You Can Trust Our Reviews
Light bulbs have grown exponentially smarter in recent years. You can now replace your standard incandescent bulb with a variety of connected solutions you can control with just a few taps on your smartphone or tablet. Some even connect with smartwatches and voice assistants. But with so many options flooding the smart home market, which one is right for you?
We’ve rounded up the highest-rated smart bulbs we’ve tested here. Read on for our top picks, and scroll down for general information about smart light bulbs and some points to consider while you’re shopping for one.
The Best Smart Light Bulb Deals This Week*
*Deals are selected by our commerce team
Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
Wyze Bulb Color
Best Affordable Color Bulb
Why We Picked It
The Wyze Bulb Color is the most affordable smart color bulb we’ve tested. It can shine 16 million colors, and you can control it from your phone or with your voice via Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It offers ample smart features for the price, including support for custom scenes, device-triggered automations, and scheduling. You simply won’t find a better smart light bulb for a lower price than this.
Who It’s For
With the ability to produce virtually any color, plus a range of warm to cool white tones that shine bright or dim low, the Wyze Bulb Color can help set the mood, whether you’re working from home or hosting a game night. It’s a lot smarter than your average light bulb, but affordable enough to put in every fixture in the house. And you can group bulbs together to control them at the same time, or make each shine a different color.
PROS
- Affordable
- Bright and dimmable
- Hub-free app control
- Works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and IFTTT
- Can be set up individually or as a group
- Supports automations, custom scenes, schedules, and sleep routines
CONS
- Not sold individually
- No dynamic lighting effects
Wyze Bulb Color BR30
Best for Recessed Fixtures
Why We Picked It
The Wyze Bulb Color BR30 stands out among the many smart light bulbs we’ve reviewed because it works specifically in recessed fixtures. It shares many strengths with its A19 sibling, the Wyze Bulb Color, with support for 16 million colors, voice controls, and third-party integrations via IFTTT. We also appreciate its hub-free design and low price.
Who It’s For
The Wyze Bulb Color BR30 uses a standard E26 base, while the BR30 in its name refers to its shape. These variants have wider (or bulged) reflector elements that give them a floodlight-like shape, whereas A19 models have a traditional shape that’s common for everything from tabletop lamps to ceiling fans. Which one you should use depends on the type of light fixture in question. If it’s recessed into a ceiling, BR30 bulbs are the better choice because they more completely fill the space within.
PROS
- Vibrant colors
- Supports voice controls
- Lots of third-party integrations
- Doesn’t require a hub
- Affordable
CONS
- Not compatible with HomeKit
- Lacks dynamic lighting effects
Wyze Light Strip Pro
Best Accent Lighting
Why We Picked It
The Wyze Light Strip Pro is a thin, flexible strip of LEDs you can stick to virtually any indoor surface—behind your TV or headboard, or along the edge of a fish tank or staircase—and control via your phone or voice. The Light Strip Pro significantly undercuts the competition without compromising on functionality or features. It offers lots of fun effects and useful automations, has a microphone to sync to the beat of music, and works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
Who It’s For
Whether you’re looking to turn a dorm room into the ultimate party zone or you just want some soft illumination under your kitchen cabinets, the Wyze Light Strip Pro makes it easy and affordable to achieve a wide range of accent lighting goals. Like the standard model, it allows for quick peel-and-stick installation, has a support app and voice control, offers a range of effects and automations, and has a microphone for music syncing. It can display millions of colors as well as a range of white tones, but the standard Light Strip can shine only one at a time, whereas the Pro can output up to 16 hues at once.
PROS
- Affordable
- Easy to install and set up
- Displays 16 million colors
- Lots of automation features and lighting effects
- Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice control
CONS
- Cannot connect multiple strips
Govee Lynx Dream Bluetooth & Wi-Fi Outdoor String Lights
Best Outdoor String Lights
Why We Picked It
For a festive way to illuminate your outdoor spaces, try string lights such as the Govee Lynx Dream. Each string has dimmable multicolor LED bulbs that you can control with your voice or phone. They also support IFTTT applets, and you get a generous selection of preset lighting scenes and a fun Music Sync mode that’s great for parties.
Who It’s For
The Govee Lynx Dream String Lights are an excellent choice for anyone who wants to add colorful lighting outside of their home. Available in 48 or 96 feet, the strings are weatherproof, easy to install, and support remote control via voice commands or the flexible Govee Home mobile app. They also look great and are simply fun to use.
PROS
- Lots of customizable lighting effects
- Supports Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands
- Works with IFTTT
- No hub required
CONS
- Bulbs are spaced far apart
- No HomeKit support
Read Our Govee Lynx Dream Bluetooth & Wi-Fi Outdoor String Lights Review
Globe Electric Smart Ambient Light
Best Smart Night-Light
Why We Picked It
The Globe Smart Ambient Light is a plug-in night-light with a built-in motion sensor that illuminates the way when you approach it. You can tune the LED to a specific white color temperature or display any number of RGB colors, create lighting schedules, and control everything from either an app or with your voice.
Who It’s For
The Globe Smart Ambient Light is worth checking out if you’re looking for a night-light to illuminate hallways, closets, bedrooms, and any other parts of your home with a soft, colorful glow.
PROS
- Easy to install
- Supports Alexa, Google, and Siri voice commands
- Broad color range
- Dual-band Wi-Fi
- Works with SmartThings platform
CONS
- Doesn’t support HomeKit or IFTTT
- Narrow motion detection range
Philips Dimmable A19 Smart Wi-Fi Wiz Light Bulb
Best Affordable Alternative to Philips Hue
Why We Picked It
Philips makes some of our favorite smart light bulbs, but its Hue LEDs are prciey. Starting at just $9.97, the Philips Dimmable A19 Smart Wi-Fi Wiz Light Bulb is a far more affordable option. It offers ample features for the price, including support for IFTTT integrations and voice control via Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri Shortcuts.
Who It’s For
The Philips Dimmable A19 Smart Wi-Fi Wiz bulb offers loads of value and convenience for its low price. It works with Wi-Fi for app control without needing a separate hub, it supports voice commands, and it features plenty of customization options. Its companion app lets you create Scenes to set the mood for different occasions, Rhythms to automate lighting adjustments based on the time of day, and Schedules to enable your preferred light mode on certain days and times.
PROS
- Affordable
- No hub required
- Connects via Wi-Fi for remote app control
- Works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, IFTTT, and Siri shortcuts
- Supports light Rhythms, Scenes, and Schedules
CONS
- Finicky Wi-Fi setup and app control in testing
- No HomeKit support
Read Our Philips Dimmable A19 Smart Wi-Fi Wiz Light Bulb Review
Philips Hue Iris Table Lamp
Best Smart Table Lamp
Why We Picked It
The Philips Hue Iris is a smart and stylish table lamp that lets you set the mood instantly. It displays 16 million colors and a wide range of warm and cool white tones to create the perfect ambience, and it supports routines to wake you up and help you sleep. The newest model offers a 570-lumen maximum output, more than double that of its predecessor, and adds Bluetooth support so you can control it from your phone without a separate hub, though you’ll need a Philips Hue bridge (sold separately) to do so when you’re out of the house.
Who It’s For
If you’re looking for a smart, stylish table lamp that can evoke a specific vibe instantly, the Philips Hue Iris is a terrific standalone smart accent light for beginners and existing Hue users alike. It’s easy to set up and use and even easier on the eyes, offering preset white or color scenes, along with the ability to create and save your own.
PROS
- Wide color and white temperature range
- Stylish design
- Features Bluetooth for hub-free app control
- Supports Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands
CONS
- Some features require a Hue Bridge hub
Wyze Bulb White
Best Affordable White Bulb
Why We Picked It
The Wyze Bulb White improves upon its predecessor with a longer lifespan, a wider color-temperature range, and an easier setup process. At less than $10 per bulb, it’s the best smart white LED we’ve tested, and second only to the slightly pricier Wyze Bulb Color.
Who It’s For
If you’re looking to save a couple of bucks per bulb and have no need for color-changing lighting, the Wyze Bulb White is a terrific alternative to the Wyze Bulb Color.
PROS
- Very affordable
- Long lifespan
- Lots of smart features
CONS
- Lacks support for Apple HomeKit
Wyze Night Light
Best Affordable Night Light
Why We Picked It
Although it lacks the smart features of the Globe Electric Smart Ambient Light, the Wyze Night Light costs less and doesn’t occupy an outlet. This wireless, battery-powered light casts an attractive soft white glow to illuminate dark areas when its integrated sensors detect motion. You can mount it on your wall within minutes and it lasts up to three months per charge. And then, when the light runs low on battery, simply recharge it via USB-C and pop it right back onto its magnetic mounting plate.
Who It’s For
If you’re sick of tripping over shoes and dog toys during late-night bathroom trips, the Wyze Night Light might be the perfect solution. It doesn’t support app or voice control, but it’s hard to beat if you just want an affordable, reliable, fuss-free nighttime lighting solution.
PROS
- Includes three lights
- Lights can be linked or used individually
- Integrated dusk-to-dawn and motion sensors
- Wireless, battery-powered lights don’t require an outlet
- Easy to install
CONS
- No app or voice control
- Doesn’t come with a charging cable
Philips Hue Bluetooth White and Color Ambiance Bulb
Best Hue Lighting Without a Hub
Why We Picked It
The Philips Hue Bluetooth White and Color Ambiance is the first Hue smart bulb equipped with a Bluetooth radio, which means you can control it without connecting it to a Hue Bridge: Its app lets you turn it on and off, dim it, and change colors and color temperature settings, and the Ambiance supports Alexa and Google voice commands. You can pair it to a Hue Bridge if you want to control it from afar, as well as take advantage of smart home integration and other features that make Hue a best-in-class smart lighting platform.
Who It’s For
If you want to dip your toe into the smart lighting waters before investing in a pricey hub-controlled system, the Hue Bluetooth White and Color Ambiance bulb is a good place to start. It performed well in our tests and is easy to install, and you can add it to your Hue ecosystem should you decide to go all out.
PROS
- Works without a hub.
- Easy to install.
- Vibrant colors.
- Supports Alexa and Google voice commands.
- Can be added to Hue ecosystem.
CONS
- Expensive.
- Requires Hue Bridge for remote access and to use other Hue features.
Read Our Philips Hue Bluetooth White and Color Ambiance Bulb Review
Buying Guide: The Best Smart LED Light Bulbs for 2023
What Does a Smart Light Bulb Do?
Smart bulbs offer a degree of control and interactivity you just can’t get with traditional bulbs, including scheduled timers and remote control options. They’re also more convenient; it’s easier to tap on a smartphone screen than to get up and trudge over to a wall switch.
Beyond keeping you out of the dark, you can schedule or remotely control most of the bulbs we’ve reviewed, which is great if you want to save on energy costs or often forget to turn off the lights before leaving the house. Some bulbs use geofencing, which means they work with the GPS in your smartphone to automatically turn on or off when you get home or leave the house. Color-changing bulbs are also great for mood lighting, and some can even sync with certain movies and TV shows.
Some bulbs are compatible with Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s HomeKit, or Google Assistant, which means you can control your home lighting with just your voice. You can also integrate some of the bulbs on this list with security cameras, thermostats, and other smart home devices. IFTTT compatibility further lets you create recipes that automatically cause your lights to react to certain triggers, like phone notifications or weather changes.
Can a Smart Bulb Change Color?
Some of the bulbs on this list are just white, while others can take on any color of the rainbow. Color is a fun way to add atmosphere to your home, but often results in a pricier bulb.
Most of the smart bulbs we review are marketed as equivalent to 60-watt incandescent models, which sounds self-explanatory, but some bulbs are brighter than others. To see just how bright a light is, you need to look at the lumens it puts out (listed in the table below): the more lumens, the brighter the light.
Another factor to keep in mind is color temperature. Higher temperatures, such as 8,500K, look like harsh office lighting, which is fine for staying awake or working. Lower temperatures, such as 2,500K, translate to a cozy, warm glow that’s perfect for relaxing.
How Do I Connect My Smart Bulb to My Phone?
Some smart bulbs need to connect to your smartphone through a home automation hub such as the Philips Hue Bridge. The addition of a hub usually means a higher price and an extra step or two in the installation process.
Other bulbs cut out the middleman and connect to your phone or tablet directly via Wi-Fi. Still others connect via Bluetooth—but, in that case, you can control the lights only when you are within the much smaller Bluetooth range.
Recommended by Our Editors
Since you are likely going to control these lights from your phone or tablet, make sure that it’s easy to do. If you have multiple bulbs, for instance, you should seek out a companion app that lets you easily arrange them in groups for customization.
Of course, you can turn off any connected bulb just as easily by simply flipping the switch. We pay close attention to how each app works, and provide a detailed overview in each review.
Are Smart Light Bulbs Worth the Money?
Smart bulbs use light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and a variety of technologies to work, so they are typically more expensive than traditional bulbs. That’s important to keep in mind, especially if you want to upgrade your entire house. But smart bulbs also use less energy and last a lot longer—meaning you can save money in the long run. And as you can see, most of the options on this list fall well below $50, so the price of entry isn’t as steep as it used to be. You can now even find sub-$10 options, including some of our highest-rated picks.
Hits: 0
