If you want to try a smart home but don't want to rewire anything or commit to an expensive system, smart bulbs are the gentlest possible starting point. You screw one in like any other bulb, and suddenly you can control your lights from your phone or your voice. Here's how to begin without overcomplicating it.
What smart bulbs can do
Beyond simply turning on and off from an app, smart bulbs offer a surprising amount of everyday usefulness.
- Dim the lights without a special dimmer switch.
- Set schedules so lights come on at sunset or wake you gently in the morning.
- Change color or warmth, cozy and warm in the evening, bright and cool for working.
- Turn everything off from bed with one command.
The two main types
Smart bulbs generally come in two flavors. Some connect straight to your Wi-Fi, which is simplest to set up for a few bulbs. Others connect through a small hub that plugs into your router, which is more reliable once you have many bulbs around the house.
The one gotcha to know
Here's the catch that trips up newcomers: a smart bulb only works when it has power. If someone flips the regular wall switch off, the bulb goes dark and drops off the network until the switch is back on. The fix is to leave the wall switch on and control the light through the app or voice instead.
How to start small
Buy one or two bulbs for the rooms where you'd actually use the features, the living room and bedroom are common picks. Live with them for a couple of weeks before expanding. You'll quickly learn which features you love and which you ignore.
The takeaway
Smart bulbs are cheap, easy, and reversible, the perfect way to test the smart home waters. Start with a couple, remember to leave the wall switch on, and grow from there only if you enjoy it.