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We are updating this guide. Wyze Bulb Color will be our new first choice, and Meross MSL120 will also be a good choice.
Light bulbs—even smart bulbs—should be easy. Just screw a smart LED bulb into a lamp and pair it with a smartphone, and you don't need to worry about walking through dark corridors or looking for switches. Many even let you adjust the color. We recommend the Philips Wiz Smart Wi-Fi LED color bulb because it is bright enough for daily use, provides bright colors, and can be used with Amazon Alexa, Apple’s Siri Shortcuts, Google Assistant and Samsung SmartThings. It is also one of the most affordable colored light bulbs we have tested, making the conversion of using a smart light bulb as easy as screwing on a light bulb.
This model is cheaper than most smart bulbs, emits eye-catching colors, has useful scenes (presets for color and darkness), and can be used with Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri Shortcuts, and Google Assistant.
The Philips Wiz Smart Wi-Fi LED color bulb is the most powerful smart bulb we have ever seen, and its price was unheard of a few years ago. It provides bright white light and excellent colors, as well as reliable scheduling and some special effects. Both this bulb and its cheaper white bulb performed well in our light meter test and were bright enough for reading. It also has a good temperature range suitable for date night, party time or movie night. This light bulb supports Amazon Alexa, Apple's Siri Shortcuts, Google Assistant, Samsung SmartThings and IFTTT, so it can be controlled by voice commands and bound with other smart home devices. It is the only Wi-Fi colored light bulb we tested that includes a holiday mode, which turns the light on and off randomly, making it look like you are at home when you are not at home. Philips Wiz bulbs are not compatible with Philips Hue bulbs, so if you are already using Hue bulbs, you should stick to it.
This bulb is almost the same as our preferred bulb, but has several adjustable presets, including presets for most major holidays, such as Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Easter, and Fourth of July.
If our top pick is sold out, Cree Lighting Connected Max Tunable White Color Bulb is a reliable backup. It is roughly the same price as Philips, and includes many of the same features, such as a schedule and preset scenes that can be adjusted to your liking. However, it does not have the same color range, which means it cannot be as dim as our first choice. Although it can be used with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts, it lacks support for Samsung SmartThings or IFTTT. We also found that Cree's application is a bit confusing.
Yeelight bulbs are brighter than most smart bulbs, have a unique color selector function for custom colors, and can be used with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Assistant.
Yes Match any color like you like. Yeelight produces brighter light than most bulbs we measured, so it is very suitable for daily use. It can also connect to your home’s Wi-Fi and work with many other smart home products by supporting Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings. If you don't need more colors in your life, please consider using Yeelight smart LED white adjustable bulbs.
Hue’s bulbs can be paired with a variety of other Hue lighting devices, all of which can communicate wirelessly with each other to prevent range issues. Hue also supports most smart home platforms, including Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Assistant.
Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance smart bulbs create vibrant, colorful scenes and can be controlled using Bluetooth and smartphones. However, when you add a Hue hub (or Amazon Echo and other devices with a built-in Zigbee wireless hub), the real miracle will happen. This allows you to remotely control the bulbs, set a schedule, and integrate with motion sensors and other devices in the Hue series of accessories. It also adds support for Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Samsung SmartThings. And because the Zigbee connection works separately from your home Wi-Fi (it creates its own mesh network between devices), it is more reliable than most wireless systems. The downside is that Hue bulbs are more expensive than our other options; we recommend the white and colorful atmosphere A19 starter kit, which includes three bulbs and a Hue hub.
Smart plugs allow you to remotely control devices such as lights and fans-and even arrange them on a schedule. Our choice is Wyze Plug because of its simplicity and low price.
After testing several new smart light switches and considering our long-term experience with existing options, we recommend TP-Link's Kasa Smart HS220.
This model is cheaper than most smart bulbs, emits eye-catching colors, has useful scenes (presets for color and darkness), and can be used with Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri Shortcuts, and Google Assistant.
This bulb is almost the same as our preferred bulb, but has several adjustable presets, including presets for most major holidays, such as Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Easter, and Fourth of July.
Yeelight bulbs are brighter than most smart bulbs, have a unique color selector function for custom colors, and can be used with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Assistant.
Hue’s bulbs can be paired with a variety of other Hue lighting devices, all of which can communicate wirelessly with each other to prevent range issues. Hue also supports most smart home platforms, including Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Assistant.
When the only smart home product was X10, I started testing smart home products. In the past 15 years, I have been exposed to everything from remote controls and security cameras to AV receivers and smart light switches. I also wrote technical articles for The New York Times (Wirecutter's parent company), Wired, Men's Health, etc.
Smart bulbs are suitable for people who want to add convenience to the lighting system without any actual wiring. All you have to do is screw on a light bulb and then click a few clicks on your smartphone. They are used in conjunction with wall-mounted lamps and stand-alone lamps, and are available in a variety of sizes for indoor and outdoor use.
It's never fun to get up to touch a light switch (or, if you have mobility issues, it's easy). With smart light bulbs, you can easily turn off the lights downstairs while lying in bed upstairs-even in a hotel room 10,000 miles away. You can also group smart bulbs so that you can turn off the entire room or floor with a single tap. All smart light bulbs can be easily dimmed through their apps, and all of these apps allow time scheduling, so you can turn on and off a group of lights according to your daily activities, or simulate someone checking in when you are not at home.
If you are diligent in using the dispatching and remote operation functions of smart bulbs, you can save money by turning them off when no one is in the room. However, compared with non-smart LED bulbs, the upfront cost of smart bulbs is indeed higher—sometimes even higher. For some of us, the cost savings over time may be more symbolic than they actually are.
Smart light bulbs are also very interesting. Want softer, warmer light to enter the morning easily? A white bulb with adjustable or adjustable color can do this. Want to create a relaxing atmosphere for music after dinner, or choose something festive for the holiday theme? Adjust the light to blue, green or any color palette you like. Set in a strategic location, color-adjusting smart light bulbs can become an indispensable part of your home decoration, not just a thing used to dispel shadows.
But smart bulbs are just a way to make your lights smart. If you are willing to change the switch (and you can install it permanently at home), an in-wall dimmer may be a better choice, especially if you often have guests who are not familiar with voice or telephone control of lighting. Or if you For more functions than lighting, you can try a plug-in smart socket.
When selecting bulbs for testing, we researched new models released since the last guide update, and looked at any models that were praised by trusted technical publications. When selecting and testing, we considered the following criteria:
We did not consider bulbs with additional features, such as speakers (for playing music), sensors (for smart home applications), and cameras (for security). Usually, smart light bulbs with dual functions like other gadgets are not good at both tasks, especially when lighting is not their main purpose.
After setting, we tested the scheduling, color changes and special effects. We also tested each bulb with a light meter to determine its maximum brightness. Because smart bulbs use a series of LEDs, their light output is directional, so some bulbs are brighter when viewed from the top than from the side. For this reason, we measured the brightness from two positions and at 50% and 10% dimming. Depending on your fixture, you may prefer a bulb that emits more light from the top rather than a bulb that projects it to the side. An ideal light bulb will perform well in both directions. You can read more about the properties of LED lights here.
Wirecutter attaches great importance to security and privacy issues, and investigates how our recommended companies handle customer data as much as possible. As part of the smart LED light bulb review process, we studied all the security and data privacy practices we chose. We also contacted all the companies that produce our preferred products and asked them to answer an extensive questionnaire to confirm the issues that we think any potential buyer should pay attention to first. It’s worth noting that our first choice Philips Wiz Smart Wi-Fi LED bulbs are not supported by some of our other options-such as the required login credentials and encrypted data-for some devices may be de-considered. In In this limited situation, we determined that the real-world risk to users from using this device is functionally low, and the worst case is that hackers may control the light bulb (which is easy to repair). The following is the complete result:
Wirecutter tests all its options over the long term, including tracking application, firmware and policy updates, as well as hardware and software events. If we find any privacy or security issues in any model we choose, we will report it here and update or change our recommendations as needed.
This model is cheaper than most smart bulbs, emits eye-catching colors, has useful scenes (presets for color and darkness), and can be used with Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri Shortcuts, and Google Assistant.
It's hard to recommend paying too much for a light bulb-even a smart light bulb. This is why Philips Wiz Smart Wi-Fi LED color bulbs are such an excellent choice. For less than $15, you can get everything you need in a smart light bulb: remote control, scheduling, and rich colors. It performed reliably throughout our testing process, providing bright white light and bright, bold colors. It should not be confused with our upgrade options, Philips Hue bulbs, and it does not use the Hue app (see defects but not deal breakers). But it does support integration with various smart home platforms, such as Amazon Alexa, Apple's Siri Shortcuts, Google Assistant, Samsung SmartThings, and IFTTT, so you can connect it with voice commands and connect it with Hue and other smart homes device of. Since it connects directly to your home Wi-Fi, it does not require a separate smart hub and is easy to set up.
Like many bulbs we tested, the Philips Wiz Smart Wi-Fi LED color bulb has a rated brightness of 800 lumens, which is equivalent to a standard 60-watt bulb. After screwing it into the fixture and setting it up with the WiZ Connected app for iOS and Android devices, you can name the bulb whatever you want (such as Living Room or Bulb 1). This can be helpful if you have voice control or a lot of bulbs at the same time. Users can switch between the light bulbs in the app, or group them by room or area (outdoor, upstairs). If you want to control the bulb individually in the app, click the corresponding icon and make adjustments. For example, you can click light bulb 1 to make it red, and then click light bulb 2 to make it green. One of our app complaints is that each icon is not marked; you have to click to see which is which and look at the top of the screen. Clicking an icon doesn't actually turn the light bulb on or off, but if there are no extra steps, it's nice to know.
We found that the brightness of the Philips color bulbs is enough to read, but we also like that it has a decent range when dimmed. For example, when dimming to 10%, some smart bulbs are still bright. Using the light meter, we found that Philips colored bulbs provide the best range of brightness: it is one of the brightest bulbs when set to 100%, but it is also one of the darkest bulbs when set to 10%. When you drag your finger across the color picker, it can also provide bright colors. We like to quickly access the primary colors and save them as presets, and we also save some interesting colors such as Safety Orange, Dodge Blue, and Electric Indigo.
The WiZ Connected app has several presets to set the mood (relaxation, focus), or you can cycle between shadows to mimic fireplaces, party settings, ocean tones, Christmas colors, and more. You can’t create automated scenes that cycle between multiple colors, but you can save presets for one-click access to your favorite colors. There are also settings to match your circadian rhythm, or you can create your own rhythm, which will automatically trigger up to five customizable points in a day. For example, you can select the wake-up preset at 6 am, the focus at 11 am, your favorite green at 5 pm, the comfortable preset at 8 pm, and the night light at 11 pm
The Philips Wiz Smart Wi-Fi LED color bulb uses Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts to quickly respond to applications and voice commands. We can also use Alexa to trigger lights based on other devices. Therefore, when the Eufy 2K indoor camera (our indoor camera) detects motion, the light bulb will turn red. If you prefer non-connected controls, Philips is the only Wi-Fi color bulb we tested, with its own optional remote WiZmote, which can control bulbs up to 50 feet long without Wi-Fi. It is also the only one with a vacation mode, which can randomly turn on and off the lights to simulate the check-in situation. This can actually deter criminals because it is closer to simulating daily activities in real life, rather than commuting to and from get off work at a fixed time every day. Unlike other devices, the Philips Wiz Smart Wi-Fi LED color bulb does not allow you to schedule this feature at a specific time; instead, users only need to turn the feature on and off in the app.
The Philips Wiz Smart Wi-Fi LED color bulb is the only bulb we picked that does not require a user name or password. After registration, the WiZ Connected application will generate a random username, which is unique for each registration and can be customized according to your needs. It aims to make setup simple and anonymous. However, if you want to save settings and access the bulb on other devices, you need to connect the app to an Apple, Google, or Facebook account. We recommend that you do this because if the application is deleted, all your schedule and preferences will also be deleted. The Hue app is similar, but it does require a username and password for remote access; this can be done by connecting Hue to Apple or Facebook and creating a unique username and password. We hope that this option will be added to the WiZ Connected application in the future, but we don't think this will bring any substantial security or privacy risks.
Although this is a Philips smart bulb, it is not compatible with Philips Hue series smart bulbs, which means it cannot be used in conjunction with Hue products-unless you use a third-party platform to link them, such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or IFTTT. Different applications, different technologies, and different functions.
Unlike some of the more expensive bulbs we tested, the Philips Wiz Smart Wi-Fi LED color bulbs do not sync with music. Therefore, if you want to add fun to parties or TikTok videos, you may want to consider Yeelight or Philips Hue (a third-party application is required).
This bulb is almost the same as our preferred bulb, but has several adjustable presets, including presets for most major holidays, such as Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Easter, and Fourth of July.
If Philips is not available, Cree Lighting Connected Max Tunable White Color Bulb is a good choice. Our measurement results show that it is comparable to our preferred brightness, producing bright whites and accurate colors. It was reliable throughout the test; it works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple's Siri Shortcuts; and is usually a few dollars cheaper than our first choice. The difference between the two is that Philips provides more smart home support and a slightly better overall user experience.
Like many smart home products, the Cree Lighting app was developed by a third-party developer Tuya, so to people who own other smart home products (used by Novostella, Geeni, Hampton, and Sylvania, etc.), it may look very Familiar with the application developed by Tuya to control their things). This also means that it is not specific to smart lighting, so it is not as user-friendly as our preferred one. The bulbs are arranged separately on the homepage, but they can be arranged in three different ways, depending on the number of bulbs you use and what you want to use them for. We think that for such a simple matter, it is more complicated than it should be.
Clicking on the light bulb will display options for power, color and dimming, scenes, schedules, and routines. Like our first choice, this scene has TV time, focus, and holiday options, including Halloween, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year. These settings are adjustable, but you cannot create your own automation. The routine adds sleep/wake mode, timer and follow the sun, which will adjust the color temperature to match what is happening outside.
Cree Lighting Connected Max Tunable White Color Bulb responds quickly to our commands in the app and through voice requests from Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts. We can also use Alexa to set other smart devices as triggers. For example, we created an Alexa Routine so that whenever someone presses the Arlo Video Doorbell, the Cree Lighting bulb will turn red. Although it is indeed as reliable as our first choice, we think the Philips bulb provides more smart home support and some additional features.
Yeelight bulbs are brighter than most smart bulbs, have a unique color selector function for custom colors, and can be used with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Assistant.
Our previous top pick, the Yeelight Smart LED color bulb, is not as cheap as our first two options, but if you are willing to spend money, it does contain some interesting special features. It performed reliably in the 12-month test, is still one of the brightest bulbs we have tested, and works with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings.
The function of Yeelight bulbs is similar to other smart bulbs we tested. HomeKit users can install light bulbs directly using the Home app. Otherwise, you will need to use the Yeelight application; it is worth noting that it will ask you to select the server closest to your location during the setup process, which may be a comfort for those concerned about security and privacy (in our In the example, it is North and South America). Similarly, our fact-checking team found in Amazon reviews that Yeelight had stolen email usernames and passwords during the setup process. We investigated it and here is what we learned: Since our initial review, the app has added login prompts to many popular email providers (such as Gmail and Yahoo), where you need to enter your credentials, Including the password. Indeed, this seems risky, but we confirmed to Yeelight that this is an authorized secure external login. We agree that this may still be disturbing, so we recommend that you access the verification email via an email application or web browser instead. Yeelight also stated that it is reconsidering the inclusion of this step in the next application update.
Like most smart bulbs, Yeelight bulbs can be dimmed through its iOS and Android apps and voice commands through smart speakers. It responds to iPhone and Android apps, three Alexa devices, Google Mini, and Siri voice commands in one second; similarly, it can be reliable when we create a schedule to turn on and off the light bulb at a set time of the day To work. In our test, the Yeelight bulb is one of the brightest bulbs we have tried, and when using the Yeelight app, it has the widest color temperature range (which means it can produce a very warm white tone and super bright Daylight hue). A surprising test description: when controlled with the Home app and HomeKit, it cannot be as bright as when using Alexa or Google Assistant. We confirmed this with a light meter (for more information, Please refer to a sentence about smart home integration).
Hidden behind the icon that looks like an arrow at the top is where you can find all the interesting things, such as timetables, timers, music and process modes, and color pickers. The latter allows you to use the smartphone's camera as a scanner to adjust the color of the bulb. This allowed us to match the light bulbs with the blue bedroom walls, pink T-shirts and very orange pumpkins. (The only color it cannot replicate is gray or black. This is the case with all smart bulbs.) Yeelight also comes with preset scenes, which can recreate the blinking of the candle, adjust the bulb to the ideal reading brightness, or in the movie. Dim all the lights in the room at night. We set a timer to make the light bulb flash when we finished washing, use Flow mode to make Yeelight cycle through the palette, and watch it follow Missy Elliott's song through another mode called "Music" The rhythm is swinging.
Yeelight bulbs are also the most affordable color bulbs we have tested and are compatible with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, Samsung SmartThings and IFTTT. When we paired the Yeelight bulb as a HomeKit device, we were able to use the Home app and Siri to control it; we also included it in the automation triggered by the WeMo Mini smart plug. Its response via Alexa is equally good, allowing voice control and automated triggers, as long as someone presses a button on the Arlo Video Doorbell to turn on the light. Another included function is LAN control, which can enable third-party applications and user-developed applications and programs. But please note: Enabling this feature will invalidate Yeelight’s privacy and security policies.
Hue’s bulbs can be paired with a variety of other Hue lighting devices, all of which can communicate wirelessly with each other to prevent range issues. Hue also supports most smart home platforms, including Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Assistant.
Philips Hue is the originator of all smart light bulbs and is still a rock-solid system, especially if you want a house full of smart lights of various shapes and sizes, or if you want your lighting system to expand into and around your home The areas with Wi-Fi are uneven.
There are basically two ways to put standard (A19 style) Hue bulbs into your setup. Philips Hue works with Bluetooth, allowing you to use the Philips Hue Bluetooth app to turn lights on and off, dim, change colors, and select preset scenes. Although this is an easy way to get Hue into your home, it is also limited by the short Bluetooth wireless range and does not include any automation, even basic automation like scheduling. These same bulbs also support Zigbee wireless, using Philips Hue Bridge, which is a small disk that plugs into a home Wi-Fi router. When pairing with this hub, you will use the Philips Hue app, which provides more interesting features, including scheduling, special effects, the ability to pair with hundreds of third-party apps, and support for Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Support of Google Assistant, IFTTT and Samsung SmartThings, etc. If you are just starting out and want to use the hub directly, we recommend the Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance A19 starter kit. Sometimes you will find old versions of these bulbs or kits online; they are not compatible with Bluetooth, but the old and new bulbs look the same, have the same brightness, and work with Hue hubs.
Another argument for getting a Hue hub is that it will enable a powerful Zigbee wireless mesh network, allowing all your bulbs to share the connection with each other, thereby eliminating many possible Wi-Fi errors. The more Hue bulbs and fixtures you have, the stronger the network - even in the most remote corners of your home. (If you already have an Amazon Echo, it has a built-in Zigbee hub.)
In addition to the color-changing A19 bulbs, you can also add pure white bulbs, adjustable white bulbs, light strips, wall light bulbs, outdoor lights, and various other lamps and lighting styles. All lights work with Hue motion sensors and remote controls, and can be integrated with many other smart home systems. In short, it is the smart lighting system most suitable for DIYers.
During the test, we found that the Philips Hue bulb is significantly darker than our other options, but it is suitable for reading at night and walking around the house. It should be noted that when paired with HomeKit, the Hue bulb is slightly darker at full brightness than when we use the Hue app, Alexa, and Google Assistant (for more information, see a sentence about smart home integration).
In the Hue app, bulbs are grouped by room, and you can control individual bulbs by clicking on each area. Grouping them by room makes it easy to close the whole area at once. It also has more than 30 preset scenes that can reflect different moods and settings in the world, such as tropical twilight, Palm Beach and Soho. (You can also create your own.) Routines or automatic operations include wake-up scenarios that slowly turn on the lights in the morning, and "at home" and "away" modes that automatically turn lights on and off when you enter or leave home. You can import routines from other applications or create your own custom routines, and the Hue application can extract color palettes from any photo you choose.
In addition to the smart home support under the Hue Friends section of the app, Philips also has a desktop Hue Sync application that can synchronize Hue bulbs with computer monitors; you can also connect them to your home through the Hue Play HDMI sync box Cinema system. For example, if you watch Blue Planet II on a desktop monitor, the app will change the lighting to roughly match the ocean blue and green of the show. A long list of ever-increasing third-party applications can be used with Hue lights and expand the functionality of the system. Most of these apps are free, and some of them (such as our favorite OnSwitch) support room grouping and contain preset color scenes (in-app purchases in some cases).
In addition to various smart home platforms, Hue can also be used with a variety of additional accessories, such as the Philips Hue smart motion sensor. It can also be used with Lutron Aurora, a battery-powered dimmer that can be installed on your existing switch to control Hue smart bulbs and fixtures. This eliminates the worry of someone physically turning off the switch and disconnecting the bulb. It is easy to install and even easier to use, but it can only be used with toggle switches, and for $40 each time, it seems too expensive for people who want to equip more than one or two switches.
We are totally in favor of mixing and matching smart home devices and using platforms such as Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings to control them. However, although there are many benefits of integrating all your things on a smart home platform (including combining devices from multiple manufacturers under one application, using another device to trigger another device, and controlling via voice commands) , But you usually sacrifice the ability to use certain features. Special features that can only be found in the companion app of the device.
For example, we found that Alexa, Siri, and Google cannot correctly interpret voice commands to trigger built-in scenes included in the app, such as ocean, night light, or St. Patrick’s Day. These options are also not available in the app on each platform, so in order to use them, you must continue to use the specific companion app for the smart bulb.
We also found that the choice of smart home platform you use also affects performance. During our testing, we found that using Apple's Home app to integrate the light bulb directly into HomeKit produces darker white levels than those available in the light bulb app or even when used with Alexa or Google Assistant. We also found that the voice commands between Alexa and Google Assistant are different-so issuing the same command will get different results. We will continue to test each bulb on various platforms, but we have found that users will always use the manufacturer's companion app for the best experience.
We plan to update this guide soon with a review of the Nanoleaf Essentials A19 bulb, which can be used with Bluetooth and low-power mesh technology Thread. Other features include circadian rhythm lighting and custom schedules, as well as rhythm music synchronization options.
We also plan to view Treatlife smart bulbs, Govee smart bulbs and Kasa smart WiFi bulbs, multi-color (KL125). Bulbs in all three colors are cheap, connect via Wi-Fi, and support Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
The Bulbrite Solana smart LED bulb is a color-changing Wi-Fi bulb that provides 800 lumens of brightness and supports Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
Wyze Bulb Color comes in a pack of two or four, can produce 1100 lumens and 75 watts of brightness, and supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, which means that if your network fails, you can still control the bulb locally. It also includes adjustable white light control, sleep programs, vacation modes, and compatibility with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and IFTTT-each bulb costs about $13.
Yeelight’s smart LED bulb W3 (multicolor) is almost the same as our Also great pick, but it promises to be a bit brighter and more lumens-W3 has 900, and our current Yeelight option has 800-and is cheaper, The retail price is only $19.99. W3 can be used with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, SmartThings and IFTTT, but does not support Apple HomeKit.
Wyze Bulb White is a dimmable 800 lumens model that can adjust the color tone in a wide temperature range (2700-6500K). It will be sold in four packs in November, priced at $32.
We tested many smart LED bulbs that we do not recommend, but depending on their needs, this may still be a good choice for some people.
Our previous budget choice Wyze Bulb was still a solid bulb, but it was usually only $1 less than our first two color choices. If you plan to buy multiple smart white light bulbs (they are cheaper in multiple packs), make a deal, or own other equipment in the Wyze ecosystem (such as our indoor camera selection), we recommend that you buy it.
The previous runner-up LIFX A19 is still one of the brightest standard smart bulbs we have tested, but its equivalent power is 75 watts, so it is an improvement compared to most other bulbs we tested. We think that this kind of power is unnecessary for daily use, especially considering that this bulb is about $45 higher than Philips.
Sengled Element Color Plus used to be our budget choice, but it was about $10 more expensive than either of our first two choices-this doesn't even include the price of the required Zigbee hub (probably Amazon Echo). If you are looking for color-changing light bulbs, want to reduce the load on your Wi-Fi network, and don't want to spend a lot of money, these are good choices for Philips Hue systems, although they are not very bright and do not have the same number of features or smart home partners. Sengled does have a smart LED soft white bulb, the price is about the same as Philips or Cree Lighting bulbs, but you still need to pair it with a hub.
Novostella Smart LED Color Bulbs are equivalent to 120 watt bulbs, so it is not surprising that they are among the brightest bulbs we have tested. However, when using a photometer to measure at different dimming levels, their range is not as good as our choice. Despite the good price, compared to our first two more affordable options, this bulb does not offer any special features.
If you are already using Ring devices, especially devices like Ring Solar Pathlight, then Ring A19 smart LED bulbs are great. Otherwise, you can skip this Ring smart bridge that costs $50. It is not adjustable, only suitable for Alexa, and the cost is twice that of Philips smart Wi-Fi LED daylight bulbs.
We also tested some smart bulbs that worked well but didn't get our recommendation because our choices were much better.
We encountered some connection problems when using the Peace by Hampton A19 Smart Wi-Fi Color LED Bulb, which was not found in any other bulbs we tested. Shorter distances shouldn't be a problem, but we found that our choice is more reliable, contains more special features, and provides a better overall user experience.
Geeni Prisma Plus does not have many scene functions, and we found the app to be more confusing than operating a light bulb. When using a light meter, its brightness or range is not as large as our choice.
We think the Kasa KL130 bulb is the most suitable for mood lighting, because when we measure the brightness of the bulb with a illuminance meter, it records the lowest of all bulbs we tested-almost half the output of the Yeelight bulb and Philips Smart Wi-Fi LED daylight Light bulb. However, we appreciate the option to track energy and usage, and set the default state of the light bulb when it is turned on from the app or power.
The C by GE bulb was the budget choice in the earlier version of this guide. These bulbs mainly connect directly to your phone via Bluetooth, which means they are limited by the Bluetooth range. But GE does provide a Wi-Fi gateway, which also makes these bulbs compatible with Amazon Alexa.
IKEA’s Trådfri smart LED bulbs are available in two configurations: one is a bulb that is directly connected to a wireless remote control, and the other is a proprietary wireless network connection that is not recognized by IKEA but can also be used with the same remote control through a hub. system. The remote control is fun, if you don't need any real smart integration, this is not a bad way to control the bulb, but the control is not precise, and the range is only effective in the room. There is no need to set a password to use the hub, which is a security red flag, and the application only provides basic control and scheduling.
Ilumi A19 Color Smart Bulb is a bright and colorful Bluetooth bulb, but given its limited range and price, you should consider one of our options.
We have encountered many problems with Sylvania bulbs. The two bulbs in our A19 Smart full-color 4-pack have flicker issues, so we cannot recommend them or the soft white version. Previously, we rejected Sylvania Smart Bluetooth bulbs because they only work with HomeKit, and Sylvania Smart Zigbee bulbs because the colors are not as rich as the other bulbs we tested, and the app is not intuitive.
Alex Colon and Angela Moscaritolo, the best smart light bulbs of 2021, PCMag, December 9, 2020
Ry Crist, the best smart light bulbs for less than $20: Wiz, Wyze, Cree, GE, etc., CNET, December 3, 2020
Paul Lamkin, Best Smart Bulb: White, Color and Budget Options, The Ambient, December 9, 2020
Christopher Null, the best smart light bulb for the connected home, TechHive, December 8, 2020
Rachel Cericola is a senior writer at Wirecutter and has been covering smart home technology since the X10 era. Her work has appeared in "New York Times", "Wired", "Men's Health", "USA Today" and other magazines. She hopes her neighbor can read this resume, because it can explain why there are always four video doorbells running at the same time outside her home.
Authors: Anna Perling and Thom Dunn
The best daylight and soft white LED bulbs for basic household use.
If you want to transition from dull lighting to smart lighting, here are some easy ways to get started.
Smart lighting is easy. Choosing the smart lighting that best suits your needs is not the case. We will show you the best time to choose a smart bulb, plug or wall switch.
By Eve O'Neill
A personal article about why smart light bulbs may be better than alarm clocks for some people.
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