Before now, the majority of homeowners relied heavily on incandescent light bulbs for illumination, which are majorly controlled by traditional switches. But in recent years, home automation technology has resulted in the introduction of smart lights along with smart switches. This means controlling your home lights doesn’t necessarily have to be through switches but a remote control as well. More fascinating is that it is now possible to control your home lights with a smartphone app.
This works with smart light applications. The lights are designed with apps that can be installed on your phone, thereby making it easy to control your lighting with just a few clicks on your phone.
So, controlling your home lights via your phone is possible, it works with smart lights apps, as you already know. Let’s take a closer look at smart lights and some top products on the market.
Smart Lighting: What is It?
Smart lighting solutions have to do with one thing: providing energy efficiency via automated controls. These innovative products generally make lighting adjustments based on daylight availability, occupancy, or other prevailing conditions.
Several lighting solutions can be controlled via a smartphone app that you must download from the respective iOS and Android app stores. In most cases, they require the use of Bluetooth or a Wi-Fi connection for users to be able to control these lighting solutions via their dedicated app.
Top Smart Lights Products to Consider
Philips Hue
The first brand that quickly comes to mind when you think of smart lighting is Philips Hue, which was first introduced to the public in 2012.
Philips Hue is a progressive line of LED white and color-changing ambiance products that were manufactured by the renowned electronics company, Philips. The products generally include light strips, bulbs, wall controllers, and lamps.
The Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance Lightstrip is approximately 80 inches long. Its flexibility makes it easy to use at any angle or anywhere within your home.
It can even be trimmed so that you get to work with the exact measurement you want. What makes this light strip unique is that it comes with an adhesive backing which you can utilize by sticking the LED strip onto any surface.
The Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance is uniquely designed to last as long as 22 years. This LED smart-solution product has received the Energy Star certification, proving its authenticity and durability.
This Hue lighting strip works seamlessly with numerous smart home assistants such as Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, SmartThings, Alexa, and so on.Â
Features of the Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance
The following are the features of the Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance Lightstrip:
- Comes with a Hue hub
- Up to 1,600 lumens brightness
- 16 million colors
- Compatible with Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, etc.
- Up to 50 lights can be used on 1 Hue hub.
- Gaming light
Drawback
The most significant disadvantage that this product has is that it is not waterproof. That means if you use it outdoors and rain or dew falls on it, there will be almost irreparable damage. This is why users highly recommend that the phone app-controlled Lightstrip be used indoors and away from places like the bathroom, etc.
Another drawback associated with this product is how much it costs when compared to others in the same category. But the price may be well worth it, seeing as you will get nothing less than 20,000 hours lifetime.
Users can control the Lightstrip via a dedicated mobile app that you can download from the App Store or Google Play store.
YEELIGHT Smart LED Bulb
Xiaomi has successfully produced one of the best and relatively affordable smart LED light bulbs that can conveniently be controlled via a phone app or voice control.
The YEELIGHT smart LED light bulb is user-friendly, and installing it is also a walk in the park. You can control the lights via the Yeelight or Xiaomi Home app, set schedules, check or turn on/off the lights, dim the lights, and change the colors even when you are far away from home.
Users of this smart light bulb from Xiaomi can also sync the lights with music or use voice control. It is highly compatible with Google Assistant and Alexa.
Features of the YEELIGHT Smart LED Light Bulb
- Smartly syncs light with music
- Up to 16 million colors are available to choose from
- It comes with up to 800 lumens of brightness
- Can last up to 22.8 years
- Users can create custom light scenes via the phone app.
- Can easily be controlled from any part of the world via a phone app
Drawback
The only drawback linked to this smart light bulb is that it only works best with Xiaomi systems when it comes to integration.
However, it doesn’t require a hub to work since it comes with built-in Wi-Fi.
If what you are looking for is a pocket-friendly app-controlled smart light bulb, this light bulb from Xiami is an excellent option.
LIFX A19 Smart LED Light Bulb
This phone app-controlled and voice-controlled light bulb is considered one of the most responsive and brightest smart bulbs. The majority of smart bulbs cannot light a room in full, and that is because they usually come with lower lumens.
But the vital component that makes the LIFX A19 light bulb one of the leading smart bulbs in the market today is that it features up to 1100 lumens. This is more than enough to brighten any room, and the LIFX A19 light bulb can do this on its own.
Users of this smart light bulb can readily apply several incomparably cool effects and can also control the lights. You can readily choose from a wide variety of effects, lighting scenes, and themes, as well as over 16 million colors to liven up and brighten every room in your home.
As long as your smartphone has Wi-Fi or a mobile connection, you can efficiently control the lights.
Features of the LIFX A19 Smart Light Bulb
Here are some of the features of the LIFX A19 smart light bulb:
- Can be controlled by voice (Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, Alexa)
- Comes with up to 1100 lumens
- More than 16 million colors are available to choose from
- Simple installation
- User-friendly
- Can last up to 22.8 years
- Automation and scheduling are accessible and easy to implement via the phone app.
Drawback
The only non-beneficial attribute one can point to is that the LIFXA19 smart light bulb is expensive. However, if you consider the lifetime of this powerfully impressive smart light bulb, the investment will be worth it.
The LIFXA10 smart light bulb relies on built-in Wi-Fi, and so no hub is required. So, download its dedicated mobile app from the designated stores, and you can start controlling lights from any location.
Other Impressive Smart Light Bulbs
- Berennis Smart Light Bulb
- LG Smart Bulb
- Philips Hue Lily White and Color Ambiance Outdoor Spotlight
- Misfit Bolt
- Limitless LED/MiLight
Wrap Up
Controlling your lights remotely is ideal for smart homeowners or anyone looking to make the switch from conventional housing to a smart home. Most of these app-controlled lighting solutions are compatible with home automation and voice control systems.
A few of them, however, may require a hub, which you may have to purchase separately. The good news is that you can control lights with your phone app with a Wi-Fi connection from any location.
Are you wondering if there are other top smart lights brands apart from the ones mentioned here? Of course, there are more excellent smart lights that can give you value for your money
