Which LIFX smart lighting gear should I get for my home?
LIFX is one of the most popular brands you can choose from when upgrading your home with the best smart light bulbs. These lights connect directly to your home Wi-Fi network and thereby don't need a hub to work with Google Assistant or Alexa, saving you both time and money. Though the best LIFX bulbs and light strips aren't the cheapest you'll find, they don't fall short when it comes to quality, brightness, and ease of use. These are the best LIFX bulbs and light strips for your home.
Best overall: LIFX Color A19
When setting up your smart home, whether that be with one of several smart light bulbs, the first LIFX product you should reach for is the A19 color bulb. At 1100 lumens, this bulb is vibrant and very bright but can, fortunately, be dimmed down to 1% when it's time to go to bed. You can even schedule your lights to automatically dim in the evening and brighten in the morning to help you get going. Thanks to a wide white temperature range running from 1500K-9000K and 550 billion color combinations to choose from, you'll always be able to set the right ambiance for your activity, should that be eating dinner with low, romantic lighting or watching a movie with a multicolored glow.
The LIFX A19 color bulb connects directly to Wi-Fi, meaning that you don't need to invest in an additional hub, but you do have the option of operating your lights through the LIFX app or through voice commands. This bulb is compatible with Google Assistant, Alexa, and Siri, and can work with smart home integrations like IFTTT.
Pros:- Voice compatibility with Google Assistant, Alexa, and Siri
- Doesn't require hub
- Very bright at 1100 lumens
- 1500K-9000K temperature range
- Dimmable
- Expensive
Get started
If you had to get one LIFX bulb, the LIFX Color A19 smart bulb is the place to start with a vast white temperature range and billions of color combinations to choose from.
Best for security: LIFX Nightvision BR30
A smart light bulb is a worthy investment to make to improve your home security. The LIFX Nightvision BR30 bulb is much like the A19 color bulb, but it'll work both indoors and outdoors thanks to its IP65 weatherproof rating. It emits infrared light that's invisible to the human eye but is easily picked up by security cameras, which can vastly improve your security camera's vision when it's dark inside or out.
This bulb packs in 1100 lumens so it's extremely bright, but unlike the A19 bulb it's better suited as an outdoor floodlight, can light, or ceiling light thanks to its design that cast lights more directly, mimicking a downlight and illuminating a concentrated area. Due to Wi-Fi connectivity, you'll still be able to use Google Assistant or Alexa to control your lights, in addition to being able to dim them and pick from a vast range of colors and temperatures.
Pros:- Voice compatibility with Google Assistant, Alexa, and Siri
- Doesn't require hub
- Indoor/outdoor use
- IP65 rating
- Nightvision
- Wider top may not fit all fixtures
Rain or shine
The weatherproof LIFX Nightvision BR30 light bulb uses infrared light to improve security cameras' vision at night, making this bulb the perfect choice as an outdoor floodlight or ceiling light.
Best light strip: LIFX Lightstrip Starter Kit
Smart light strips aren't as conventional as light bulbs, but they're a great way to create mood lighting or simply illuminate your kitchen cabinets, stairways, desks, bed frames, and entertainment centers with the perfect glow. The flexible LIFX light strip comes in an 80-inch length (6.6 feet) and can be cut, bent, or extended up to 33 feet to fit any tight corners or spaces in your home.
Like LIFX smart light bulbs, these light strips are dimmable and offer a white temperature range from 1500K-9000K in addition to eight addressable color zones per light strips thanks to Polychrome Technology. These are ultra bright at 1400 lumens and come with app effects to animate your lights. If you're into gaming, these light strips can sync with your Razer Chroma gear to create an immersive experience. You're also able to set schedules and control your lighting easily through voice commands or the app.
Pros:- Voice compatibility with Google Assistant, Alexa, and Siri
- Doesn't require hub
- Extra bright (1400 lumens)
- Can be cut, extended, and bent
- Syncs with Razer Chroma
- Pricey
Mood lighting
Illuminate and animate your home with multicolored lighting and create the right mood for every occasion with the LIFX Lightstrip Starter Kit.
Best for entertainment: LIFX Z TV Lightstrip (40-inch)
If you're looking to upgrade your entertainment area and want a light strip that'll be the best fit for your TV screen, the LIFX Z TV Lightstrip is the choice for you. This 40-inch light strip (3.3 feet) is the ideal length for most large TVs (46 inches and above) and is easy to apply with 3M adhesive. If you're interested in gaming, this light strip will sync up with your Razer Chroma gear to react to the action on your screen and create deeper immersion. It can also help you reduce eye strain by emitting bias lighting, or the right shade of white lighting behind your screen.
This 700-lumen light strip features Polychrome Technology meaning that you'll have eight different color zones on each light strip out of 16 million color options and shades of white. And like other LIFX lighting, these light strips connect to Wi-Fi so you're able to use voice assistants to operate them along with the app. You can also create schedules and automation, including a day and dusk automation that adjusts your lighting to your lifestyle.
Pros:- Voice compatibility with Google Assistant, Alexa, and Siri
- Doesn't require hub
- Can be extended
- Syncs with Razer Chroma
- Not suitable for smaller TVs
- Not as bright (700 lumens)
Backlighting
The LIFX Z TV Lighstrip will suit most larger TVs and create the ideal ambiance for your next movie night or gaming session.
Best for dining: LIFX Candle White to Warm E12
If you're looking for white, intimate lighting for smaller fixtures, then the LIFX Candle White to Warm E12 bulb will be the perfect fit for entryway chandeliers, dining rooms, and bedrooms. This dual diffuser bulb is elegant by nature and mimics a real candle with a Flicker effect, creating a cozy vibe for snowy winter nights. This bulb also offers an impressive 2,200K-6,500K white temperature range and can be scheduled to fade, change temperatures, and turn on and off.
The candle bulb works with Google Assistant, Alexa, Cortana, Siri, and SmartThings, making it an easy addition to your smart home. It connects directly to Wi-Fi so no hub is needed, and can be controlled through the app. At 480 lumens it's not as bright as a standard LIFX bulb, but it's dimmable and will look lovely in your home.
Pros:- Voice compatibility with Google Assistant, Alexa, and Siri
- Doesn't require hub
- 2,200K-6,500K white temperature range
- Flicker candle effect
- Stylish and elegant
- Won't suit larger fixtures
- Not as versatile
- Not as bright (480 lumens)
- Cost can add up
Fine dining
Tired of all your candles burning out? The LIFX Candle White to Warm is a smart solution to intimate, dimmable lighting in your home.
Best budget: LIFX White A19
Sometimes you don't need color bulbs throughout your entire home, which is where the affordable LIFX White A19 bulb comes in. At only $10 a bulb, you won't get the ultra brightness or vast white temperature range you would with other LIFX bulbs. Instead, this bulb is 650 lumens and comes in a standard 2700K warm white, which makes it perfect for hallways, nightstand lamps, and other areas throughout your home.
Despite its lower price, this bulb still connects to Wi-Fi, doesn't require a hub, and can be operated with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri in addition to working with Samsung SmartThings. You can schedule this bulb to wake you by slowing turning on the lights as well as slowing fading when you head off to sleep.
Pros:- Voice compatibility with Google Assistant, Alexa, and Siri
- Doesn't require hub
- Dimmable
- Affordable
- Only one white temperature (2700K)
- Not as bright (650 lumens)
Classic white
Buy a few of these affordable, warm white bulbs to upgrade your smart home without breaking the bank.
Bottom lineSmart light bulbs and light strips are some of the easiest ways to upgrade your home with energy-efficient lighting in addition to lighting that works with your favorite voice assistants like Google Assistant or Alexa. The advantage LIFX has over other popular smart lighting brands is that each of its products connects directly to Wi-Fi, meaning that setup is easy and you won't ever have to invest in a hub.
If you're new to LIFX, the best bulb to get is the classic LIFX Color A19 bulb as it should fit most fixtures throughout your home and will offer a range of bright colors as well as various white temperatures. If you don't need color and are hoping to spend less, you can get the LIFX White A19 bulb for a much cheaper price. And if you're looking for a light strip to illuminate your entertainment area or transform your furniture, the LIFX Light Strip Starter Kit is the best choice that will suit most people's needs.
Credits - The team that worked on this guide
Olivia Lipski is a freelance writer for Android Central and loves testing out the latest smart home tech and discovering the best cell phone plans. When she's not busy running around NYC trying to find great food or coffee, she's in her kitchen trying to make it herself.