The ordinary light bulb is a great technological invention that has stood the test of time for more than a century. In the recent past, we have mostly shifted from classic light bulbs to more efficient LED lighting. With the use of modern technology, lighting can do even more for us.
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This is possible thanks to smart light bulbs that contain microprocessors and have the ability to connect via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or their own networks, enabling a range of smart functions that are not limited to simply turning them on or off. How to smart home lighting?
What can I do with smart bulbs?
The feature set may vary slightly by type and manufacturer, but across a range of smart lighting solutions you can expect many of these features to be available in addition to simple lighting:
- Remote lighting control: Whether you want your lights to turn on in your home when you get out of your car after a busy day, or to turn off your lights because you forgot while on vacation, most smart lights offer an app-based remote control system.
- Voice control: Most lighting systems will work with Apple Siri, Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa – and many of them are happy to chat with all three. This avoids the need to install a special app, as you can simply ask your assistant to control your lights as needed.
- Custom timers: Many light bulbs allow you to set certain lights to turn on or off at predetermined times, either for safety reasons or simply to let the lights slowly come on as the day dawns so you can wake up more comfortably.
- Product groups: As part of your smart lighting setup, you can also group bulbs and light strips together, so you can (for example) turn on all the lights in the kitchen and dining room at once with the door open.storem or have groups of lights that you turn on as needed.
- Custom dimming and color selection: With traditional bulbs, the only way to dim or change the color of the light was to use a dimmer switch – which usually doesn't work with LED bulbs – or to buy a bulb of a different light color. Many smart bulbs offer these functions as standard, and you can have a lot of fun setting up your own scenes of color and light intensity, whether for a romantic dinner or a movie night at home.
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Are all LED lights "smart" lights?
No, definitely not. LED (Light Emitting Diode) lights describe the lighting technology used in most standard home light sources around the world in recent years, but just because a bulb is LED doesn't automatically mean it's a smart bulb. Smart light bulbs they usually cost a bit more than a standard LED bulb and that's because each bulb is actually a small computer in itself with chips inside that are designed to regulate its lighting and communication functions.
Can I install smart lights myself?
In most cases, the answer to this question is yes, as the actual installation of most smart lights is no different than putting in a new light bulb. Check that the selected bulb has the correct type of socket, remove the old bulb and insert a new one. Some smart light bulbs, like Philips Hue, require a so-called bridge, but in most cases you can do without it. Installing smart lights is mostly a matter of connection and configuration via a specific smartphone app.
