Smart home lighting products come with many different features. But what’s available differs between brands and models. Check out the possible features below before buying to ensure you get a smart lighting system that meets your needs:
Brightness control
Most smart light bulbs, downlights, and LED strip lights have a dimmable function which means you can control their brightness. There are also options that coordinate with daylight hours (i.e., the brightness gradually turns up as the day gets darker) and mood (i.e., dimming the light for relaxing or winding down before bedtime).
Colour control
Many smart light bulbs and smart LED strip lights have multiple colour options and a range of white light options, from cool white to warm white. The colour can be changed remotely via the app to suit the mood. More advanced bulbs can be connected to an entertainment system. The bulb colour can be adjusted automatically to match what is being watched on the TV for an immersive viewing experience.
Timing control
Most smart lighting products can be pre-set to turn on and off at chosen times. This is an excellent security feature as lights can be set up to come on when the homeowner is away, making it look like someone’s home to deter burglars.
Remote control
Smart lighting products connected to smart devices via Wi-Fi (rather than Bluetooth) can be controlled from anywhere in the world as long as there’s an internet connection. So, in addition to setting up timers when the homeowner is away on holiday, they can also turn the lights on at times when they weren’t expecting to be away. For instance, if they are going to be late home from work.
Voice control
Most smart home lighting products can be controlled by voice commands through compatible smart speakers such as Alexa or Google Home. This feature is even more convenient than adjusting the lighting through an app because there’s no need for the phone to be at hand. For example, ask Alexa to dim the lights when getting into bed to read, then ask her to turn them off when it’s time to sleep.
Group light control
All smart lighting products can be used independently from each other. But multiple products can also be connected to a smart hub and can be grouped, so they work together. For example, group downlights in a kitchen so they go on and off together. Or set them up as two groups to light different parts of the room.
IFTTT support
IFTTT stands for ‘if this, then that’. It relates to an automated smart home system that allows multiple smart home products to work together based on a pre-set number of triggers and actions. For example, smart lighting could be connected to smart motion sensors, so lights come on automatically when someone is in a room, then go off when it’s empty. Or they can be linked to contact sensors, so lights come on when a door is opened. Not all smart lighting products can connect to smart home systems, so always check compatibility before buying.
