Here are the best smart light bulbs in 2022
When it comes to setting up a smart home, lighting is one of the simplest things to switch over first, not to mention one of the most cost-effective. Choice is abundant in terms of affordable smart devices, and what might be considered the best smart light bulb depends on several factors. GE CyncSmart Light Bulb checks all of the boxes. It's made by a trusted brand in lighting and is compatible with all major voice assistants and smart home control platforms. These bulbs can be grouped or used independently and can replace any standard 60-watt incandescent A19 bulb. And while it's a top pick, it isn't the only choice around.
Best overall: GE Cync Smart Light Bulb (2-pack)
This GE Cync bulb emits a soft white light suitable for any room of the home, comes in a convenient two-pack, uses 9.5 watts, and offers up to 800 lumens of brightness. It's designed to replace traditional 60-watt incandescent A19 bulbs and fits medium-based sockets in open fixtures. Essentially, it can replace most bulbs in your home.
Aside from offering more energy-efficient operation, leading to savings on electricity and energy usage, they are also smart bulbs compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for remote, app, and voice control. They also work with Bluetooth to control them from your phone within a short range without needing a third-party device. These bulbs also come with WI-Fi support, so remote management is easy and doesn't need a hub.
Once set up for control using a smart home control system, you can add lighting to scenes, like dimming the lights in the living room for movie night or turning on the bathroom lights for your morning routine. You can also set them on schedules, so all lights automatically turn off at midnight. You can control individual bulbs or group them, too. It's one of the easiest transitions into smart lighting.
Pros:- Voice control
- Group together
- Bright 800 lumens
- Works over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
- Only white color
Get your smart home started
This two-pack of bulbs from a trusted brand in lighting is the perfect set to get your smart home lighting started.
Best for whole-home lighting: Philips Hue White A19 LED Smart Bulbs
When it comes to smart lighting, Philips is one of the top brands that come to mind. This set is the perfect way to get you started switching all lighting in your home to smart lighting. It comes with four A19 LED bulbs you can use to replace any standard 60-watt incandescent bulb. Drawing 10 watts of power, they provide 800 lumens.
The dimmable bulbs are compatible with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, as well as Bluetooth and Zigbee. With the optional Hue Hub, you can control the lights remotely using the app, and with a compatible smart speaker, you can control it by voice. However, if you don't want to go that route just yet, simply download the app and use Bluetooth to control it from within range.
Once you decide to go the full smart route and opt for the Hub, you'll be able to do things like creating timers and set routines. You can also expand the system, adding up to 50 devices, including additional bulbs and devices like motion sensors and smart switches.
The bulbs are super easy to set up, making them perfect if you plan to add more devices to your smart home over time. You'll also appreciate the long life of up to 22 years or 25,000 lifetime hours (based on average industry usage) and the Energy Star certification.
Pros:- Dimmable
- Voice control
- Easily expandable
- Bluetooth
- Energy Star certified
- Requires Hub for remote control
- No colors
- Expensive
Light up the whole house
Get started with four bulbs, then easily expand with the Hub and additional devices when you're ready to add more to the system.
Best for setting the mood: Philips Hue White & Color Ambiance A19 LED Smart Bulb
Enter a world of colors in your home with one of these bulbs, which can replace any standard A19 bulb and offers 800 lumens of light and 4,000K color temperature. Choose from 16 million colors to set the right mood, whether you want background lighting for a nice family dinner or fun lighting for a social gathering.
Control up to 50 lights with the optional Hue Hub, which lets you remotely control the bulbs from virtually anywhere. However, without the Hub, you can still control the bulbs from within range using Bluetooth and as part of a Zigbee system. Create timers, routines, and schedules, automating lighting, so you never have to lift a finger. There are even preset light recipes you can use for the perfect ambiance. The lights are also compatible with popular voice control assistants, including Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
These Energy Star-certified bulbs have a 22-year lifespan or 25,000 lifetime hours. So you can feel good about swapping your old energy-hogging bulbs out for a model like this one from Philips Hue. We reviewed Philips Hue bulbs like these, and they're always a solid choice.
Pros:- 16 million colors
- Voice control
- Bluetooth
- Easily expandable
- Energy Star certified
- Requires Hue Hub for remote control
- Expensive
The right ambiance
Set the right ambiance for a quiet movie night, romantic dinner, or fun party, with 16 million colors from which to choose.
Best for easy setup: LIFX Color A19 800 lumens
The LIFX Color bulb is a jack of all trades with plenty of light thanks to its 800-lumen output and wide range of selectable colors. This bulb fits a standard A19 socket and is easy to pair with a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi connection. No hub is necessary. This bulb also has an impressive range of whites with 1500-9000k. It's compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri to set the proper brightness and color quickly and easily.
The app is simple to set up with easy access to your set moods so you can pick the proper lighting for the moment or time of day. The RGBW LEDs allow this bulb to provide plenty of light for a room or get dim enough to use comfortably at night. If you are looking for one of the best bulbs for rich colors, LIFX is worth considering.
Pros:- No hub is required
- Billions of possible colors
- Voice control
- Built-in Wi-Fi
- Dimmable
- No Bluetooth
- Expensive
Super easy set-up
Get going out of the box with this bulb with built-in Wi-Fi, so there's no need for a separate hub for remote connectivity.
Best value: Sengled Smart Light Bulb
You can't go wrong with a smart bulb from a reputable brand at this price. The A19 soft white bulb is totally dimmable and draws 9 watts of power, the 60-watt equivalent, and will output 800 lumens.
With an optional hub, including the Sengled Smart Hub, SmartThings Hub, Wink Hub, or Habitat Hub, you can enjoy remote control using the iOS or Android app. Connect it directly to an Amazon Echo Plus or Show without a hub and enjoy voice commands to turn the lights on or off, adjust brightness, and more.
Group lights using Alexa, Google Home, or IFTTT and add 64 bulbs to one system. You can also expand a system with other accessories, like light strips, dimmer switches, smart plugs, and door/window sensors.
Pros:- Direct connection to Echo Plus, Show
- Voice control
- Dimmable
- Energy Star-qualified
- No Bluetooth
- Hub required
- No colors
Value for money
The price is right for a single bulb that opens up a world of smart control possibilities, either with or without a hub.
Best for easy remote control: TP-Link Kasa Smart Light Bulb
Use the free Kasa app for Android and iOS devices to remotely control these smart lights from virtually anywhere, no hub required. The lights have Wi-Fi built-in and connect directly to your secure home Wi-Fi network so you can get going right away. Control them from anywhere, including turning the lights on and off, dimming them, and changing colors.
The dimmable lights also offer a full spectrum of colors, from 2,500K up to 9,000K in color temperature. Delivering 800 watts (60-watt equivalent) and drawing just 10.5 watts, the LED A19 bulbs can replace outdated ones with smart, remotely-controllable bulbs and more energy-efficient ones.
Enjoy voice control via Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Microsoft Cortana (no HomeKit, unfortunately) and a compatible smart speaker, and set the mood, scenes, or schedules using the app.
Pros:- 16 million colors
- Voice control
- No hub is required
- Dimmable
- No Bluetooth
- No HomeKit support
Easy, peasy
Control lights from anywhere, including dimming, turning on and off, and adjusting color, from the free Kasa app. No hub needed.
Bottom lineAdding smart lighting to your home is as easy as unscrewing an old incandescent bulb, screwing a smart LED one in its place, downloading an app, and going through a quick setup process. While some bulbs require a hub to manage control remotely, this also allows you to expand the system to heights you never imagined, including adding things like light strips and motion sensors to the equation.
The GE Cync smart bulb is a great starting point for smart home lighting, thanks to its solid features, reasonable pricing, and excellent compatibility. It also comes packed with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, so you don't need a hub, and you have the option to control your bulb without putting it online. While you give up some of the impressive color-changing features of more advanced bulbs, the soft white light from these bulbs makes them a good drop-in replacement for your old bulbs.
These soft white bulbs are a great jumping-off point, easily replacing old ones and adding the option for things like voice control. If you decide to expand, you're well-equipped to add more devices to the mix once you grab a hub.
Finding the best smart light bulb for your home really comes down to your individual needs, budget, and preference. Looking for something you can control by Alexa? Check out our list of Alexa controlled smart light bulbs for a narrowed-down selection of options that work with this voice assistant.
Credits - The team that worked on this guide
Christine Persaud resides in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, with her husband and 9-year-old son. When she moved from a condo to a house six years ago, she switched every bulb in the home not only to LED but to a system that allows her to control them remotely from an app. She hasn't lifted a finger to turn on a light since.