Smart home essentials: The ultimate guide to picking the best smart lights

What are smart lights?

A smart light is a connected device that works on either Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or Zigbee protocol and can be controlled wirelessly. When compared to conventional lights, smart lights are a lot different. Most of them, including budget options, offer customisable colour options that can be controlled using a voice command or via an app.

Most smart lights are built on top of light-emitting diode (LED) technology, which also contains a control chip and a network modem, allowing users to control it wirelessly. While some smart lights require a hub, there are plenty of standalone smart bulbs in the market that work independently.

The majority of smart lights come in a bulb form factor. However, one can also get them in a tube form, T-shape, and in-ceiling downlight form factor.

Home with smart lighting system (Image credit: Pixabay)

How do smart lights work?

Configuring a smart light usually requires a smartphone and an active internet connection. A smart light has to be paired with a wireless Wi-Fi network to enable its smart features. When paired with a network, users can send wireless commands via a phone or even using a smart speaker like Alexa or Google Assistant.

Despite being smart, as these are based on LED technology, a smart bulb will consume less power when compared to conventional light bulbs.

Some smart lights require an active internet connection, while some also use technologies like Zigbee and Bluetooth, which work even if there is a temporary disruption in the internet. While most of them can be accessed using conventional power switches, one will need an app or the hub to get the most out of these smart bulbs.

Things to remember while buying a smart light?

A basic smart bulb costs around Rs 200. There are also plenty of high-end smart lights that cost a couple of thousand rupees. A basic smart light might offer a limited set of features such as remote controlling capability and colour-changing. They can also be scheduled to turn on and off at a specific time frame to save power.

As the price goes up, smart bulbs also offer additional features like geo-fencing, where the light turns on automatically when the user reaches his home. Similarly, high-end smart bulbs also offer technologies such as motion detection, which automatically turns on when there is movement.

Besides, some smart lights also feature an integrated speaker, doubling them as a wireless sound system. Similarly, also look at the power rating of these smart bulbs, a basic 9W smart bulb might offer all these features but might not be bright enough to fill the entire room.

Most smart bulbs support custom colour temperatures (Image credit: Pixabay)

What brands to consider when buying a smart bulb?

There are a plethora of brands that currently sell smart bulbs in India. Philips, Wipro, Panasonic, Syska, Bajaj, Qubo, Amazon Basics, etc., are some of the prominent brands in India.

All of these brands offer smart lights of various kinds and prices. Philips’s Wi-Fi-enabled basic smart light costs around Rs 650; similarly, the company also has high-end options that cost up to Rs 10,000.

If you are planning to upgrade your entire home decor using smart lights, then it’s best to stick with a single brand, which enables users to control everything from a single app or command centre. Similarly, you can also consider a starter kit, which usually includes at least two smart bulbs and a smart hub, allowing users to control everything from a single device.

Also, note that most of the budget smart bulbs are compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant. If you want something that works with Apple’s Siri and HomeKit, you have to consider high-end models. Wipro/Philips 9W smart bulb, Amazon Basics smart bulb 12W, Mi LED smart colour bulb 9W are priced under Rs 1,000, while the Philips Hue Ambiance smarter kit and LIFX Colour 1100 Lumen BR30 E26 are priced under Rs 12,000.