To determine the best smart light bulbs on the market today we considered vital factors like remote smart features, easy app interfaces, and plenty of lighting options to choose from – including brightness and color manipulation. We looked at hundreds of different brands to find our readers the best smart light bulb and lighting system that’s perfect for any home.
Philips Hue bulbs, our top pick, are one of the oldest and most trusted brands of smart bulbs. They’re incredible at combining ideal features with ease of use. The white bulb pack in particular makes a perfect replacement for older bulbs where you prefer adding new capabilities to your lighting. But it’s not the only smart bulb with great features available, so check out our full list for bulbs that change color, bulbs that work with complex smart home setups, and much more.
Top 7 Best Smart Light Bulbs
#1 Philips Hue White 4-Pack Smart Light Bulb
Award: TOP PICK
WHY WE LIKE IT: The excellent design of these bulbs is backed up by the great Hue app and all the smart features you can enable. They’re the best picks for replacing old bulbs around your house offering 22 years or 25,000 hours.
Read Full Review: Philips Hue White 4-Pack Review
- Easy to integrate with Google and Alexa
- Super easy installation and control
- Sturdy bulb design
- No color change options
These Philips bulbs have all the features we like to see: That includes excellent app controls, a great 25,000 lifetime hours rating, Energy certification, and voice command options via Alexa or Google Home. There are also lots of brightness options, including a soft night light mode. The narrow design of the Bluetooth light bulb also makes it easy to install and fit them into most lamps and sockets without trouble (although Philips does provide a number of alternative base options you can check out, too). Philips also offers additional customizable features and control of all your Philip Hue devices through their Philips Hue Bridge 2.0. You can access the hue bridge even when you’re away from home, and the system is compatible with Alexa, Apple Homekit, and Google Assistant.
Just about the only thing these Philips bulbs don’t do is change color – they’re more designed to replace traditional white lights around the home, and aren’t really made to act as mood lighting. Though Philips sells those too, albeit at a premium over these, though our pick includes a pack of 4. You might also like the best smart thermostat for your smart home.
#2 Peteme 4-Pack 60W Color Changing Smart Light Bulb
Award: HONORABLE MENTION
WHY WE LIKE IT: These bulbs can switch from warm white to any other color you want – either from the app or with a voice command! They also have great modes and lighting effects so you can get precisely the look you want.
Read Full Review: Peteme 4-Pack 60W Review
- Best color options; 16 million
- No hub needed
- Works with Google, Siri, and Alexa
- App interface could be better
- Only works over 2.4Ghz
If you’re looking for bulbs that change color, you need to check this useful pack. You can set the colors yourself to anything you want, or you can use voice commands with assistants like Alexa and Siri to change colors at any time, which is ideal for turning normal lighting into mood or accent lighting at a moment’s notice. Light effects are also included!
The app is also smart enough to group bulbs together or split them apart depending on how many lights you want to control at one time. Brightness adjustments and thorough scheduling are also supported! Lastly, for these smart lights no hub is needed, though these bulbs only connect over 2.4Ghz, which is a common standard on most routers. The best smart lock is another great home addition.
#3 TP-Link Kasa Tunable Smart Light Bulb
Award: BEST QUALITY BULB
WHY WE LIKE IT: This tunable bulb from the Kasa line has all the typical smart features for control, plus the ability to directly set the white temperature to whatever you like. It’s a perfect pick for those who like to tinker until they find just the lighting for their favorite activities. If you’re interested in warm white lighting, then check out our best white led strip lights.
Read Full Review: TP-Link Kasa Tunable Review
- Can tune white temperature
- Supports all voice assistants
- No hub required
- No color options
- Shifting color temperature takes extra learning
The Kasa line of smart devices is easy to recommend – they’re durable products with a great app and excellent support from TP-Link. It’s no surprise that Kasa also has some of the best and brightest smart bulb packs around: This bulb has easy scheduling and remote control settings, and is compatible with all the voice assistants for quick commands.
This bulb is also “tunable” which means that you can control the temperature as well as the brightness. That affects how warm and natural the bulb’s light is: different temperatures are suitable for different rooms, times of day, and so on, so this is a great feature to see. Also, no hub is needed to operate these. Smart bulbs are one of the best smart home devices for saving money.
#4 TP-Link Kasa Smart Light Bulb
Award: BEST WHITE LIGHT BULB
WHY WE LIKE IT: This bulb ditches color temperature changes for a simpler brightness setup that’s easier to learn and saves some money. The result is a high quality white bulb that’s great for anyone, even those without much smart device experience.
Read Full Review: TP-Link Kasa Review
- Swift, simple installation
- 1 to 100% brightness adjustments
- Affordable alternative to tunable version
- Some may want color temperature features
This bulb is like our first Kasa pick, but without that tunability feature that lets you set the color temperature – just normal brightness controls from 1% to 100% on this model. That actually creates a couple different advantages: It makes this bulb even more affordable than its alternative, and it’s one less thing for buyers to learn when they’re setting the bulb up and getting it to work.
Otherwise, all the great features are still here, including easy schedule via the Kasa app, voice control with Alexa and Google Assistant – in fact, with the swift setup, these may be the best smart light bulbs for Google Assistant that we’ve seen.. It’s also Energy Star certified! The best smart outlet will also add some versatility to your smart home.
#5 Saudio Smart Wi-Fi Bulb 4-Pack
We’re sorry, this product is temporarily out of stock
Award: BEST BUDGET
WHY WE LIKE IT: Alexa’s amazing smart home compatibility combines with support for IFTTT scenes on this bulb, making it excellent for setting up complex smart situations. Also, if you buy them in the recommended 4 pack, they’re our budget pick!
Read Full Review: Saudio Smart Wi-Fi Bulb 4-Pack Review
- IFTTT and Alexa support
- Easy multicolor changing
- Great “group” controls on the app
- Not as useful without other smart devices
So far, all our bulbs have had compatibility with Alexa (assuming you have an Echo device around to talk to, of course). What makes these the best smart light bulbs for Alexa? Well, it’s also compatible with IFTTT (if this then that), a smart platform for setting up more complicated scenes and controlling multiple smart devices more easily in unique situations. That combines perfectly with Alexa’s broad smart home compatibility – and there’s also Google Assistant and Siri support if you prefer those voice commands.
The other smart features here are also great, including color change options, quick scheduling, and a variety of light modes that make it very easy to set up groups of your own and control multiple lights throughout the house. If you prefer strip lighting to a bulb, take a look at the best waterproof strip lights instead.
#6 Above Lights Smart Light Bulb 2-Pack
We’re sorry, this product is temporarily out of stock
Award: BEST LIFE SPAN
WHY WE LIKE IT: If you like changing colors for various mood lighting or setting the scene, you’ll love these bulbs that last a whopping 35,000 hours! They’re durable, easy to set up, and have voice control options that make switching colors a breeze.
Read Full Review: Above Lights Smart Light Bulb 2-Pack
- Choose from 16 million colors
- Rated for 35,000 lifetime hours
- Alexa and Google Assistant compatibility
- Not much use unless you regularly change colors
These bulbs offer a default soft white light, but are happy to switch to any of over 16 million different colors for mood lighting, fun scenes, and much more. Combine this with the great brightness settings, and it’s easy to see why the bulbs are so great at making your home colorful – when you want it to be.
The bulbs also come with voice assistant compatibility for Alexa and Google Assistant, which can indeed change colors as well as brightness with a word. The bulbs are also well-rated at 35,000 lifetime hours, one of the highest on our list. Compare this to the best warm LED strip lights to figure out what’s best for you.
#7 Wyze Bulb 4-Pack
Award: BEST TRADITIONAL BULB REPLACEMENT
WHY WE LIKE IT: Wyze’s well-designed bulbs give you the perfect scheduling options and voice control, plus great integration with other platforms. They’re ideal for replacing old bulbs and upgrading lighting around your house at the same time!
Read Full Review: Wyze Bulb 4-Pack
- Excellent, highly functional design
- Wyze app has a great interface
- Pairs with Wyze Sense security system
- No color options
Wyze’s no-nonsense approach to smart bulbs makes these 60-watt equivalent models the best option for swiftly replacement old bulbs with new versions that look and act a lot like the replaced bulbs – plus some great extra smart features. In this case, those features include scheduling, IFTTT integration, an extra vacation mode, and easy group controls.
The Wyze bulb also supports dimming, which you can do either on the app or with voice commands via Alexa or Google Assistant. If you want to invest in other Wyze products, the bulbs are also compatible with the Wyze Sense platform, so they can respond to motion sensors, etc. If you prefer strip lighting for your home, take a look at the best LED strip lights instead.
How We Decided
Just having an app doesn’t say a lot about a smart bulb: It’s all about what features that bulb has. So to get started we first looked for bulbs that give you the most smart features packed into one light.
That includes being able to change the bulb’s brightness levels, setting schedules, controlling the bulb color with pinpoint accuracy, and even adjusting the bulb’s color temperature. Having access to both white and colored light variations will also allow you to freely set the mood you desire for each room. The more customization the bulb has, the better!
We also care a lot about usability. In our tests and research, we favored bulbs that have great apps with easy-to-learn interfaces. We also like to see handy modes that can kind of act as shortcuts to various settings, like sunrise/sunset modes, reading modes, “travel” modes for when you’re away, and similar options. Voice assistants like Alexa and Google assistant are also great for easy usability. Oh, and no modern smart bulb should require a hub to use. Whatever brand you decide to go with, without a hub is always the superior choice.
Then we look for nice extras that make a great pairing with smart features. For example, we awarded extra points for Energy Star certifications. We also liked to see support for setting “scenes” with other smart devices around your home so they can all be controlled at once (dim the lights, play some music, etc., all with one command).
Best Smart Light Bulbs Buyer’s Guide
The Most Important Features to Consider
- Color Options
Smart light bulbs can come in several different varieties. The first is a simple white bulb designed to mimic natural light as closely as possible. They often have dimming features, but don’t change colors. The other option is a color bulb that changes to pretty much whatever hue you want, whenever you want. They can function as normal lights but switch to mood lighting whenever you want. The third option – which includes some of our top picks – allows you to change the “color temperature” of the light, which controls how close to natural light the bulb is, a.k.a. how “warm” or “cold” the light looks, even if it’s not fully changing color. - Dimming Options
Some smart bulbs, including most of our top picks, have dimming features, allowing you to use anywhere from 1% to 100% of the light bulb’s brightness. This allows for more personalization, as well as tweaking brightness based on how dark it is outside, which is great for tinkering until you find the perfect levels. However, dimming bulbs require wiring that allows for dimming, which usually means the switch has a neutral wire connection. Without a neutral wire connection, dimming may not be possible. - Size
This isn’t usually a problem, since most smart bulbs are designed to be around the same shape as traditional incandescent bulbs. However, it’s still important to double-check and make sure that the bulb is small enough to fit into the fixture you have in mind, and that the base design is the right type for your socket. - Voice Assistant and Platform Compatibility
Just what does your smart bulb work with? There are a couple of things to watch for here. If voice commands are important to you, make sure the bulbs work with your favorite voice assistant, from Alexa to Google Assistant and even to Siri. Also look for bulbs that already work on a smart home platform you have: TP-Link’s Kasa bulbs, for example, work on the same app as other Kasa products, and can save you an extra app download if you already have a Kasa smart device in your home. - App Interface
You might also want to take a look at the app used for the smart bulbs and how it looks. This is how you’ll be setting schedules, changing colors or brightness, and controlling the bulb remotely (except for voice commands). It should be easy to understand and operate.
