Best lighting system?

By Kate Kozuch and Cynthia Lawrence Posted on July 22 Do youwant your standard lighting to be intelligent? See 10 things a smart plug cando that you didn't realize it could. If there isn't any natural light in yourhome, you'll need to know some tips and tactics for lighting a dark space.After evaluating dozens of types, we believe Philips Hue White and ColorAmbiance bulbs to be the best smart lights. In addition to being compatiblewith almost every smart home device, Philips Hue lights include severalfeatures in their app that set them apart from other smart lightingmanufacturers.

 

Look at Philips Hue White bulbs if you simply want whitelighting. Read the entire review of the Philips Hue White and Color Ambiancestarting kit. Even when compared to other LED lights, the cost of smart bulbsis their main drawback. The Wyze smart bulb is ideal for individuals on a tightbudget because of this.

 

If all you want is a smart bulb that you can manage and linkto other smart home devices, this is one of the better options available. Bothbrightness and color temperature can be adjusted (2,700k – 6,500k), and you cando it not only through the Wyze app but also through Alexa, Google Assistant,and IFTTT. Check out our whole Wyze bulb review. One of the greatest smartbulbs, in our opinion, is Sengled's intelligent motion sensor LED, which isideal for customers who want external illumination for their corridors.

 

It features a motion sensor embedded into its core, allowingyou to turn on the light automatically if it senses movement within 30 feet, inaddition to producing more than 1,000 lumens. This will prevent you from havingto fumble in the dark to get to your door from your entry. When it's darkoutside, Ring Solar Pathlight fixtures provide some of the best smart bulbs forilluminating the path from the entry to the door. Though Sengled's comparableproduct is brighter and less expensive, Ring effortlessly works with otherdevices like the Ring Alarm system and the Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus.

 

Because Amazon owns Ring, Solar Path lights work with Alexa,Google Assistant, and IFTTT in addition to other voice assistants. The adhesiveback of the Philips Hue Lightstrip makes it simple to glue it to a wall orother surface, and you can trim it to meet your needs and add extensions up to40 inches. The LightStrip is compatible with Alexa, HomeKit, Google Assistant,Nest, and Samsung SmartThings much like other Philips Hue lights are. However,for these lights to function, you must already have the Hue bridge.

 

Consider whether a gadget requires a hub as well. Your smarthome setup's brain is a central system. You link each of your smart devices toit and use it to manage tasks like routines, etc. Some devices, like thePhilips Hue range, need a hub to function, but LIFX doesn't.

 

Choosing products that utilize a hub might have an impact onfactors like product reliability and cost. But in the end, it all boils down toyour tastes and finances. The greatest option for intelligent and adaptablelighting is Nanoleaf. With this modular system, you may combine hexagonal,triangular, and mini-triangular shapes.

 

As long as you take your time and can select from a varietyof colors and lighting effects in the Nanoleaf app, the components are simpleto fit and install. I adore the built-in rhythm module for the holidays thatsynchronizes the panels with your beats. The daylight alternative is the bestchoice for gloomy winter days. Although you can make your color combinationsand effects, the app's active community is constantly expanding its alreadysubstantial collection.

 

Visitors frequently compliment these panels, which Itypically operate using voice commands through Google Assistant. Although theydon't always function as they should, the shapes themselves aretouch-sensitive, allowing you to slide your finger in four directions to changethe lights (this is vital if you have youngsters). Multiple panels are requiredto produce intriguing designs, and the entire package is pricey. I initiallyfrequently had connectivity problems, but after Nanoleaf updated the firmwareto include Thread support, I observed a significant improvement.

 

I dislike the white plastic appearance of them when they areoff, and a power line that runs down the wall is left behind. Although one ofthe hex joints acts as a physical control unit, they are not touch-sensitive.You'll have a difficult-to-hide power cord going through the wall. Becauselines reflect light on the wall, they won't work in every area; wallpaper andvibrant colors will change the appearance.

 

Additionally, I discovered that setting up screen mirroringin the Nanoleaf Desktop application was a little challenging. A novel lighttube that mixes many hues of light in a single lamp and is mounted above orbelow a TV was recently introduced by Philips Hue. Other types of intelligentlighting include side and ceiling lamps, outdoor lighting, Philips Hue lightstrips, and colored (with 16 million shades) and white (both solid and ambientbulbs delivering a variety of distinct shades) bulbs (opens in a new tab). Forgreater flexibility and to achieve high-quality white light, RGBW combinesacceptable white with red, green, and blue.

 

The greatest smart lights will be of the highest quality,simple to install and use, and intuitive at the touch of a button. Reactivelighting gives movies and action games a unique flair, but it isn't flawless oruniversally applicable. Since they emit a cozy, vintage glow that's perfect forestablishing the mood, filament or Edison-style lights are all the rage. The greatestsmart bulbs are not constrained to conventional bulb forms because they are allLED-based.

 

A recessed dimmer might be a preferable choice if you'recomfortable changing the switches (and can make permanent installations in yourhome), particularly if you frequently have visitors who are unfamiliar withvoice-controlled or phone-controlled lighting. Additionally, there are lightbars and light strips that blend illumination with what is displayed on the TV,including light strips that have changed the lighting in the most recentversion and the new Play light bars. The switches should remain in the ONposition, though, and you should instead manage the lighting with yoursmartphone, wireless switches, or voice assistants. A wide range of additional lampsand light styles are available in addition to the color-changing A19 bulbs,including plain white bulbs, adjustable white bulbs, light strips, chandelierbulbs, outdoor lights, and others.

 

With the greatest intelligent lighting, you can adjust thelight without getting up from the couch, whether you want to brighten or dimit, turn it on or off, or in some cases, alter the color it glows.

Cynthia Maruca
Cynthia Maruca

Award-winning tvaholic. Wannabe pizza trailblazer. Avid zombie fanatic. Friendly zombie specialist. Infuriatingly humble internet ninja.

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