The best smart lighting to buy in 2021 – harpersbazaar.com

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Good lighting, as they say, is everything - and it's of paramount importance for creating a relaxing ambience in your home. Whether you're entertaining friends (when we're finally able to) or decompressing after a stressful day, nobody wants to be blinded by glaring light all evening. Thats where smart light bulbs come in, offering you optimum control over the tone and brightness of your lighting via a smartphone app.

They come in a range of sizes and fits, including screw and bayonet, so you can match them to your existing light fixtures. Some have built-in wifi, some use Bluetooth, and others link to a central hub that connects to your wifi router via an ethernet cable. Regardless of how they work, they are simple to set up.

Whats more, they save on energy, using 80 per cent less than traditional light bulbs. They last much longer, too - 15 years, compared with 40 to 80 days - making them a superior eco-friendly choice.

Unlike standard incandescent lights, smart light bulbs can be tuned to millions of different colours in any tint or shade you can imagine. You can turn them on or off from the sofa or while on your way home, and most will be compatible with your voice assistant. Some can make use of geofence technology to switch on or off automatically, depending on where your smartphone is located. You can set daily lighting schedules, too, which can serve as your wake-up call and help deter burglars while youre away.

Smart light bulbs work with normal switches, unless they are dimmers. If you choose to use your wall switch, youll need to flick it on before using the app.

We judged a range of smart light bulbs on how quick and easy they were to set up and adjust. We noted how simple it was to save preferred settings and set daily schedules. We also considered how attractive the bulbs looked in our lighting fixtures. Our favourites are listed below.

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Winner

Dip your toe into the smart lighting world with this excellent two-bulb starter kit from Philips. Simply connect the hub to your wifi router with an ethernet cable (not included), download the smartphone app and youre off.

Saving your favourite colour combinations is a breeze and we love that you can name them for easy control through your voice assistant. The ability to set daily schedules - including an automatic turn-on as you near home each evening - is handy, and you can sync the bulbs to the suns natural cycle, so that they turn off at sunrise and on again at sunset. They can sync to the beat of music, too - a feature that will come into its own when we can finally host parties again.

Key specificationsLight types: Bulbs (E27, B22, GU10, E14), table lamps, pendant lights, outdoor wall lights, outdoor freestanding lights, light stripsColour or white?: BothNumber of tones: 16 millionCompatibility: Apple and AndroidVoice assistant: Alexa, Google Assistant, SiriConnectivity: Central hub via ethernet cable and wifi

Runner-up

If you think installing smart lighting sounds like too much trouble, let our experience with these bulbs change your mind. We found them incredibly easy to set up; theres no hub, so all you have to do is screw or click them in, then follow the clear in-app instructions.

You can set daily schedules and save your colour/brightness preferences from an impressive one trillion tones. They can be controlled using all three major voice assistants, but, unlike our winner, theres no geofence feature. Lifx offers plenty of choice, including outside bulbs with built-in infrared for improving the night vision on your security camera, so go on, give it a go, especially if you have faith in your wifi.

Key specificationsLight types: Indoor and outdoor bulbs (B22, E27, GU10), beam light artColour or white?: BothNumber of tones: One trillionCompatibility: Apple and AndroidVoice assistant: Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, CortanaConnectivity: Wifi

Best for a full smart home system

If youre on a mission to smartify your whole home, look to Hive, which offers smart thermostats, plugs and security cameras, as well as light bulbs. Installing a full smart system allows for complete automation, thanks to IFTTT (if this, then that) technology. For example, you can programme the lights to turn on if the security camera detects motion.

We experienced a slight delay when changing the colour of ours in the app and its a shame that theres no geofence for tracking your smartphone, but we loved the mimic mode that simulates somebody being at home to deter burglars. Setting daily schedules is a doddle, as is the initial hub-style set up.

Key specificationsLight types: Bulbs (E27, B22, GU10)Colour or white?: BothNumber of tones: 16 millionCompatibility: Apple and AndroidVoice assistant: Alexa, Google AssistantConnectivity: Central hub via ethernet and wifi

Best for monitoring your energy use

These smart light bulbs are a good choice for anybody who is trying to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle. Their energy monitoring feature highlights how much electricity you're using, encouraging you to turn your lights off when you arent in the room. We found them simple to set up and use, with the colour and brightness changing as soon as we tapped the relevant app controls.

We loved that you could ask them to auto-mimic natural light throughout the day, and rated the vacation mode setting that randomly turns the lights on and off to deter burglars. The only downside is that they connect directly to your wifi, rather than through a hub, meaning you may struggle if your signal is poor.

Key specificationsLight types: Bulbs (B22, E27, E14, GU10), strip lightsColour or white?: BothNumber of tones: 16 millionCompatibility: Apple and AndroidVoice assistant: Alexa, Google Assistant and SiriConnectivity: Wifi

Best for design

These smart light bulbs stand out for their geometric design, whichwill make a statement even if used without a shade. They proved easy to set up and are fast to react to any changes you make to the colour and brightness in the app.

You can ask them to mimic natural light throughout the day automatically, or set a daily schedule so that the tones are the same whenever you wake up or go to bed. Theyre compatible with Siri and Google Assistant, but sadly not Alexa as of yet.

Key specificationsLight types: A19 Bulb, light stripColour or white?: ColourNumber of tones: 16 millionCompatibility: Apple and AndroidVoice assistant: Siri and Google AssistantConnectivity: Wifi

Best for ease of use

These smart light bulbs turned on and off, dimmed, and changed colour, all in less than a second, when we tested them through the clear, well-designed app. Set-up is straightforward, as they connect via wifi, without the need for a hub, but you may struggle if your signal is poor.

We liked the ability to set automatic programs, such as the lights switching off when you go out and coming on again when you get home, but we would have appreciated an away mode to mimic your normal light usage and deter burglars.

Key specificationsLight types: Bulbs (B22, E27, GU10, E14), light stripColour or white?: BothNumber of tones: 100Compatibility: Apple and AndroidVoice assistant: Alexa, Google AssistantConnectivity: Wifi

Best for white lighting

If colour-changing lights arent for you, consider these dimmable smart light bulbs that offer 2,700 tones of white. They took less than a second to adjust in the app;either choose a pre-selected brightness level or tweak it manually by dragging on the image of the bulb.

Theres an away mode that turns the lights on and off at random to deter burglars, and the wireless set-up couldnt be simpler. You can set daily schedules and sync them to the sunrise and sunset. They now come in colour, too, if youd prefer.

Key specificationsLight types: Bulbs (B22, E27)Colour or white?: BothNumber of tones: 2,700Compatibility: Apple and AndroidVoice assistant: Alexa, Google AssistantConnectivity: Wifi

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The best smart lighting to buy in 2021 - harpersbazaar.com