There are two ways to get smart lighting in your home, and they’re not necessarily mutually exclusive. The easiest and least expensive way is to replace your light bulbs with smart bulbs–that’s also the best way to get color lighting. You’ll find all our top recommendations below, including the best smart fixtures.
The other approaches are to plug your lamps (and small appliances, in some cases) into a smart plug (see our top picks in smart plugs), or to replace the dumb switches and dimmers in your walls with smart models. The latter scenario is more complicated and more expensive, but there are advantages, as we discuss in our best smart dimmers and switches story.
Updated April 22, 2024: We’ve added a link to our LIFX SuperColor Floodlight review. This PAR38 bulb can glow in your choice of 16 million colors, and it’s particularly bright while casting white light: up to 1,600 lumens. With support for Matter over Wi-Fi, the SuperColor Floodlight offers compatibility with a wide swath of smart home ecosystems.
In our LIFX SuperColor Spot review, published April 19, we discussed the manufacturer’s first landscape lighting product that connects not to standard electrical power but to low-voltage lighting wiring, powered by a standard landscape transformer. The nuts and bolts of low-voltage wiring for the outdoors can be intimidating for newcomers, and the spotlight itself is expensive. That said, the results were certainly eye-catching, even if you end up installing only one or two of the spots.
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Why you should trust us
TechHive’s editors and contributors have been testing smart bulbs and lighting products practically since the category was invented. We continuously test the latest smart lights, accessories, and the apps that control them. We also have deep experience with a broad range of smart lighting devices, from smart A19 bulbs and color light strips to outdoor lighting and touch-sensitive light panels. You can trust us to guide you to the best smart lights for your home, office, back yard, and mode.
Our top pick for smart lighting products
Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance — Best color smart bulb
Pros
- Bluetooth support eliminates the need for the Hue Bridge
- Excellent light quality and smooth dimming
- Hue ecosystem is unrivaled in terms of size and depth
- Supports Apple HomeKit ecosystem
Cons
- Philips Hue products are much more expensive than the competition
- Relying on Bluetooth limits you to 10 Hue devices
- You need the Hue Hub to assign Hue devices to rooms
Best Prices Today:$49.97 at Amazon$54.99 at Best Buy$54.99 at Dell Home
What we like about the Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance smart bulb
Philips (now known as Signify) was one of the first players in this market, and the company’s experience shows. The addition Bluetooth support obviates the need for the $60 Philips Hue Bridge (although most smart home denizens will want the Bridge anyway). Signify’s Philips Hue lighting ecosystem is the industry’s deepest and broadest, with bulbs of every shape and size imaginable, not to mention lighting fixtures landscape lighting.
Who should buy the Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance smart bulb
Just about anyone looking to get started with smart lighting would do well with the Philips Hue White and Color Ambience smart bulb. It offers easy setup, doesn’t require the Hue Bridge (although you can always add one later), works with Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Assistant, and boasts terrific reliability (our editors have been using them for years and have yet to report any serious failures). And while Hue bulbs tend to be a tad pricier than the competition, they’re worth the extra cost.
Read our full Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance A19 (Bluetooth + Zigbee) review
Wyze Bulb Color — Best color smart bulb, runner-up
Pros
- Very inexpensive
- Connects via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth–no hub or bridge required
- Surprisingly bright considering the price
Cons
- Can’t be grouped with the tunable white Wyze Bulb
- Only available as a 2- or 4-pack
- No competition for Philips Hue in terms of lighting ecosystem
Best Prices Today:$34.99 at Wyze
Why we like the Wyze Bulb Color
Wyze Labs can’t match Philips Hue in terms of the breadth of its smart lighting ecosystem, but it beats Signify’s brand by a country mile in terms of pricing, and Wyze has a much broader array of product offerings when it comes to other areas of the smart home–most importantly in terms of home security. Wyze also now offers an excellent BR30 color smart bulb.
Who should buy the Wyze Bulb Color
Wyze’s color bulbs are among the most affordable on the market, and you don’t need a bridge to add one–or many–to your home. They’ll also work in tandem with your Wyze Cam, meaning you can set your Wyze camera to trigger a Wyze bulb if the cam detects motion. But the Wyze Bulb Color doesn’t support Matter, which means it’s a no-go for Apple HomeKit users, and the Wyze lighting ecosystem can’t match Philips Hue’s.
Read our full Wyze Bulb Color review
Philips Hue White Ambiance A19 (Bluetooth + Zigbee) — Best white smart bulb
Pros
- Bluetooth support eliminates the need for the Hue Bridge
- Excellent light quality and smooth dimming
- Hue ecosystem is unrivaled in terms of size and depth
- Supports Apple HomeKit ecosystem
Cons
- Philips Hue products are much more expensive than the competition
- Relying on Bluetooth limits you to 10 Hue devices
- You need the Hue Hub to assign Hue devices to rooms
Why we like the Philips Hue White Ambiance A19 (Bluetooth + Zigbee) smart bulb
Our choice won’t surprise anyone who’s been following this market. Philips dominates this space and is also our top pick for best color LED smart bulb. The latest Hue bulbs can be controlled via Bluetooth or Zigbee (the latter requires the Philips Hue Bridge), they deliver high-quality light, and are backed by a strong warranty. We only received the BR30 form factor for our review, but apart from form factor, that bulb is the same as the A19.
Who should buy the Philips Hue White Ambiance A19 (Bluetooth + Zigbee) smart bulb
As with Philips Hue’s color smart bulb, we recommend the Hue White Ambiance A19 for most folks who want to add smart lighting to their homes. It’s easy to set up, works with all the major smart home ecosystems, and the Hue Bridge is entirely optional (although certainly nice to have). The Hue White Ambiance A19 is also considerably more affordable than the Hue White and Color Ambiance bulb, so peppering them around your home won’t break the bank.