Ever wonder what it would be like to live like The Jetsons for a day? While we don't (yet) have flying cars or 3D food replicators, there are plenty of smart home devices available in 2025 to help make your life easier and more efficient. Smart light bulbs are a great way to upgrade your home and provide customized, mood-changing lighting with the touch of a button.
"Smart light bulbs offer a blend of convenience, customization and efficiency that regular bulbs can’t match," explains Jack Marquardt, the owner of Electric Avenue, a company that specializes in expert electrical solutions. "You can control them from your phone, set schedules, adjust brightness or color to suit the mood and even integrate them with other smart devices."
As part of our Shop TODAY Ranked series, I tested seven smart light bulbs to find out which bulbs shine the brightest and put the others to shame. Plus, I spoke with two experts to get their insights on what to look for in a quality smart light bulb and share their overall benefits.
Keep scrolling to shop the four best editor-tested smart light bulbs, starting with my new holy grail. I love it a watt!
What are the benefits of using smart light bulbs?
Smart light bulbs are the perfect solution to help bring your home into the 21st century and brighten up any space.
"I’ve been using smart light bulbs for years because of their many benefits," says Cliff Martin, owner of Martin Specialty Services. "They’re cheaper overall, great for security, contactless and can include voice activation."
Marquardt adds that smart light bulbs provide a boost in home security by making your home seem occupied while you’re away, while also using far less electricity than traditional lighting.
"Customers often ask if special wiring is required. Thankfully, it’s not," he adds. "Smart bulbs simply screw into your existing sockets, with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth enabling the 'smart' features. They can still be used with regular switches, but the switch must be left on for a remote control to work. Most are dimmable directly through their app and, because they’re LED, they help reduce energy costs," Marquardt notes.
Best overall smart light bulb
Set up ease: 5/5 | Ease of use with paired app: 5/5 | Ease of use with smart home devices: 5/5 | Quality of light: 4.5/5 | Overall score: 4.88/5
Out of all the smart light bulbs I tested, these GE Cync Smart LED Light Bulbs take the cake. These 60-watt bulbs were super easy to screw into my desk lamp and the instructions were very user-friendly. I'm definitely not the most tech-savvy individual on the planet, but the step-by-step prompts on how to set up the smart light bulbs in the app were so easy to follow that even my 92-year-old grandma could do it.
To connect the smart light bulb to the Cync app, I simply scanned the QR code on the instruction manual which prompted me to download the app. Remember, you'll need Wi-Fi in order to connect the smart light bulb to the app, so be sure to have your network name and password ready to go. The lamp will blink on and off to let you know it's being paired to the app, which was extremely helpful as I knew it was working right away.
As I told many of my colleagues, I had way too much fun playing with the Cync app. With the app, you can adjust the brightness, set the mood and even change colors on your smart light bulbs. The best part? The app allows you to choose from a selection of light shows, including volcanic colorways, fireworks, a holiday display and Vegas-style. The bulbs even sync to music so users can create their own musical light show! It'll lead to hours of fun for both children and adults.
In addition to connecting to the Cync app, these smart bulbs also connect seamlessly to other smart home apps, like Alexa, Google Assistant, Samsung SmartThings and Apple Home for hands-free voice control.
While these smart light bulbs weren't necessarily the brightest bulbs I tested, the set-up ease plus the overall quality of the app are what sets them apart from the rest.
More smart light bulbs, as tested by the author
Best app:
Set up ease: 4.5/5 | Ease of use with paired app: 5/5 | Ease of use with smart home devices: 5/5 | Quality of light: 4.5/5 | Overall score: 4.75/5
According to the brand, this Govee Smart Light Bulb features 16 million DIY colors, so I was eager to watch how it would light up my bedroom. It did not disappoint. In addition to offering millions of bright colors, this Amazon's Choice smart light bulb also has 54 preset scene modes, including dusk, sunset glow, forest and more for hours of illumination and entertainment. They also change color and brightness simultaneously when sounds are detected, and can be easily controlled with simple voice commands.
While some Amazon shoppers said the app wasn't very user-friendly, I had the complete opposite experience. I thought this LED bulb was extremely easy to pair with the Govee app and had zero qualms about it. Like the GE Cync bulb, this 9-watt smart light bulb screws into the lamp with minimal effort and is super functional.
There are, however, mixed reviews from reviewers online about the brightness of the bulb. While not the brightest of the bunch, this trusted bulb still illuminated my entire studio apartment, which surprised me given some of the negative ratings.
Due to the user experience with multi-colored LED lights and 50+ preset scene modes, the Govee Smart Light bulb wins for best app.
Brightest smart light bulb:
Set up ease: 4.7/5 | Ease of use with paired app: 4.5/5 | Ease of use with smart home devices: 4.5/5 | Quality of light: 5/5 | Overall score: 4.68/5
Since Philips is a well-known electronics brand, I was eager to put this smart light bulb to the test. Thankfully, it lived up to its name. As soon as I screwed in this 100-watt light bulb, I was immediately blown away by its brightness. My entire studio apartment lit up like a firework (and that is not an exaggeration).
In addition to its brightness, this dimmable bulb also easily paired to the WiZ app to help achieve the perfect ambiance. This innovative app features relaxing scenes and colors, including warm, daylight, cozy and even romance options. Personally, I'm opting for the calming cozy setting all fall long... along with my cup of tea and leggings. What could be better?
From setting timers to voice control capabilities, this vibrant bulb can really do it all. It also pairs with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts.
Best budget smart light bulb:
Set up ease: 4/5 | Ease of use with paired app: 3.5/5 | Ease of use with smart home devices: 4/5 | Quality of light: 4.7/5 | Overall score: 4.05/5
The Tapo TP Link Smart Light Bulbs wins for best budget pick — hands down. These 60-watt bulbs are surprisingly bright in comparison to some of the more expensive options I tested. They are extremely easy to use and screw in without any fuss. If you’re looking for a quality product without having to break the bank, Tapo is the way to go.
I was also impressed with the overall user experience of the app and its various lighting effects and features — particularly the “away mode” which simulates being home while on vacation. No looky-loos here!
My only caveat with these bulbs is that it can take a while to connect the bulb to the app. It took me multiple attempts to pair them together, having to turn the light switch on and off a few times, which was a bit frustrating. Many Amazon shoppers also reported having similar issues with connectivity and the inability to connect with Apple Home. However, the pros of this smart home gadget including affordability and overall brightness are what makes it one of the winners in my book.
Frequently asked questions
No! "If you have a compatible system, like Alexa or Google, it’s very simple!" suggests Martin. "You can also use the corresponding app the bulb comes with."
Not every smart light bulb will change colors, according to Martin. He advises users to look for the ones that do which is often listed in the specifications.
Considering switching from regular light bulbs to smart bulbs? The good news is smart light bulbs have various benefits, starting with their overall lifespan, which has greatly improved over the last few years, according to Martin.
“Most smart bulbs are LED-based, meaning they can last 15,000-25,000 hours compared to around 1,000 hours for incandescent bulbs,” says Marquardt. “While the electronics inside a smart bulb can fail sooner if exposed to heat or frequent switching, quality models used in proper conditions often last years longer than regular bulbs, and maintain consistent performance,” he mentions.
“While the bulb itself may last indefinitely, its Bluetooth connectivity will eventually give out,” notes Martin. “When that happens, the bulb will still work as a regular light, but you’ll lose the ability to control settings like the color or brightness from your device.”
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, lumens measure how much light you are getting from a bulb whereas watts refer to how much energy they use. "More lumens means it’s a brighter light; fewer lumens means it’s a dimmer light," according to the site.
How we tested the smart light bulbs
I, Allie Wise, tested seven smart light bulbs in my apartment. I reviewed each light bulb individually and downloaded the apps on my iPhone 15 for easy pairing. To help determine how well these bulbs pair to other smart home devices like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, I combed through hundreds of user reviews to provide the most accurate score.
With each of the smart light bulbs I tried, I evaluated them based on the criteria below and selected the crème de la crème to feature:
- Set up ease: Is it easy to install/screw into lamp and pair with app?
- Ease of use with paired app: What other features does the app provide to enhance user experience?
- Ease of use with smart home devices: Does it pair with multiple smart home assistants? Does it require an additional hub to control?
- Quality of light: Can you control brightness, color and/or customize the lightscape? What's the max lumen?
Why trust Shop TODAY
Allie Wise is an associate editor for Shop TODAY who has been reviewing and testing products since 2022. She specializes in mature skin care, style and travel, but also works on trending and broadcast articles when needed. Wise's all-time favorite cartoon is The Jetsons so testing smart light bulbs is right up her alley (pun intended).
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Meet the experts
- Jack Marquardt is the owner of Electric Avenue in Portland, Oregon. He is also a pro advisory board member for Thumbtack, a website that connects users with service professionals.
- Cliff Martin is the owner of Martin Specialty Services in Madison, Wisconsin. He is also a pro advisory board member for Thumbtack, a website that connects users with service professionals.
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