December 2024
Smart Light Bulbs: MetaRanking
This page highlights the aggregate summary of smart light bulbs rankings posted by key online experts, as of December 2024.
Summary
On 29 Dec 2024, ReviewFinder team examined a total of 75 smart light bulb endorsements from 10 reputable publishers.
56 smart light bulbs were endorsed in total, only 11 made it into this month's ranking. (ReviewFinder requires a minimum of 2 endorsements to be included)
As of 29 Dec 2024, Philips Hue Starter Kit takes the cake as the most critically-acclaimed smart light bulb with 7 expert endorsements. 5 experts out of 7 recommended it as the '#1 smart light bulb' this month.
Brand breakdown
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Govee: 7 smart light bulbs
(#1 is Govee Wi-Fi LED)
-
NanoLeaf: 6 smart light bulbs
(#1 is Nanoleaf Matter Essentials)
-
Philips Hue: 5 smart light bulbs
(#1 is Philips Hue Starter Kit)
-
Lifx: 4 smart light bulbs
(#1 is Lifx Nightvision A19)
- Sengled: 4 smart light bulbs
Price breakdown
At a glance - December Ranking
Rank | Change | Price | Smart Light Bulb |
WIRED
|
Tom's Guide
|
T3
|
Forbes
|
Wirecutter
|
PCMag
|
IGN
|
TechRadar
|
Digital Trends
|
CNET
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1
|
- | $50 |
Philips Hue Starter Kit
The Philips Hue Starter Kit is a highly customizable and convenient lighting solution that offers a range of features, including dimming capabilities, scheduling options, compatibility with popular smart home ecosystems, easy setup, and energy-saving capabilities.
|
3
|
1
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
5
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
-
|
2
|
- | $34 |
Wyze Smart A19
The Wyze Smart A19 is a white smart bulb that offers smooth dimming capabilities, easy scheduling, and energy-saving features, making it a reliable and convenient option for those looking to reduce energy consumption.
|
2
|
2
|
-
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
6
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
3
|
New * | $6 |
WiZ 60W A19
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
4
|
-1 | Check price |
Nanoleaf Matter Essentials
The Nanoleaf Matter Essentials Smart Light Bulb offers customizable colors, excellent dimming capabilities, scheduling options, and energy-saving features, making it a versatile and compatible choice for smart home enthusiasts.
|
-
|
-
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3
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
9
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
5
|
-1 | $14 |
GE Color Direct Connect
The C by GE Full Color Direct Connect Smart Light Bulb is a versatile and energy-efficient smart bulb that offers millions of colors, scheduling capabilities, compatibility with popular smart home ecosystems, and direct-connect technology, making it a convenient and cost-effective choice for creating different lighting atmospheres and saving on energy costs.
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
4
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
6
|
New * | Check price |
Govee Wi-Fi LED
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
2
|
-
|
3
|
9
|
- | Check price |
Lifx Nightvision A19
|
4
|
-
|
-
|
5
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
10
|
- | $28 |
Kasa Smart KL130
The Kasa Smart KL130 Smart Light Bulb is a versatile and energy-efficient smart bulb that offers customizable lighting options, convenient voice control, and energy-saving features.
|
-
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-
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5
|
6
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
11
|
+1 | Check price |
Nanoleaf Shapes
The Nanoleaf Shapes Smart Light Bulb is a versatile and customizable lighting solution that offers 16 million colors, motion and pattern options, scheduling, and energy-saving features, making it a great addition to any smart home setup.
|
7
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
6
|
12
|
-1 | $250 |
Nanoleaf Light Panels
|
-
|
-
|
6
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
7
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
13
|
+1 | Check price |
Ring Solar Pathlight
The Ring Solar Pathlight is a customizable and energy-efficient outdoor lighting option that offers dimming capabilities, scheduling features, and compatibility with Amazon Alexa.
|
-
|
5
|
-
|
-
|
-
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-
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-
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-
|
-
|
9
|
We ranked Philips Hue Starter Kit #1 in December 2024 because:
- 7 independent experts mentioned it in their “best smart light bulbs” rankings.
- Out of those, 5 experts ranked Philips Hue Starter Kit as #1.
Tom's Guide
The best smart light bulb starter kit
Easy setup with intuitive app
Extensive third-party integrations
Stunning color effects
|
Expensive
|
PCMag
Best Hue Bulb
Works without a hub.
Easy to install.
Vibrant colors.
Supports Alexa and Google voice commands.
Can be added to Hue ecosystem.
|
Expensive.
Requires Hue Bridge for remote access and to use other Hue features.
|
TechRadar
The best smart lighting system overall
Easy to set up
Works with Alexa, Google Assistant, and HomeKit
Wide array of different smart lights
|
Hub needed to access all features
Expensive compared to incadescent bulbs
|
Digital Trends
The best smart bulb kit
Useful features
Great range and responsiveness
Extensive third-party app compatibility
Works with Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant
|
Bridge must be plugged into your router
Expensive
|
We ranked Wyze Smart A19 #2 in December 2024 because:
- 4 independent experts mentioned it in their “best smart light bulbs” rankings.
Tom's Guide
The best cheap smart light bulb
Tunable white
Works with Alexa and Google Assistant
|
Doesn't work with HomeKit
|
Methodology: combine opinions of key experts
Identify Experts
We identify key publishers and experts that consistently review and recommend smart light bulbs.
Capture Rankings
For each publisher we find a currently recommended "top 10" list of smart light bulbs, it must be updated in the last 9 months.
Aggregate Rankings
We put all those lists together and aggregate them. The more frequently a product is recommended, the higher it is in our ranking
Experts chosen for December 2024 ranking
We ranked WiZ 60W A19 #3 in December 2024 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best smart light bulbs” rankings.
- Out of those, 2 experts ranked WiZ 60W A19 as #1.
CNET
Best white-light smart bulb
Affordable
Good range of tunable whites
Can act as motion sensor
Matter compatible
|
Motion setup can be tricky
Matter is hit and miss
|
We ranked Nanoleaf Matter Essentials #4 in December 2024 because:
- 3 independent experts mentioned it in their “best smart light bulbs” rankings.
T3
The best cheap smart light bulbs
Good price
Thread compatibility
Excellent app
|
Not a big range of options
|
TechRadar
Smart lights that play nicely with all your devices
Easy centralized control thanks to Matter support
Bright and colorful
Affordably priced
|
Not compatible with Apple HomeKit without a hub
|
We ranked GE Color Direct Connect #5 in December 2024 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best smart light bulbs” rankings.
- Out of those, 1 expert ranked GE Color Direct Connect as #1.
We ranked Govee Wi-Fi LED #6 in December 2024 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best smart light bulbs” rankings.
TechRadar
The best affordable smart light bulb
Affordable
Responsive app
Alexa and Google Assistant integration
|
Limited bulb selection
Colors lack brightness
Fiddly set-up process
|
CNET
Best color-changing smart bulb
Easy to set up and use
Excellent color saturation
Lots of customization options in the app
|
Missing Matter support
No Zigbee or Z-Wave
|
We ranked Kasa Smart KL130 #8 in December 2024 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best smart light bulbs” rankings.
T3
The best Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and IFTTT smart bulbs
Simple to operate
Don't cost too much
Works with Google/Alexa
|
No Apple HomeKit support
Not a big range of options
|
We ranked Nanoleaf Shapes #9 in December 2024 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best smart light bulbs” rankings.
CNET
Best color-changing light panels
Fun lighting effects
Touch controls
Vivid colors
|
Flaky connectivity
Pricey
|
We ranked Nanoleaf Light Panels #10 in December 2024 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best smart light bulbs” rankings.
T3
The best panel smart light bulbs
Will definitely impress the guests
All kinds of permutations possible
Easy to adhere
|
Expensive to go large
|
We ranked Ring Solar Pathlight #11 in December 2024 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best smart light bulbs” rankings.
Tom's Guide
Best smart light for getting you to your door
Nice design
Built-in motion sensors
Can be linked to other Ring products
|
Pricey
|
CNET
Best outdoor smart lights
Solar powered
Works with other Ring products
Simple setup
|
Requires Ring Bridge
|