What Are “Smart” LED Light Bulbs?

It used to be that when a light bulb in your [city] home or business burnt out or shattered, all you had to do was grab another bulb and screw it into the socket. Today, the process can be a lot more complicated due to the sheer variety of light bulbs on the market, from incandescent bulbs and halogens to CFLs and more recently, LEDs, which boast of unparalleled energy efficiency and longevity.

Not content to rest on their laurels, a number of LED lighting manufacturers have engineered their LEDs with added features, some of which go beyond the scope of lighting. Called “smart bulbs,” these LEDs have the ability to connect to your smartphone via a local Wi-Fi network, change colors, and even play music.
Here are just a few things smart LED light bulbs can do.

1. They’re Dimmable

One of the basic features common to most smart bulbs is the ability to dim without relying on dimming controllers. Simply install the smart bulb into a compatible socket, and brighten or dim it using the device’s corresponding smartphone app.

2. You can Control them from Virtually Anywhere

Smart LED bulbs like the GE Link Light Bulb and the WeMo Smart LED bulb can be scheduled to automatically switch on and off according to specific times, allowing you to automate your lights—useful for those times when you’re away from home. This also means you’re guaranteed to return to a well-lit home without having to leave the lights on all day.

Some Smart bulbs also come with a wireless hub, allowing you to control them through an app on your smartphone, wherever you may be.

3. You Can Switch Colors

Dimming your lights to achieve a desired mood or atmosphere is one thing, but changing your lights’ color is taking things to the next level. Several brands of Smart LED bulbs are designed to generate several colors of light. For example, the Flux Smart LED Light Bulb can generate more than 16 million colors of light, which you can choose from with a simple tap in the device’s app. Another Smart bulb, the Philips Hue can change its lighting color through voice commands on Apple’s Siri.

But why would you want a light bulb that can change its color? For starters, different colors of light create different lighting effects. If you want to warm up a room, switch your bulb’s color to a golden yellow. If you want to increase productivity and alertness, switch to a cooler light similar to daylight. For the holidays, you can switch to green and red for a festive mood.

4. They Can Play Music

Some Smart LED bulbs even come with built-in mini-speakers, allowing you to stream music from your computer or mobile device and listen to your tunes in any room of your [city] home. One such Smart bulb is the Playbulb Color , which has lights that pulsate and switch colors to match the music playing through the speakers.