With the constant change in technology and the need for efficiency, there’s growing popularity of having an automated home or office. The use of smart bulbs and lighting has become very popular and when it comes to having a smart home, lighting is one of the simplest ways to start.
If you’re considering getting smart bulbs, you’ll first need to know how they work. So, how do smart bulbs work? Smart bulbs are like your regular bulbs, but the difference is they can be controlled remotely using an app, your voice, or other wireless means like Bluetooth. You can make your home smarter using a smart light bulb instead of an incandescent bulb.
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What are smart bulbs?
Smart bulbs are not only controlled using a switch, but also an app on your smartphone. This gives you control of the color and brightness of the bulbs depending on the bulb model which allows you to set the ambiance of your home. Most smart bulb apps have preset brightness/color combinations associated with different feelings or energy like dim lights that will promote a state of relaxation. You can customize settings and trigger different scenes and also schedule when your smart bulb will turn on or off at a specific time during the day.
How do they work?
A smart bulb can work like your normal regular bulb, but for it to work you’ll need a smartphone, tablet, or any other mobile device. You will also require a home automation hub that will allow you to control the smart bulb wirelessly either using Bluetooth, wifi, or any other internet connection that can be connected through your phone, tablet, or computer.
Some smart bulbs might require you to buy a special gateway to enhance your wireless connection and to communicate wirelessly with the smart bulb and give commands. Whichever smart bulb brand you choose, you should know which devices to pair it with and how like the Philip Hue light is designed to work with a special hub or Bluetooth.
How long do smart bulbs last?
Different smart bulb manufacturers offer numerous ratings from 15 to 20 years, but the average lifetime ranges between 15,000 and 20,000 hours which is about 25 times more than your normal incandescent bulb and 2 times lower than a pure LED bulb.
Here is the average lifespan for different smart bulb brands
Type of bulb | Lifespan in hours | Continued use 6 hours a day |
|---|---|---|
Cree lighting smart bulb | 25,000 | About 11.4 years |
Philip Hue smart bulb (A19) | 15,000 | About 6 ½ yrs |
Yeelight smart bulb | 25,000 | About 11 yrs |
Ohlux smart bulb | 10,000 | About 4 ½ yrs |
Lumiman smart bulb | 31,320 | About 14 yrs |
Do smart bulbs burn out?
Yes, they do just like any other bulb would, the only difference is it has a longer lifespan than your incandescent or CFL bulb. You should keep in mind that non-smart LED bulbs can even last longer than smart bulbs and they both use the same LED technology. Each bulb has a complex in-built circuit to offer smart abilities to each bulb that adds to the bulb’s lifetime. These controlling modules are very sensitive to voltage fluctuations and heat which means the bulbs can burn out very easily. Generally, LED bulbs can last longer than smart bulbs.
Benefits of smart bulbs
If you’re not sure whether to buy smart bulbs, here are a few benefits that they have over the normal lighting system.
Control the lights using voice commands
If you connect your smart bulbs to a smart assistant like Google Home or Amazon Alexa, you don’t have to use your smart devices to your desired light setting, you just need to use your voice. So even without your phone, you can just use a voice command and your smart device will do the rest.
Gives you full control of your home
When it comes to the ambiance in your home, standard light bulbs don’t give you much of a choice apart from some that allow you to make the lights dimmer and brighten them up. However, with a smart bulb, you have full control of your entire lighting system. You can customize the lighting settings for color and brightness for each room in your home. You can also create the perfect environment for relaxing, playing, or working.
Turn the lights on/off at any time
If you forget to turn off the lights in any room, normally you’ll need to go back and flick the switch no matter which part of your house the room is located, which means you’ll waste some time going back and forth. However, with a smart bulb, you can turn the lights off using your phone or voice command from anywhere in your home. Even if you’re halfway to work, you can turn off the lights remotely using your phone app.
Saves money and conserves energy
Most people believe that using smart bulbs will help in reducing your electricity bills, but that doesn’t mean smart bulbs are necessarily more energy efficient than your regular LED light bulbs. It only means you have more control which makes it easier to turn off any light accidentally left on. You can also set smart timers that automatically turn off the lights at a certain time.
Considerations before buying smart bulbs
Smart bulbs aren’t stand-alone devices, you’ll need some extra equipment to set them up.
If you choose to control your smart bulbs using Bluetooth, you will only have control when you’re within the Bluetooth range so the further you move the weaker the connection. This means you can’t remotely turn off your lights from anywhere. If you opt to use a wifi connection, your smart bulb’s response to your commands might be affected by how many devices are connected to the same network at the same time. In case the internet stops working, your smart bulbs will also lose connection.
However, with a Zigbee or z-wave hub, you don’t have to depend on Bluetooth or wifi. You can remotely control your smart bulbs from anywhere using the hub and any mobile device that has the app.
Conclusion
Using a smart bulb and a home automation lighting system. You can create a smart and intelligent home that is energy efficient and more comfortable.
FAQ
Do smart bulbs work with switches?
Smart bulbs can still work with your normal light switches, but if you turn off your switch, you cant use the app to turn it on since the switch is turned off.
Do smart bulbs work with any lamp?
When using smart bulbs, you can smarten any existing light fixture like a bedside lamp to work alongside other smart home devices with Google Assistant, Alexa, or Siri using a Homekit.