Lighting is an integral part of our everyday life. There’s almost nothing we can do without lighting. This is even true of our lamps—we use them at our bedsides, for reading and many other purposes. They are a big part of our lives. Not only are they functional, but they also add to the aesthetics in our homes.
If you already have lamps, you would surely welcome the idea of conveniently controlling your lights from anywhere—whether you’re away from home or far from the switches. This works with your smartphone, and not all lamps can be controlled via your phone. So, you want to get lamps that are enabled for phone control.
Why Control Your Lamp by Phone?
There are several reasons you will want to control your lamp with your phone. The following are some reasons that you might consider.
Convenience
Your phone is the closest device to you. According to a study by RescueTime, the average user spends three hours and 15 minutes on their phone daily. Some even spend more.
So, you do find it quite convenient to perform certain operations from your phone. More so, you won’t have to go around the house to control your lights. An app is installed on your phone and with just a few clicks, you can turn your lamps on or off without any stress.
Seamless Usage
It’s no brainer that smartphones have made life simpler. Having access to your smart lamp control with your phone is one great way to make things easier. Lutron Electronics published a survey that says 90 percent of respondents say they know someone who doesn’t turn lights off.
Leaving lamps on is a big deal. A lamp controlled by phone can help reduce this. With an app on your smartphone, you can do a lot of things like turning lights off, setting it to turn on or off automatically and even much more.
Saves Energy
Sometimes, you may forget to turn off the lights before you leave the house. If this happens, you can remotely turn them off from anywhere. This can help you save energy as they do stay on until you return back home without the phone-controlled function. This could increase your energy bills, but thanks to the phone-controlled lamps technology.
How to Control Your Lamp by Phone
There are several options you can use to control your lamps with your phones. The most popular ways are the phone assistants that come with your phone OS. Although, you can use Amazon Alexa with either the Android OS or iPhone.
Amazon Alexa
If you have a phone preinstalled with Alexa, you might not need to do much. All you need to do is to add the lamp to Alexa, and you’ll start controlling it with your phone.
If you use an iPhone or an Android, which is not preinstalled with Alexa, you will need to download the Alexa app from your OS app store. When using the app, you’ll see the option to add the lamp to Alexa.
Google Assistant
You can also control a smart lamp with Google Assistant. It doesn’t matter whether you use an Android phone or iOS device. You can download the Google Assistant app from your OS app store.
Adding the smart lamp to Google Assistant is very easy. Open the settings option and select “Home control” to add your lamp. From there, find your lamp and add it. You’re good to go!
IFTTT Option
There’s also an option that allows you to control your smart lamp by using an IoT model. IFTTT is an app that can connect to Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa.
Key Features of Smart Lamps
There are some features that you will need to look for in a smart lamp. Although this list is not exhaustive, if you find these features in a smart lamp, you should go for one.
Controllable
A smart lamp should be controllable in the sense that it has an option that you can connect to your phone seamlessly.
While a smart lamp that has an app is exceptional, you should not bank on it. If it also has an option for connecting to an AI assistant. Whether it is any of Siri, Alexa or Google Assistant, it’s better than not having anyone.
The popular AI assistants should have more options than a typical app made by a manufacturer should have. However, if it doesn’t, check what the features of the apps are. It should be reasonable enough.
Multicolored
Lamps have changed from the boring lamps that they were centuries ago. Today, it’s not hard to find a lamp that has several colors. Although you might not think much of it, a lamp with multi color will become important when it comes to controlling.
A multi color lamp becomes versatile when you can control it with your phone. Since lights can change the atmosphere of a room, a multicolor lamp controlled by your phone can bring an ambience into the room.
Modern Design
Smart lamps should have a modern design. This does not just mean the aesthetic alone but also the process it’s made of. This includes environmentally friendly processes, and the parts should be recyclable.
You might feel the design is not important until you begin to look at an ugly lamp and want to discard it. The lamp should be designed that it can fit into anywhere you want to put it. Whether it’s by your bedside, the living room or on your reading table, you should be comfortable seeing it.
Which Lamp Will You Buy?
Lighting is an important part of life that you can’t do without. When it comes to selecting a lamp, you should go for one that is compatible with 21st century standards. With more time spent on phones and the internet, there’s no need to be concerned about mundane stuff like turning lights off. A smart lamp controlled by a phone will just work out fine.
If you’re looking for the best smart lamps that are phone-controlled, we have a couple of them in stock. Check out our store!