Top 5 compared
The best B22 colour smart bulbs
Warm white for reading, any colour for a film night, and the ceiling light switched off from the sofa.
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The top 5 at a glance
B22 is the bayonet cap, pushed in and twisted to lock, that most ceiling lights and many lamps in British homes take. A colour smart bulb with that cap swaps straight in for the old one and gives millions of shades as well as warm and cool whites, run from an app, a schedule or a voice assistant, with no rewiring.
Most join the router’s 2.4GHz Wi-Fi with no hub; Philips Hue starts on Bluetooth and adds a Bridge for extras. Leave the wall switch on, since a bulb with its power cut can’t hear the app, and smart bulbs aren’t made for dimmer switches. Screw-cap lamps have our E27 colour smart bulbs.
What matters
- The voice assistant your home already uses.
- About 800 lumens for a ceiling light, like an old 60W bulb.
- Whites that run from warm to cool daylight.
- A pair or more for a room with two lights.
#1Govee Smart Bulbs H6008, B22, colour (2-pack)
£10–£20
Each bulb gives 800 lumens, as bright as an old 60W one, in millions of colours or whites from 2700K to 6500K. They join Wi-Fi without a hub and take commands from Alexa or Google; a music mode pulses them along with whatever is playing in the room.
What owners say: Owners say setup is easy and like the range of colours, from warm white to a deep blue for films, and their value. Opinions split on the Wi-Fi connection, which drops for some.
A closer look: Music mode listens through your phone’s microphone, so keep the Govee app open while the music plays, or pick one of its 54 preset scenes for an instant change of mood. It joins Apple Home through Matter, which needs a home hub such as an Apple TV or HomePod.
- Music sync through the app
- 54 preset scenes
Best for: Ceiling lights and bedrooms
- White range
- 2700–6500K
- Brightness
- 800 lumens (60W)
- Hub needed
- None
- Voice assistants
- Alexa, Google; Apple Home through Matter
- Matter
- Yes
- Pack size
- 2 bulbs
#2Philips Hue White and Colour Ambiance A60 smart bulbs, B22, 806 lumens (2-pack)
£84.99 RRP
Philips Hue’s colour bulbs with a bayonet cap, sold as a pair and run from the Hue app over Bluetooth, with Alexa and Google through an Echo or Nest speaker. A Hue Bridge, bought separately, adds Apple Home, control away from home and lights that follow a Philips TV.
What owners say: Owners rate the quality and the colours and find them easy to set up and connect. Value divides them, and so does reliability, with the Android app crashing for one.
Heads up: A newer model is out: Philips Hue now sells the White and Colour Ambiance A60 B22 at 810 lumens; this earlier 806-lumen pair is still sold new.
A closer look: Start in the Hue app over Bluetooth with your phone close by; Bluetooth runs up to ten lights, and a Bridge takes the system past that and outside the home. With a Bridge, a Philips Ambilight TV or the Hue Sync app can make the bulbs follow what’s on screen.
- TV sync with a Bridge
- Runs ten bulbs on Bluetooth
Best for: The Philips Hue system in bayonet fittings
- White range
- 2000–6500K
- Brightness
- 806 lumens (60W)
- Hub needed
- None (Bridge optional)
- Voice assistants
- Alexa, Google; Apple Home with a Bridge
- Matter
- Through a Hue Bridge
- Pack size
- 2 bulbs
#3WiZ Smart Colour Bulb A60, B22
£10–£20
A colour bulb from WiZ, made by Signify, the company behind Philips Hue, that joins your Wi-Fi with no hub and works with Alexa, Google and, through Matter, Apple Home. With two WiZ lights in a room, SpaceSense turns them on when someone walks in.
What owners say: Owners find it reliable with Alexa and Google Home and like its colours, its brightness, the app and the dimming.
A closer look: SpaceSense needs at least two WiZ lights in the same room, as it reads changes in the Wi-Fi signal between them; switch it on in the WiZ app. For Apple Home, add the bulb as a Matter device from the Home app, which needs a home hub such as an Apple TV or HomePod.
- Motion sensing with two bulbs
- Schedules from the WiZ app
Best for: Motion lighting with two bulbs
- White range
- 2200–6500K
- Brightness
- 806 lumens (60W)
- Hub needed
- None
- Voice assistants
- Alexa, Google; Apple Home through Matter
- Matter
- Yes
- Pack size
- 1 bulb
#4Tapo L530B smart bulbs, B22, colour (2-pack)
£23.99 RRP
TP-Link’s colour Tapo bulbs, with 16 million colours, whites from warm to cool, and sunrise and sunset modes that follow the time of day where you live. Control can be shared with the family in the Tapo app.
What owners say: Owners call them fantastic and simple to get going, and say Alexa works well with them. The Wi-Fi connection divides them, and several report bulbs failing sooner than they should.
A closer look: If you already use Tapo plugs or cameras, the bulbs join the same app and can be part of its automations, such as a light coming on when a camera spots movement. Pairing needs your router’s 2.4GHz band, and TP-Link gives a two-year warranty.
- Sunrise and sunset modes
- Share control with family
- Two-year warranty
Best for: Homes already using Tapo
- White range
- 2500–6500K
- Brightness
- 806 lumens (60W)
- Hub needed
- None
- Voice assistants
- Alexa, Google
- Matter
- No
- Pack size
- 2 bulbs
#5Lepro B1 smart bulbs, B22, colour (2-pack)
£10–£20
Two colour bulbs with no hub, Alexa and Google control, and Bluetooth as well as Wi-Fi. The app’s AI Lighting turns a typed mood, such as cosy or energetic, into a matching scene.
What owners say: Owners rate the light itself highly, with a good spread of whites and colours, and a simple setup. The Alexa connection, the app and the value are all mixed, and some report the bulbs dropping off the network.
A closer look: Pair them in the Lepro app first, then link the app to Alexa or Google; pairing goes quicker with the phone close to the bulb. Group both bulbs in the app so one command or scene sets the whole room at once.
- Scenes from a typed mood
- Music sync with LightBeats
Best for: A first go at smart lighting
- White range
- 2700–5700K
- Brightness
- 806 lumens (60W)
- Hub needed
- None
- Voice assistants
- Alexa, Google
- Matter
- No
- Pack size
- 2 bulbs
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Govee H6008 | #2Hue Colour 806 (2-pack) | #3WiZ Colour | #4Tapo L530B | #5Lepro B1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best premium | Best budget | Cheapest per bulb | ||
| Picked Rating | 9.1 | 8.9 | 8.9 | 8.7 | 8.7 |
| Price | £10–£20 | £84.99 RRP | £10–£20 | £23.99 RRP | £10–£20 |
| White range | 2700–6500K | 2000–6500K | 2200–6500K | 2500–6500K | 2700–5700K |
| Brightness | 800 lumens (60W) | 806 lumens (60W) | 806 lumens (60W) | 806 lumens (60W) | 806 lumens (60W) |
| Hub needed | None | None (Bridge optional) | None | None | None |
| Voice assistants | Alexa, Google; Apple Home through Matter | Alexa, Google; Apple Home with a Bridge | Alexa, Google; Apple Home through Matter | Alexa, Google | Alexa, Google |
| Matter | Yes | Through a Hue Bridge | Yes | No | No |
| Pack size | 2 bulbs | 2 bulbs | 1 bulb | 2 bulbs | 2 bulbs |
| Best for | Ceiling lights and bedrooms | The Philips Hue system in bayonet fittings | Motion lighting with two bulbs | Homes already using Tapo | A first go at smart lighting |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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