No more stumbling around in the dark finding the wall switch when you’ve installed smart lights for your home. Just say the magic word and the lights would automatically turn on!
The lights that we are talking about aren’t the kind of ordinary lights that you have to flip the light switch for.
These are, like, the intelligent lights that you can control with your voice or smartphone. And even the motion of your steps!
Many techies and smart home enthusiasts have already started using them.
But for some, especially beginners, the smart lighting term may be somewhat new.
In this complete beginner’s guide, we will cover everything related to smart lighting. Having said that, let’s first understand what are smart lights for home.
What is smart lighting?
Smart home lighting eliminates the need of using a manual switch to light up your house. Instead of the light switch, it activates the lights using your voice commands. You can control your lights using your smartphone or a voice assistant (Alexa, for example.). Connected wirelessly through a hub via the internet, smart lights illuminate the house, even if you’re away from home.
They’re brilliant devices for anyone who dreams of home automation.
The smart technology equips them with a lot of useful features like letting you set schedules, change brightness based on the day, and a lot more!
Smart lights how do they work?
Smart light bulbs work wirelessly by connecting through Wi-fi, Bluetooth, or a central hub (smart hub.) No wiring or electrical work is required for smart lighting to work. Pretty much every smart bulb can be configured and controlled through its particular app.
Most of the time, you don’t even need a central hub, especially if you want to automate one area of your house. Just setting up the app and connecting it to a good stable internet would be enough!
However, linking a bunch of smart devices to work together with your smart lighting requires a smart hub. It creates a seamless connection of all the smart devices in one place. You just have to connect the central hub to a good Wi-Fi router. Many smart bulbs come with their smart hubs. So you don’t need to invest in one.
IFTTT (IF THIS THEN THAT) is yet another smart way with which smart lights work. A smart light with an IFTTT-enabled feature can let you control your lighting using conditions. For example, you can set a condition of lights out, when it’s past your bedtime!
Did you know?
Some smart light bulbs can still work if the Wi-fi is turned off, but with limited functionality.
Types of smart lights for home
Smart lighting comes in three popular types such as smart bulbs, smart switches, and smart plugs. Besides these, there are also smart dimmer switches and light strips. Each of these smart lighting systems differs in its design and features. Unlike dumb lighting, these smart lighting types have a ton of awesome features.
Each of these has its uses – (will talk about it later). But almost every type of these smart light requires Wi-fi or a bridge to work.
While smart bulbs eliminate the need for wiring, smart switches can integrate with your wiring. The tricky part is choosing a smart switch, considering there are many types of it based on wiring. So you would need to keep that in mind when you purchase a smart switch. Besides, smart bulbs have an RGB feature whereas smart switches offer white light by replacing your standard switch fixture.
For beginners, however, we suggest going for an inexpensive smart lighting option that is easy to set up.
Again which one should you choose depends on your preferences and how you want to automate your house.
But you can always mix and match and install any or all of these depending on your budget and preferences, of course.
What are smart light uses and benefits?
Homeowners and smart tech junkies can do many things with smart lighting. The first useful thing is, of course, their ability to automate your lights. Besides this, there are a ton of other uses and benefits that make us geek out over these intelligent lights.
1. Easy to use – Just say a word or let it detect your motion
2. They work according to your routine and schedule
3. They can light up the whole area with their motion sensors
4. They can dim the brightness and change colors
5. They would light up the whole house after hearing your voice command
6. They can be controlled even if you’re miles away
7. They can create a warm and comfortable ambiance
8. They can easily turn to improve your sleep and overall health
9. They provide a sense of security
10. They also have RGB colors
11. Mix and match colors for seasons and occasions (For example, red and green for Christmas)
12. And, of course, these are sure to leave your guests stunned
What’s more, the smart lighting system is compatible with many systems. Plus, they can work well together with other smart devices such as a thermostat, for example.
Who would find it useful?
It’s pretty useful for anyone who doesn’t want to move from bed to operate lights or who always forgets to switch off lights when going outside.
How do smart lights work?
Your smart bulbs, smart switches, and other lighting systems can work well with various smart home apps. It means that your smart lighting is compatible with Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, and Google app, to name a few. Plus, Sengled and Phillips Hue smart bulbs use Zigbee protocol.
These apps can serve as smart home assistants to control your lights.
You just have to pick your favorite assistant that you’re comfortable using. And you’re all set to automate the lighting around your home!
Where should I put smart lights?
No idea where to put your smart lights? It’s okay to feel that way, especially being a novice smart-home enthusiast.
Well, don’t worry because this is the fun part – finding the right spots for smart lighting placement. You get to find the spots in your home. Grab the smart lights and arrange them to your liking!
Remember that you can use each type of smart light and place them.
For starters, start by placing them into your rooms in lamps. For example, you can add smart lights for the bedroom and living areas. Then, there are also smart lights for the Kitchen
Put smart bulbs in your bonus rooms like movie or gaming rooms (because of their RGB color)
Smart plugs around your backyard or landscape spot in your home
And smart light strips for your TV and other dark spots in your house
How much do smart lights cost?
Because they are smart, they are also pricey. These voice-enabled smart lights can be expensive because they come with a lot of intelligent features. And the ones with a hub are even more expensive.
If you want more smart features including the functionality of schedule and IFTTT, it can add more to the cost.
But hey, that’s not the case with every other smart lighting product. It all depends on which product and brand you’re going with. So while some popular brands can be expensive, others are available for dirt-cheap prices.
Besides, many smart lighting systems including smart bulbs and smart plugs come in pairs. So you get two or three in a single box, so you get a lot more bang for your buck.
To save you the hassle of finding them, here’s a list of smart light bulbs and their prices.
| Product/Brand | Price |
| LEDANCE Smart Light Bulb (Dimmable) | $4.99 |
| GE Lighting CYNC LED Smart Light Bulb | $7.56 |
| Sengled Smart light Bulb (Dimmable) | $7.34 |
| Kasa Smart Light Bulb (Dimmable) | $9.99 |
| Wyze Smart Bulb (RGB) | $14.68 |
| Ghome Smart Light Bulbs (RGB) | $18.15 |
| LIFX Smart light bulb (Color) | $24.98 |
| TREATLIFE Smart Light bulbs | $31.67 |
| Philips Hue | $49.97 |
Smart switches, on the other hand, can be a little pricier than smart bulbs. Anyhow, the reliable brand that many homeowners go with is Lutron Caséta smart switch.
Again, it all boils down to what extent you plan to automate your lighting. For example, you would increase the price if you add multiple smart bulbs to a fixture. Besides, there is a myriad of smart lighting options including smart lighting outdoors.
All in all, on average, you can expect $30 or more for adding smart lighting in your home.
How to set up smart lighting at home?
Setting up smart lighting at home can be as easy as screwing the bulb in your lamps. Of course, this is for smart light bulbs. For other smart lighting systems such as smart switches, you would need to do a little bit of work.
To set up smart light bulbs, just read the user manual and you’re good to go. All you need to do is:
Step 1: Download its app (listed in the manual) and make an account
Step 2: Turn off the switches
Step 3: Screw in the smart bulbs like you would do in any other bulb
Step 4: Flip the switch on (You’ve to keep the power on)
Step 5: The smart bulb will start to blink, waiting to be paired with the app
Step 5: Head over to its app and let it detect the new device
Step 6: Finally, it will start to pair and you can then give it a particular name!
The smart plugs also have similar instructions that you can follow to set them up. You just have to plug them in your wall sockets, press the button and let it pair with your app.
The smart switches, on the other hand, need a lot of wiring work to set up. So you’re left with the option to either DIY (do it yourself) or seek the help of an installer.
Another thing to keep in mind is that some smart lights work with the hub. It means that you’d need to connect your router to your hub. This would provide a seamless connection between all your smart lights to work together.
But one thing is for sure smart lighting systems work with popular home assistants and speakers. Almost every type of smart light is compatible with Amazon Alexa, Apple Homekit, and Google Home.
The Bottom line
Smart lighting is a step towards automating your home. Its capability to light up your whole house – even the dark spots – through your voice and motion is what makes it intelligent. Whether it’s smart bulbs or smart switches, the smart lighting system is a far more convenient. A piece of advice, though, that always to test out a few smart lights.
FAQ
Can you convert regular light fixtures into smart ones?
It’s possible to convert regular light fixtures into smart ones using smart plugs or smart switches. Determine the wiring and standard switches that you have. Make sure you get some expert help if you don’t know how to do it yourself.
What is required for smart lights?
A stable Wi-Fi connection, a dedicated hub that connects all smart lights together, and a neutral wiring in the case of smart switches.
Do smart lights work in any fixture?
Smart bulbs are easy to work in any standard lighting fixture including chandeliers for multiple smart bulb fixtures and ceiling mounts, to name a few. But smart switches would need a different wiring fixture to work.
Are smart lights safe?
Smart lights are safe to use in any area of your house, even if you’ve kids and pets.
Do smart bulbs use electricity when off?
Yes, smart bulbs need power to work, even if it’s a small amount, considering they’re LED. The power outage can cause smart bulbs to be set to default, and they would turn on once power is restored. It’s not the case with smart switches, though.
Is smart lighting worth it?
Yes and no. Yes, because you won’t have to flip the switch on and can automate every light remotely, even if you’re away from home. No, because you aren’t ready to invest in a smart tech home, and would do just fine without them.
Do smart lights need Wi-fi?
It depends, but some smart lights, especially zigbee or z-wave enabled, can work well without wifi and can be turned on using app.
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