[fusion_dropcap boxed=”no” boxed_radius=”” class=”” id=”” color=””]W[/fusion_dropcap]hen you’re looking to give the intelligence of your home brightness, lighting is an obvious starting point. Should you go for a smart bulb or a smart plug? What kind of smart lighting fits your particular needs? Maybe going the whole hog with smart switches connected to other devices might be more to your liking?
Why Buy Smart Bulbs In The First Place?
Maybe you’re thinking automating your lighting is nothing but pure laziness. How much effort does it really take to hit the lights?
While this sentiment is understandable, there’s far more to smart bulbs than controlling your lights remotely or using voice commands. But make no mistake, these elements alone do make smart bulbs worthwhile.
The other core purpose of home automation beyond convenience is security. With smart bulbs, you can make it seem like you’re at home even if you’re on the beach thousands of miles away.
Smart lighting in all its form can save you money on your electricity bills as well. By building out your smart lighting to include motion sensors and occupancy sensors, you can kiss goodbye to heating empty rooms.
So if you’re looking to make your life easier, save money, and ramp up your home security, it’s time to ditch those dumb light bulbs and to up your game.
What Can Smart Light Bulbs Do?
Smart light bulbs serve many purposes.
Here are 5 direct benefits you can reap from upgrading your light bulbs.
- Give you the convenience of controlling your lights in-app on your smartphone
- Allow you to manipulate the lighting when you’re not at home. Make your house look like it’s occupied even if you’re on vacation
- Save you money by helping you use less electricity so great for your bank balance and the environment
- Work well with other smart home devices if you want more comprehensive home automation
- Ensure that you never stumble into a darkened house again fumbling for the light switch and spilling your groceries everywhere
Do You Need Special Fittings?
Another key selling point with smart bulbs is that you won’t need any special fittings at all.
You can happily slip these bulbs into most commonplace fixtures and fittings.
As with all aspects of your smart home, make sure the bulbs you’re looking at are compatible with your lamps or light fixtures.
Controlling Your Smart Bulb
For the most part, you’ll control your smart bulb in-app on your smartphone or tablet.
Since most people want voice control, the best smart bulbs work with Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant. Some bulbs don’t work with all these digital assistants. Again, check carefully, so you get exactly what you want rather than wasting your money on a bulb incompatible with your needs.
Beyond these twin methods of remote control, you’ll also be able to physically hit the switch.
Choose the Right Connected Lighting
It’s cool to control lights through an app, but in the long-run you’ll want lights that do the work for you. Whether you’re choosing something for a gift or for your own home, look for lights that go beyond simple remote control to keep your home more secure and efficient.
Connected lighting comes in several options including smart bulbs, smart plugs and smart switches.
*Depending on the type of lighting solution you purchase, you may need a hub as a part of the kit to make everything work together. When doing your research, make sure you get all the necessary components.
Smart Lighting: Benefits and Uses
Smart lighting offers a number of different benefits and uses. Here are some of the most popular:
Security
Smart lighting is a valuable way to give your home a lived-in look, even when you’re out of town. To make it more realistic, your smart lights should run on a dynamic schedule to conceal the fact you’re automating. With sunrise and sunset options and even variable times throughout the day and the week, some smart lights can manage it all for you.
Save Energy
With the right smart lights you can find easy opportunities to reduce your monthly energy costs. You’ll want lights that offer scheduling features and work with other devices in the home. With a smart home platform you can create triggers that automatically control lights as you come and go.
For example, you can personalize your home so when you close the front door on the way to work, your lights automatically turn off for savings.
Real Automation
The key to better security and energy savings with smart lighting is a smart home platform. This platform, which can power every smart home device from your thermostat to your alarm panel, can translate a wealth of in-home intelligence to your lighting. This enables your lights to act on triggers including motion sensors, your smartphone location, a programmed schedule – even a smoke alarm. It’s the difference between ‘connected’ and truly smart.
Final Word
Whether you want the simplicity of a single bulb you can program to dim at certain times of the day, or you want to take full voice control, whether you have multiple smart devices already or you’re just starting out, there’s something for everyone with smart bulbs.
Automating your lights can help slash your electricity consumption while also ensuring you never return to a cold house again.
Offering convenience, security and savings in one very appetizing bundle, the added bonus is that smart bulbs are really not that expensive. Sure, you’ll pay a little more than with a regular bulb. The thing is, does a regular bulb do any of the things we’ve outlined today?
We rest our case and leave you to think about which bulb would work best for you and your family. Contact a BSG expert to learn more about smart lighting 855-MYSMARTHOME.
