Top 6 compared
The best smart bulbs
Dim the lights for a movie, set them to come on at dusk or switch every lamp off by voice.
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The top 6 at a glance
A smart bulb screws into an ordinary lamp or ceiling fixture and turns it into a light you can dim, schedule and switch from your phone or by voice, with no rewiring. Color bulbs add a range of shades to warm and cool whites; white-only bulbs keep to plain light. Most join your home’s Wi-Fi directly, while Philips Hue starts on Bluetooth and adds a hub, the Hue Bridge.
The Wi-Fi bulbs here need a 2.4 GHz network, and the Hue bulbs need a Bridge for voice control and Apple Home. Leave the wall switch on: a bulb with its power cut can’t hear the app, and some makers warn against using their bulbs with a dimmer or smart switch.
What matters
- Support for the voice assistant your home already uses.
- Matter, or a Hue Bridge, if Apple Home runs the house.
- About 800 lumens to match an old 60-watt bulb.
- Multi-packs, which bring the cost per bulb down.
#1Govee Smart Light Bulbs, A19 Color, 800 lumens (H6008, 2-pack)
$10–$20
No hub needed: it joins your Wi-Fi, takes voice commands through Alexa or Google Assistant, and gives millions of colors as well as warm to cool whites at 800 lumens, the brightness of an old 60-watt bulb. Bluetooth makes the first setup quick, and two in the box covers a pair of bedside lamps.
What owners say: Owners like how vivid the colors are and how quickly the bulbs set up and link to Alexa and Google Assistant. Brightness divides them, as some find the bulbs less bright than they expected, and the app and the connection get mixed reports.
A closer look: Leave the wall switch on and do the switching from the app or by voice, since Govee says these bulbs can’t be used with smart switches. Music mode borrows your phone’s microphone, so keep the Govee Home app open near the speaker. A sunrise timer in a bedside lamp makes a gentle wake-up light on dark mornings.
- Sunrise and sunset timers
- Music sync via phone mic
- 54 scene modes
- Bluetooth for quick setup
- Not for smart switches
Best for: Mood lighting by voice or app
- Color or white
- Color, 2700–6500K white
- Brightness (equivalent)
- 800 lumens (60W)
- Hub needed
- None, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi
- Voice assistants
- Alexa, Google
- Matter
- –
- Pack size
- 2 bulbs
#2Linkind Smart Light Bulbs, A19 Color (AiDot, 4-pack)
$20–$30
Four color bulbs in one box, which makes it the easy way to do a whole living room or every lamp in a bedroom at once. Each one runs on Wi-Fi with Bluetooth as a backup, works with Alexa and Google Assistant, and tunes from a candle-warm 1800K to cool daylight.
What owners say: Owners say setup takes a couple of minutes and praise the colors, the range of brightness and how well the bulbs answer to Alexa. The connection and the AiDot app get mixed reports, with some finding the app finicky, and a few bulbs have stopped working.
A closer look: Group the four in the AiDot app and one command dims or recolors the whole room together. Bluetooth keeps local control going when the Wi-Fi drops, though the first setup needs 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth both switched on. Linkind says they don’t suit traditional dimmer switches, so use them in fixtures on a plain on and off switch.
- Bluetooth backup if Wi-Fi drops
- 104 preset scenes
- Group bulbs by room
- Not for dimmer switches
- Rated for 25,000 hours
Best for: Doing a whole room at once
- Color or white
- Color, 1800–6500K white
- Brightness (equivalent)
- 800 lumens (60W)
- Hub needed
- None, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi
- Voice assistants
- Alexa, Google
- Matter
- No
- Pack size
- 4 bulbs
#3Kasa Smart Light Bulb KL125, A19 Multicolor (2-pack)
$20–$30
A color bulb from TP-Link’s Kasa range that keeps count of its own power use in the app and can adjust its white light by itself to follow daylight from dawn to dusk. It needs only 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, works with Alexa and Google Assistant, and carries a two-year warranty.
What owners say: Owners rate the build and the colors and find the bulbs simple to set up. Staying connected is the sore point, with some bulbs dropping off the app, and opinions split on the brightness, on the price and on the Kasa app itself.
A closer look: The energy readings help settle whether a hallway lamp really needs to burn all evening, and a schedule can switch it off for you at bedtime. With Auto White on, the bulb shifts its white through the day to match natural light. Kasa bulbs also show up in TP-Link’s Tapo app, handy if you already own Tapo cameras or plugs.
- Dims from 1% to 100%
- White shifts with the daylight
- Bedtime schedules switch it off
- Two-year warranty
Best for: Tracking energy use, Kasa and Tapo homes
- Color or white
- Color, 2500–6500K white
- Brightness (equivalent)
- 800 lumens (60W)
- Hub needed
- None, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi
- Voice assistants
- Alexa, Google
- Matter
- No
- Pack size
- 2 bulbs
#4Philips Hue Essential Smart A19 Bulb, White and Color Ambiance (4-pack)
$50–$75
The Essential bulbs are a simple way into Philips Hue, which went on sale in October 2012, at first only in Apple Stores. They run from the Hue app over Bluetooth right away, and a Hue Bridge adds Alexa, Google, Apple Home and syncing with music, movies and games, so they grow with the rest of the Hue range.
What owners say: Owners describe well-made bulbs with accurate color, and they like how neatly they fit into a smart home and how handy the Hue app is. The price puts some off, pairing with Alexa doesn’t always go smoothly, and some find them a little less bright than they hoped.
Heads up: Voice control, Apple Home and Matter need a Hue Bridge, sold separately; without one the bulbs run from the Hue app over Bluetooth.
A closer look: Start in the app over Bluetooth with a room or two, then add a Bridge when you want the extras, such as lights that keep time with music, movies and games, or Hue’s home security features. The preset scenes, made by Hue’s lighting team, are a quick way to find a good reading white or a calm evening glow.
- Works without Wi-Fi
- Dims down to 2%
- Hue Bridge adds music sync
- Scenes from Hue’s lighting team
- Two-year warranty
Best for: Growing a Hue or Apple Home setup
- Color or white
- Color, 2200–6500K white
- Brightness (equivalent)
- 800 lumens (60W)
- Hub needed
- Hue Bridge for voice (optional)
- Voice assistants
- Alexa, Google, Apple Home (with Bridge)
- Matter
- Through a Hue Bridge
- Pack size
- 4 bulbs
#5Amazon Basics Smart A19 LED Light Bulb, Color Changing (Alexa only)
$10–$20
A smart bulb to try if you already talk to an Echo: it sets itself up inside the Alexa app, with no extra app or hub, and then switches, dims and changes color by voice or on a routine. It gives 800 lumens and is rated for damp spots like a bathroom.
What owners say: Owners like the colors and how naturally the bulb fits in with Alexa. Most else gets mixed reports: some can’t get it onto their Wi-Fi, some find it dimmer than expected, a few say it won’t turn on at all, and views on its quality and value are split.
Heads up: It works with Alexa only, so you’ll need the Alexa app or an Echo; it won’t join Google Home or Apple Home.
A closer look: Screw it in and open the Alexa app, which tells you it has found the bulb. Name each one for its room, such as hall or bedroom, so a command like turning the hall lights purple lands in the right place, then group them to switch a whole floor at once. A sunset routine makes the house look lived in while you’re away.
- Sets up in Alexa app
- Fine in damp bathrooms
- Dims from 5% to 100%
- Works in Alexa routines
- No extra app needed
Best for: Echo owners trying color bulbs
- Color or white
- 16 preset colors
- Brightness (equivalent)
- 800 lumens (60W)
- Hub needed
- None, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi
- Voice assistants
- Alexa only
- Matter
- No
- Pack size
- 1 bulb
#6Kasa Smart Light Bulb KL110, A19 Soft White, Dimmable (4-pack)
$30–$50
For the lamps that only ever need plain light: a warm 2700K soft white with a high color rendering index (90 or more), so wood, food and faces look natural. It dims down to 1% and runs on schedules, and four in the box cover a living room’s lamps in one go.
What owners say: Owners find it easy to set up and like how low it dims. Getting it to work with Alexa and keep its connection goes well for some and not for others, and several have had bulbs stop working within a year.
A closer look: Put these in the reading lamp, the nightstand and the kitchen fixtures, where color would go unused. A schedule with a sunrise offset can bring them up as a soft glow in the morning and switch them off at bedtime, and the Kasa app shows how much power each bulb is drawing. Keep the box and receipt, since TP-Link backs them for two years.
- Dims down to 1%
- Food and faces look natural
- Shows each bulb’s power draw
- Morning glow on a schedule
- Two-year warranty
Best for: Reading lamps and everyday white light
- Color or white
- Soft white only, 2700K
- Brightness (equivalent)
- 800 lumens (60W)
- Hub needed
- None, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi
- Voice assistants
- Alexa, Google
- Matter
- No
- Pack size
- 4 bulbs
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 6.
| Feature | #1Govee H6008 | #2Linkind 4-pack | #3Kasa KL125 | #4Hue Essential | #5Amazon Basics | #6Kasa KL110 white |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best multi-pack | Best premium | Best budget | Best white-only | ||
| Picked Rating | 9.0 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 8.7 | 8.6 | 8.6 |
| Price | $10–$20 | $20–$30 | $20–$30 | $50–$75 | $10–$20 | $30–$50 |
| Color or white | Color, 2700–6500K white | Color, 1800–6500K white | Color, 2500–6500K white | Color, 2200–6500K white | 16 preset colors | Soft white only, 2700K |
| Brightness (equivalent) | 800 lumens (60W) | 800 lumens (60W) | 800 lumens (60W) | 800 lumens (60W) | 800 lumens (60W) | 800 lumens (60W) |
| Hub needed | None, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi | None, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi | None, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi | Hue Bridge for voice (optional) | None, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi | None, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi |
| Voice assistants | Alexa, Google | Alexa, Google | Alexa, Google | Alexa, Google, Apple Home (with Bridge) | Alexa only | Alexa, Google |
| Matter | – | No | No | Through a Hue Bridge | No | No |
| Pack size | 2 bulbs | 4 bulbs | 2 bulbs | 4 bulbs | 1 bulb | 4 bulbs |
| Best for | Mood lighting by voice or app | Doing a whole room at once | Tracking energy use, Kasa and Tapo homes | Growing a Hue or Apple Home setup | Echo owners trying color bulbs | Reading lamps and everyday white light |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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