Smart Light Bulbs

[rk911]

i'm considering dumping my old style light timers replacing them with wifi smart bulbs. lots of questions i hope others can answer.

- most of the smart bulbs will be in fixtures that are on timers year round but some of the smart bulbs will be in other fixtures that are occasionally used on an as-needed basis. will the smart bulb also function as a "regular" bulb? will it lose its programming if turned off at the wall switch or fixture? if it holds its programming how long will the bulb's programming be retained when the bulb or fixture is off?

- we have a planned momentary power outage each week when our stand-by generator tests itself under load. will these momentary outages (~5-seconds) disrupt, alter or cancel the bulb's programming? does the programming reside in the bulb or on the PC? the PC at home is on a UPS so there is zero interruption to it.

- i don't care for or need smart bulbs that can change hue or color. prefer soft white especially in the lamps that will see occasional use. LEDs are notoriously harsh. can anyone recommend a brand that's not so harsh?

- do smart bulbs come in 3-way wattages such as 60/100/150 (equivalent)? can i get single wattage bulbs in the equivalent of 25 or 40-watts?

- the upfront expense is ok but i sure don't want to be replacing them often. for those that have them what has been your experience in terms of longevity? not looking to go cheap nor am i wanting to take out a mortgage. looking for good value.

- do the bulbs come with an app for my iphone/ipad? do i program them with those devices or with my PC?

- any other opinions, cautions or words of wisdom would be appreciated.

thanks.

[maryrick]

Who told you this nonsense that this is one of the best manufacturers of smart lamps? lol! Personally, I prefer the lamps that I ordered not so long ago using the website https://www.vont.com/product/vont-bulb-color-smart-light-bulbs-smart-bulbs/https://www.vont.com/product/vont-bulb-color-smart-light-bulbs-smart-bulbs /. Now I have amazing smart light bulbs that complement my home very cool. In addition, it is incredibly convenient, because they can be controlled by voice. And also a huge number of colors on these light bulbs change, which dramatically transforms my bedroom before going to bed. Who uses them too?

[2112]

Joined 6 months ago almost to the day. 1st and only post has poor grammar, poor attempt at using Kings English. Suspicious?

[Bobbo]

Resurrecting a thread over 2 years old? Gee.

[anthocleod]

The problem is that they doesn't suit to standard sockets, but it would be nice to try them out. I might find some other models maybe, which will be what I need. It's good that I found already smart light bulbs for home https://www.amazon.com/smart-light-bulb-bulbs-color/dp/B0922Q43LY/https://www.amazon.com/smart-light-bulb-bulbs-color/dp/B0922Q43LY/, the difference is huge, from having one color and turning it on and off manually, to being able to change the colors and on/off from the phone.

[Gdlow]

rk911 wrote:
i'm considering dumping my old style light timers replacing them with wifi smart bulbs. lots of questions i hope others can answer.

- most of the smart bulbs will be in fixtures that are on timers year round but some of the smart bulbs will be in other fixtures that are occasionally used on an as-needed basis. will the smart bulb also function as a "regular" bulb? will it lose its programming if turned off at the wall switch or fixture? if it holds its programming how long will the bulb's programming be retained when the bulb or fixture is off?They are programmed either in your phone (android or Iphone) or ipad...And in order to work the light must be left on and connected to the internet...

- we have a planned momentary power outage each week when our stand-by generator tests itself under load. will these momentary outages (~5-seconds) disrupt, alter or cancel the bulb's programming? does the programming reside in the bulb or on the PC? the PC at home is on a UPS so there is zero interruption to it. interruptions won't bother anything...when the internet comes back up the program reconnects..

- i don't care for or need smart bulbs that can change hue or color. prefer soft white especially in the lamps that will see occasional use. LEDs are notoriously harsh. can anyone recommend a brand that's not so harsh?

- do smart bulbs come in 3-way wattages such as 60/100/150 (equivalent)? can i get single wattage bulbs in the equivalent of 25 or 40-watts?

- the upfront expense is ok but i sure don't want to be replacing them often. for those that have them what has been your experience in terms of longevity? not looking to go cheap nor am i wanting to take out a mortgage. looking for good value.
I chose to use switches vs. bulbs in most cases, but if you look at Wyze their product is very reasonable...KSA(?) is as well.Typically a phone or ipad...haven't seen any for PC's

- do the bulbs come with an app for my iphone/ipad? do i program them with those devices or with my PC?

- any other opinions, cautions or words of wisdom would be appreciated. I like because I can control things from out of town as I need to as well as set programs up.

thanks.

[CA_Traveler]

50/100/150 W 3 way bulbs are available from Amazon etc, about $20 for 2. Mine are GE 2700K hence not "harsh".

[RoyB]

I just purchased the BOUNDERY Emergency Power Failure LED 60W Light Bulbs (4 Pack) from AMAZON. These are the ones that screw into standard light sockets.

Turned out they was temp out of stock when I placed the order and got a FEB 7 delivery date. Guess these are the popular ones everyone is getting haha...

Wanetd to see how they worked in my Radio Room situation...

Roy Ken

[paulcardoza]

As an additional note....... Philips Hue are by far the best bulbs out there with the most flexibility, but they are also the most expensive! If you're looking at a lot of bulbs, sticker shock will quickly set in!

[paulcardoza]

rk911 wrote:
i'm considering dumping my old style light timers replacing them with wifi smart bulbs. lots of questions i hope others can answer.

- most of the smart bulbs will be in fixtures that are on timers year round but some of the smart bulbs will be in other fixtures that are occasionally used on an as-needed basis. will the smart bulb also function as a "regular" bulb? will it lose its programming if turned off at the wall switch or fixture? if it holds its programming how long will the bulb's programming be retained when the bulb or fixture is off?
The smart bulb will retain any programming, HOWEVER, when you shut the power off to the bulb and turn it back on, the bulb will come on at full brightness, until the next program event kicks in. You can use a wall switch as needed, but when you power the switch back on, the bulb will be at full brightness till the next programmed event.

- we have a planned momentary power outage each week when our stand-by generator tests itself under load. will these momentary outages (~5-seconds) disrupt, alter or cancel the bulb's programming? does the programming reside in the bulb or on the PC? the PC at home is on a UPS so there is zero interruption to it.
Again, when the power comes back on, ALL bulbs will turn on with full brightness until their next scheduled programmed event.

- i don't care for or need smart bulbs that can change hue or color. prefer soft white especially in the lamps that will see occasional use. LEDs are notoriously harsh. can anyone recommend a brand that's not so harsh?
Go to Home Depot or Lowes and look at the display bulbs they have. You can play with them and see exactly what type of light they offer.

- do smart bulbs come in 3-way wattages such as 60/100/150 (equivalent)? can i get single wattage bulbs in the equivalent of 25 or 40-watts?
No typical 3-way bulbs are available in led, but they are almost all infinitely dimmable. Yes, you can get led's in various wattage equivalents.

- the upfront expense is ok but i sure don't want to be replacing them often. for those that have them what has been your experience in terms of longevity? not looking to go cheap nor am i wanting to take out a mortgage. looking for good value.
Odds are that ALL the bulbs will live longer than you.

- do the bulbs come with an app for my iphone/ipad? do i program them with those devices or with my PC?
Focus on bulbs that are compatible with HomeKit for use with iPHone's/iPads. There are a number of them. Check out CNET.COM for reviews.

- any other opinions, cautions or words of wisdom would be appreciated.

thanks.

[pasusan]

Before you go with specific timers, outlets, or bulbs that work on their own (without a hub) think about what you might want to do in the future.

We have Smartthings - a hub that hooks up to our home network and an app on the phone. We can control lots of smart things with it - even when we're not at home.

The bulbs we have the most of are Sengled Smart LED Soft White A19 bulbs. They can also be programmed for brightness - for instance we have a hall light that we leave on all the time - doesn't need to be super bright so it is at 60% during the day and 10% at night.

We got the Smart stuff for when we're gone on trips so it looks like we're home, but it is so easy (and fun) that we just leave them programmed all the time.

[austinjenna]

Those are the old bulky ones where it blocks the second outlet. Get these which leave the other outlet open - same company and same specs
Link

[rk911]

DFord wrote:
Smart Plugs:

Kasa Smart WiFi Plug w/Energy Monitoring by TP-Link - Reliable WiFi Connection, No Hub Required, Works with Alexa Echo & Google Assistant (HS110)
https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-HS110-Monitoring-Required-Assistant/dp/B0178IC5ZY/
Put the KASA app on your phone, add the Smart Plugs and set up a schedule. Done. Turns your lights and appliances off and on plus keeps track of how much electric is used.

thanks.

[DFord]

Smart Plugs:

Kasa Smart WiFi Plug w/Energy Monitoring by TP-Link - Reliable WiFi Connection, No Hub Required, Works with Alexa Echo & Google Assistant (HS110)
https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-HS110-Monitoring-Required-Assistant/dp/B0178IC5ZY/
Put the KASA app on your phone, add the Smart Plugs and set up a schedule. Done. Turns your lights and appliances off and on plus keeps track of how much electric is used.

[RickLight]

"Smart Lamps" is a category, not a single product. Almost all the answers will depend on the exact product you pick.

So choose wisely!