent such as vacation mode to automatically turn on the lights to improve your domestic safety, and synchronize with the media, which modifies the light colors according to music Whether you listen to or from the game that you are currently live.
Compatibility of smart homes
If you regularly use an intelligent assistant like Amazon Alexa or the Google assistant, make sure that smart lights or smart switches work with your favorite. All the bulbs we tested supported the Amazon and Google virtual assistants, allowing you to use voice commands to turn on and turn off the lights, spectfully spect on a virtual gradator and more. The Joker here is Siri and Homekit d’Apple; Although many smart bulbs have added homekit support, not all lights are compatible with Apple’s intelligent house system.
Extension
We have referred to this above, but you will want to consider the number of smart lights you possibly want in your home. Certain brands and lighting systems are easier to develop than others, and we generally recommend that you go for hub -based bulbs if you plan to put smart lights in each room in your home. If you only seek to decorate your home office or your living room with bulbs that change whimsical color, Wi-Fi options should serve you well. Fortunately, these are some of the most affordable smart home devices you can get, so even if you don’t have a clear answer to this question now, you can reconsider your options in the end if you decide to Equipment your home with several smart bulbs.
Other smart bulbs that we have tested
Nanole smarter kit
Although we have recommended the smarter kits of Nanoleaf in the guides in the past, they are a little more niche than other smart lights on this list. The best they are to add a thrust to your living room or your playing configuration because they come in different forms such as hexagons and triangles and can synchronize with music. In addition to different colors, light entertainment and times, Nanoleaf’s intelligent kits also support Amazon Alexa and Google Voice Amazon commands.
Faq
What is the best intelligent bulb for Alexa?
There is no better smart bulb for Alexa. Amazon does not make its own intelligent bulbs (as it does for intelligent plugs and thermostats), but there are rather dozens of intelligent lights made by third parties that work with Alexa – including all those we have tested. Before choosing the best intelligent bulb for you, be sure to check the vocal assistants that suitors support. You will find that most of the smart bulbs available today work with Alexa and Amazon’s Google assistant, and many of them also have Siri and Apple Homekit management.
Can you put a smart bulb in any lamp?
Intelligent bulbs can enter most modern lights – but just like regular bulbs, they must be the right shape / size for the lighting. A standard A19 intelligent bulb should function properly in most paintings, soil and other lamps. If you have a luminaire that takes a specific bulb type, search for intelligent bulbs that will suit properly.
Do smart bulbs use electricity when they are disabled?
Intelligent bulbs use a negligible amount of electricity when their accessories are disabled. This is due to the fact that the intelligent bulb must remain in constant contact with the internet connection of your home or Bluetooth in order to function properly. However, their benefits of energy saving it generally prevail over the small amount of energy that they consume even in the event of extinguished.
This article originally appeared on engadget to