Photo of smart bulb control in phone

What Smart Bulbs Work with Alexa?

Smart bulbs are now smarter than before. And today, you can control them in many smart ways. For example, you could connect these smart light bulbs with virtual assistants such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to control them by the sound of your voice. Learn more about what smart bulbs work with Alexa.

You could also control them via a mobile app on your smartphone. What’s more, app control works regardless of where you are.

So, you could be in your office when turning the lights on/off to reduce monthly energy bills. As such, smart bulbs are more efficient than standard incandescent bulbs.

If you desire to control your light bulb by voice, you will need to look for a smart bulb that works with Amazon Alexa.

You can find plenty of smart bulbs that work with virtual assistants on the market.

But not all of them work as excellently as you want. That’s why we have rounded up a few best models that work with Alexa. Also, we have included a buyer’s guide to help you find other best-working smart bulbs. So, be sure to read on.

What Are the Best Smart Bulbs for Amazon Alexa?

Sengled Smart Bulb

This smart bulb is easy to install. You only need to twist it in, and it will be illuminating your residence in seconds! Besides taking the hassle of installation out of the way, it packs excellent smart features to ensure you can control your lighting from anywhere.

It grants you remote control via the Amazon Alexa app on your smartphone. The Alexa app allows you to control this smart bulb in various ways. First, you could turn your smart bulb on/off. But that’s not all. You could also dim your bulb to achieve the brightness level you prefer.

You could also set routines or schedule this smart bulb for it to turn on/off automatically. Besides the excellent app control, you could also control this smart device by the sound of your voice. It is compatible with Alexa for excellent hands-free control.

But it requires a smart speaker with Alexa as the virtual assistant. Amazon Echo Dot smart speaker could be an ideal device for controlling this smart bulb by voice. As such, consider pairing it with this bulb. Fortunately, this smart bulb is Bluetooth-capable to pair with Amazon Echo Dot.

It is a powerful smart bulb that emits 800 lumens of light while recreating the colors of objects as excellent as possible, thanks to the CRI 90+ rating. It is rated 60W, but it saves 85% of your lighting energy bills. Therefore, it is a smart bulb you might want to consider buying.

ProsCons
800 lumens.You'll invest in an Amazon Alexa device.
Energy star-certified.Setup is a challenge for some users.
CRI 90+ rating.
Smart Bulbs Work with Alexa Reviews

Boxlood WiFi Smart Bulbs

The Boxlood WiFi Smart bulbs are easy to operate despite offering ample customization options. These light bulbs work with Amazon Echo and Google Home Assistant, although they do not require a hub.

They are both dimmable and offer a wide array of RGB colors, which works great if you are hoping to create a custom display or to liven things for a party. Both options are very easy to control using Boxlood’s Smart Life app.

The interface is remarkably intuitive and easy to operate, with wide sliders that will let you adjust the strength and exact shade of color you are looking for.

These settings can also be set up to a timer, allowing you to slowly increase the amount of artificial light in a room around sunset.

The app can also be synced with a weather app, in which case it will take into account the estimated sunset and sunrise times, or the local weather, to determine the degree of brightness.

If you just want to turn them on or off, then just shout a quick voice command to Google Home, Alexa Echo, or Siri.

The main flaw behind these lights is that initial installation can be a bit tricky. The lights respond to both 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz connections, but the app only responds to 2.4 GHz. Because of this, you will have to disable the 5 GHz one during the initial pairing. It may take you a couple of times to pair them properly – but once you do, the 5GHz will allow you to send faster and more stable commands from your smartphone.

ProsCons
Wide variety of colors and intensities.Not all control options are available via voice commands.
Offer both warm and cool white lights.Initial installation is a bit difficult.
Easy to operate using the app.
Smart Bulbs Work with Alexa Reviews

OHLUX Smart Wi-Fi LED Light Bulbs

It is impressive how excellently you can control these smart bulbs by the sound of your voice. And that’s possible since they are compatible with voice assistants such as Alexa and Google Assistant. As such, you want to ensure your smart speaker has Alexa as a virtual assistant. Also, consider adding a Google Home speaker to these smart bulbs for efficient voice control.

Every smart bulb connects to your Wi-Fi network to grant you remote control via a mobile app. But they only connect to Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, so you want to ensure your router broadcasts Wi-Fi signals at this frequency for efficient remote control.

But they work efficiently and could change to many colors, thanks to their RGBCW multi-color design.

These smart bulbs can produce cool white light and warm white light to give you the comfort you need. Also, you can dim their brightness from 1% – 100%.

You could also schedule them to turn on/off at your preferred time automatically. And you could also control them in a group besides controlling them separately.

They outperform most smart bulbs with their impressive lifetime of 50,000 hours. So, consider opting for these smart bulbs if you want a highly durable lighting solution for your smart home. Since they work with Alexa and Google Assistants, you can have efficient voice control, which makes them worth considering.

ProsCons
16 million colors.No dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity.
Remote app control.Some users complain that they're not very powerful.
They support voice controls.
Smart Bulbs Work with Alexa Reviews

Bewahly Smart Light Bulbs

This is another pack of smart LED bulbs. So, if you need more smart bulbs for the E26 lamp bases, then consider opting for this smart bulb pack. You can be sure to have powerful performance since each light bulb is rated 9W. Also, the bulbs boast 16 million colors with their RGBCW Multi-Color design.

What’s more, they are dimmable to achieve the white and color ambiance that goes with your mood. You only need to dim each light color from 1% – 100% for unmatched performance and ambience. Since the smart bulbs connect to your Wi-Fi network, you can control them remotely via a mobile app on your smartphone.

The bulbs allow smartphones to be the smart switches for controlling them from anywhere. And this brings convenience as much as it ensures you use less energy for your lighting solution. Connectivity to your home Wi-Fi also makes voice control possible.

Pair each LED bulb with Alexa or Google Home to control your smart bulbs by voice. You can then ask Alexa to turn on the bedroom light and watch your smart bulb obey the voice command. You can program each smart bulb separately or program them as a group.

You could also sync your bulbs with your music.  And this makes the smart bulbs change their colors according to the music rhythm. Brightness is also superb, with each bulb emitting 800 lumens of light. And with color temperatures ranging from 3000K – 6500K, there is not a room you won’t light up.

ProsCons
They support Alexa and Google Home.No dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity.
Remote app control.They don't support other voice control devices.
6500K color temperature.
Smart Bulbs Work with Alexa Reviews

LIFX Color, A19 1100 lumens

This A19 smart Wi-Fi bulb works with Alexa devices to grant you voice control over it. Also, it works with Siri, Apple HomeKit, and Google Assistant to grant you the same type of hands-free control. So, if you’re looking for more hands-free control options, no other smart bulb on the list beats this one.

It is a powerful smart bulb rated 11W. And with such impressive power, you can only expect one thing: a powerful performance. Fortunately, this smart bulb doesn’t disappoint since it churns out 1100 lumens of light. Also, it delivers 1500-9000K of color temperatures. And with this white range, you can have any light, especially soft white, to achieve an excellent ambience.

Besides allowing you to control it by voice, this smart bulb also grants you remote control via an app on your smartphone. It connects to Wi-Fi 2.4GHz to allow you to control it from anywhere. And it doesn’t require a hub to connect to your home network.

It is an excellent smart bulb for anyone looking to control their lights by voice. But you only get one smart bulb, which is disadvantageous if you need to smarten more lights. But it still works fine to help you save your lighting energy bills. So, it is worth considering.

ProsCons
11W powerful performance.No dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity.
It supports various voice assistants.You only get one smart bulb.
550 billion colors.
Smart Bulbs Work with Alexa Reviews

How To Buy the Best Smart Bulb for Your Smart Home

When picking up smart bulbs for your smart home, you will consider some smart features for excellent performance. And they include the following:

Compatible Virtual Assistants

You could control your smart bulb using various virtual assistants such as Alexa and Siri. But you can be sure to find virtual assistants that are incompatible with your smart bulb. So, you want to ensure the smart bulb you’re picking is compatible with a virtual assistant of your choice.

The great news is that smart bulbs list compatible voice assistants. Since Alexa is one of the best-working virtual assistants, ensure your preferred smart bulb supports it. You will then excellently control your smart bulb by voice when asking Alexa to do things for you.

For example, you could tell Alexa to turn off the bedroom lights when it is sleep time.

Wi-Fi Connectivity

When picking your smart bulbs, ensure they connect to your Wi-Fi network. That’s because Wi-Fi connectivity is essential for remote control. Besides, smart bulbs with built-in Wi-Fi don’t require a hub to control them remotely.

But smart bulbs connect to specific Wi-Fi frequencies, with many connecting to Wi-Fi 2.4GHz. While they also grant you remote control over them, you want dual-band smart bulbs that connect to two Wi-Fi network frequencies: 2.4GHz and 5GHz.

These smart bulbs work with any home network to grant you control over them regardless of where you are. Therefore, ensure you look for dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity when picking smart bulbs for your smart home.

The Brightness Level

The light output significantly affects the brightness level. The higher the light output, the brighter a smart bulb will be. But you might not know how to separate brighter smart bulbs from the rest of the smart bulb models on the market.

When hunting, checking the brightness level, consider the lumens value. For example, a smart bulb rated 1100 lumens produces a brighter light than a smart bulb rated 800 lumens. So, consider the lumens when comparing the brightness level. But since your light brightness desire could be different from another user’s, ensure the smart bulb you’re picking is as bright as you want.

Also, your home’s size could dictate the brightness level you need. For example, large homes could need brighter smart bulbs. If this is the case, pick smart bulbs with higher brightness ratings (lumens). But smaller homes might require smart bulbs that aren’t as bright.

Power Rating

Smart bulbs are like other smart home devices since they also need a specific electric power wattage to function. But this wattage varies depending on the smart bulb’s model. So, your smart bulb could be higher in wattage rating than another user’s smart bulb.

But away from that, power rating also has a significant effect on the functioning of a smart bulb. The higher the wattage rating, the more functioning you will get from a smart bulb. Also, the more a smart bulb will consume electric power.

For example, a 60-Watt smart bulb produces more colors and has a more efficient CRI rating for recreating the objects’ colors if you compare it with a 40-Watt bulb, for example. So, you want to select smart bulbs with a higher wattage rating for more functioning and performance.

The great news is that these smart home devices don’t consume more electricity than the standard incandescent bulbs. And you don’t have to worry about paying more for your lighting energy bills.

CRI Rating

The Color Rendering Index rating is also another smart feature you want to consider when picking a smart bulb for your smart home. The CRI is the ability of a smart bulb to recreate the color of the objects under its illumination, in layman’s terms.

A smart bulb with a CRI rating ranging from 85 – 100 is ideal. Of course, the higher the CRI rating, the better the performance (recreating the object’s color). Usually, this CRI rating ranges from 0 – 100. Therefore, you want to consider the highest CRI rating when selecting a smart bulb for your smart home.

The Service Life

Smart bulbs also have a service life. This is the period they will take to serve you before becoming non-functional. Usually, the service life takes three years, but you can find smart bulbs that take up to 20 years before becoming non-functional.

So, when picking smart bulbs, you want those that will last for an extended period. Therefore, consider the service life and opt for smart bulbs with more hours as the service life. You will control your lighting for many years this way while ensuring you reduce the lighting energy bills.

The RGB Color Spectrum

If there is another thing smart bulbs do that standard bulbs cannot do, they emit more light colors. And this performance is ideal for syncing smart bulbs with your music for more colors per rhythm. What you want to do in this case is to look for a smart bulb with more light colors.

Not only will you have more colors to illuminate your home, but you will also enhance your moods since some colors work best with certain moods. Therefore, consider smart bulbs with more light colors when picking light bulbs for your smart home.

The Design

Smart bulbs also come in various designs. But A19 smart bulbs are more common for E26 and E27 lamp bases. You can also find a smart light strip for smart homes. The Philips Hue is a smart home device that’s different from your regular smart bulb. And that’s because it is a smart light strip.

So, you have plenty of designs to choose from when picking a smart bulb for your home. Therefore, consider picking a design that you prefer since the design doesn’t significantly affect the performance.

FAQs

Can I control my smart bulb with a hub?

Yes, you could control your smart bulb with a hub, but this is unnecessary in most cases, especially if the smart bulb has built-in Wi-Fi. Smart bulbs, such as Kasa Smart Kasa by TP-Link, require no hub as they have built-in Wi-Fi for efficient remote control.

But a hub becomes a necessary smart home device if you want to control other smart home devices remotely from one mobile app. So, more often than not, you will not need a hub to control your smart bulb to control it from anywhere.

Can I adjust the white light from my smart bulb?

Some smart bulbs emit white light at various temperatures. You could find smart bulbs that emit white light from cool and warm temperatures, ranging from 2000K to 7000K. But this white light temperature range changes with each smart bulb model. So, you could say smart bulbs emit tunable white light to match your sleep cycle (or even wake comfort).

Can I control my smart bulb by voice?

Yes, smart bulbs have built-in Wi-Fi for connecting with smart speakers with virtual assistants over the same home Wi-Fi network. As such, you can pair a smart bulb with Amazon Echo, for example, to control it by the sound of your voice. You could also pair it with another smart speaker, such as Sonos Move, to control it by voice.

What is the best luminance for smart bulbs?

The lumens of a smart bulb depend on its design for sure. But smart homes require different lumens since they differ in size. Larger smart homes will need more lumens since more lumens mean more brightness. And smaller homes will need lower lumens. So, you want to consider your room’s sizes before opting for a given luminance.

Wrap Up

Smart bulbs could work with Alexa and other virtual assistants to grant you voice control over them. They do this over your home’s Wi-Fi network. Also, connectivity to the internet allows you to control them remotely. As such, they boast more efficient control for energy-saving performance.

Besides, a good number of them are ENERGY STAR-certified, meaning they significantly reduce your annual lighting bills. But the market is full of smart bulbs, and not all of them are exceptional.

Fortunately, we have rounded up a few models we think might work best for you. Also, we’ve included a buyer’s guide to help you find other best-working smart bulbs. So, scour the web for more smart bulbs and control your lighting efficiently by voice or via an app from anywhere for energy-saving performance!

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