By TECHBOOK | June 22, 2022 at 9:00 p.m
Smart lightbulbs can do a lot more than conventional lamps: Thanks to dimmers, routine settings, remote control and a large color spectrum, the light can be personalized at any time. Smart lights offer the right mood for every situation. What is important?
Whether inside or outside, white or colourful, WLAN or ZigBee – the range of smart lights is huge. If you want to integrate your lighting into your smart home, you can use lighting systems with a wireless connection. These lamps offer numerous functions, can be remotely controlled with a smartphone and individualized in the settings. TECHBOOK compares the most common smart home lighting systems and reveals what is important when purchasing.
Smart home bulbs: what is it and how does it work?
Conventional lamps can be switched on and off with a switch or a remote control, and sometimes even dimmed. Smart home lamps, on the other hand, can do a lot more: they can be controlled, timed and operated by mobile phone while on the go. If you use a smart speaker like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, you can even activate and adjust the lighting with a voice command.
Why are smart LED lamps with color changes worthwhile?
It is practical that you can try out the networked lights in a room first. The sets can then be easily expanded, and several manufacturers are often compatible with each other. If you like the color-changing lamps, you can gradually equip the whole house with them. Further advantages of the smart lights compared to conventional LEDs and light bulbs at a glance:
Different lighting moods: The biggest advantage is probably that you no longer have to decide on a lighting mood. Depending on the system, over 16 million different color settings are possible – conjuring up the right atmosphere for every situation. Infinitely dimmable light: the intensity and brightness of the various white and color tones can also be infinitely adjusted. When working in the home office, it can be a bright daylight lamp, in the evening on the couch a little darker and more comfortable. Compatibility: Most of the time, the sockets of the smart lamps can be screwed into existing lampshades or stands. No extra lights are needed.Energy efficiency: Because the smart lamps can be controlled remotely and you can usually set schedules and routines in the associated smart home app, the smart LEDs are usually more energy-efficient.Remote control: The bulbs cannot be just switch them on and off with a switch, but also use them with voice commands or even control them from the go using a smartphone app. Setting options: the smart lamps with color change offer numerous options. You can usually select preset scenarios in the associated app – or simply create and save your own light profiles.More security: thanks to programming and remote control via a smartphone app, presence in the house can be simulated. This can help to increase burglary protection on vacation or at night. Buying smart LED lamps with color changes: This is important
If you are toying with the idea of equipping your house with smart lamps that change colour, you should think carefully about a few aspects in advance. What kind of lamps should it be? With which radio standard should the new smart lighting work? Should they be controlled by voice?
Smart color changing lamps are available for both indoor and outdoor use. Not only can every room be equipped with smart LED lamps. The terrace or balcony can also benefit from the right lighting ambience at all times. The common sockets are now available as smart lamps: E14, E27 and GU10. LED strips look particularly good on furniture or on the wall and immerse the whole room in a cozy atmosphere.
Most smart lights can also be voice activated when paired with a speaker. However, caution is required here: Not every light works with every assistant. Amazon Echo and Google Home are very compatible, while the product portfolio of Apple's HomeKit or Microsoft's Cortana is narrower.
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Smart home lighting: comparison of common wireless systems
There are four common systems to choose from for the radio standard with which the module in the base works: WLAN, Bluetooth, ZigBee or Z-Wave. WLAN and Bluetooth are particularly suitable for beginners:
Direct connection to the smartphone, no bridge required, ideal for a few lamps or individual rooms, may not be compatible with smart switches or sockets
The range of a Bluetooth pairing is quite short. Control may not be possible if the distance between the base and the smartphone is too long. Controlling from the road or from another room is often difficult. The WLAN connection offers a longer range. However, it should be noted here that several lamps can quickly overload the network. The connection of other devices such as smartphones, laptops or televisions may suffer. The optimal functionality of the smart lights is also only given with a stable network.
ZigBee and Z-Wave are particularly good for equipping the whole house, including the balcony or garden, with smart light:
Connection via a bridge or a hubideal for complete systemsstrong wireless signal with long rangedoes not burden other networksmostly compatible with smart switches and sockets
Many manufacturers and brands rely on one of these radio systems. As a result, they guarantee a long range and do not put additional strain on other networks such as WLAN. It is best to commit to a radio system from the start and to align the entire smart home accordingly. This ensures that the individual devices can communicate with each other without any problems and can be connected via a hub.
Philips Hue: The best smart lamps in the test
Philips Hue White: warm white lightPhilips Hue White Ambiance: white light spectrum with over 50,000 shadesPhilips Hue White Filament: LEDs in retro bulb design, white light spectrumPhilips Hue White & Color Ambiance: white and colored light, over 16 million colors
The range also includes light strips, ceiling lamps, spotlights and light panels for indoor and outdoor use.
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High compatibility and integration options
Philips Hue at a glance
Philips Hue
Socket E14, E27, GU10, LED strip
ConnectionPhilips Hue Bridge as a hub, smartphone
Radio system ZigBee and Bluetooth
ControlVia Hue App, voice control via Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or Apple's Siri
ExtensionsSwitch (Hue Tab), motion detector (Hue Motion) and more
MiscellaneousCompatible with numerous other systems and devices as well as third-party apps
Advantages:
Extensive product portfolio (including outdoor lighting) Integration with many systems from other manufacturers possible Many third-party apps available that offer additional settings Extension with other smart home devices and accessories
Disadvantages:
Quite high price
A single LED, for example the Philips Hue White Ambiance for dimmable white light, can be paired with the smartphone via Bluetooth. If you use several lamps, you need a separate bridge for control. The Hue starter set, which contains three smart LEDs (E27, 75 watts, 806 lumens) and a Philips Hue Bridge, is therefore recommended for beginners. This can be used to equip one or two rooms. You can then expand the set with other lamps as you wish. As soon as the Hue app is installed on the smartphone and the bridge is connected to the WLAN router, the light spectacle can start: Depending on the lamp, there are over 16 million colors and scenarios to choose from.
Innr: Smart lightbulbs from the Netherlands
Similar to the lamps from Philips, the Innr light bulbs also come in different variants. The standard lamps offer dimmable, warm white light, whereas the Comfort series and the Color series each cover the white light and colored light spectrum. With the latter, more than 16 million colors are possible. The filament lamps come in a lightbulb design and give every room a cosy, warm white vintage flair.
Most Innr lights transmit via ZigBee and must therefore be connected via a bridge. The color-changing version and the filament lamps are also available in the E27 variant as a WiFi model. They can only be connected and controlled with the WLAN and do not work with the Innr Bridge. This is ideal for individual lamps, but makes it more difficult to set up or expand the smart home lighting system. When purchasing, you should therefore pay particular attention to the addition "WiFi" in the product name.
The smart lamps from Innr at a glance:
Innr
Socket E14, E27, GU10, LED strip
ConnectionInnr Bridge or smartphone
Radio system ZigBee or WLAN
ControlVia Innr App, remote control or voice control via Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri
ExtensionsRadio-controlled sockets, remote control, switches
Advantages:
comprehensive product portfolio (including outdoor lighting) integration into systems from other manufacturers possible
no connection to Apple's HomeKitwhite lamps not as WiFi model
Positive: The lamps from Innr can also be used with the Hue system from Philips, so they can be connected and controlled with a Hue bridge. The Innr LEDs are also integrated into Samsung's SmartThings and Athom Homey. There are only problems with the smart home system from Apple: Operation via HomeKit is not possible.
Innr also has various starter kits that make it easier to get started in the smart home world. Included are two LED lamps, a bridge and a remote control. If you also want to decorate the outside area with smart lights, Innr has a particularly large selection of spotlights, base lights, LED strips or balls. This ensures a cozy or festive atmosphere on the balcony, terrace and in the garden.
Cheap smart home lamps from IKEA: Trådfri
IKEA has also jumped on the train of smart home systems. The furniture giant's portfolio also includes smart LEDs and accessories under the Trådfri brand. Translated, Trådfri means wireless – that sums up the concept of the lamps. All products are plug and play devices. They are ready for use as soon as they are screwed into the socket or connected to the power supply. It is operated via the remote control, a dimmer, the smartphone app or by voice control.
The lights from IKEA's Home smart at a glance:
IKEA home smart
Socket E14, E27, GU10
Connection Trådfri Gateway
Radio system ZigBee
ControlVia Home smart app, remote control, dimmer or voice control via Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or Apple's Siri
Extensions radio-controlled sockets, motion detectors
Advantages:
Integration with systems from other manufacturers possible, quite low price
Disadvantages:
Small product portfolio, no outdoor lights
The IKEA lights are not only compatible with the in-house home smart system, but can also be integrated into other networked units. IKEA also scores with very low prices: Compared to other manufacturers, the Trådfri lamps and sets are easy on the wallet. However, the selection of different lamps is not as extensive as with other systems, for example, there are no lights for outdoor use.
Smart lamps with color changes: Which ambience for which room?
Once the smart lamps have been installed, the next question arises: which color goes with which room? In general, because the colors can be changed at any time at the touch of a button, you can test which lighting scenarios best suit which room as you please. Still, different tones have been shown to have different effects on overall well-being and mood. The following combinations are therefore recommended:
Red and yellow light are ideal in the living room or bedroom because they look cozy and warm. Green light can also promote relaxation here. Orange tones are good in the kitchen because they suggest sunlight and thus stimulate the appetite. Daylight white is the best solution for desks and in the study, i.e. light with a brightness of at least 10,000 lux or less 5,300 Kelvin. This light strongly inhibits the production of the sleep hormone melatonin and instead stimulates the production of serotonin. The release of the happiness hormone can promote motivation and concentration. Blue as a color is quite cool, but also fresh and stimulating – ideal for the bathroom, for example.
Warm white has a color temperature below 3,300 Kelvin. Between 3,300 and 5,300 Kelvin we speak of neutral white light. From a light color of 5,300 Kelvin it is cold white light, which roughly corresponds to daylight at midday – hence it is also called daylight white.Other lighting systems from Xiaomi, Tint and Ledvance
Xiaomi
The Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi offers a wide range of different smart home products. In addition to smartphones, technical products and household appliances, WLAN LEDs are also included. However, the selection is small: there is a warm white and a colored E27 lamp. In various tests, however, they convinced with intensive colors and a relatively low price. Lighting scenarios can be adjusted and routines created via the Mi Home app. The lamps communicate directly with the smartphone via WLAN and can be connected to other compatible smart home devices.
Xiaomi
SocketE27
Connectionsmartphone
Wireless systemWLAN
ControlVia Mi Home App or voice control via Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant
Extensions Wireless sockets, surveillance cameras, motion detectors and more
Advantages:
quite low price can be coupled with numerous other Xiaomi devices via app
small product portfolio only WLAN connection no connection to Apple's HomeKit
Ink
A real price tip among the smart lamps with color change are the models from tint. They come in different white and colored light variants and can be controlled by remote control and voice assistant or smart home app. Ceiling lamps and outdoor lighting are also part of the product portfolio. The shortcoming: They are mainly designed for the expansion of existing systems. The brand therefore does not have its own hub. Instead, the LED bulbs can be integrated into many ZigBee systems, for example in Philips Hue or Magenta SmartHome. Without a compatible unit, the functionality of the lamps is reduced to remote control color settings.
Ink
Socket E14, E27, GU10, LED strip
ConnectionIntegration via smart home bridge
Radio system ZigBee
ControlVia app, remote control or voice control via Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant
Extensions radio-controlled sockets, light switches, remote control
Advantages:
quite low price comprehensive product portfolio (including outdoor lighting)
Disadvantages:
ZigBee connection only, no in-house hub, integration into another system required for full functionality
Ledvance
Ledvance offers bulbs with different connections. The Smart+ lamps are available in WiFi, Bluetooth and ZigBee versions, each in dimmable white, with a white spectrum or with a color spectrum. The Bluetooth and WLAN models are connected to a smartphone or tablet for control, while the ZigBee variants can be integrated into existing units. Otherwise, the Smart+ Switch can be attached to the wall and used as a normal light switch.
Ledvance
Socket E14, E27, GU10, LED strip
ConnectionIntegration via smart home bridge
Radio system ZigBee, WLAN or Bluetooth
ControlVia app, remote control or voice control via Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant
ExtensionsRadio-controlled sockets, light switches, remote control, motion detectors
Advantages:
Variants for almost every radio system including the right to expand Low prices Comprehensive product portfolio (including outdoor lighting)
Disadvantages:
No in-house hub, integration into another system required for full functionalityRadio-controlled sockets: This is how conventional lamps become smart
Conclusion: The best smart lamps with color change in comparison
