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. 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. 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 above): 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 an Amazon Echo or Google Home? 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 reach a certain point. 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, like the LIFX models. Others 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 adding another step to 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 is a good place to get started in connecting 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. Sengled Smart Wi-Fi LED Multicolor Review MSRP: $24.99 at Pros: Reasonably priced. No hub required. Good color quality. Works with Alexa and Google Assistant. Supports IFTTT. Power usage reports.Cons: Lacks Apple HomeKit support. Limited third-party integrations.Bottom Line: The Sengled Smart Wi-Fi LED is a reasonably priced color light bulb that connects directly to your Wi-Fi network and can be controlled with your phone or voice, without the need for a hub.Read Review Eufy Lumos Smart Bulb White and Color Review MSRP: $34.99 at Pros: No hub required. Lots of color and ambience options. Voice control via Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.Cons: Little support for third-party integration. Slightly below average lifespan.Bottom Line: The Eufy Lumos Smart Bulb White and Color is a simple and relatively affordable way to add color-changing lighting to your home.Read Review Philips Hue White Review MSRP: $14.95 at Pros: Relatively affordable. Easy setup. Bright light. Lots of features.Cons: Requires a hub. White only. Bottom Line: The Philips Hue White is the best way to bring smart lighting to your home on a reasonable budget.Read Review Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance A19 Starter Kit Review MSRP: $199.99 at Pros: Highly customizable. Better blues and greens, with improved color consistency, brightness, and longevity over previous bulbs. More intuitive app experience. Lots of fun third-party integrations. Cons: Expensive. Setting Routines could be easier.Bottom Line: The third-generation Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance A19 Starter Kit is costly, but remains the ultimate way to get started with smart lighting in your home. Read Review Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance Lily Outdoor Spot Light Kit Review MSRP: $279.99 at Pros: Easy to install. Sleek, sturdy enclosures. Works with multiple voice command platforms. Lots of third-party integrations.Cons: Expensive. Requires Hue bridge.Bottom Line: The Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance Lily Outdoor Spot Light Kit makes it easy to bring mood lighting to your yard and garden.Read Review Pros: Relatively inexpensive. Simple setup. Design diffuses light. Cons: Requires a hub. Doesn't work well with dimmer switches.Bottom Line: The Cree Connected LED brings smart lighting to the masses with an affordable bulb that's simple to set up and control, and casts a very pleasant white light. Read Review Pros: No hub needed. Remote Wi-Fi access. Voice control via Amazon Alexa. Simple, well-designed app.Cons: Large size for small fixtures. Lacks third-party integrations.Bottom Line: The Eufy Lumos is a standalone Wi-Fi smart bulb you can control from anywhere using your phone. It works without a hub, and at $20, it's a good way to try out smart lighting.Read Review Pros: Bright. Rich colors. Easy setup. No hub required. Amazon Alexa, Nest, and IFTTT integration. Highly responsive app. Cons: Expensive. No Apple HomeKit compatibility.Bottom Line: The LIFX Color 1000 is a bright, colorful, and easy-to-use smart bulb that connects via Wi-Fi without the need for a hub, but it comes at a steep price.Read Review Pros: Relatively affordable. Comes with remote control. Hub design hides cords. Intuitive app.Cons: Can only be controlled when on the same Wi-Fi network. No integration with other smart home devices or systems (yet). Bottom Line: Ikea's Tradfri Gateway Kit is an accessible smart lighting solution for beginners, but lacks some of the integration and convenience you get with competing light bulbs. Read Review Pros: Works without a hub. Easy to install. Vibrant colors. Supports Alexa and Google voice commands. Can be added to Hue ecosystem. Cons: Expensive. Requires Hue Bridge for remote access and to use other Hue features.Bottom Line: The Philips Hue Bluetooth White and Color Ambiance is a smart LED bulb that you can control with your phone and voice without the need for a hub-that is, unless you want to control it from a remote location or make it work with other smart devices. Read Review

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