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Loading...Many homeowners are switching to smart lighting because of its many benefits. With a voice command, for instance, you can turn on or off the bulb and increase or decrease the brightness. Most smart light options also come with a mobile app that lets you create scenes, schedules, and more.
If you want your home lighting setup to be smart, an affordable and simple way is to outfit individual rooms with smart switches or smart bulbs. This lets you control your lights with much ease. Here are more specific benefits of replacing your existing lighting with either a smart switch or a smart bulb.
Access from Anywhere
With smart lighting, you can control your entire home lighting from anywhere. Smart bulbs or switches with remote functionality come with a mobile app that lets you control your lights with just a tap of a button.
This smartphone control feature doesn’t require your phone and the smart light to be in proximity. Instead, you can manage your lights as long as your phone and home are connected to the internet.
With this, you can control your lights comfortably from your relaxation zone. Whether from the comfort of your couch, bedroom, beach, etc. Hence your devices are connected to the internet; you can control them remotely from anywhere. Managing your household light this way makes for easy access, greater control, and convenience.
Play with Different Colors Available
Another innovative feature of some smart bulbs is that they offer different color options. These products often let you change the lighting color based on the mood, atmosphere, or time of the day.
From intense bright light for studies to soft lighting when you are trying to wind down with warm lights, many smart lights offer multiple lighting options.
Control Your Light with Your Voice
Some smart bulbs and smart switches can be networked with smart home platforms for voice control features.
Using these voice-activated light systems, you can, for example, tell Google to turn on lights in all rooms. Or ask Alexa to reduce the brightness by a certain percentage.
Save More on Energy and Money
Smart lights enable you to cut costs. Compact fluorescent lamps (CFL), for example, use 70 percent less energy and produce 75 percent less heat compared to incandescent bulbs. LED smart bulbs even save more on energy use. Most smart bulbs use CFL and LED lighting technology that lets you use less energy, and this translates to significant savings on your utility bills.
Some products have a sensor that can detect movement and occupancy. You can program your bulbs to light up when someone enters the room or when certain actions are triggered. This is more effective and cheaper than living with the lights turned on. And this way, you can also reduce your electric bills.
Enjoy More Security
Some smart bulbs can be linked to other smart home devices such as security cameras and alarm systems. Simply configure the light to come up when the camera detects movement and its alarm sounds. This helps create the illusion that you’re at home when actually no one is around, which can help keep opportunistic burglars away from your property.
If you’re considering smart lights arrangements for your home, below are some best smart light options to consider.
Phillips Hue White and Color Ambiance A 19 Starter Kit
The Philips hue light bulb series is one of the complete and robust smart lighting systems out there. This third-generation smart bulb in the Hue family comes with an 800-lumen brightness. And the bulb is rated to last for 25,000 hours.
This starter kit requires the Hue bridge, which plugs into your router. The bridge lets all the bulbs communicate wirelessly through your home internet connection.
The adjustable brightness level allows you to create the perfect ambiance. You can either brighten up the room or reduce the brightness level as you wish.
Another attractive feature is that you can create lighting scenes from any photo. Through the app, simply upload the image, select a particular area you want to be recreated, then wait while your light automatically adjusts to the color scheme.
You can also set routines. For example, there are several presets for scheduling when your lights should come up or go off. Through the app, you can also control your lights from specific places using the location services.
Installing the bulbs is easy. Get the bulbs seated in any standard light fixtures, and connect the bridge to your router. Next, download the app and follow the on-screen instructions for how to complete the setup.
For a smart bulb that offers lots of features, including integration with other smart home devices, the Hue White and Color Ambiance Starter Kit performs.
Decora
The Leviton Decora is a smart wall switch that features a simple yet complete design. The switch features a built-in dimmer for adjusting the brightness in increments, which can be controlled using the small toggle on its right-hand side. And the switch has a row of LED lights that indicate the brightness level.
With a small LED light on the device, you won’t have to fumble for your switch in the dark. Unlike some, Decora supports three-way switches, which means you can control your switch from multiple places in your home.
One of the best features of Leviton Decora is that it does not require a hub for data transmission. Instead, it uses built-in Wi-Fi radio to connect with your smartphone and other compatible smart home devices.
The companion Leviton app allows you to control your lights as well as appliances and electronics plugged into the switch.
If you are looking for a fully-featured smart switch, the Leviton Decora lets you enjoy many smart light benefits, including remote access from anywhere.
Conclusion
Traditional “dumb” lighting systems are good, but smart lights are better. If you want the convenience of managing your household light from anywhere, smart switches and smart bulbs offer remote control, including other many benefits. They are also a cost-effective and simple way to start with home automation technology.
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