Spec me a smart bulb!

Yaayuh!

Yaayuh!

Yaayuh!

Soldato
Joined
5 Nov 2010
Posts
24,865
Location
Hertfordshire
Looking for a smart bulb to fit in my lamps. Requirements:
  • Decent iOS app
  • 7 day timer function
  • 4000k or changeable warmth
  • No RGB required at all
  • ES/E27 fitting
  • 40W equivalent
    • Current bulbs are 5.8W 470lm
  • As round/globe like as possible
  • Preferably no hub required
  • Preferably 2.4GHz only
Go!

TIA
 
Last edited:
Hue Ambiance ticks most of those boxes except I think hub and shape.
I've a mix of ambiance and plain white used in lamps, ceiling lights and outside garden light and all works very well.
I've a single hub and it covers all rooms in a 3 bedroom house and outdoors without issue.
I don't use the app other than for setup as everything is voice controlled via Alexa/echo.
 
LIFX bulbs don’t require a hub and work with HomeKit so you can avoid using their app day to day if that’s your thing. More expensive than Hue however
 
We have a Lifx in the bedroom, but recently picked up some Lumimans from amazon and are very impressed given how cheap they are.
 
Rossi~ said:
Looking for a smart bulb to fit in my lamps. Requirements:

....
Go!

TIA
Click to expand...

so you don't need any kind of physical switch, for the room when your phone is not accessible ?
Have still not fully resolved the problem myself, but a hubbless (app) controllable dimmer, also with dedicated remote control, is my preference
 
Ikea Tradfri?

Rossi~ said:
Looking for a smart bulb to fit in my lamps. Requirements:
  • Decent iOS app
  • 7 day timer function
  • 4000k or changeable warmth
  • No RGB required at all
  • ES/E27 fitting
  • 40W equivalent
    • Current bulbs are 5.8W 470lm
  • As round/globe like as possible
  • Preferably no hub required
  • Preferably 2.4GHz only
Click to expand...
iOS app is apparently ok. Android app is perfectly fine.
Yup.
2200, 2700 and 4000k
Not if you don't want it, RGB is a separate product.
Yup, it's ES.
6.6w and 11w versions (600 or 1000 lumens)
Pretty close.
You don't necessarily need the hub to use the bulbs, you can just pair them to the various remote switches or sensors. But it does add additional functionality, for example, using the app and routines.
Uses both 2.4 and 5ghz for the hub. Although mine seems to just use the 2.4ghz

Only other thing to be aware of is it is local access only. No external communication at all as standard. But you can get around that with an Amazon Echo in my case, and I believe the Google Home ones as well.
 
Rossi~ said:
Their Kasa range?

TP-Link Smart WiFi Light Bulb, E27/B22, 10W, Works with Amazon Alexa (Echo and Echo Dot), Google Home and IFTTT, All Shades of White, Dimmable, No Hub Required [Energy Class A+] https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07KXGY4VT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_zRapDbKPAJEHX

Seems to tick all the boxes, apart from how bright it is but appears to be dimmable.
Click to expand...

Indeed although I use the LB130 models for full colour including white.
The Kasa app also controls them away from home... Handy if you're away or late home.
 
Flibster said:
You don't necessarily need the hub to use the bulbs, you can just pair them to the various remote switches or sensors. But it does add additional functionality, for example, using the app and routines.
Uses both 2.4 and 5ghz for the hub. Although mine seems to just use the 2.4ghz
Click to expand...

just browsed this videohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr1Bd1zaDTw

so its not hubless, in the conventional sense, you can't control the bulbs directly with a phone (like lifx apparently), and just buy a bulb, for £13
you need a gateway(hub) plus a wireless dimmer or remote control (steering devices)

It does not seem to support open standard control IFTTT, which most of the genuinely hubless do ?
 
jpaul said:
just browsed this videohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr1Bd1zaDTw

so its not hubless, in the conventional sense, you can't control the bulbs directly with a phone (like lifx apparently), and just buy a bulb, for £13
you need a gateway(hub) plus a wireless dimmer or remote control (steering devices)

It does not seem to support open standard control IFTTT, which most of the genuinely hubless do ?
Click to expand...

Not had any of the issues he's had with it. Worked fine throughout and we're almost completely running them now. Got a couple of Wemo bulbs that we can't be bothered to replace yet as they still work (ish - they keep complaining about firmware updates, but never do them!) and a kitchen where it's all downlights in the ceiling and we have to find a switch that will control them all *ugh*

It's a slightly unusual system, as if you just want a dimmer to control 3 bulbs and nothing else, you can do that. Buy them, sync together and away you go. No need for the hub. If you want the app, then you need the hub. Ours is hidden on top on a unit with my router and I haven't had to touch it in the 18 months we've had it up there.

It uses Zigbee Light Link protocols. I know some people are using a Pi to control them with IFTTT, but I've no need for that so have no idea how. Hell, as it's Zigbee you could use an Echo Plus and use the Alexa app to control them.
 
Squid Vicious said:
Hue Ambiance ticks most of those boxes except I think hub and shape.
I've a mix of ambiance and plain white used in lamps, ceiling lights and outside garden light and all works very well.
I've a single hub and it covers all rooms in a 3 bedroom house and outdoors without issue.
I don't use the app other than for setup as everything is voice controlled via Alexa/echo.
Click to expand...

I believe the next gen of hue bulbs can be used via bluetooth rather than a hub.

@OP out of curiosity, why the reason for no hub?
 
Flibster said:
as if you just want a dimmer to control 3 bulbs and nothing else, you can do that
Click to expand...
I agree that's nice ... is it a consequence of zigbee rather than wifi based bulbs ?
Are the dimmers and remotes prooving robust ? I guess they have good returns if really needed.

Noticed another zigbee compatible bulb £10/b22/dimming+'2.7->6K' sengled - new to me.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0725BQ7TF ... seems to have good usa reviews .. should work with a the 'bargain' £8 ikea dimmer - the equivalent ikea bulb is £15.

wifi/hubless bulbs like like lifx with more complex electronics do seem to have more reliability issues from reviews, so perhaps my aversion to the hassle of hubs with zigbee is misplaced.
 
jpaul said:
I agree that's nice ... is it a consequence of zigbee rather than wifi based bulbs ?
Are the dimmers and remotes prooving robust ? I guess they have good returns if really needed.

Noticed another zigbee compatible bulb £10/b22/dimming+'2.7->6K' sengled - new to me.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0725BQ7TF ... seems to have good usa reviews .. should work with a the 'bargain' £8 ikea dimmer - the equivalent ikea bulb is £15.

wifi/hubless bulbs like like lifx with more complex electronics do seem to have more reliability issues from reviews, so perhaps my aversion to the hassle of hubs with zigbee is misplaced.
Click to expand...

No idea, never thought about it. I know if the wifi is down I can't do anything with the Wemo bulbs other than use the normal switch to turn them on an off.
Got 3 of the round multibutton remotes, only had to change batteries. Not even had to do that on the dimmer yet. Other halfs mum has another 2 of the round multibutton ones and not even had to replace the batteries yet. And the batteries are cheap. :D

For £10, may be worth a try. No idea if it'd work, in theory Zigbee should be compatible across the board... but...

Reliability is always a concern when you try to jam a lot of components in a small package that gets hot.
 
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