Best Smart Bulbs for Alexa

Smart bulbs have become increasingly popular over the past few years as they allow users to control lights from anywhere, at any time.

If you want to upgrade your smart home lighting setup, you probably already know about a few smart bulb options compatible with Alexa. 

Smart bulbs make your home even smarter without spending too much money or needing extra installations. Simply control the lighting in your home with simple voice commands using Amazon’s Alexa on enabled devices like Amazon Echo speakers or your smartphone.  

Today, we will look at 5 of the best smart bulbs for Alexa. Read on to find out which ones will work best in your home

Choosing the best smart bulbs for Alexa 

When choosing smart bulbs that work with Alexa, you’ll first need to decide whether or not you want to use a physical hub. Some smart bulbs require a hub to function. 

This small device connects to your WiFi network and acts as a bridge between your bulbs and Alexa. It allows your bulbs to communicate with Alexa, and in many cases, it also allows you to control your lights using your voice. Most smart bulbs do not require a hub which is an added advantage. 

Here are our top picks for the best smart bulbs for Alexa without a hub and some which require a hub:

1. Philips Hue Single Premium Smart Bulb (Best Overall)

Philips Hue is one of our favorite smart-home companies. In my opinion, Philips Hue’s bulbs for use with Alexa are some of the best on the market, as evidenced by their popularity.

Regarding voice-activated smart bulbs, the Philips Single Premium Smart bulb is head and shoulders above the rest. 

These bulbs rank among our tested products’ brightest and easiest to use. Over 16 million colors are available to pick and choose from to set the right mood or atmosphere.

Their latest tech, Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance Starter Kit, pairs perfectly with an Amazon Echo. Each bulb can get as bright as 800 lumens, so you can effectively use them as table lamps.

The starter kit has three bulbs, a hub, and a remote control. It’s not cheap—but it’s worth it if you want to make your home smarter without breaking your budget. Plus, they come in a variety of colors so you can match your décor or mood.

However, this smart bulb does require a hub, unlike some other smart bulbs out there. What the Hue bulbs offer in terms of sheer performance and reliability is outweighed by the fact that additional hardware is required. But, that’s an okay trade-off.

Pros

• Very bright
• Over 16 million colors to choose from
• Compatible with Alexa, Google Assitant, and Siri
• Easy to install and set up
• Has an easy-to-use intuitive app

Cons

• Requires a hub

2. Kasa Smart Light Bulbs (Best Value)

While smart bulbs compatible with Alexa and Google Home exist, many require a hub to operate. The Kasa Smart Light bulb does not require a hub to operate; you can control the lighting in your home from your smartphone using the Kasa Smart app.  

The Kasa smart light bulbs boast color-changing features to suit your mood or ambiance. Some companies also make color-changing smart bulbs but these are dimmable lights. To be clear, you can change colors with a dimmer, but you won’t be able to match any specific color in your Alexa hue palette. 

Kasa Smart Lightbulbs work directly with Amazon Alexa and Google Home—no hub required. Therefore, using this smart bulb does not incur extra hardware costs.   

Kasa bulbs offer energy monitoring features to help you lower your energy bills by adjusting to meet your home’s needs. These features mean more than just fun lighting; they allow you to set timers for when rooms should turn on or off.  

With over 16 million colors available, you can create some truly stunning effects at home or even sync with music for an extra kick. Kasa supports voice commands and offers remote access via a smartphone app if your voice isn’t nearby or if you want to avoid waking up sleeping family members.

Pros

• Does not require a hub
• Multi-color changing bulb with over 16 million colors
• Compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
• Affordable pricing for its value

Cons

• Can be a hassle to install this smart bulb
•  WIFI connectivity issues

3. Sengled Smart Light Bulb Starter Kit

The Sengled Smart Light Starter Kit is an excellent option for a smart bulb because it’s highly affordable and works with both Google Home and Amazon Alexa. You can use voice commands to turn your smart bulbs on or off, adjust brightness, change color, and more. 

Because of its dimmable functionality, you can use these bulbs to set the mood in your living room or office—even if you have a non-smart hub attached to your lighting system. The Wake-up and Sleep modes can simulate a sunset to help you sleep naturally or slowly brighten up in the morning.

Another benefit of Sengled smart bulbs is their multicolor capabilities. Change them from white to purple to orange at will, using a simple mobile app setup on either iOS or Android. The starter kit also comes with additional accessories for easy setup: A hub (Sengled Smart Hub) and two remote controllers that work as master on/off switches for multiple bulbs in a connected home. 

With the Sengled intelligent bulbs, you can change the temperature of the light to make it warm or cold (2000K – 6500K), which changes the lighting. You can also conveniently put your smart bulbs in a group and control them easily with Alexa or Google Home. 

These bulbs are well worth considering if you want more than just a white light source for your kitchen countertop. They’re bright enough to read by, and they provide tons of color options—all without breaking the bank.

Pros

• Easy to set up
• Works with Alexa and Google Home
• Dimmable with over 16 million colors
• The intuitive app allows you to customize lighting, set lighting routines, and other functions

Cons

• Requires a hub
• Bulbs occasionally go offline due to poor connectivity

4. WiZ Connected Smart WiFi Light Bulb

If you’re looking for a simple way to add smart functionality to your existing lighting, the Wiz Connected bulb is a great option. WiZ’s smart bulb ditches the need for a hub and works with any wifi-enabled smart device, like the Amazon Echo which makes setup incredibly easy. 

The bulb also uses energy-efficient LED technology, providing a soft, pleasant light without being too bright. 

You can program the bulb to turn on and off or get specific brightness settings using the Alexa app or the remote control, and the bulb will remember your settings and preferences so you don’t need to set them every time you turn the bulb on. 

The bulb is also dimmable and has a cool white color tone, making it the perfect option for lighting an accent area like a side table or bedside lamp. The Wiz Smart motion sensor uses a motion sensor to detect when you’re in motion and turn the light on or off automatically. 

The only downside is that the app doesn’t provide the most detailed color settings, but it’s still a great option if you want to turn your lights on or off.

Pros

• No hub required
• Easy to set up
• Lots of options for color settings
• Energy-efficient LEDs save on energy bills
• Includes a motion sensor to turn lights on or off automatically

Cons

• Can have issues syncing with your WIFI

5. Kasa Dimmable Smart LED Bulb (Most Affordable)

Kasa is another company known for its smart lighting solutions, and the Kasa Dimmable Smart LED Bulb is another great smart bulb compatible with Alexa.

When it comes to ensuring that your home is secure, the bulb has a few features up its sleeves that will keep potential intruders away. The “away mode” feature randomly switches on or off, wading off strangers. 

This bulb connects to your WiFi network (2.4 GHz) and uses energy-efficient LED technology to provide soft, pleasant lighting without being too bright or dim.

Using the Kasa app, you can control the brightness of your Kasa Dimmable bulb using the same controls you would use with a traditional dimmable bulb. You can also use the app to change the color of your bulb, which is controlled through a built-in Alexa skill.

The advantage of using a Kasa bulb instead of a traditional dimmable bulb is that you don’t need to install dimmers, which can be difficult and expensive if you don’t already have them.

If you are looking for a cost-effective solution to your smart lighting needs, the Kasa dimmable LED smart bulbs readily answer that call and provide value for your money. While it may not have all the quirks of similar bulbs in this guide, it is certainly worth considering if you are looking for a cheap, affordable smart bulb. 

Pros

• Very bright
• Energy efficient 
• Easy to set up
• Does not require a hub
• Works with Alexa and Google Home

Cons

• Some people have complained about losing connectivity

Things to Consider When Choosing the Best Smart Bulbs Compatible with Alexa 

Smart lighting has come a long way in the past few years. Today, we have an incredible variety of smart bulbs to choose from, each with its own unique features and functions. 

But for many people, the biggest draw of smart lighting is the ability to control your lights using Alexa voice commands. 

You can use your voice to turn the lights on and off, adjust the brightness, or even change the color. Remember these things when shopping for the best smart bulbs for Alexa’s smart home. 

Cost

Smart bulbs come at various prices, with some costing as little as $15 and others costing several hundred dollars. When comparing smart bulb features, it’s essential to consider both their cost (which may seem insignificant when comparing bulbs) and their capabilities. 

If you have several rooms that need smart lighting solutions, look at what a given bulb can do before deciding how much you’re willing to spend on it.

Connectivity

In general, smart bulbs are pretty self-explanatory—you plug them in and they connect to your Wi-Fi. But some of them do need extra accessories or specialized equipment to work with a home assistant like Alexa. 

As you consider which smart bulb will be best for you, think about how much room there is around where you’ll be installing it and whether you have any additional lighting fixtures that could interfere with installation.

Light Color and Brightness

No matter what kind of light bulb you get, there are two important factors that affect its brightness and color: its hue (color temperature) and its wattage. 

One soft white 60-watt A19 bulb might appear very different from another if it has a blue hue instead of yellow. The same is true with brightness; a 10-watt LED bulb will be much dimmer than a 100-watt incandescent. 

If you’re looking for bright lights in your home, go with either halogen or incandescent bulbs—they both put out about 800 lumens per watt (lm/W), whereas LEDs only give off about 450 lm/W.

Additional Features

It’s important that smart bulbs be compatible with a variety of platforms and devices. This is especially true with Amazon’s voice assistant, Alexa. 

Some platforms and hubs will not work if your smart bulbs aren’t compatible with them, which means you might need to switch or look into other options if you want your smart home set up to run seamlessly.

Conclusion

If you’re already invested in traditional incandescent or halogen bulbs, the best smart bulbs for Alexa are still worth considering. Smart bulbs offer the convenience of controlling your lights using your voice, and many also offer additional Alexa functionality. 

Some bulbs can be controlled using the built-in app, while others can control them directly through the app. 

The best smart bulbs for Alexa will also work with other voice assistants like Google Assistant, Apple Siri, and Amazon Alexa, allowing you to control your lights from whichever voice assistant you prefer easily.

FAQs

Q1: What are the best smart bulbs for Alexa?

There are several top smart bulbs that work seamlessly with Alexa. Some of the best options include Philips Hue, Lifx, Sengled, and TP-Link Kasa smart bulbs.

These brands offer a wide range of features, compatibility, and reliable performance with Alexa voice control.

Q2: How do I choose the best smart bulbs for Alexa?

A2: When selecting smart bulbs for Alexa, consider the following factors:

1. Compatibility: Ensure the bulbs are compatible with Alexa and can be easily integrated into your smart home ecosystem.
2. Features: Look for bulbs with features like color changing, dimming, and scheduling to suit your preferences.
3. Connectivity: Check if the bulbs connect via Wi-Fi or a hub, and choose the option that best fits your setup.
4. Brand reputation: Research customer reviews and ratings to gauge the reliability and quality of the bulbs.

Q3: Can I control different brands of smart bulbs with Alexa?

Yes, Alexa is compatible with various brands of smart bulbs, allowing you to control them using voice commands.

However, it’s essential to check the compatibility of each specific bulb with Alexa to ensure they work seamlessly together. Most popular brands provide Alexa compatibility information on their websites or product packaging.

Q4: Do I need a hub for smart bulbs to work with Alexa?

It depends on the brand and type of smart bulbs you choose. Some smart bulbs, like Philips Hue, require a hub to connect with Alexa and other smart devices.

On the other hand, many newer smart bulbs, such as those from Lifx or TP-Link Kasa, connect directly to your Wi-Fi network without needing an additional hub. Always check the product specifications to determine if a hub is required for your chosen smart bulbs to work with Alexa.