5 Smart Lighting Options to Help Brighten Your Home

Cassie L. Damewood — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 16:54:22 +0000

Smart lighting has changed our lives in ways we never would’ve imagined just a few years ago. From the simple pleasure of remotely controlling the fixtures throughout our homes to creating worlds full of mesmerizing images and colors in any room, it’s pretty hard not to marvel at the power of today’s smart lighting choices.
We’ve put together a little list of our favorite smart lights of the moment, all of which are compatible with both Android and iOS smartphones.

Belkin WeMo

The Belkin WeMo Smart LED Lighting Starter Set enables you to both control your lighting remotely and program lights to operate on a personalized schedule. The system is fully compatible with Google Assistant and IFTTT.
Replacing conventional bulbs with WeMo Smart LED bulbs allows you to dim, schedule, and otherwise control them from any location using the accompanying WeMo app and WeMo Link — just keep in mind that they (and most IKEA smart light bulbs) are only available in variations of white, with no color-changing abilities in sight as of yet.

Hive Active Light

Hive Active Lights can pretty much do everything the Belkin WeMo can, and the color-changing bulb even lets you create assorted moods to suit your demeanor. They’re also specially attuned to integrate with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa voice controls.
Hive first gained notoriety for its smart heating devices. Its new smart lighting system consists of three different bulbs: the basic Hive Active Light Dimmable, the slightly more advanced Hive Active Light Cool to Warm White, and the aforementioned Hive Active Light Color Changing.

IKEA TRÅDFRI

IKEA’s contribution to the smart lighting market boasts similar features and can be controlled with voice commands through Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, and Amazon Alexa.
Besides its competitive pricing, the TRÅDFRI line stands out for its unique selection of plug-and-play kits, with multiple fixtures giving users the ability to adjust between warm and cool shades of white on a whim. IKEA currently offers just one colored bulb, but their wireless light panels can supposedly last for a whopping 25,000 hours.

Osram Lightify

Osram Lightify not only has more compatibility with voice-activated assistants than any other brand, but it also gives its users the ability to create personalized environments and lighting schemes unlike any other. The system is easily controlled by Works with Nest, Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Wink, Samsung SmartThings, and Google Assistant.
The Lightify series also offers an impressive selection of bulb types, boasting both standard bayonet and screw bulbs as well as GU10s. Also included in the collection are fun extras like garden spotlights and LED strips.

Philips Hue

When all is said and done, the leader of the smart lighting pack is undoubtedly Philips Hue. In addition to offering all the same capabilities as their competitors, these lights promote physical well-being, sync up with movies and music for unparalleled entertainment experiences, and allow users to essentially paint with them. The system easily syncs with IFTTT, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, and Amazon Alexa.
With the help of your smartphone, you can use Philips Hue to turn the lights in your home off and on, adjust their intensity and colors, and even reconstruct colors inside specified images such as your favorite painting or a breathtaking sunrise you captured on Instagram.