Spotlighting smart light bulbs, smart light switches, and smart light strips
In one of our previous blogs, we covered smart plugs, smart power strips, and smart receptacles—those items that feed power to whatever is plugged into them. Now, let’s turn our attention to smart lighting products.
A 2020 survey from security.org revealed the most popular smart home devices. Smart TVs and smart speakers ranked number one and two respectively. Smart lighting was a distant third.
However, that same survey showed 26% intended to buy smart lighting products within the next 12 months.
So, let’s take a closer look at various smart lighting products so you can help your customers decide which best meets their needs. And that assessing step is important, as each technology has its pros and cons. Some may be bad enough to cause some serious rethinking.
Smart light bulbs
Smart bulbs are certainly easy to install—just screw them in and pair them to the accompanying app.
People should buy them if they are interested in mood lighting and cutting down on energy costs. LED bulbs are already energy-saving, but with the use of an app, your customers can group them together, set schedules, dim lights, etc., saving even more money.
Smart LED bulbs come in different color combinations:
- RGB to create up to 16 million color choices
- RGB+W to provide multiple colors as well as white light
- Tunable white that shifts the Kelvin color temperature—the higher the number the whiter the light
- White with a fixed color temperature—warm white, multi-white, or bright white
Unlike regular LED bulbs, all smart bulbs are controllable via app and a voice assistant. Some work with a home’s Wi-Fi system. Others work via Bluetooth, Zigbee, Z-Wave, or a hub—or some combination thereof. All smart bulbs require a constant source of electricity. Because once turned off, they are no longer controllable via app. But the amount of electricity they use in standby mode is not much with the app’s scheduling ability, etc. more than making up the difference.
Not every kind of light bulb size and shape has a smart LED equivalent. The easiest to find are those with the standard E26 base. Shapes include the familiar A19, BR30 flood, and PAR38 spot bulbs as well as the vintage ST19 Edison shape and the large, decorative G25. B11 candelabra bulbs with their small E12 base are also readily available.
Smart light bulbs generally cost more than their regular LED equivalents, so your customers need to think through just how many they need and where they will be most useful. So be sure to ask what they want the bulbs to do and where they will be using them. That way they’ll make a “smart” choice.
Smart bulb pros:
- Easy to install, no special wiring needed, and works in new homes and older homes
- Provides accent lighting and/or adjusts color temperature to set a mood that can be changed throughout the day
- Bulbs from the same brand can be controlled in groups, scheduled, and even be a part of a larger automation sequence
- Ideal for both homes and rental properties
Smart bulb cons:
- Requires power to work! This means that any wall switch or lamp switch that controls the fixture with the smart bulb must remain on.
- No really good way to keep anyone from turning off the wall switch unless a note is taped over top or hiding it with a cover.
- If accidentally turned off at the wall, the bulb may reset to its brightest setting when power is restored.
- More expensive than regular LED bulbs, so not ideal if multi-light fixtures are under consideration.
Smart light fixtures
Some smart bulbs are already integrated into a light fixture, making them ideal for retrofits. Fixtures include ceiling lights, track lights, and recessed lights.
As the bulb is already integrated, if a bulb goes out, odds are the entire fixture will need to be replaced. Fortunately, LED lights are long-lived.
Smart light fixtures pros:
- All-in-one device for one-step installation
- Removes hassle of finding a matching bulb
- App controllable to integrate with other brand-matching fixtures and bulbs plus voice assistant compatible
Cons of smart light fixtures:
- Limited number of styles available so there may not a fixture that matches a customer’s decorative preferences
- If bulb becomes damaged or burns out, the entire fixture must be replaced
Smart light switches
Not all wall switches control light fixtures. Some control outlets, garbage disposals, and so on. So not every light switch is a candidate for replacement without some significant wiring changes.
Smart light switches, like smart bulbs, directly replace their standard equivalent and are controllable in similar ways. Users can group them together for scheduling and remote control. They may even be used in connection with other smart home devices, such as security systems, to create an automation sequence.
Smart switches control power to existing fixtures. But they can’t tell the bulbs in the fixtures to change colors! Many do come with dimming capabilities and can even replace 3-way switches.
Some are even compatible with the Philips Hue system.
Unlike smart bulbs, there are installation requirements.
If a home is built before 1980 and has not had its electrical wiring updated, chances are its switches and outlets have just two wires. Most smart switches require a third—the C or common wire.
Furthermore, most smart light switches are deeper than traditional ones. That can cause a problem if the existing electrical box is too shallow.
So, in those older homes, the choices are:
- Rewire those outlets to add a C wire
- Replace the electrical box to handle the greater depth
- Choose a smart switch that doesn’t require a C wire
- Use a wireless switch control that simply covers an existing switch; those are available in either toggle or rocker style and usually operate on batteries
Smart light switch pros:
- User-friendly way to turn lights on or off at the wall, even if the Internet/Wi-Fi goes down
- Works with all existing light fixtures and all non-smart bulbs
- Often is the preferred way to control multi-bulb fixtures as opposed to using multiple smart bulbs
- Ability to set schedules, scenes, and so on, making the connected bulbs “smart” without using actual smart bulbs; also, there are usually fewer smart light switches in a home than smart bulbs, making naming in apps easier
- May have built-in motion sensor or ambient light sensor, adding yet other features
- Depending on the brands involved, one smart light switch is often cheaper than 4 or more smart bulbs
Smart light switch cons:
- Should not be used to control smart bulbs, unless the switch is specifically designed to continue to feed a little power to the fixture even when turned off
- Can be expensive to install, depending on the age of the house and the skill level of the homeowner
- Installation is permanently wired so is not ideal for rental property
Smart light strips
LED light strips come with a remote controller, but that doesn’t make them smart.
Like other smart products, smart LED light strips work with an app. They are often made by the same companies that make smart bulbs. This means they would share the same app.
A smart light strip provides accent lights and mood lighting in unexpected places. Your customers may not realize they even exist until you point them out. Typical uses include:
- Lining decks, hallways, and ceilings
- Providing under- or over-cabinet lighting
- Backlighting TVs and computers
- Outlining bookshelves, windows, and china cabinets
- Enhancing patio and garden settings
- And so much more!
Some plug into AC wall outlets while others use USB. Some even have a diffused light that mimics neon!
Lengths can vary. However, unlike Christmas lights, many are not linkable to increase length.
Pros of a smart light strip:
- Flexible to follow contours of objects
- Easy to install with adhesive tape on the back side
- App adjustment for colors, brightness, and scenes and may well be voice controllable
- Multiple smart LED strips from the same company can be controlled together to create longer, synchronized lengths
Cons of a smart light strip:
- Use of USB connectors on certain strip lights can limit placement
- Can be hard to create a very long, seamless run
- Pinpoint dots found on LED strips can be harsh, unless a neon style is chosen
Smart bulb vs smart switch vs smart light strip?
Is it really either/or? No. As we’ve explained above, each has its own advantages and disadvantages.
To best guide your customers, you need to find out exactly what they are trying to accomplish. Then you can review with them the pros and cons of each kind of smart light. In fact, today’s smart home often uses a mix, allowing each to play to its strengths while minimizing any inconveniences.
Another thing you need to determine is if they are comfortable with something that requires a hub. And you need to find out if they already have a voice assistant system in place. Although more and more smart lighting products are compatible with all three—Google, Alexa, and Home Kit/Siri—not all are. Nor can all be used with IFTTT applet systems.
No matter where your customer is on the smart home technology scale, smart lighting products certainly have great appeal with few barriers to adoption. Plus, they offer benefits far beyond the basic, “dumb” light bulb and light switch.
To check out all our smart home offerings visit order.petra.com.
And for other ways Petra can help you grow your business, be sure to look at all the services we offer.