5 best smart light bulbs – Philips Hue, Lifx, and more - Android

There are lots of devices you can get to begin your smart home journey, but many people make smart lights their first purchase. What should you get? In this article we have curated a list of our favorite smart light options.

With smart lighting, it’s less about one specific bulb model and more about what brand and ecosystem you prefer. The two biggest names in the smart light game are Philips Hue and Lifx, though there are plenty of smaller players as well. Below are just a few choices we recommend.

Editor’s note: We’ll be updating this list of the best smart light bulbs regularly as new devices launch.

1. Philips Hue

Philips Hue is likely the best choice for most people, and my primary choice as well (I also have a few Lifx bulbs I use regularly, and have personally used all brands on this list expect Sengled). The brand is easily the most recognized in the space, and its products are fairly reliable. . Philips offers loads of smart light bulbs and lamps that can be controlled via Google Home and Amazon Echo devices. Don’t have a smart speaker? You really should, but if you don’t you can also control smart light bulbs directly from your smartphone via Hue compatible apps.

You can turn all the lights on/off at once, or a single one in any room. It’s also possible to dim lights to specific percentages, and even check with Assistant if you forgot to turn off any of them. To make your investment simpler, Philips offers smart light bundles, which often include lights and the hub.

The only major downside to Hue was its reliance on a hub, but that’s no longer the case. While hubs make it easier to organize your light bulb setup, it’s now possible to buy a bluetooth-enabled Hue bulb without needing an extra hub for it to work.

Here are just a few options we recommend checking out:

• Philips Hue Starter Kit (The kit includes three color bulbs and Hue bridge)
• Philips Hue Color bulb (Bluetooth enabled)
• Philips Hue White bulb (Bluetooth enabled)

2. Lifx Smart Bulbs

Not impressed by Hue? Lifx is the second most popular choice. Lifx smart light bulbs are similar to those from Philips. You can turn them on/off, dim them, change their color, and more via Google Home and Amazon Echo devices. One can even create schedules to automate lighting. Just like newer Hue bulbs, Lifx bulbs don’t require a hub.

Here’s just a few of our favorite lighting products from Lifx:

• LIFXA19 LED Color Light Bulb – Basically the default color bulb.
• LIFX + A19 Wi-Fi Color LED Smartbulb (adds night vision that pairs well with security cameras)
• LIFX LED Light Strip

3. Xiaomi Yeelight Smart Light Bulbs

We usually recommend Hue and Lifx, but there are other great options out there. This one is for those looking to make their homes smarter on a budget. If that sounds like you, check out Xiaomi’s Yeelight offerings. We previously reviewed Xioami’s desk lamp, a smart plug, and other accessories and found them all great. Particularly impressive is the Yeelight color LED bulb. It works well and is much cheaper than the competition at just $9.99.

Here’s just a few options from Yeelight:

• Yeelight smart bulb multicolor
• Yeelight light strips
• Yeelight Candela

4. Sengled Smart WiFi LED bulbs

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Sengled is yet another budget option when it comes to smart lighting. While I’d personally recommend Yeelight or Eufy for budget options, Sengled still has a pretty solid following and so it might be worth a look. While older Sengled products required a hub, that’s not true of the Smart WiFi line.

Here’s what we recommend from Sengled:

• Sengled color smart bulb
• Sengled white smart bulb

Making your home smart may be daunting at first, but the results are definitely worth your effort. We hope to get you started with this list of the best smart light bulbs, but there are more ways to make your home smarter!

Other smart home articles:

• What is a Smart Home — and why should you want one?
• Smart home gadgets – the best smart home devices you can buy