{"id":2499,"date":"2026-03-17T19:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wiki-living.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/17\/best-smart-lights-of-2026-expertly-tested-to-find-the-best\/"},"modified":"2026-03-25T22:14:03","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T14:14:03","slug":"best-smart-lights-of-2026-expertly-tested-to-find-the-best","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wiki-living.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/17\/best-smart-lights-of-2026-expertly-tested-to-find-the-best\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Smart Lights of 2026: Expertly Tested to Find the Best"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<figure class=\"c-shortcodeImage u-clearfix c-shortcodeImage-large c-shortcodeImage-hasCaption\"><figcaption><span class=\"c-shortcodeImage_caption g-inner-spacing-right-small g-text-xxsmall\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>Philips Hue Connected Bulb starter pack<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You may not have an obvious need for an internet-connected, color-changing light bulb, however <\/p>\n<p><\/span> <!----><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Any smart LED bulb goes beyond energy saving. That&#8217;s why they use &#8220;watt-equivalent&#8221; numbers and lumens, because real water is much lower. But what else should you look for when buying your lamp? Here are a few aspects that I think are very important.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"c6161970-c2e8-4fb4-85ad-15ddae0065e5\" data-ng-block=\"{\">Is a hub necessary?<\/h3>\n<p>Some smart lights require a hub to connect to Wi-Fi and allow remote operation, which is a very useful feature in most homes. Fortunately, most new lights no longer require hubs, but you can still find models where they are needed. I always prefer the versions that don&#8217;t require hubs to work, as they are much easier.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"fdab1235-656a-4fbd-8ca2-655ed52f9294\" data-ng-block=\"{\">The light<\/h3>\n<p>The average smart bulb is around 800 but has the option to control the light levels. Some LED panels and special lamps exceed 1,000 lumens if you want a high level of light.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"e97b3ceb-2098-48cd-820f-c49989b2e402\" data-ng-block=\"{\">The color changes<\/h3>\n<p>You don&#8217;t always need a light that can change colors, but it&#8217;s a useful addition to home rituals, different types of mood lighting and other tricks. I try to recommend bulbs with color options when possible, especially since there isn&#8217;t a big difference in price for color upgrades anymore.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"c-shortcodeImage u-clearfix c-shortcodeImage-large c-shortcodeImage-hasCaption\">\n<div class=\"c-shortcodeImage_imageContainer\"><!----> <\/p>\n<div class=\"c-cmsImage c-shortcodeImage_image\"><picture class=\"c-cmsImage_image\"><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/a\/img\/resize\/722a66d3254df358a06af368a88b309b97d95bd9\/hub\/2024\/11\/01\/3bef7bd8-2031-459e-adbf-f7a391bb6020\/apple-homepod-mini-hue-light-eve-energy-plug-cnet-lifestyle-02.png?auto=webp&amp;width=768\" alt=\"Apple HomePod Mini, Hue light bulb and Eve Energy smart plug on colorful background.\"><source media=\"(max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/a\/img\/resize\/dbabdb21d6d4a0a4af8f4d97473f43e4f93fa72e\/hub\/2024\/11\/01\/3bef7bd8-2031-459e-adbf-f7a391bb6020\/apple-homepod-mini-hue-light-eve-energy-plug-cnet-lifestyle-02.png?auto=webp&amp;width=1024\" alt=\"Apple HomePod Mini, Hue light bulb and Eve Energy smart plug on colorful background.\"><source media=\"(max-width: 1440px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/a\/img\/resize\/bf0627887c22d4a329542092964d65d72f6f1905\/hub\/2024\/11\/01\/3bef7bd8-2031-459e-adbf-f7a391bb6020\/apple-homepod-mini-hue-light-eve-energy-plug-cnet-lifestyle-02.png?auto=webp&amp;width=1200\" alt=\"Apple HomePod Mini, Hue light bulb and Eve Energy smart plug on colorful background.\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\" alt=\"Apple HomePod Mini, Hue light bulb and Eve Energy smart plug on colorful background.\" height=\"674.9090909090909\" width=\"1200\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<p> <!----> <!----><\/div><figcaption><span class=\"c-shortcodeImage_caption g-inner-spacing-right-small g-text-xxsmall\"><\/p>\n<p>The Apple HomeKit ecosystem is just growing and the addition of Matter support makes it even bigger.<\/p>\n<p><\/span> <span class=\"c-shortcodeImage_credit g-inner-spacing-right-small g-outer-spacing-top-xsmall g-color-text-meta g-text-xxxsmall\">Chris Wedel\/CNET<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"74ed6a22-c87b-4c80-b48b-a915170cc859\" data-ng-block=\"{\">Color temperature<\/h3>\n<p>Color temperature, measured in Kelvin, describes how cool or warm the light appears. Even though smart lighting can&#8217;t completely change color, it&#8217;s often important to find lighting that can change color temperatures to get the look you want.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"19e017c9-cd89-486b-96b0-19ff65feeead\" data-ng-block=\"{\">Application controls<\/h3>\n<p>Smart light controls should be easy to use with useful settings and a clear UI. Smart lights are generally simple products: Apps should never be confusing. If you already have a favorite product for tech apps, see if they have smart lights. Additional features such as sunrise\/sunset settings and quick scheduling are also welcome.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"8390c654-f616-4695-a8b1-4d64a0e26037\" data-ng-block=\"{\">Synchronize music<\/h3>\n<p>Some smart lights have the ability to sync to music. If that is important to your plans, choose a lamp with these capabilities. Brands like Philips Hue, Govee and, yes, GE Cync have options to enable automatic music syncing in their apps.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"c-shortcodeImage u-clearfix c-shortcodeImage-large c-shortcodeImage-hasCaption\">\n<div class=\"c-shortcodeImage_imageContainer\"><!----> <\/p>\n<div class=\"c-cmsImage c-shortcodeImage_image\"><picture class=\"c-cmsImage_image\"><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/a\/img\/resize\/b8b291e10e7ead6028466eb6541096d04f0d3a3d\/hub\/2024\/07\/08\/57d2bd53-0bf6-48ca-b511-e900aa175fc6\/linking-and-using-govee-smart-lights-in-the-alexa-app.png?auto=webp&amp;width=768\" alt=\"screenshot of linking and using govee smart lights in the alexa app\"><source media=\"(max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/a\/img\/resize\/61ec8e328f3aa8e5df6adf0529bb6fb3700692b1\/hub\/2024\/07\/08\/57d2bd53-0bf6-48ca-b511-e900aa175fc6\/linking-and-using-govee-smart-lights-in-the-alexa-app.png?auto=webp&amp;width=1024\" alt=\"screenshot of linking and using govee smart lights in the alexa app\"><source media=\"(max-width: 1440px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/a\/img\/resize\/b25ab07d0f108b87bf5957109321b8865d2b6546\/hub\/2024\/07\/08\/57d2bd53-0bf6-48ca-b511-e900aa175fc6\/linking-and-using-govee-smart-lights-in-the-alexa-app.png?auto=webp&amp;width=1200\" alt=\"screenshot of linking and using govee smart lights in the alexa app\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\" alt=\"screenshot of connecting and using govee smart lights in the alexa app\" height=\"810\" width=\"1200\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<p> <!----> <!----><\/div><figcaption><span class=\"c-shortcodeImage_caption g-inner-spacing-right-small g-text-xxsmall\"><\/p>\n<p>I connected my Govee smart lights to Alexa without an Echo device in sight.<\/p>\n<p><\/span> <span class=\"c-shortcodeImage_credit g-inner-spacing-right-small g-outer-spacing-top-xsmall g-color-text-meta g-text-xxxsmall\">John Carlsen\/CNET<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"0d36c018-383f-48c3-8f4b-d8014cbe4cab\" data-ng-block=\"{\">Voice assistant and app support<\/h3>\n<p>If you have a favorite voice assistant or favorite home platforms like Alexa, Google Home, Apple Home, etc., make sure your smart light bulb supports it. Most smart bulbs support multiple platforms, but Apple support is a little rare.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"47ed4181-0925-4e0e-aef3-b26363832f4f\" data-ng-block=\"{\">A type of bulb socket<\/h3>\n<p>Common household light bulbs use E26 sockets but you should always check the sockets or connections on the lights you want to make to make sure you get a smart light that will fit them.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"5acb8a19-844d-4853-85ff-14aa1520153b\" data-ng-block=\"{\">Indoor\/outdoor<\/h3>\n<p>Most smart lights are indoors but it can also be useful to install an app-controlled light on a porch, patio or other outdoor space. If the lamp is going to be exposed to the weather, it needs to be weather resistant like the IP rating, or it can stop working.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Philips Hue Connected Bulb starter pack You may not have an obvious need for an internet-connected, color-changing light bulb, however Any smart LED bulb goes beyond energy saving. That&#8217;s why they use &#8220;watt-equivalent&#8221; numbers and lumens, because real water is much lower. But what else should you look for when buying your lamp? Here are [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2500,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2499","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-smart-home-gadgets"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wiki-living.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2499","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wiki-living.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wiki-living.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wiki-living.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wiki-living.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2499"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.wiki-living.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2499\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2501,"href":"https:\/\/www.wiki-living.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2499\/revisions\/2501"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wiki-living.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2500"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wiki-living.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2499"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wiki-living.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2499"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wiki-living.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2499"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}