, , , , , , ,

The best smart LED light bulbs for 2024

A smart light bulb can totally change the feel of a room. With their ability to shine in millions of colors, change from warm to cool white light and more, smart light bulbs can help you set the mood for your next movie night, study session or gaming livestream. What’s better is that these are some of the most affordable smart home devices you can get (a single bulb can cost as little as $10), and they’re typically pretty easy to install — just screw it into your fixture and go. But there are dozens available now, making it hard to figure out which are actually worth your money. We’ve tested out a number of the most popular smart light bulbs, and other smart light fixtures, to figure out exactly that — these are our favorites.

One of the biggest appeals of smart lights is being 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 hub, which handles the connection for them. Bluetooth connectivity limits the range in which you’ll be able to control the light, so it’s only best for a limited number of bulbs and ones you don’t expect to control when you’re away.

Wi-Fi smart lights are easy to set up and can be cheaper overall since they don’t require a hub to connect them. However, having something like a central Zigbee hub can make your whole system more reliable since its connection is separate from your home’s Wi-Fi network. For that reason, hub-based bulbs tend to be more expandable, so we mainly recommend those if you want to eventually have dozens of smart lights around your home.

Most smart bulbs you’ll find today are “white and color” bulbs, meaning they can glow in vibrant blues, pinks, greens and everything in between, as well as shine with different temperatures of white. But there are some white-only bulbs out there, and they are often a bit more affordable than their color counterparts. While we recommend springing for the white-and-color devices, if you’d prefer white only, make sure you’re getting a bulb that can span the color temperature spectrum (typically from about 2000 to 5000 Kelvin), offering you various levels of warm and cool white light.

One of the perks of smart lights is the amount of control you have over them thanks to their various app-connected capabilities. Most companion apps let you do things like set lighting schedules and timers, group individual lights into room designations and create your own custom light “scenes” with different colors. But we have seen other features that aren’t as ubiquitous like vacation mode for automatically turning lights on and off to enhance your home security, and sync with media, which changes the colors of lights depending on the music you’re listening to or the game you’re currently live-streaming.

If you use a smart assistant like Amazon’s Alexa or the Google Assistant regularly, make sure the smart lights you get work with your favorite. All of the bulbs we tested supported both Amazon’s and Google’s virtual assistants, allowing you to use voice commands to turn lights on and off, dim them and more. The wildcard here is Siri and Apple’s HomeKit; while numerous smart bulbs have added HomeKit support, not all lights are compatible with Apple’s smart home system.

We alluded to this above, but you’ll want to consider how many smart lights you eventually want in your home. Some brands and lighting systems are easier to expand than others, and we generally recommend going for hub-based bulbs if you plan on putting smart lights in every room in your home. If you’re only looking to deck out your home office or living room with some fancy lights, Wi-Fi options should serve you well. Thankfully, 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 down the line if you do decide to outfit your home with multiple smart bulbs.

While we’ve recommended Nanoleaf’s Smarter Kits in guides in the past, they’re a bit more niche than other smart lights on this list. They’re best for adding flare to your living room or game-streaming setup as they come in different shapes like hexagons and triangles and can sync with music. In addition to different colors, light animations and schedules, Nanoleaf’s Smart Kits also support Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands.

There is no best smart light bulb for Alexa. Amazon doesn’t make its own smart bulbs (like it does for smart plugs and thermostats), but rather there are dozens of smart lights made by third-parties that work with Alexa — including all of the ones we tested. Before picking the best smart light bulb for you, make sure to check the voice assistants that the contenders support. You’ll find that most smart light bulbs available today work with Amazon’s Alexa and the Google Assistant, and plenty of them also have support for Apple’s Siri and HomeKit.

Smart light bulbs can go into most modern light fixtures — but just like regular bulbs, they need to be the right shape/size for the fixture. A standard A19 smart light bulb should work properly in most table, floor and other lamps. If you have a fixture that takes a specific type of bulb, look for smart bulbs that will fit properly.

Smart light bulbs do use a negligible amount of electricity when their fixtures are turned off. This is due to the fact that the smart bulb needs to stay in constant contact with your home’s internet connection or Bluetooth in order to work properly. However, their energy-saving benefits usually outweigh the small amount of power they consume even while turned off.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-smart-led-light-bulbs-143022856.html?src=rss

https://www.engadget.com/best-smart-led-light-bulbs-143022856.html?src=rss


July 2024
M T W T F S S
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
293031  

About Us

Welcome to encircle News! We are a cutting-edge technology news company that is dedicated to bringing you the latest and greatest in everything tech. From automobiles to drones, software to hardware, we’ve got you covered.

At encircle News, we believe that technology is more than just a tool, it’s a way of life. And we’re here to help you stay on top of all the latest trends and developments in this ever-evolving field. We know that technology is constantly changing, and that can be overwhelming, but we’re here to make it easy for you to keep up.

We’re a team of tech enthusiasts who are passionate about everything tech and love to share our knowledge with others. We believe that technology should be accessible to everyone, and we’re here to make sure it is. Our mission is to provide you with fun, engaging, and informative content that helps you to understand and embrace the latest technologies.

From the newest cars on the road to the latest drones taking to the skies, we’ve got you covered. We also dive deep into the world of software and hardware, bringing you the latest updates on everything from operating systems to processors.

So whether you’re a tech enthusiast, a business professional, or just someone who wants to stay up-to-date on the latest advancements in technology, encircle News is the place for you. Join us on this exciting journey and be a part of shaping the future.

Podcasts

TWiT 986: Our Dope GPS! – Supreme Court Decisions, Snapdragon X Elite Tests This Week in Tech (Audio)

Supreme Court Decisions, Snapdragon X Elite Tests Murthy Decision Should Not Foreclose Cases Against Actual First Amendment Violations What SCOTUS just did to broadband, the right to repair, the environment, and more Nearly 4,000 arrested in global police crackdown on online scam networks Mark Cuban's public email was hacked after receiving call from a fake Google rep The Julian Assange Saga Is Finally Over Microsoft's bundling of Office and Teams breaks antitrust law, EU says EU Competition Commissioner says Apple's decision to pull AI from EU shows anticompetitive behavior Microsoft says it's okay to steal content published on the web Microsoft's Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC is finally the best clamshell laptop on the market after 8 years of iterations Tested: Don't buy a Snapdragon X Elite laptop for PC gaming Signal 65 Snapdragon battery testing The RIAA's lawsuit against generative music startups will be the bloodbath AI needs Wherein The Copia Institute Asks The Second Circuit To Stand Up For Fair Use, The Internet Archive, And Why We Bother To Have Copyright Law At All Redbox's owner files for bankruptcy after repeatedly missing payments and payroll Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Cathy Gellis, Ryan Shrout, and Doc Rock Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: lookout.com 1password.com/twit
  1. TWiT 986: Our Dope GPS! – Supreme Court Decisions, Snapdragon X Elite Tests
  2. TWiT 985: TikTok With Wings – AT&T Landlines, US Bans Kaspersky and DJI
  3. TWiT 984: Fifty-three Clicks – Bot Farms in Ukraine, LA Public Health Dept. Phished
  4. TWiT 983: Digital Snackwells – NVIDIA's Thor, Adobe's TOS, Insta's Unskippable Ads
  5. TWiT 982: International Trash – Startup Chaos, Breaking Ticketmaster, Ultrasonic Coffee