I wish your test included which bulb can be the dimmest at 1%! I had an old Lifx Color 1000 which was perfect for an ultra-low nightlight but the new Color 1100 is much brighter at 1% so I'm trying to find an alternative. Thanks!
I have put many Hue bulbs back into pairing mode for moving them between Z2M and Apple Home. For example, I recently had to move my Hue bulbs from Z2M and add them back to Apple Home due to the staging of my home for sale (long story). Simply deleted them from Z2M, removed the bulb from power for abourt 10 seconds, reconnected them to power (the blinked once or twice), then added them back to Apple Home. Pretty seamless. When I originally added them Z2M just reversed the process. Again, pretty simple.
Valid point haha I guess a lot of people probably use them without any kind of lamp shade or diffuser, so what they look like when they are off is important. Could be wrong! haha
@@makeitworktech I suppose some people do have bare bulbs hanging from the ceiling and a smart bulb could be useful in such an application. That said, I've never seen one of those diffuser-less lamps in real life outside of seeing people use them in these bulb-testing videos.
There is one BIG benefit with the Philips Hue ones: They allow dynamic scenes. This means, your bulb would smoothly transition over multiple colors. This is very beautiful and for me the only reason why I am on the dark side when it comes to bulbs. Happy to hear in case there are cheaper alternatives with color transitions
You can easily pair a Hue bulb with another system. I did it for 20+ bulbs with no issue. Turn light off, on for 5 secs, off for 2 secs, on for 8 secs, off for 2 secs, on for 8 secs, off for 2 secs, on (it should blink a few times and join any new ecosystem you want (it usually took 3 on/off cycles but sometimes it took a few more..I blame user error on those)
LIFX has a way in the settings to make it so the light doesn't come back on when it's powered off. I'm sure someone said this already though. It's their fault for hiding it away.
Great overview, but I really missed an overview of standby power usage. With how many bulbs you potentially have around the house, and electricity costs these days, 0,1W or 1W makes a big difference.
Thanks for watching! I hope this video helps you decide which bulb is best for you. Written Version: www.makeitwork-tech.com/the-best-smart-bulbs-in-2023/ 👇Links to all products 👇 Athom: www.athom.tech/blank-1/wled-15w-color-bulb SwitchBot: amzn.to/41EqZoQ Inovelli: inovelli.com/products/z-wave-500-red-series-rgbw-smart-bulb-a19-e26 Wyze: amzn.to/3mjBiyw Yeelight: amzn.to/3ZCHTTb Wiz: amzn.to/3kEWkqX Philips Hue: amzn.to/3m7wtbl Meross: amzn.to/3EQSPoa Nanoleaf (with Matter): amzn.to/3y3ag0P LIFX: amzn.to/3SIKAju Sengled: amzn.to/3SOUGQ3 Kasa: amzn.to/41BpU13 Innr: amzn.to/41AZmwX TRÅDFRI: www.ikea.com/us/en/p/tradfri-led-bulb-e26-800-lumen-smart-wireless-dimmable-color-and-white-spectrum-globe-60439168/
Here's a factor to consider: size of the bulb. Specifically, how "tall" is the bulb. You can subtract the screw-in base (all bulbs have that). When I replace a standard bulb with some smart lightbulbs, the bulb can now be seen where the old bulbs can't be seen. Not seeing them is often preferable (less glare).
I'm using Ikea lights (E27, E14, GU10, integrated, so in all forms) in my whole house and can recommend it. I love them for color indexing (CRI > 90). I'm using CCW versions (white balance). Best pricequality ratio. Only downside for me is that they are 2200-4000K (not 6500K) so in daylight maximum cold light is still kinda warm, but it's for sure still better than regular 2700k in daylight what will look just orange. Also Ikea is working hard on Tradfri, they still introduce new models (but they keep updates support even for very old ones) - so new model might look and cost exactly the same, but with very slight lower power consumption on idle, or better wat-lumen ratio. Not much but it adds up if you have bunch of them.
I have a small collection of various smart bulbs, including the inovelli. Another test you can look at is how well bulbs support transition times. Using something like circadian rhythm plugins to varry your light temperature, you often want to change a value with a transition time of 10 minutes or something so it's very subtle. Some bulbs support the long transition, some dont. Also color transition times are not supported on the inovelli, where as hue and some other bulbs will do that just fine.
Ah, I wish I had looked into that! I've never really messed with transition times or circadian, but obviously this application would be perfect for the right smart bulb. Thanks for the feedback!
Lifx does have a power restore setting in the app that allows you to toggle different modes for when power goes out, and whether you want it to turn on or remain in its last state or not turn on.
@@makeitworktech I click the settings icon on the bottom right, then under “configuration” there’s something called “light restore”. I am on app version 4.23, and haven’t update the firmware because I heard the newer firmware isn’t good or something. Maybe that’s why it’s different
Hi all, The Light Restore feature is in the Settings cog (top right on more recent app versions) that will allow you to configure how you want the light to behave when the power goes off and on or when your toggle the lights twice. Don't be scared of updating the app to the latest version. It is much better :)
I have a hue bulb that I am trying to pair for use w HA. I have used a dimmer switch, have done the turn off/on 5x and even tried the serial number in the Hue app. When I reset, the bulb blinks several times so it appears to be in pairing mode but the app can't find the bulb. Any ideas? I'll never buy another hue bulb again
Used your vid to buy the tp-link kasa bulbs (cheap, too). I thought HA didn't run them right, only with on/off. Had to watch your vid again to see you can use the bulb icon as a slider for dimmer and color. Thanks!
You missed one major factor which is the response time. The Nanoleaf bulbs working on thread means they have instant response time and also just seamlessly use your Apple HomePod as the “smart hub” rather than needing to plug in yet another “hub” that has no other use to your home. Thread is great because the devices you already use become the smart hub like HomePod or Apple TV. Thread reacts as fast as a physical switch would and as you install the bulbs also helps spread your thread network throughout the home. Whereas Bluetooth is delayed and very annoying signal reliability wise. The Nanoleafs we use rarely for color so they work amazing as just regular incandescent or cool blue bulbs around the home and almost too bright at 100%. I recommend them for strong reliable connection to Apple HomeKit. In my experience at least.
I was hoping you did a review with Sengled in it. They're based in the US, and their current bulbs have a CRI of 90 like the more recently LIFX 1600 lumen bulbs. I'd love to see how they compare since they're also Zigbee. Very sad that LIFX is Wi-Fi.
I have more than 50 Philips Hue products, I decided to switch to Tapo. Because these technologies will become much cheaper in the future and will become dead investments, and since I have been using them for 3 years, their lifespan has also decreased. I preferred Tapo because it is a smart home system ecosystem rather than lighting and its lighting products are much cheaper than Hue. I can buy all the products I need from the Tapo ecosystem by selling only 18~20 Hue E27 bulbs :) I can't say I use ambient lighting much anyway.
I enjoyed your video, just wish it was more in debt on how these bulbs deal with network connection issues or with black out. I know you mentioned wyze and it's option. I currently have a set of smart lights but they constantly flash when not connected. I love smart lights that can function as normal lights after a black out. As other people in home don't know how to reconnect if I'm away
I’m so over having to trick my router and the bulb to work upon setup, since the cloud models all need 2.4ghz, the workarounds feel like the 90s. I wish hue and Lutron casita would merge
I have been searching for the best blue led bulb. Feit seems to have the best color, but it's inconsistent between bulbs, and very dim. I've tried about 10 brands now, and just can't find a true blue color. Must of them are purple looking. Any suggestions?
have you tested Govee bulbs? I recently bought two-eight packs during the last prime day we had last week. On sale they were 7.50 per bulb. I Also use Wyze but am transitioning to Govee. I'd like to know your opinion as well as the opinion from anyone reading this comment.
Nice vid. Two items: 1) The Wyze bulbs seem to be no longer available. If I'm wrong, I'd love to know where to get them. 2) Am surprised that the GE "Cync" bulbs aren't in the lineup. They are available (widely?) at Lowe's, Home Depot, and Amazon, and are backed by a major electronics company.
Thanks for the round up. Is it intentional that your chapters say "Philips Poo"? Also the timestamp for the Nanoleafs is too early. IMHO, a couple qualities worth considering are: minimum brightness and ability to act as a repeater in whatever mesh protocol they support (more thread when?!).
Hi, i went with wyze prior to watching, love the app but, the colors feel under saturated, mainly the reds more salmon even dimmed and the pinks and purples arent too great. So im on the fence. Light strip is good though. Got any recommendations to obtain deeper colors even at the cost of brightness?
Did you cover the CRI of these bulbs in this video? I looked around and didn't see anything about it. You did talk about lumen and color accuracy with DaVinci Resolve, but I'm curious if CRI is good too.
I tried the kasa bulbs after watching this video. I had many hue bulbs already. I did buy open box bulbs from Amazon, and maybe that's part of the problem but the kasa bulbs take forever to connect and then I had several bulbs disconnect from WiFi, refuse to reconnect, and wouldn't complete a new pairing after a reset. They are going back and I'm probably just buying more hues. They may be expensive, and may not have the best colors, but they work and ever time I have tried other brands I have been extremely disappointed.
@@makeitworktech could be, but I have some tuya based bulbs in my front yard further from my APs. They aren't as reliable as the hues, but they aren't dropping signal.
It seems like it is a signal issue even though my phone is showing good strength. I was able to get them working. Still, I never had any issues like this with any of my hue devices. I have the old tap switches and they even work when WiFi is down. Expensive, but I think it can be worth it for the reliability.
Meross is my constant nightmare. I bought into their HomeKit bulbs and have regretted it for years. I’ve been switching to hue for everywhere in the house except for my office. To go hue there, it’d run me $750+ but I’m considering INNR now
I have hundreds of LIFX bulbs, but I'd like to be de-tied to Wi-Fi. When LIFX works with Thread or Zigbee in the future, I'll upgrade all my stuff mainly because Hue is awful in that it's so locked down. LIFX bulbs are also way higher lumen. Their latest ones are 1600 lumen! That's what I use in some closets with dumb bulbs because I need the higher brightness!
I would've liked seeing GE CYNC in the comparison. Yeah, I know.., they don't play well with home assistant. But they're pretty popular and are pretty good bulbs if you're just looking for something quick and easy to connect with an Alexa or Google assistant. I realize that this video is more for the Home Assistant/SmartThings crowd, but alot of people just plug n play through simple wifi. Also, 100% agree about Philips Hue. They are good quality and have a great ecosystem, but there is simply no reason for them to be so ridiculously overpriced. I don't care what anyone says... $40 for a 60w bulb is highway robbery.
Valid point about cync... I'm teetering on the edge of making vids for the general smart homer crowd vs my channel's base which is largely HA users. Hooray, someone who agrees with me about Hue! 😁
Which bulb will provide that rich Orange sunset ambiet color?? I want to achieve that orange color in my house and ive been changing bulbs and yet not be able to get that color! Could you please answer my question?
Dude, thanks for doing the legwork on this!!! One thing I would have liked to see is white color accuracy or temp.... cause I don't alway use colors ;-) I'm buying them kasa bulbs
Thanks! Ah, I actually did the analysis, but didn't include it in the video because it was SOOO long. Maybe I can add it to my website if I find time. I was thinking of doing a Warm White Cool White dedicated video, but I'm not sure.
@@makeitworktech I would love to buy the Wyze since brightness is the most important to me, but this is impossible in Europe. Perhaps I can buy them via an alternative way, but I need to be sure they are programmable with Wled. Do you know if this works?
I have sengled white only bulbs. Their cloud has had 2 major outages since I've been using them. They generally work well with their native hub and apps and Alexa. There is something to be said of "local control" when the cloud or internet is knocked out.
I use zigbee sengled bulbs(every type) and never had an issue, but I am using them with Smartthings Hub. They don't need the sengled hub to work with Smartthings.
i would like a bild to be rgb when I'm not in the room and change to white when I enter the room. is this easy? or do I need to get the hub lights? since I need to pair it with a presence sensor.. or am I fine just getting deltaco bulbs?
My Wiz lights are a nightmare for connectivity. I bought about a dozen and they have almost all glitched out and cannot connect to WiFi anymore. They also flicker when turned on for the about 5 minutes.anyone else have issues with them? They can’t even enter/stay in pairing mode anymore after switching the lights on/off 3 times… also there is no hard reset for the bulbs in the app, so even if I could connect to them, I can’t reset them. 😂
Hey love the vid! Out of all of these bulbs which one has the best wifi connectivity? I’m looking for a smart bulb to put on the exterior of my home. I got the Kasa but it says device is not reachable. Do you have any recommendation on bulbs that have a long range wifi?
Thank you Thank you,. That was a great review and is what we in the Home Automation environment sorely need. Do you have a spreadsheet of these? Are all these capable of handling 110V and 240V? A great Video, but a spreadsheet would be great as particularly the Power On State. Were the Zigbee devices Matter compatible. This was an awesome review, must have taken ages to do the test. Thank you again. Im located in Australia and Edison Screw bulbs are available and typically used in standard lamps etc, but does not tend to be the standard. I would be great to add to a spreadsheet for different countries like the Tasmota Templates site has. Cheers and have a great year.
Thanks for the kind words! You can find the tabulated information here: www.makeitwork-tech.com/the-best-smart-bulbs-in-2023/ I'm not sure about the voltage for all of them, but I think 110 - 240V.
Which companies of these bulbs are based in China? That's my #1 concern. Once I know that list, then I can evaluate these options very easily. I know not everyone cares, but I could list off a whole bunch of reasons why I avoid products from Chinese-companies, and I wish that'd be more clear in videos. It used to be a thing you'd hear in reviews, but it's been absent these days, so now I have to spend a bunch of my own time looking at their websites, struggling to find an About page, and trying to figure out where they might be located.
LIFX, Philips Hue, and Inovelli seem to be the only ones. This is my first time seeing Inovelli, and man, their SKUs are incredible! They have all types, Z-Wave, Zigbee, and Thread! That's fantastic!
I was most interested in the white point of these items, since that's the mode these will be in 90% of the time. I know for example that the Ikea have absolutely awful whitepoints (and white fill, I'm blanking on the term for that - basically, does it offer a full spectrum) on both of its white range ends (and specifically at 2700k). Would look forward to a video about that specifically.
I wonder if you had an old Meross MSL120? I have that bulb and it has support for Apple Home. I added it to Apple home then removed it and HA found it and added it. Didn't use the Meross LAN integration
The green does work in the IKEA Bulb. The green is just very crappy. It also affects all the colors green is mixed with. That's why I got rid of my RGB IKEA bulbs.
Amazing videos and great information keep it up! I have a question, I found a Yeelight AC100-240V 6W RGBW Intelligent LEDs Light Bulb Multicolour that is at a really good price currently, do you recommend it since it's a RGBW and do you by any chance know if it can sync if I bought multiple?
Personally all my bulbs are Yeelight, mostly the normal 1S bulbs, but a few GU10 and a couple of the Arwen dome lights (these are adjustable white only with a RGB accent) which are insanely bright.
I have a question can I put any of these bulbs in a ceiling fan socket with 3 sockets with them working fine cause I used 2 different types and both of them kept flickering and doing stuff but I want a set that will work fine
Would now be a bad time to say that you can put Hue into pairing mode without the dimmer switch? You have to turn it on for 10 seconds, and then off for 5 seconds, and keep repeating that pattern (6 to 10 times) until the bulb flashes. Then you can re pair it to your system. (I just had to move all my Hue bulbs from SmartThings to Home Assistant.) I had a couple of Hue bulbs that took repeated attempts before I was able to get that flash.
@@CarAudioInc It's a hobby. Some people are into cars, or they're audiophiles, or into sports, or whatever. Some of us are into home automation. All hobbies look equally ridiculous from the outside 😜🤡
comes on when power restored. If this means you can control the bulb on and off with the wall switch, not a bad thing. Not everyone will know the Alexa can turn bulb on or off, but they see a wall switch, up it is on. I have Sylvania color wifi smart bulbs, and they do that.
Just starting down this path, not thrilled with Ikea, I came across a bulb from Home Depot. It works with their Hub Space app, and that allows Alexa to control it. My question is how long should we expect these bulbs to last?
I have some smart bulbs going on 5 years, but that really depends on which brand. Some have reported the life on LiFX isn't great. I have not seen that yet, but it takes time
What is a good, but reasonably priced smart wall switch that will allow me to use smart bulbs and wall switches? We use both and would like to start swapping out our wall switches as we start adding smart devices to each room. We don't need anything fancy, just simple standard switches none of those that have 20 buttons like the Lutrons that many are using. And works with SmartThings.
Probably my favorite are Zooz smart switches. Reasonably priced, but they have the capability of working in "smart bulb mode". They are Z-Wave switches, but they work with SmartThings. www.smartthings.com/partners/zooz
@StaLight 1100 lumen white and colour ambiance. There is 1600 lumen to but there's not much difference. In fact there's barely a difference between the 800 lumen and 1600 lumen, philips is great for everything else but its brightness is no better than the 10 euro crappy led bulbs i bought years ago, it's just really bad.
Hue just fails on the most important part for me, brightness. I had to put 4 bulbs to properly illuminate my relatively small living room whereas lifx would probably do it with 1 maybe 2 bulbs max I'm thinking.
Excellent comparison video, I would however ask that the last power state be mentioned for all the lights. Your video and website review say the KASA has Last on state, but I can confirm from last night's power flickering at 3am in my house that the KASA bulbs turn ON when the power returns no matter the last state it was in. I am now searching out ALL the reviews I can find on smart bulbs to find some good choices that stay OFF when the power goes on and off so I don't have a rude awakening with the bedside lamps flashing on and off because I do enjoy having color choices in those lamps.
@makeitworktech I double checked it this morning, the only options under "On from power source" are, Circadian mode, Last "ON" state, and the 4 color presets.
I just got my very first smart bulb…I got the Kasa but I can’t make the bulb change color cause it won’t read on the app…then it says pay for premium…I really have to wait at for premium just to use it?
Thanks for the video, but it's a pity that no one talks about what bulbs to buy for aqara? Because all bulbs are compatible with Alexa, Google Home, it is understandable. But unfortunately there are no bulbs for aqara, and not everyone uses home assistant.
@makeitworktech Thank for info, so it means, I have sensor fp2 from aqara but I can't fully use without out the home assistant, I try to buy aqara bulbs e14, for example, but there isn't a place to buy it.
Disappointed you didn't cover the Kauf bulb. Made for ESPHome / Home Assistant and works with WLED. No cloud needed or even available. Maybe a future video? They also make a nice power monitoring smart plug.
![Shenseea - Dating Szn (Options) [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/eUePmZFIXUg/mqdefault.jpg)
I wish your test included which bulb can be the dimmest at 1%! I had an old Lifx Color 1000 which was perfect for an ultra-low nightlight but the new Color 1100 is much brighter at 1% so I'm trying to find an alternative. Thanks!
Some bulbs have minimum numbers like 5% and 10%
I have put many Hue bulbs back into pairing mode for moving them between Z2M and Apple Home. For example, I recently had to move my Hue bulbs from Z2M and add them back to Apple Home due to the staging of my home for sale (long story). Simply deleted them from Z2M, removed the bulb from power for abourt 10 seconds, reconnected them to power (the blinked once or twice), then added them back to Apple Home. Pretty seamless. When I originally added them Z2M just reversed the process. Again, pretty simple.
I'll have to see if I can get it to work. It didn't work for me, but maybe I have an older version of the Hue bulb?
I'm really confused about why you spend so much time on the aesthetics of the bulbs...who the hell is staring directly at a lit bulb?
Valid point haha
I guess a lot of people probably use them without any kind of lamp shade or diffuser, so what they look like when they are off is important. Could be wrong! haha
@@makeitworktech I suppose some people do have bare bulbs hanging from the ceiling and a smart bulb could be useful in such an application. That said, I've never seen one of those diffuser-less lamps in real life outside of seeing people use them in these bulb-testing videos.
There is one BIG benefit with the Philips Hue ones:
They allow dynamic scenes. This means, your bulb would smoothly transition over multiple colors. This is very beautiful and for me the only reason why I am on the dark side when it comes to bulbs.
Happy to hear in case there are cheaper alternatives with color transitions
Ah ok, yeah, I can see where that would be a big benefit!
The idea that you bought all of this to save us the time and effort, made me like and subscribe before even watching. Thank you ❤
Thanks for the sub!
You can easily pair a Hue bulb with another system. I did it for 20+ bulbs with no issue. Turn light off, on for 5 secs, off for 2 secs, on for 8 secs, off for 2 secs, on for 8 secs, off for 2 secs, on (it should blink a few times and join any new ecosystem you want (it usually took 3 on/off cycles but sometimes it took a few more..I blame user error on those)
"easily" LOL
LIFX has a way in the settings to make it so the light doesn't come back on when it's powered off. I'm sure someone said this already though. It's their fault for hiding it away.
Great overview, but I really missed an overview of standby power usage. With how many bulbs you potentially have around the house, and electricity costs these days, 0,1W or 1W makes a big difference.
Ah, that's a great idea, wish I included that! Probably would need to use a smart plug with energy monitoring
Really awesome and detailed review! And BTW - great T-Shirt! :D
Thanks BT!
I love the shirt!
Thanks for watching! I hope this video helps you decide which bulb is best for you.
Written Version: www.makeitwork-tech.com/the-best-smart-bulbs-in-2023/
👇Links to all products 👇
Athom: www.athom.tech/blank-1/wled-15w-color-bulb
SwitchBot: amzn.to/41EqZoQ
Inovelli: inovelli.com/products/z-wave-500-red-series-rgbw-smart-bulb-a19-e26
Wyze: amzn.to/3mjBiyw
Yeelight: amzn.to/3ZCHTTb
Wiz: amzn.to/3kEWkqX
Philips Hue: amzn.to/3m7wtbl
Meross: amzn.to/3EQSPoa
Nanoleaf (with Matter): amzn.to/3y3ag0P
LIFX: amzn.to/3SIKAju
Sengled: amzn.to/3SOUGQ3
Kasa: amzn.to/41BpU13
Innr: amzn.to/41AZmwX
TRÅDFRI: www.ikea.com/us/en/p/tradfri-led-bulb-e26-800-lumen-smart-wireless-dimmable-color-and-white-spectrum-globe-60439168/
Such an amazing video! Thank you for trying all the bulbs and showing the supported automation platforms.
Thanks!! I'm glad it helps
Thanks. I really enjoyed watching your video about different smart bulbs. Helped me pick the right one for me.
Here's a factor to consider: size of the bulb. Specifically, how "tall" is the bulb. You can subtract the screw-in base (all bulbs have that). When I replace a standard bulb with some smart lightbulbs, the bulb can now be seen where the old bulbs can't be seen. Not seeing them is often preferable (less glare).
may I ask which bulb is most dimmest light bulb in 1% brightness?
I'm using Ikea lights (E27, E14, GU10, integrated, so in all forms) in my whole house and can recommend it. I love them for color indexing (CRI > 90). I'm using CCW versions (white balance). Best pricequality ratio. Only downside for me is that they are 2200-4000K (not 6500K) so in daylight maximum cold light is still kinda warm, but it's for sure still better than regular 2700k in daylight what will look just orange. Also Ikea is working hard on Tradfri, they still introduce new models (but they keep updates support even for very old ones) - so new model might look and cost exactly the same, but with very slight lower power consumption on idle, or better wat-lumen ratio. Not much but it adds up if you have bunch of them.
I have a small collection of various smart bulbs, including the inovelli. Another test you can look at is how well bulbs support transition times. Using something like circadian rhythm plugins to varry your light temperature, you often want to change a value with a transition time of 10 minutes or something so it's very subtle. Some bulbs support the long transition, some dont. Also color transition times are not supported on the inovelli, where as hue and some other bulbs will do that just fine.
Ah, I wish I had looked into that! I've never really messed with transition times or circadian, but obviously this application would be perfect for the right smart bulb. Thanks for the feedback!
@@makeitworktech Can you use a smart led bulb in a 3 way lamp? Thank you
It should be noted, that WiZ is matter-compatible after latest update, so works with Apple home as well
Thanks Aaron! What a huge amount of work...
Thanks! It took forever to finish. Thanks for commenting!
Lifx does have a power restore setting in the app that allows you to toggle different modes for when power goes out, and whether you want it to turn on or remain in its last state or not turn on.
Where do you find that? I can't see the option
@@makeitworktech I click the settings icon on the bottom right, then under “configuration” there’s something called “light restore”. I am on app version 4.23, and haven’t update the firmware because I heard the newer firmware isn’t good or something. Maybe that’s why it’s different
i was going to say that also
Hi all, The Light Restore feature is in the Settings cog (top right on more recent app versions) that will allow you to configure how you want the light to behave when the power goes off and on or when your toggle the lights twice. Don't be scared of updating the app to the latest version. It is much better :)
I have a hue bulb that I am trying to pair for use w HA. I have used a dimmer switch, have done the turn off/on 5x and even tried the serial number in the Hue app. When I reset, the bulb blinks several times so it appears to be in pairing mode but the app can't find the bulb. Any ideas? I'll never buy another hue bulb again
Hey! All are E27. I need E14 bulbs 💡 with color. What it too work with Google and HA. What do you recommend? 😊
Used your vid to buy the tp-link kasa bulbs (cheap, too). I thought HA didn't run them right, only with on/off. Had to watch your vid again to see you can use the bulb icon as a slider for dimmer and color. Thanks!
Awesome, glad they're working out for you!
Thank YAWEH someone did this, saved me so much money
i got u
You missed one major factor which is the response time. The Nanoleaf bulbs working on thread means they have instant response time and also just seamlessly use your Apple HomePod as the “smart hub” rather than needing to plug in yet another “hub” that has no other use to your home. Thread is great because the devices you already use become the smart hub like HomePod or Apple TV. Thread reacts as fast as a physical switch would and as you install the bulbs also helps spread your thread network throughout the home. Whereas Bluetooth is delayed and very annoying signal reliability wise. The Nanoleafs we use rarely for color so they work amazing as just regular incandescent or cool blue bulbs around the home and almost too bright at 100%. I recommend them for strong reliable connection to Apple HomeKit. In my experience at least.
I was hoping you did a review with Sengled in it. They're based in the US, and their current bulbs have a CRI of 90 like the more recently LIFX 1600 lumen bulbs. I'd love to see how they compare since they're also Zigbee. Very sad that LIFX is Wi-Fi.
I have more than 50 Philips Hue products, I decided to switch to Tapo. Because these technologies will become much cheaper in the future and will become dead investments, and since I have been using them for 3 years, their lifespan has also decreased. I preferred Tapo because it is a smart home system ecosystem rather than lighting and its lighting products are much cheaper than Hue. I can buy all the products I need from the Tapo ecosystem by selling only 18~20 Hue E27 bulbs :) I can't say I use ambient lighting much anyway.
I enjoyed your video, just wish it was more in debt on how these bulbs deal with network connection issues or with black out. I know you mentioned wyze and it's option. I currently have a set of smart lights but they constantly flash when not connected. I love smart lights that can function as normal lights after a black out. As other people in home don't know how to reconnect if I'm away
which one has the best pre-set light show or modes?
I’m so over having to trick my router and the bulb to work upon setup, since the cloud models all need 2.4ghz, the workarounds feel like the 90s. I wish hue and Lutron casita would merge
I have been searching for the best blue led bulb. Feit seems to have the best color, but it's inconsistent between bulbs, and very dim. I've tried about 10 brands now, and just can't find a true blue color. Must of them are purple looking. Any suggestions?
have you tested Govee bulbs? I recently bought two-eight packs during the last prime day we had last week. On sale they were 7.50 per bulb. I Also use Wyze but am transitioning to Govee. I'd like to know your opinion as well as the opinion from anyone reading this comment.
The love the layout of your video. Very clear.
Thank you!!
@@makeitworktech Welcome.
Nice vid. Two items:
1) The Wyze bulbs seem to be no longer available. If I'm wrong, I'd love to know where to get them.
2) Am surprised that the GE "Cync" bulbs aren't in the lineup. They are available (widely?) at Lowe's, Home Depot, and Amazon, and are backed by a major electronics company.
Hopefully they come back in stock!
Yeah, i unfortunately couldn't cover all bulbs - i had to skip Govee too
Thanks for the round up. Is it intentional that your chapters say "Philips Poo"? Also the timestamp for the Nanoleafs is too early.
IMHO, a couple qualities worth considering are: minimum brightness and ability to act as a repeater in whatever mesh protocol they support (more thread when?!).
No problem! Yes, it was on purpose haha!
Ah, good call on the min brightness!
FYI, all Zigbee bulbs and the Z-wave in this video work as repeaters
That's the format!
Hi, i went with wyze prior to watching, love the app but, the colors feel under saturated, mainly the reds more salmon even dimmed and the pinks and purples arent too great. So im on the fence. Light strip is good though. Got any recommendations to obtain deeper colors even at the cost of brightness?
That was a lot of work. I wish you had reviewed the dimming performance of each bulb including how dim each got, flickering, and buzzing.
Thanks, and yes I know I wish I had done that. Everyone has been asking about that in the comments 😢
Thanks for a great video!
Did you measure the lowest brightness level of the lights?
Many lights that i own are a bit to bright at the lowest setting.
Did you cover the CRI of these bulbs in this video? I looked around and didn't see anything about it. You did talk about lumen and color accuracy with DaVinci Resolve, but I'm curious if CRI is good too.
I tried the kasa bulbs after watching this video. I had many hue bulbs already. I did buy open box bulbs from Amazon, and maybe that's part of the problem but the kasa bulbs take forever to connect and then I had several bulbs disconnect from WiFi, refuse to reconnect, and wouldn't complete a new pairing after a reset. They are going back and I'm probably just buying more hues. They may be expensive, and may not have the best colors, but they work and ever time I have tried other brands I have been extremely disappointed.
Likely you have a network problem? Rock solid for me!
@@makeitworktech could be, but I have some tuya based bulbs in my front yard further from my APs. They aren't as reliable as the hues, but they aren't dropping signal.
It seems like it is a signal issue even though my phone is showing good strength. I was able to get them working. Still, I never had any issues like this with any of my hue devices. I have the old tap switches and they even work when WiFi is down. Expensive, but I think it can be worth it for the reliability.
I want that panel in the back under the monitor. I was watching it instead of looking at you.
Meross is my constant nightmare. I bought into their HomeKit bulbs and have regretted it for years. I’ve been switching to hue for everywhere in the house except for my office. To go hue there, it’d run me $750+ but I’m considering INNR now
I have hundreds of LIFX bulbs, but I'd like to be de-tied to Wi-Fi. When LIFX works with Thread or Zigbee in the future, I'll upgrade all my stuff mainly because Hue is awful in that it's so locked down. LIFX bulbs are also way higher lumen. Their latest ones are 1600 lumen! That's what I use in some closets with dumb bulbs because I need the higher brightness!
Thanks for the video. It seems like your website is down.
Ok thanks I'll look at it
I would've liked seeing GE CYNC in the comparison. Yeah, I know.., they don't play well with home assistant. But they're pretty popular and are pretty good bulbs if you're just looking for something quick and easy to connect with an Alexa or Google assistant. I realize that this video is more for the Home Assistant/SmartThings crowd, but alot of people just plug n play through simple wifi.
Also, 100% agree about Philips Hue. They are good quality and have a great ecosystem, but there is simply no reason for them to be so ridiculously overpriced. I don't care what anyone says... $40 for a 60w bulb is highway robbery.
Valid point about cync... I'm teetering on the edge of making vids for the general smart homer crowd vs my channel's base which is largely HA users.
Hooray, someone who agrees with me about Hue! 😁
Which bulb will provide that rich Orange sunset ambiet color?? I want to achieve that orange color in my house and ive been changing bulbs and yet not be able to get that color! Could you please answer my question?
Dude, thanks for doing the legwork on this!!! One thing I would have liked to see is white color accuracy or temp.... cause I don't alway use colors ;-)
I'm buying them kasa bulbs
Thanks! Ah, I actually did the analysis, but didn't include it in the video because it was SOOO long. Maybe I can add it to my website if I find time. I was thinking of doing a Warm White Cool White dedicated video, but I'm not sure.
Do you have any recommendation for BR30/downlight WLED options?
This is exactly what I needed!
Glad it helped!
Amazing work, good job!
Can you include Govee in the future?
Sure!
@@makeitworktech I would love to buy the Wyze since brightness is the most important to me, but this is impossible in Europe.
Perhaps I can buy them via an alternative way, but I need to be sure they are programmable with Wled. Do you know if this works?
@@nicktube3904 no they won't work with WLED
@@makeitworktech last question..
I found Lifx has a new even brighter version. But again I can’t find if it’s modable to wled..?
I have sengled white only bulbs. Their cloud has had 2 major outages since I've been using them. They generally work well with their native hub and apps and Alexa. There is something to be said of "local control" when the cloud or internet is knocked out.
I have never had ☁️ issues, but it's good to hear that the fear of that problem isn't for nothing!
I use zigbee sengled bulbs(every type) and never had an issue, but I am using them with Smartthings Hub. They don't need the sengled hub to work with Smartthings.
Great video and super helpful! Where did you get that brown lamp base that you put all of the bulbs in?
Thanks!
The metal one is here: amzn.to/3VGoYaJ
The wooden one is here: amzn.to/4cp4Ijy
The Philips paring is a feature. Kids proof. You will love it. Just get the remote and its so easy. ❤❤👌👌
Gotcha! :-D
Good job. Better info here than the HA Community
Thanks!!
Great review! I personally have a Nanoleaf smart bulb, and I really recommend it, guys. It's one of the best purchases of 2023!
i would like a bild to be rgb when I'm not in the room and change to white when I enter the room. is this easy? or do I need to get the hub lights? since I need to pair it with a presence sensor..
or am I fine just getting deltaco bulbs?
You'll need some sort of hub that can communicate with both I would imagine. Do you have a presence sensor?
My Wiz lights are a nightmare for connectivity. I bought about a dozen and they have almost all glitched out and cannot connect to WiFi anymore. They also flicker when turned on for the about 5 minutes.anyone else have issues with them? They can’t even enter/stay in pairing mode anymore after switching the lights on/off 3 times… also there is no hard reset for the bulbs in the app, so even if I could connect to them, I can’t reset them. 😂
This was awesome!
Wow thanks!
Hey love the vid!
Out of all of these bulbs which one has the best wifi connectivity? I’m looking for a smart bulb to put on the exterior of my home. I got the Kasa but it says device is not reachable. Do you have any recommendation on bulbs that have a long range wifi?
I never did any long range tests, but Meross has been solid for quite some time!
Thank you Thank you,. That was a great review and is what we in the Home Automation environment sorely need. Do you have a spreadsheet of these? Are all these capable of handling 110V and 240V? A great Video, but a spreadsheet would be great as particularly the Power On State. Were the Zigbee devices Matter compatible. This was an awesome review, must have taken ages to do the test. Thank you again. Im located in Australia and Edison Screw bulbs are available and typically used in standard lamps etc, but does not tend to be the standard. I would be great to add to a spreadsheet for different countries like the Tasmota Templates site has. Cheers and have a great year.
Thanks for the kind words! You can find the tabulated information here: www.makeitwork-tech.com/the-best-smart-bulbs-in-2023/
I'm not sure about the voltage for all of them, but I think 110 - 240V.
Which companies of these bulbs are based in China? That's my #1 concern. Once I know that list, then I can evaluate these options very easily.
I know not everyone cares, but I could list off a whole bunch of reasons why I avoid products from Chinese-companies, and I wish that'd be more clear in videos. It used to be a thing you'd hear in reviews, but it's been absent these days, so now I have to spend a bunch of my own time looking at their websites, struggling to find an About page, and trying to figure out where they might be located.
LIFX, Philips Hue, and Inovelli seem to be the only ones. This is my first time seeing Inovelli, and man, their SKUs are incredible! They have all types, Z-Wave, Zigbee, and Thread! That's fantastic!
That kasa build with the usage info too is nicee
Definitely one of my favorites!
I was most interested in the white point of these items, since that's the mode these will be in 90% of the time. I know for example that the Ikea have absolutely awful whitepoints (and white fill, I'm blanking on the term for that - basically, does it offer a full spectrum) on both of its white range ends (and specifically at 2700k). Would look forward to a video about that specifically.
good stuff, helped me a lot choosing between metros and Kasa
Glad it helped!
I wonder if you had an old Meross MSL120? I have that bulb and it has support for Apple Home. I added it to Apple home then removed it and HA found it and added it. Didn't use the Meross LAN integration
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️SO helpful; thank you!!!
Glad it was helpful!
No Govee?
thanks for this work!!
You're welcome!
Great video. Even though I will be using Smart Things, you helped me weed out some of the bulbs I was looking at.
Thank you! Glad it helped!
Great video. Nice to see someone reviewing the innr bulbs. These are my go-to
Love the innrs! Haven't seen much about them in other videos, but they work great!
can you do video with the best bulbs that don't require you to have a wifi router?
The green does work in the IKEA Bulb. The green is just very crappy. It also affects all the colors green is mixed with.
That's why I got rid of my RGB IKEA bulbs.
Great report, as usual. Thanks for mentioning that Philips Hue gotcha.
Thanks!!
Amazing videos and great information keep it up!
I have a question, I found a Yeelight AC100-240V 6W RGBW Intelligent LEDs Light Bulb Multicolour that is at a really good price currently, do you recommend it since it's a RGBW and do you by any chance know if it can sync if I bought multiple?
Thank you! Sorry, I've never tried those type specifically, so I'm not sure
Personally all my bulbs are Yeelight, mostly the normal 1S bulbs, but a few GU10 and a couple of the Arwen dome lights (these are adjustable white only with a RGB accent) which are insanely bright.
I need to do a comparison of GU10 bulbs at some point!
@@makeitworktech If you can get someone to send you one of the Arwen 450C or 550c lights they are worth a look.
@@gordon861 ok I'll check them out!
yep xiaomi yeelight bulbs are the most resistant of them all, I have one for like 3 years and haven't died on me yes... unlike other brands...
Very good review!
Could you also recommend a smart rotary dimmer button that works with HomeKit along with probably Yeelight or LIFX?
Thank you! I have not tried any rotary dimmers, but now I want to add them to the list of comparison videos to make :-D
I have a question can I put any of these bulbs in a ceiling fan socket with 3 sockets with them working fine cause I used 2 different types and both of them kept flickering and doing stuff but I want a set that will work fine
You mean a bulb socket in a ceiling fan? Don't they use a smaller base than E27?
@@makeitworktech well kinda I mean a ceiling fan with 3 bulb sockets and I wanna put color changing light bulbs in all 3 can that work?
You're probably not gonna like this question, you covered so many brands but what about the Govee light bulbs haha 😀?
Great video! Really helped me to choose the correct option for myself :)
Awesome, glad it helped!
Would now be a bad time to say that you can put Hue into pairing mode without the dimmer switch?
You have to turn it on for 10 seconds, and then off for 5 seconds, and keep repeating that pattern (6 to 10 times) until the bulb flashes. Then you can re pair it to your system. (I just had to move all my Hue bulbs from SmartThings to Home Assistant.) I had a couple of Hue bulbs that took repeated attempts before I was able to get that flash.
Hmmm, I wonder if it was just that I didn't wait long enough between power toggles!
still kind of ridiculous imo
@@CarAudioInc It's a hobby. Some people are into cars, or they're audiophiles, or into sports, or whatever. Some of us are into home automation. All hobbies look equally ridiculous from the outside 😜🤡
I just used the phone app via Bluetooth to reset it and update it, I don't even know you could do you that pattern thing
You have any suggestions for ceiling recessed flood bulbs that are smart bulbs and flood lights? Thanks.
@@Al_Dente-d1p 🤡
comes on when power restored. If this means you can control the bulb on and off with the wall switch, not a bad thing. Not everyone will know the Alexa can turn bulb on or off, but they see a wall switch, up it is on. I have Sylvania color wifi smart bulbs, and they do that.
Just starting down this path, not thrilled with Ikea, I came across a bulb from Home Depot. It works with their Hub Space app, and that allows Alexa to control it. My question is how long should we expect these bulbs to last?
I have some smart bulbs going on 5 years, but that really depends on which brand. Some have reported the life on LiFX isn't great. I have not seen that yet, but it takes time
What is a good, but reasonably priced smart wall switch that will allow me to use smart bulbs and wall switches? We use both and would like to start swapping out our wall switches as we start adding smart devices to each room. We don't need anything fancy, just simple standard switches none of those that have 20 buttons like the Lutrons that many are using. And works with SmartThings.
Probably my favorite are Zooz smart switches. Reasonably priced, but they have the capability of working in "smart bulb mode". They are Z-Wave switches, but they work with SmartThings.
www.smartthings.com/partners/zooz
If you don't make this video, I would have bought to just spending my all money to that dumb Philips hue bulbs. Thanks a lot!!
I regret buying hue. I want lifx
@@irishgamer876 After a few days, I still want to buy Phillips Hue bulb because it's compatibility.
What kind of hue bulb do you use on phillips?
@StaLight 1100 lumen white and colour ambiance. There is 1600 lumen to but there's not much difference. In fact there's barely a difference between the 800 lumen and 1600 lumen, philips is great for everything else but its brightness is no better than the 10 euro crappy led bulbs i bought years ago, it's just really bad.
Hue just fails on the most important part for me, brightness. I had to put 4 bulbs to properly illuminate my relatively small living room whereas lifx would probably do it with 1 maybe 2 bulbs max I'm thinking.
Great video! What is your opinion of the Meross bulbs
Good for cheap bulbs, and very bright, but not the best in terms of color accuracy (which isn't a big deal to everyone)
The Yeelight bulb won’t get full brightness if set from Home (HomeKit) app. Do you have the same problem with Home Assistant?
No, seems to work fine in HA!
1:19 why did you not test Govee lightbulbs?
Govee doesn't work locally with Home Assistant as far as I know, it requires cloud
+1
Thank you for this review. A GU10 review in the future possibly...???
Possibly! 😁
Wow! No GE Cync?
Excellent comparison video, I would however ask that the last power state be mentioned for all the lights. Your video and website review say the KASA has Last on state, but I can confirm from last night's power flickering at 3am in my house that the KASA bulbs turn ON when the power returns no matter the last state it was in. I am now searching out ALL the reviews I can find on smart bulbs to find some good choices that stay OFF when the power goes on and off so I don't have a rude awakening with the bedside lamps flashing on and off because I do enjoy having color choices in those lamps.
Did you turn the function ON in the Kasa app?
@makeitworktech I double checked it this morning, the only options under "On from power source" are, Circadian mode, Last "ON" state, and the 4 color presets.
Great video what would you recommend for a small suite for haircuts? Maybe the brightest white to reflect off the wall.
Thinking of putting 4-8 in each corner.
Sorry I'm not an expert on lighting, but that sounds about right!
What is the connection protocol? What about Matter over thread?
For each bulb I list the connection protocol
I just got my very first smart bulb…I got the Kasa but I can’t make the bulb change color cause it won’t read on the app…then it says pay for premium…I really have to wait at for premium just to use it?
No, you should not have to pay for premium. I don't think Kasa even offers premium... Wrong app?
Your website is down it seems, so I can't see the written version with all the data D:
Can you try again? I rebooted it
great video my dude
Thanks dude!
Thanks for the video, but it's a pity that no one talks about what bulbs to buy for aqara? Because all bulbs are compatible with Alexa, Google Home, it is understandable. But unfortunately there are no bulbs for aqara, and not everyone uses home assistant.
Aqara really only is meant to be used with their own products. You need a different platform if you want more compatibility
@makeitworktech Thank for info, so it means, I have sensor fp2 from aqara but I can't fully use without out the home assistant, I try to buy aqara bulbs e14, for example, but there isn't a place to buy it.
I’ve never been able to have any Kasa products to work locally in Home Assistant. How were you able to do this?
Most Kasa Smart stuff works locally by default:
www.home-assistant.io/integrations/tplink/
Why did you not test the Amazon basics smart bulbs? They are the best selling bulbs around.
I don't think they allow for local control. No internet, no control. That's not a good bulb
Disappointed you didn't cover the Kauf bulb. Made for ESPHome / Home Assistant and works with WLED. No cloud needed or even available. Maybe a future video? They also make a nice power monitoring smart plug.
Never heard of it! Relatively new?
@@makeitworktech Not really. I've had mine for over a year now, and MostlyChris did a video on them 2 years ago.