Having one of the best smart lights in 2022 means that you can enjoy a warm, cozy ambiance only by tapping some items on your smartphone. You can switch the lights on and off, brighten or dim the light, and sometimes even change the color it shows.
Owning a smart light can be very helpful and handy. In addition, since it saves energy and money, it is quite smart to have one. These lamps are made to be a replacement for your incandescent bulbs and they mostly have LED designs and use less energy. While some of these lamps have Bluetooth capabilities, which enables them to be controlled when you are close by, others can be connected to Wi-Fi, so you can control them from wherever you are. This is a great option for those who are forgetful and tend to leave the lights on. Not only can smart lighting be controlled by smartphones, you can control some of them by your voice if you have a smart speaker or smart display. Moreover, they may also integrate with other smart home devices you have.
When it comes to selection, there are a variety of styles. Smart bulbs are the most affordable and easiest to install, so they can be a great replacement for your existing light bulbs. However, you have options when it comes to light strips, as well as floor and ceiling lamps. You can also have light panels that are installed on the walls to make illuminated art. TechTrends put together a list of the best smart lights in 2022 for you to choose from. Let’s get to it.
Best Smart Lights in 2022; Top Smart Bulbs
You are presented with a variety of choices when it comes to smart lights and names like Philips and LIFX nestling stand out. TechRadar has tested and reviewed these lamps at its lab and TechTrends is reporting on their findings. Without further ado, let’s get to the list of the best smart lights in 2022.
- Philips Hue Color Ambience: The best smart light bulb you can buy
- Govee Wi-Fi LED Bulb: The best affordable smart light bulb
- Nanoleaf Shapes: Premium smart light panels for home and gaming
- Govee Glide Hexa Light Panels: The best smart light bulb you can buy
- LIFX A19/A60: The best smart light bulb without a hub
- Nanoleaf Essentials: Another affordable smart light bulb for Apple Homekit
- TP-Link Kasa Filament Smart Bulb KL50: The best smart light bulb for retro style
- Govee RGBIC DreamView T1 Pro: The best smart light for your home entertainment setup
- Hive Smart Light Bulb: The best smart light for a single ecosystem
1. Philips Hue Color Ambience
Specifications:
- Wattage: 10 W
- Color: +16 million colors
- Color temperature: 2,000-6,500K
- Lumen output: 806
- Lifetime: 25,000 hours
One of the best smart lights in 2022 is Philips Hue Color Ambience, which proves why Philips Hue is the biggest name when it comes to smart lighting. It is known for producing great natural tones and installing it is quite simple. Moreover, it is easy to use the app for controlling the light. This lamp comes in a range of various smart lighting including color bulbs, having 16 million shades, white bulbs, side and ceiling lamps, and outdoor lighting. The fact that these smart lights can work with Alexa, HomeKit, and Google Assistant is quite impressive.
Although the more recent version of Hue Bulbs has Bluetooth connectivity, the Hue Bridge reassures that all the useful features namely geofences and customizing the light is accessible. We highly recommend this lamp as one of the greatest smart lights in 2022.
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2. Govee Wi-Fi LED Bulb
Specifications:
- Wattage: 7 W
- Color: 16 million
- color temperature: 2700 – 6500
- Lumen output: 800
- Lifetime: 25,000 hours
Although these LED bulbs designed by Govee that have Wi-Fi connectivity are not as smart as the first one on the list, they are great when it comes to Alexa Integration. Moreover, they are a little less expensive than Nanoleaf’s offering. Therefore, these lamps are a perfect choice for those who need Alexa-compatible bulb which is affordable. The app is easy to use and the lamps responds to the controls. However, you have to make some compromises when paying less money. For example, the selection of bulbs available is limited and when the bulb is set to white or yellow, it is not as bright as a color. Although its lumen output of 800 is the same as other more expensive ones on the list, it appears a little dimer when showing bold colors. Despite that, it is one of the best smart lights in 2022 you can buy.
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3. Nanoleaf Shapes
Specifications:
- Wattage: 42 W
- Color: 7 million colors
- Color temperature: 1200-6500K
- Lumen output: between 20-100 LM/Panel
- Lifetime: 25,000 hours
The third one of the best smart lights in 2022 is able to take the concept of lighting and make it not comparable. It utilizes a set of hexagonal and triangular panels to make a dynamic shape either on the wall or ceiling that can display about 16 million various colors. In addition, the panel is able to display solid colors or even go through different colors at different speed in order to make a special lighting effect in your house. What’s more, you can make the panels sensitive to touch or music around it, which can make you feel like you are in the middle of your own music video. There are nine panels in the original set, which have simple shapes.
However, you can add more or mix and match the various shapes. The plastic panels might not appear attractive when not illuminated; therefore, you might also want to check out Nanoleaf Elements, which has hexagonal panels with wood-like veneer on them. Keep in mind that removing them after they are mounted is a little hard. If you are not a fan of triangles and hexagons, then we recommend Nanoleaf Canvas, which are square-shaped light panels. However, you cannot combine them with Nanoleaf Shapes.
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4. Govee Glide Hexa Light Panels
Specifications:
- Wattage: 36 W
- Color: RGBIC Segment Colors
- Color temperature: Not specified
- Lumen output: Not specified
- Lifetime: Not specified
Govee has become one of the most reliable names when it comes to smart lighting, courtesy of its customizable yet affordable offers. Govee Glide Hexa Light Panels is among the best smart lights in 2022, cementing Govee’s stamp on the market. Not only are these lamps quite customizable and bright light panels but they are also pretty reliable. In addition, it is also very affordable, less expensive than Nanoleaf. Although Nanoleaf are very great, it is nice to be kind on your wallet. Therefore, these are the next best things from Govee, even if the panels’ sizes are smaller. In addition, there are fun lighting options that you can choose from for different moods, events, and holidays. We highly recommend these as one of the best smart lights in 2022.
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5. LIFX A19/A60
Specifications:
- Wattage: 11 W
- Color: 16 million colors
- Color temperature: 2,500-9,000K
- Lumen output: 1100
- Lifetime: 25,000 hours
LIFX also offer a variety of smart light options like Philips Hue, such as color and white bulbs. You can have them in full size or in compact like LIFX Mini design, as well as lightstrips, LIFX Beam. Moreover, there are outdoor bulbs that make the night vision better for best home security cameras. Although Philip Hue needs a hub to get to the features, LIFX has Wi-Fi connectivity and doesn’t need a hub. Moreover, it is easy to set the light up and control it, making the vibrant colors quite impressive. However, in comparison with incandescent bulbs, these bulbs cost a lot, similar to Philips Hue.
Another one of the great features of LIFX A19/A60 is the fact that it is compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and HomeKit, which means it will go with whatever smart home you have. However, keep in mind that the bulbs are a little bulky and may look unnatural for their unusual style.
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6. Nanoleaf Essentials
Specifications:
- Wattage: 9 W
- Color: 7 million
- Color temperature: 2,700-6,500
- Lumen output: 1,100
- Lifetime: 25,000 hours
Nanoleaf Shapes offer incredible lighting effects, but they have hefty price tags and do not go with side lamps. Don’t worry though as Nanoleaf offers more affordable smart lightings called Essentials. You can pick between the smart light bulb or the Nanoleaf Essentials lightstrip. The former has a special geometric design named rhombicosidodecahedron, but it might not be suitable for everyone. These lamps are able to glow in a range of colors, with an option of mimicking the natural light with changing the color temperature throughout the day, which is called a Circadian Lighting feature. Since Essentials support Thread, which is a smart home technology, they are better than Bluetooth or Wi-Fi in stability.
However, they are only compatible to Google Assistant and HomeKit, which doesn’t make it a good option for those who have Alexa smart home. Notwithstanding that, Nanoleaf Essentials are among the best smart lights in 2022 you can buy.
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7. TP-Link Kasa Filament Smart Bulb KL50
Specifications:
- Wattage: 7 W
- Color: Untunable
- color temperature: 2700
- Lumen output: 800
- Lifetime: 20,000 hours
- Height: 120mm
- Width: 60mm
Another one of the best smart lights in 2022 is TP-Link Kasa Filament Smart Bulb KL50, which is famous for networking products such as the wireless routers and powerline adapters. Among its other options are a range of smart home devices, namely smart bulbs. You have choices of colors and white bulbs, but it also offers smart filament-style bulbs as well. Installing is also easy and simple and it is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google, but it does not support HomeKit. In addition, it is quite affordable.
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8. Govee RGBIC DreamView T1 Pro
Specifications:
- Wattage: Not specified
- Color: RGBWW
- Color temperature: 2,200K – 6,500K
- Lumen output: 400
- Lifetime: Not specified
If you want to improve your home movie experience in a fun yet affordable way, we recommend the Govee RGBIC DreamView as one of the top smart lights in 2022. This light has a camera that captures the colors shown on your screen. Following that, the colors will be shown by the LED lightstrips and light bars. Moreover, it bounces the lights off the wall on the back of the TV to give you a fun experience. You can enjoy watching a movie with this light, especially when the other lights are turned down or off. However, the colors shown might not be as accurate as one would hope sometimes. They might not be noticeable, though, as you are usually focused on the movie more. Do not worry about the set up. Although it appears intimidating, it is not that hard. Govee always provides useful step-by-step instructions.
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9. Hive Smart Light Bulb
Specifications:
- Wattage: 5 W
- Color: 16 million colors
- Color temperature: 2700K-6500K
- Lumen output: 806
- Lifetime: 25,000 hours
- Height: 130mm
- Diameter: 60mm
The ninth one of the best smart lights in 2022 is Hive Smart Light Bulb, which can fit in one ecosystem. It is very good news for those who have other devices of this brand, such as Hive Thermostat, Hive Active plug, motion sensor, or Hive View camera, to know that all of them can be controlled by a single app. In addition, Philips’ Hue bulb is made in a way that it can be integrated into the ecosystem of Hive. Therefore, if you are a fan of Hue range, you can go back on the list and choose those. Not unlike the other smart light ranges, this one also has different bulbs. While some change color, others display only white. However, one disadvantage is that it does not have enough choices of lamps and ceiling lights compared with other ranges. The light, on the other hand, is quite pleasant. You might want to consider it as one of the best smart lights to buy in 2022.
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