Hi guys, I'd like to get a smart bulb for my bedside lamps so I can adjust brightness up/down and turn lights on/off as and when required. I don't need coloured lights necessarily.
I'd like to be able to control them remotely (for example when traveling) for security purposes also.
Philips Hue appears pricey to me.
Can anyone suggest some other options please, or maybe recommend from these options I've shortlisted:
https://imgur.com/a/QbrxPzQ
Thanks!
Seconded. The app is easy to use and everything is well priced.
You might need a bulb adapter to fit a smart bulb depending on your lamp.
Sorry can you explain what you mean by bulb adapter?
Probably bayonet to E27 or E11
Connect smart bulb from Harvey Norman. Cheap, good and allows smart automation.
Definitely agree, I have a few of these and they work well in a "google connected" home. Well priced for bricks and mortar retailer too.
Xiaomi bedside lamp. I've got the 1st Gen it's just Bluetooth but pretty sure the later one has Wifi. I like how you can just adjust the brightness by going around the rim.
Philips Hue Gen 1 bulbs from starter kits great Zigbee,(At clearances have been as low as $30) So much reliable than WIFI.
I'm personally a fan of LIFX, small bulbs can be purchased on the cheap these days.
https://www.lifx.com.au/collections/clearance/products/lifx-…
Connect white bulbs for $10 and the RGB ones for $15 … pretty much the cheapest options I've come across. But with the current Sydney lockdown (and I don't have a Harvery Norman within 5kms) it's going to be an issue getting these - unless I pay for delivery (which I don't want to).
The Philips Hue ecosystem is a great option but I'm not willing to spend that much on lighting.
LIFX warm white bulbs for $20 is tempting even with the price premium, but the $10 shipping is a bit of a killer for me.
What's the difference between the TP-Link Tapo and Kasa? The Tapo's are $5 per bulb cheaper.
What I had in mind was spending ~$15 per bulb for whites, and up to ~$20 per bulb for coloured options (if I were to consider coloured). Then its trying to figure out what is the best quality I can get for this price. By quality I would be thinking of the whole package i.e. the bulb, but also the usability and the easiness of the app.
An alternative:
I connected my bedside lamps to a single smart switch, so both turn on/off. Bulbs are some cheap on sale LED warm white. It's bright enough to see most things, and dim enough that can be turned on at any time without blinding. Smart switches can be pretty cheap even $10-15.
Likewise - I have a TP-Link HS100 smart switch (plug outlet) on each bedside lamp so can turn them on/off.
Pesonally I think this is a "better" solution as you can use whatever bulb you want.
However if you want colours/dimmable, get a smart bulb; but as others have said, you might need an adapter (B22 Bayonet to E27 Edison Screw) or a new lamp (that fits E27) as most smart bulbs are E27.
Dimming is the main reason I want to go for the smart bulb, so the smart switch/plug is not my solution.
The lamp I have takes E27 so won't need an adapter.
Xiaomi Yeelight - you set it up in the yeelight app and then you connect it to alexa or google
Am using Arlec Grid Connect and am happy with them. No failures, no drop outs and pretty easy to set up. Apparently they will also work on the Tuya app as well as their own Grid Connect app.
Cheap and from Bunnings.
https://www.bunnings.com.au/arlec-grid-connect-smart-9-5w-80…
So now trying to toss up between the Tapo L510E from Good Guys for $26 2pk or Laser white bulb from Catch for $9 each.
Thoughts?
I'd personally recommend the TP-Link, mainly coz they offer other things which all go under the same app (powerpoints, power boards, wifi cameras).
Just don't mix and match Tapo and Kasa ideally, as they each use a different app