The best smart light bulb for Alexa: hands-free controlled lighting in 2021

2021-11-26 08:48:59 By : Mr. Yuyun Zhang

If you are buying a new smart bulb for your home in the market, the choice can be overwhelming. With so many smart lighting options, where do you start? You know you want to add some similar smart bulbs to your smart home, and you already know that Alexa is the way you want to use them, but then?

We researched the best smart light bulbs for use with Alexa. Each of these smart bulbs caters to different prices, budgets and needs, so there is something for everyone. Although it looks like the Philips Hue system is the first choice for smart LED bulbs, it really depends on what you plan to do at home. We researched the working conditions of voice control, the colors provided by smart bulb selection, and investigated which bulbs require a hub to work properly. Please keep reading, we will soon crack down on any confusion you may have.

When you are arguing about how to make your home smarter, don't forget to consider buying some of the best smart plugs on the market. These are great ways to update "stupid" technology. Or, you can use one of the best smart speakers to improve your Alexa coverage so you can fully control your smart home and smart LED light bulb system.

It is easy to be attracted to the temptation of fancy new technology without actually knowing its meaning. If you have seen the term smart light bulb or smart light bulb but are not sure what it means, don’t worry. In fact, it is an LED light bulb that can communicate with other devices in your home via the Internet or home network, allowing you to control it in a more advanced way than ordinary light bulbs. You may see a lot of mentions of Hue lights or the need for a Hue hub, but some of the simplest LED bulbs work almost like ordinary bulbs, but they can only be manipulated using voice control or voice commands.

Smart bulbs can fit into ordinary lamp holders, so you don’t even need to make any overly complicated settings.

Convenient, in simple terms. No need to turn off the light bulb through a traditional switch, you can talk to it through Alexa commands (and other methods), which means you have better control. It is especially suitable for those with mobility impairments, but it is also great for those who want complete control. Combined with a series of smart speakers such as Amazon Echo and Echo Dot, you can control your home from anywhere nearby.

Smart bulbs also often have other useful functions, such as being able to emit a variety of different colors or tones. Most bulbs don't have an all-or-nothing setting, which means you can choose to enjoy dim ambient light at night or bright day-style lighting when you need to focus on something.

Smart light bulbs can also be arranged to light up automatically at specific times of the day, which means you can go back to a brightly lit home in your home, or choose to turn on the lights when you go out to make suggestions to any evil strangers. Actually Someone is at home.

Not always. It depends on the related smart bulb. Some smart bulbs require a hub to work, such as those from Philips Hue, but other smart bulbs do not require a bridge or hub to work properly. The key to Alexa smart bulbs is that they support Alexa, but the options you need are very flexible.

For all the smart bulbs listed below, we provide information about whether you need a hub to use the related smart bulbs.

Generally it will not be long. Some smart lights can be set up in just a few seconds. Pairing a bridge or hub, this process may take longer, but this is usually a one-time processing of future settings for a single lamp, and it takes much less time.

Things may take longer to get your smart lighting the way you want. Adjusting the timetable and color scheme is usually when things may take longer but we still only discuss about 30 minutes at most. Of course, with Alexa commands, you can use your voice to complete most operations without having to participate more in the application.

Philips Hue has a good reputation in the world of smart bulbs for good reason. It is extremely simple to set up and is very suitable for smart lighting novices and those who desire all the functions. Unlike some of Alexa's smart light bulb solutions, you need a Hue hub to use the light bulb, which will increase the price, but it has some advantages. After setting up the hub, it only takes a few seconds to add additional bulbs, which is very convenient. The hub also supports other smart home devices, such as Apple HomeKit and Google Assistant, and Alexa. You can buy white and colored bulbs, and even white bulbs provide 50,000 adjustable white lights. 

If you don’t mind a little adjustment, Wyze Labs Smart Wyze Bulbs is a good choice for people on a budget. Compared with some more expensive alternatives, they usually require more settings to start using, and you need to have some experience with IFTTT to use them most effectively with other smart home devices, however, they still offer open options. Alexa support out of the box. There are 16 million colors to choose from, and you can choose custom presets and temperature control. You can easily automate the process using voice or the Wyze app.

At such a low price, it is almost wrong to point out any flaws in the Sengled smart bulb. Fortunately, there are not too many problems except for some occasional synchronization issues. Instead, you can get a smart light bulb at a low price that offers high brightness, millions of colors, and easy-to-use Alexa controls. Alexa is the only assistant supported here, but this is enough for most users, and it's a great way to enjoy smart lighting on a tight budget. Equivalent to 60W or 800 lumens, the effect is just right.

The LIFX color smart LED bulb not only provides extensive support for Alexa, including Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit, it does not require a hub, but it is a fairly thick bulb. Depending on the accessories you need, this can be awkward, but it does mean that you can enjoy 550 billion possible color combinations and a wide white range. The setup is also quite simple, and the result looks very satisfactory. Please note that it only supports 2.4Ghz wireless network. For many users, this should not be a problem, but it is worth acknowledging. 

As a cheap competitor to Philip Hue bulbs, Ring Smart LED bulbs provide very similar functions. It requires a Ring bridge to fully work, but you can set a schedule, turn on or off lights remotely, get notifications, etc. through the Ring app. And, of course, you can use Alexa to manipulate the lights with your voice. The lights don’t feel as bright as other competitors, but since they are also cheaper, the price paid is relatively small. If you prefer the brightest light to adapt to your life, please keep this in mind. 

As a familiar name in the online world, TP-Link also has its own smart bulb series, provided by Kasa. Their price is impressive, no hubs are required, and they also offer a wide range of lighting options that can use 850 lumens. Not only is it compatible with Alexa, it is not as rich in functions as other light bulbs, and the application is reasonable rather than excellent, but it is not a big loss at this price. If you are using a 5Ghz-based connection, please note that it only supports 2.4Ghz Wi-Fi networks. 

Not a smart bulb in the traditional sense, this Maxonar LED strip is an ideal choice if you want to spread some lighting in your home without being restricted by the lamp holder. Waterproof and able to be used outdoors, it is easy to attach to the surface before using Alexa to command it to work through 16 million available colors. You can simply darken and brighten the process to add some interesting atmosphere to your home. Of course, it is not as bright as ordinary lights, but it is an ingenious supplement along with other smart lighting. 

Nitebird smart bulbs skip the peculiar side of smart lighting. For example, it does not provide a particularly smart application, but it directly solves the key to the problem. You can easily set the schedule, dim lights, etc. through the application or through voice and Alexa. Equivalent to 75W bulbs, their energy efficiency is not as good as some alternatives, but they do well in other areas. Note again whether you need a 2.4Ghz wireless network.