Best Smart Bulbs 2023

A smart home is not defined by just the building, but the equipment in the home. One crucial item that says a lot about a smart home is the smart bulb. The smart bulb is necessary to own as they come with varying features. In this guide, we’ll look at the best smart bulbs for your smart homes. Read through this guide with keen interest to have a grasp of what smart bulbs to go for.

What is a Smart Bulb?

A smart bulb is an internet-capable LED light bulb that allows lighting to be customized, scheduled, and controlled remotely. Smart bulbs are among the most immediately successful offerings in the growing category of home automation and Internet of Things (IoT) products.

Do smart bulbs really work?

Smart bulbs really do work! They provide loads of convenience and entertainment around the home. LED lights are also a great upgrade from traditional incandescent bulbs thanks to a steep drop in electrical usage. There are some things you’d be surprised that a smart light bulb can do.

The one major caveat here is that you want to make sure you’re using a reputable brand. There are loads of cheap smart light bulbs available, and they can be highly inconsistent in performance. Even if you’re on a budget, it’s worth taking the time to check the reviews of the smart light bulbs you’re considering to ensure they function consistently.

Smart bulbs are essential in the home, and because of that you might want to get one for your smart home, below are the things you need to check-box before buying a smart bulb

Smart Light Bulbs Buyer’s Guide

The Most Important Features to Consider

Color Options

Smart light bulbs can come in several different varieties. The first is a simple white bulb designed to mimic natural light as closely as possible. They often have dimming features, but don’t change colors. The other option is a color bulb that changes to pretty much whatever hue you want, whenever you want. They can function as normal lights but switch to mood lighting whenever you want.

The third option – which includes some of our top picks – allows you to change the “color temperature” of the light, which controls how close to natural light the bulb is, a.k.a. how “warm” or “cold” the light looks, even if it’s not fully changing color.

Dimming Options

Some smart bulbs, including most of our top picks, have dimming features, allowing you to use anywhere from 1% to 100% of the light bulb’s brightness. This allows for more personalization, as well as tweaking brightness based on how dark it is outside, which is great for tinkering until you find the perfect levels. However, dimming bulbs require wiring that allows for dimming, which usually means the switch has a neutral wire connection. Without a neutral wire connection, dimming may not be possible.

Size

This isn’t usually a problem, since most smart bulbs are designed to be around the same shape as traditional incandescent bulbs. However, it’s still important to double-check and make sure that the bulb is small enough to fit into the fixture you have in mind, and that the base design is the right type for your socket.

Voice Assistant and Platform Compatibility

Just what does your smart bulb work with? There are a couple of things to watch for here. If voice commands are important to you, make sure the bulbs work with your favorite voice assistant, from Alexa to Google Assistant and even Siri. Also, look for bulbs that already work on a smart home platform you have: TP-Link’s Kasa bulbs, for example, work on the same app as other Kasa products and can save you an extra app download if you already have a Kasa smart device in your home.

App Interface

You might also want to take a look at the app used for the smart bulbs and how it looks. This is how you’ll be setting schedules, changing colors or brightness, and controlling the bulb remotely (except for voice commands). It should be easy to understand and operate.

Best Smart Bulbs

Philips Hue White And Color Ambiance

Philips Hue’s White and Color Ambiance Starter Kit includes your choice of two or four dimmable colored bulbs plus a hub. What separates Philips from the competition — and makes it the standout among the best smart light bulbs — is the depth of its app, which is packed with features, including routines, sunrise/sunset automation, scenes, geofencing, and a vacation mode. Plus, Philips Hue works with just about every other smart home system or device you can think of: Alexa, Google Home, IFTTT, Nest, SmartThings, and more. If you’re looking for a white smart bulb that can be a versatile addition to your smart home, this is it.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Works With: Alexa, Google Assistant, HomeKitHub
• Required: Yes
• Lifetime: 25,000 hours
• Brightness: 800 lumens
• Power consumption: 10 watts

pros

• Easy setup with an intuitive app
• Extensive third-party integrations
• Stunning color effects

cons

• Expensive
• Requires bridge

Wyze Bulb

The biggest problem with smart light bulbs is that they’re expensive, even compared to other LED bulbs. That’s why Wyze’s smart bulb is perfect for those on a budget. It’s one of the best smart light bulbs if all you’re looking for is a light bulb you can control and connect to other smart home devices. You can change both the brightness and color temperature (2,700k – 6,500k), and not just from Wyze’s app; you can also make these adjustments with Alexa, Google Assistant, and IFTTT too.

 

SPECIFICATIONS

• Works With: Alexa, Google AssistantHub
• Required: No
• Lifetime: 25,000 hours
• Brightness: 800 lumens
• Power consumption: 9.5 watts

pros

• Inexpensive
• Tunable white
• Works with Alexa, Google Assistant

cons

• Doesn’t work with HomeKit
• No color option

Sengled Smart Wi-Fi LED

Sengled is great for less technical-minded folks because, unlike Philips Hue bulbs, the Sengled smart Wi-Fi bulbs connect directly to your home network. There’s no bridge needed to light up your space.

If you’re getting several Sengled devices, you might want to consider purchasing the Sengled hub (or one of the best smart home hubs.) The Sengled app works with Alexa and Google Assistant, and offers all the basic smart-bulb features, including timers, scenes, schedules, and routines, but is less sophisticated than what you get with Philips Hue.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Works With: Alexa, Google AssistantHub
• Required: No
• Lifetime: 25,000 hours
• Brightness: 800 lumens
• Power consumption: 9 watts

Pros

• Super easy setup
• No hub required
• The app tracks energy consumption

Cons

• Missing more advanced automation features

Meross Smart Wi-Fi LED Bulb

While most smart light bulbs are compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit support for Siri on iPhones or iPads is harder to find. The Meross Smart Wi-Fi LED Bulb is a flexible option that works with all of the above and, importantly, is still quite reasonably priced—especially for a multicolor smart bulb. (Look for model MSL120HK specifically to ensure HomeKit compatibility.)

As a 9-watt LED bulb equivalent to a 60W incandescent, Meross’s Smart Wi-Fi LED Bulb lists a 78.3 percent energy savings over the more traditional incandescent bulb. Even with reduced energy usage, it can reach a respectable 810 lumens of brightness.

Specifications

• Watts: 9 watts
• Usage: Indoor
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi
• Voice Assistant: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Siri

Pros

• HomeKit, Alexa, and Google Assistant support
• Custom presets and schedules
• Affordable price

cons

• No extra color effects
• HomeKit requires a device to serve as a hub

Cree Lighting Connected Max Color Changing PAR38 Flood

Smart light bulbs can offer various benefits when used outside your home, from general visibility to security and colorful accent lighting at different points in the year. You just want to ensure you’re using an appropriately weatherproof bulb like the Connected Max PAR38 Smart Outdoor Flood Light from Cree Lighting. It offers excellent outdoor performance for a relatively low cost, with a set of four available if you know you need them in multiple spots around the house.

The Connected Max flood light is UL wet rated, indicating that the UL organization tested its ability to hold up against rain and other water exposure, even when installed in a fixture that isn’t waterproof. It also includes a five-year warranty from the manufacturer if you run into problems.

Specifications

• Watts: 14 watts
• Usage: Outdoor
• Platform/Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
• Voice Assistant: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant

Pros

• Bright floodlight
• Connects with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
• Affordable price

cons

• No Apple HomeKit
• The colors aren’t very strong

Ring A19 Smart LED Bulb

Even something as simple as a light that kicks on when it senses someone’s presence can provide plenty of security and peace of mind for your home. Ring, a brand known for smart security products, allows its otherwise run-of-the-mill A19 Smart LED Bulb to serve that purpose when integrated into the ecosystem.

Unsurprisingly, this bulb requires a Ring Bridge, which you can purchase separately or as a part of a bundle. Once connected, you can easily sync the bulb with Ring motion sensors, video doorbells, security cameras, and another smart lighting like path lights and spotlights. Certain compatible Amazon Echo devices can also serve as a hub, and since Amazon owns Ring, Alexa integrates quite well. On the flip side, this bulb doesn’t work with Google Home or Apple HomeKit.

Specifications

• Watts: 8.5 watts Usage: Indoor/Outdoor
• Platform/Connectivity: Ring Bridge
• Voice Assistant: Amazon Alexa

Pros

• Easily syncs with Ring products
• Can be used indoors or outdoors
• Affordable price

cons

• Hub required
• No built-in motion sensor
• White light only
• No Google Assistant or Apple HomeKit

Nanoleaf Shapes Hexagons Smarter Kit

For smart lighting that breaks out of the traditional mold, the Nanoleaf Shapes Hexagon Smarter Kit gives you seven modular hexagonal panels to arrange and interlock in whatever pattern your imagination comes up with. Each panel can light up to 100 lumens and supports 16 million color temperatures between 1200 and 6500 Kelvin. The panels snap together, and adhesive tape makes it easy to stick the mounting plates securely to the wall.

Once arranged, there are nearly endless options for how to light your Shapes. Use pre-made animated lighting effects or customize your own. Or sync the lights to your music, TV or PC screen, or games, including compatibility with the Razer Chroma RGB lighting system. The panels also have a tactile element that lets you control the light via touch or play games like whack-a-mole.

Specifications

• Watts: 2 watts per panel
• Usage: Indoor
• Platform/Connectivity: Wi-Fi
• Voice Assistant: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Siri

Pros

• Unique modular tile design
• Easy setup and mounting
• Lighting effects react to media and touch
• Works with HomeKit, Alexa, and Google Assistant

cons

• Pricey
• More for decor than practical lighting

TP-Link Kasa Filament Smart Bulb (KL50)

TP-Link may be a brand best well-known for networking products such as the best wireless routers and the best powerline adapters, but it also does an affordable range of smart home devices including smart bulbs.

As well as color and white bulbs, it’s one of a few brands that also offer smart filament-style bulbs too (the model we’ve reviewed here) that can create a vintage-style look while still maintaining modern smart home capabilities.

Easy to install and simple to use, the TP-Link Kasa Filament Smart Bulb offers Amazon Alexa and Google integration too, although there’s no HomeKit support.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Wattage: 7 W
• Color: Untunable
• color temperature: 2700
• Lumen output: 800
• Lifetime: 20,000 hours
• Height: 120mmWidth: 60mm

Pros

• More affordable than most smart bulbs
• Alexa and Google Assistant support
• Color, white, or filament style offered

cons

• No HomeKit support

LB1 Smart Light Bulbs

LB1 Smart Light Bulbs is really making a name for itself as a robovac brand, producing some of the best robot vacuums that can rival the likes of iRobot as well as some of the best home security cameras that give Arlo and Ring a run for their money. But it’s also trying its hand at smart bulbs too.

It may be early days for Eufy’s smart bulb offering – there’s currently only one bulb to choose from – but it’s easy to use and ideal for those looking for a simplistic smart light bulb.  Affordable compared to other smart bulb ranges, they also support Google Assistant and Alexa, although there’s no HomeKit support yet.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Wattage: 8W
• Lumen output: 800
• Lifetime: 20,000 hours
• Height: 140mmDiameter: 65mm

Pros

• Affordable
• Alexa and Google Assistant-enabled
• Simple to use

cons

• No color bulbs available
• Lacks HomeKit support

Hive Smart Light Bulb

If you want a smart light that fits within one ecosystem, the Hive Active Light is a good fit. If you’re already the proud owner of a Hive Thermostat, Hive Active plug, motion sensor, or Hive View camera, you’ll know that all Hive devices can all be controlled from a single easy-to-use app, providing you have the Hive Hub, streamlining the smart home control process.

As an added bonus, Philips’ Hue bulbs can be integrated into the Hive ecosystem, so if you’ve got this far down the list but are still thinking about the Hue range, you can go back and buy them now.

Like the other smart light ranges, Hive has a variety of bulbs, with some that change color and some that just do white, however, it lacks the choice of lamps and ceiling lights other ranges offer.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Wattage: 9.5 W
• Lumen output: 806Lifetime: 25,000 hours
• Height: 130mmDiameter: 60mm

Pros

• Easy-to-use app
• Works with an ecosystem of other smart home gadgets
• Also works with Philips Hue bulbs

cons

• Needs Hive hub
• Lacks lamps and ceiling light choices

Conclusion

In conclusion, when getting smart bulbs, be sure to look out for certain features that aid the overall experience. The lists of smart bulbs above are some of the best out there. Look no further.