I’m a sucker for smart lighting. If it adds a little ambiance in a room and can be connected to some form of larger scene for some customization throughout the night, it can grab my interest. If it fits into my life without much effort, it will hold my interest for a long time. 

Recently, I’ve been testing out the Govee RGBICWW Floor Lamp Pro, and the Floor Lamp 2. Despite that Pro name and a heftier price tag, I’d strongly recommend you pick up the Floor Lamp 2 instead if you’re an Apple fan. You will thank me later. 

Let’s talk about that whole “Pro” thing

The Govee Floor Lamp Pro costs $219.99 at full price. The Floor Lamp 2, however, is just $149.99 at full price. Both prices are reasonable, especially considering Philips’ option, the Philips Signe gradient floor lamp is $329.99.

For that extra cost, the Govee Floor Lamp Pro is brighter and taller. In a room, it looks a bit nicer and has better customizability. It’s a seriously impressive bit of kit that comes with a magnetic remote control you can use to change between scenes and even play preloaded background sounds like a fire, a lullaby, and the crackling of fire. The speaker quality isn’t great but it’s good enough to add to the ambiance. 

However, the Govee Floor Lamp Pro has one fatal flaw that stops me from recommending it to an Apple fan. 

What’s the Matter? 

Apple, from its ecosystem integration to its range of HomePod smart speakers, makes a great candidate as the basis for a smart home. The Home app is great, shortcuts are surprisingly intuitive to build, and the fact it can couple easily to your best iPhone makes it even better. As you might be able to guess from this preamble, the Govee Floor Lamp Pro is not compatible with HomeKit. If you have a smart home setup or want to one day commit to one, this Pro lamp will, unfortunately, sit just outside of it. You can control it with the remote or via its own app, but you can’t set up automations with it in mind. 

The Govee Floor Lamp 2, however, is Matter-supported, which means it can fit into your Apple smart home easily. It is also pretty great, with nice lighting, custom scenes, and its own controller. It’s a step down in some ways from the Pro model but is available at a much nicer price point. If you just want a nice lamp, the Pro is a good shout but, for an Apple fan, I wouldn’t recommend anything other than the Floor Lamp 2. 

The Philips Hue line is one of the most popular collections of smart lights around, although they definitely aren't the cheapest. Support for HomeKit makes them a solid option for Apple device owners, but some Hue owners are now experiencing a bug that is sure to be pretty annoying.

That bug is causing some Hue bulbs to set their brightness to 100% of their own accord, making it harder for owners to configure them just the way that they like.

Setting the lights to a different brightness doesn't work, unfortunately, but the good news is that Philips Hue light maker Signify is aware of the issue and working on a fix.

What's the Matter?

The Verge reports that Hue confirmed the bug, admitting that a fix could be ready as soon as next week. The issue, it seems, is integration with Matter.

“After extensive analysis, we have identified an interoperability issue with the Matter smarthome standard, in which random temporary radio traffic disruptions are incorrectly recognized as legacy switch power toggles, turning low brightness lights to full brightness,” a Signify spokesperson told The Verge.

It isn't clear exactly what is going on or why this issue is affecting some users rather than others. But Signify does say that users can disable the Hue Bridge's Matter integration temporarily if they want to work around the bug while a fix is being worked on. Thankfully, the company says that the issue only affects “a small percentage of users.”

More from iMore

• I got the new Philips Hue HomeKit lights, and I love them
• Nanoleaf Aurora review: Forget Philips Hue — these panels made me love smart lighting
• Philips Hue Iris review: A cool but costly lamp for your smart home

A portable smart lamp works for a certain type of person. Given it needs to be constantly recharged, you could opt to simply leave it plugged into a single area but then you aren’t using the lamp for its full purpose. You need to be someone who cares about the ambiance of your room and is willing to not only commit the money upfront for it but wants to change the lamp’s spot for just a few hours at a time. 

Since testing out Nanoleaf, Philips, and Govee smart lights, I’ve become that type of person more and the Umbra Cono has fit into my life surprisingly well. However, this smart lamp is noticeably not the main event in a room and you pay an awful lot for a side act.

Nanoleaf Umbra Cono smart lamp review: Price and Availability

The Umbra Cono portable smart lamp can be purchased for $95 at Nanoleaf or Umbra websites. There is no fluctuation between the two prices and I haven’t seen a sale on both sites since I started monitoring them — though Umbra occasionally offers 10% off your first order. The latter also offers free shipping for shops over $75, whereas the former charges $9.99 for shipping. 

Curiously, buying the Nanoleaf Umbra Cono in the UK will cost you £110, making it a significantly more expensive item there. 

Nanoleaf Umbra Cono smart lamp review: What's good?

Shaped like a spotlight on top of an “x”, the Umbra Cono smart lamp is one of the strangest lamps I’ve seen. It’s super light and small at 5.5 inches long, 5.5 inches wide, and 5.35 inches high, meaning you can place it almost anywhere around a room. That unique look has functionality to it too as it can be held easily from the bottom or even hooked onto a frame to hang. The pressure and weight of the body both push the lamp down and the “x” shape at the bottom can essentially lock it in. The lamp doesn’t have a specific mechanism for doing so, which left me worried it may fall but it managed to stay upright with no hassle until the battery ran out. 

Though the Nanoleaf website says the lamp gets “up to 4 hours when not plugged into a power supply” I found the lamp regularly getting more than that, with it occasionally going for up to 6 hours at a time. Keep in mind that you’ll need to regularly charge the lamp if you don’t want to keep it constantly plugged in. Yet the battery life is pretty decent for a lamp that will mostly stay in the same spot. I found myself keeping it plugged in on normal evenings, and changing its position when I was hosting friends, for a little more ambiance. This could make for a great dorm decoration, if you are having a few friends over.

Being Matter-compatible, the Umbra Cono can be controlled manually from your best iPhone or the best HomeKit hubs. This means you can set schedules, enable voice controls, and set a list of your favorite colors remotely. If you don’t have a hub or other HomeKit device, Nanoleaf has its own app that can give you customizable color palettes customize, dynamic scenes with custom colors and circadian lighting, which means your lamp can brighten up or become dim at certain times of the day. 

Nanoleaf Umbra Cono smart lamp review: What's not so good?

Starting with getting the lamp working, I am not a fan of the button on the side that turns it on. It’s indented like a traditional button, which makes you think you can press it down but applying pressure does not follow with that satisfying click you might expect. Instead, it uses rather finicky touch controls to turn on and change lights. You can get past this by connecting it to your iPhone but it doesn’t feel quite as luxurious as the look and that price point. 

On the subject of price, this smart lamp is very expensive for what’s mostly an additive light. The max brightness isn’t quite light enough to substitute more traditional lighting so I pair it with my Nanoleaf Lines and Shapes to make my living room cosier in the evenings. For this, that price is a rather steep one. 

Nanoleaf Umbra Cono smart lamp review: Competition

For $5 cheaper, you can pick up the Philips Hue Go, which doesn’t look quite as luxurious and can’t be propped up and hung from things the same way, but comes with a much bigger battery life and lighter max brightness. If you don’t mind missing out on the Cono’s iconic look, this is a smarter choice. 

However, if you just want a smart lamp for your room and only occasionally want to move it around, Govee has a whole host of smart lamps for a similar price to the Cono that are brighter and stand out more in a room. If you want something that’s the centerpiece of your lighting and not just an addition, these are a great choice. 

Should you buy it?

Nanoleaf Umbra Cono smart lamp review: Verdict

The Nanoleaf Umbra Cono smart lamp is a very luxurious addition to a room. It looks great, adds a very warm glow to a space, and has a battery life long enough to last an evening with your friends. Although it is rather pricey and not quite as bright as I would have liked — but it’s luxurious nonetheless. 

If you're someone who enjoys their lights to be smarter than the average bulb, you're no doubt already very familiar with the Philips Hue lineup from Signify. The company's range of smart lights is second to none, and the Philps Hue Sync TV app takes things to a whole new level by changing the color of your lights to match what's on your TV. It's like the Philips Ambilight of yesteryear but better, and now it's been enhanced thanks to improvements to the existing partnership between Philips Hue and Samsung SmartThings.

The two companies have announced a number of changes as part of the enhanced partnership including changes to the Philips Hue Sync TV app pricing structure and more. Among the changes is the expansion of the app's availability to new countries while SmartThings owners will gain new integrations as well. We're told to expect a change that "revolutionizes the entertainment experience, creating a connected, engaging, and intelligent environment for families to enjoy unforgettable moments together."

“We are excited to continue our collaboration with Philips Hue to bring these transformative features to life,” Mark Benson, Head of SmartThings US said via a press release. “This partnership underscores our commitment to delivering seamless and innovative solutions that enrich the lives of our users, making their smart home experiences more immersive and enjoyable.

Light it up

So what's the story? At the top of the list is the new SmartThings integration that will allow users to adjust the brightness of their Philips Hue lights, switch between Video, Game, and Music mode, and even control whether the light syncing feature is enabled or not using the Sync TV app on their Samsung Galaxy devices, including the latest iPhone 15 competitor, the Galaxy S24. Any SmartThings-compatible device should also be good to go, so you won't necessarily need a Samsung phone to benefit from the new features. "Thanks to the integration with the SmartThings ecosystem, Samsung users will be able to control the Sync TV app via their smartphone alongside their other SmartThings-compatible devices," a Signify press release reads.

More important for some will be the expansion of the Philips Hue Sync TV app's availability to new countries including Brazil, Hong Kong, Poland, Czech Republic, and Slovakia.

As for the pricing structure, the app will also be available as a monthly subscription for people who would rather avoid the rather costly $129.99 one-time outlay that could well be enough to put people off. Philips Hue probably knows that as well, so it's going to offer a $2.99 per month option for those who want to go that route instead. While some people may not like subscription models, there is no doubt that they allow people to access apps and services that they might otherwise not be able to use and so long as there's a one-time payment option as well, we see little reason for complaint. More pricing flexibility is always good, after all.

As for when this will all happen, we're told that the new availability and pricing will launch this spring. The Philips Hue Sync TV app is available for Samsung Q60 series or higher QLED TVs manufactured from 2022 onward, so you might need to check your model year to confirm compatibility.

More from iMore

• I got the new Philips Hue HomeKit lights, and I love them
• Existing Philips Hue devices will work with Matter connectivity standard
• Nanoleaf Aurora review: Forget Philips Hue — these panels made me love smart lighting

You'd need to have been sat in the bath with your fingers in your ears to have missed the fact that CES 2024 is now underway, and there is no shortage of announcements for us to get excited about. As has become the way with CES, the number of new smart home announcements is dizzying, but sometimes one pops up with a name that you can't ignore.

That was very much the case when the Nanoleaf press release fell on the iMore news desk with a handful of announcements being made. There's the availability for pre-order of a modular light that was announced last year, but the real star of the show is the news that there are new Nanoleaf lights that are actually designed to be used outside.

This, of course, is a first for Nanoleaf and it makes for some great news for anyone who likes their Nanoleaf light strips indoors but wishes that there was an option built with the outdoors in mind. Now Nanoleaf has a couple of options for you, and they both support Matter. As a result, they're both compatible with HomeKit which is likely to be a big deal for anyone reading this.

Lighting up the home

There are a few things in this Nanoleaf announcement but we can start nowhere other than the outdoor products. There are two in the form of Smart Multicolor Outdoor String Lights and Smart Multicolor Permanent Outdoor Lights. They're both Matter-capable, as mentioned, and they're both designed to bring" the magic of dynamic gradients and warm ambiance to your home’s exterior spaces, lighting up patio areas, backyards, and gardens all year round."

Unfortunately, pricing and availability are currently unknown so we'll have to wait for more information before we can start to get too excited. The same goes for the new Smart Multicolor Lightstrip (Indoor) product, too.

One thing that we do know is that Nanoleaf's Skylight modular light is now available for preorder for $249.99, and that'll get you three panels to start. More are available for $69.99 each. You can thank the modular aspect for that.

"Hard-wire one square, and then add up to 100 additional squares across your ceiling, with the freedom to create your own designs using the modular set up," the press release reads. "For the first time ever, users can extend their ceiling fixture into hard to reach spaces that were previously impossible to illuminate. Each square emits 1400 lumens of light with a lifespan of 25,000 hours. Built with Nanoleaf’s full suite of smart features, Skylight includes the Rhythm Music Visualizer, Schedules, Magic Scenes, RGBW color options, and much more."

A musical lightshow

Finally we have Nanoleaf's new Ochestrator software which is designed to take the beat of the music that it can hear and then control your Nanoleaf lights accordingly. "Unlike existing music visualizers today which merely pick up on any audio or sound within a space, Orchestrator connects directly with your computer’s sound source and isolates the response to your device for the most accurate real-time audio visual experience," Nanoleaf points out. The result should be something pretty special but we'll have to put the software through its paces to be sure.

Unfortunately, this being CES, we can't do that yet. The Nanoleaf Orchestrator software won't arrive until spring 2024.

More from iMore

• The best smart home devices with Matter support
• What is Matter? Everything you need to know
• Here's why Matter will and won't matter for your smart home

Christmas comes but once a year — yet your holiday decor need not be locked into one single look. With the new, affordable Nanoleaf Smart Holiday String Lights, you’ll be able to tune 20m of lights to any sparkling, twinkling, or flashing colored pattern that you want to see on your tree, with the ability to download hundreds of preset looks, make your own, and control them all with your voice or iPhone.

Happily HomeKit compatible thanks to integration with the fledgling, platform-agnostic Matter standard, they’ll bring festive cheer without the headaches sometimes associated with smart home lighting.

Nanoleaf Smart Holiday String Lights: Price and Availability

The Nanoleaf Smart Holiday String Lights are available now and cost $99 / £119.99. While that’s a lot for 20m of string lights (especially in the UK, where this Nanoleaf offering is more expensive), these are a huge cut above the quality of standard string lights, and offer premium features that dumb lights can’t. For reference, the Philips Hue Festavia are a similar product and cost more than twice as much.

Nanoleaf Smart Holiday String Lights: What I Loved

Having watched Chevy Chase struggle with his festive lights annually in Christmas Vacation, anything that makes getting the Christmas cheer up and running as quickly and simply as possible is welcome in the Lynch household. The Nanoleaf Smart Holiday String Lights thankfully are about as simple to set up as any smart home gear gets. 

Download the Nanoleaf iPhone app, scan a QR code on the instruction manual, follow the prompts to get the lights onto your Wi-Fi network (or connected to your handset’s Bluetooth signal) and away you go. In a few minutes, you’re ready to change the colors, twinkle settings, and more within the Nanoleaf app.

Whether you’re rocking a HomeKit smart home controlled by Siri, a Google Home set-up, or an Amazon Alexa system, it’s a piece of cake integrating the Nanoleaf Smart Holiday String Lights into your existing smart home. That’s because it’s built with the new(ish) platform-agnostic Matter standard at its heart, letting the lights communicate seamlessly with practically every smart home system worth its salt on the market. It’s great to see Matter starting to trickle down into more niche smart home devices.

Split across two strands, you’ve got a total of 20m of lights, totaling 250 programmable LEDs at intervals of 8cm. These end in a control box with a physical button that you can use to cycle through lighting settings if your connected devices aren’t immediately handy or you’re having connectivity issues.

You’ll have a lot of fun with Nanoleaf’s lights. Fire up the app and you’ll see the string lights have a handful of presets installed, ranging from simple all-white twinkles to fireplace-like crackles or 80s-style blasts of color waves. But that’s the tip of the iceberg — Nanoleaf lets you choose from hundreds of user-generated lighting patterns to download directly to the lights, some made by Nanoleaf’s own team but many more just from smart home enthusiasts. These can range from soothing meditation patterns to lights that sync up to music heard on your phone’s microphone, and even some themed lights to match a film or game’s prominent color schemes — I had a good laugh making my tree look like the retro green computer text from The Matrix, for instance.

If the community download options aren’t your thing, you’ve all the same tools in the app to create and save your own patterns, too. There’s a toolset here to achieve some quite complicated stuff, and those looking for a very specific lighting action could spend hours fine-tuning to their exact specifications.

The lights themselves look wonderful. There’s a far wider range of colors that they can hit than standard string lights, with 16 million color shades available, and 250 lumens peak brightness, dimmable through the app. Available to include in your standard smart home schedules, they’ll also work outside, with an IP44 rating protecting them from a bit of snow and rainfall, if not a full-on deluge, and operational between temperatures of -15c and 40c. You’ll still need to keep the standard plug and control box inside though.

Nanoleaf Smart Holiday String Lights: What I Didn’t Love

There’s not too much to fault with the Nanoleaf Smart Holiday String Lights, but a few improvements could be made all the same.

The key one is connectivity. Though the Nanoleaf Smart Holiday String Lights can talk to your smart home via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, you’ll need that Wi-Fi connection to download or preview new lighting patterns. In my testing, the Bluetooth remained stable throughout, but Wi-Fi could be a bit hit or miss, making some voice-activated commands from Alexa or HomeKit fail — not to mention preventing you from immediately accessing the hundreds of different styles available to you.

Secondly, there’s not much in the way of cable management here. The 20m length is split into two separate 10m cords, which might help when packing up (even if it’s a bit odd when it comes to twirling them around your tree). But a spool to collect all the lights in might be longed for when it comes to untangling these in a year or so’s time.

A final smaller issue is that the black cabling that connects each LED is quite thick and a bit unsightly unless you’re particularly skilled at weaving it among the branches of your tree. In fairness, it’s no worse than you get with traditional string lights. But perhaps a clear cable option would be easier on the eye? It certainly will limit where you’d want to hang these lights once the festive season is over, should you intend to keep them up once the gifts have been unwrapped.

Nanoleaf Smart Holiday String Lights: Competition

Philips Hue Festavia is the key competition here when it comes to string lights specifically tuned for holiday decorations. They’ve a few different features that Nanoleaf’s alternative doesn’t offer — a more sophisticated music awareness mode and intricate light-movement patterns — and have similarly wide smart home compatibility.

But! They cost about twice as much as the Nanoleaf option at $219, and don’t have quite the intricate level of customization options and user-generated lighting styles as the Nanoleaf option, making Nanoleaf the pack we’d pick.

Should You Buy the Nanoleaf Smart Holiday String Lights?

Buy the Nanoleaf Smart Holiday String Lights if...

• You want full customization control over your festive decorations
• You don’t want to push the boat too far when it comes to price
• You’re already invested in a smart home ecosystem

Don't buy the Nanoleaf Smart Holiday String Lights if...

• You don’t care about smart features
• You’re still waiting to see how the Matter ecosystem plays out
• The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come hasn’t visited you yet, Scrooge!

Nanoleaf Smart Holiday String Lights: Verdict

If you’ve been a good girl or boy all year round, you could do much worse than asking Santa to pick up the Nanoleaf Smart Holiday String Lights for you this Christmas. They offer a ton of customization options, won’t break the bank at a pricey time of year, and look great wherever you decide to hang them. An excellent addition to the best HomeKit lights out there, I’m in fact thinking of finding them a permanent place around my home, all year long.

HomeKit and Apple Home smart lights are the best way to decorate your home for the holiday season, and Cyber Monday is the perfect time to pick some up with a nice discount.

We've looked through the best deals for the biggest shopping event of the year and found some great ways to decorate your home. Thanks to Matter, more accessories than ever will work with Apple Home, meaning you can use products like Govee's Outdoor Neon Rope with a hefty $70 discount without using a third-party app.

So get jolly this Cyber Monday and spruce up your home for the holidays.

Brighten up your home this Cyber Monday

• Smart home deals: Best Buy | Walmart | Amazon

Smart lights are one of those things I committed to last in my rooms but they’ve had the biggest impact. Now that the excellent Philips Hue Signe Gradient Floor Lamp is on sale, it’s the perfect time to add a little light to your room. 

Being able to imbue the room with the exact atmosphere you are looking for, you can do away with the harsh glow of an overhead lamp for something cooler, and much more customizable. This is close to the lowest we have ever seen it priced at. 

Brighten your room

Smart home deals: Best Buy | Walmart | Amazon

As we said in our Philips Hue Signe Gradient Floor Lamp review ‘The scale and brilliance of Signe’s colors mean you can justify the purchase of this lamp for almost any purpose. It could be a brilliant, fluorescent addition to a gaming cave, the perfect complement to a home cinema system, or a soft, warm light for your bedroom. ‘

It has millions of colors in its arsenal, a fully dynamic set of controls, and can connect with up to 10 others to light up your whole house in one go. This means that you could pair it with another light dynamically to further the ambiance in your room. You can fully dim it when you want or blast it for more direct light when needed.  

The only model currently on sale is the one with a black base but this is my favorite as it's the most understated model. When the lights are the whole show, not many will be looking at the base. And what a great show it puts on. 

Now that the days are starting to get shorter and nights are getting darker, one of the best things you can do for your living space is give it some luxury lighting. Luckily, you can pick up the Nanoleaf Shapes right now for $54 off — a killer deal

With Prime Deal Days now upon us, you will struggle to get a deal this good for some time. You could hold out for Black Friday next month but it seems unlikely the price will get better than this for a while. 

Nanoleaf Shapes — $54 off

My partner and I have just picked up a set of Nanoleaf Shapes and have them proudly displayed on the wall near our TV. When turned off, the shapes looks great against the wall and they really come alive with a simple tap of the iPhone. You can individually program them to display certain colors, react to sound, and pulse through sets. This means it can accompany a high-energy hangout or lowkey movie night with ease. 

This pack comes with nine shape light units and you can put them together in any arrangement you like. This gives you a little bit of freedom to create patterns to suit the look of your room. They can be installed in mere minutes and look great, regardless of the setup of your room. 

What makes them particularly good is you can buy another pack of brand-new shapes after a while and add them to your existing arrangement, all working together from a single plug, meaning you can keep building and adding without any worries. 

If you feel like your room needs livening up, this is the perfect way to do so. 

Twinkling fairy lights are the mainstay of the holiday period. Stick them on the Christmas tree to really make that tinsel shine, put them up around the house to bring some festive spirit — a house without softly color-shifting tiny lights is a house that forgets the love of the season.

Nanoleaf, maker of some of the best smart lights around, wants to make the festive season smarter, with a new set of smart fairy lights that aren’t just for Christmas — but they’ll sure make the period more fun.

Ensmartening the Holidays

You could never call ‘holiday string lights’ boring — it’s a wire with colorful lights down the sides that glow in different, often changing colors. That just oozes fun. What you can say is that they aren’t smart. Plug them in and press the on button, and off to festive bliss you go.

Nanoleaf’s new string lights bring the smarts, with addressable RGB, and scheduling so that the lights can go on and off at certain times. It’s weird it's taken the company so long to get them out, but now they’re here, lighting the house in the most wonderful time of the year just got a whole lot more fun.

The lights use ninety percent less energy than old incandescent bulbs, with LEDs all the way down the wires. There are loads of lighting modes accessible through the Nanoleaf app, including some festive-themed ones like ‘crackling fireplace’ to really up the ambience. They’re interactive too, so they’ll jump along while watching Home Alone for the seventh time in two weeks. Link them up to Siri and HomeKit, and command your Christmas lights to change color with Siri.

Once the Holiday season is over, don’t pack them back in the box and put them in the loft for next year. Avoid the yearly lights detangling, and put them up around the house or outside for some extra, addressable ambience — after all, lights aren’t just for Christmas.

Get yourself a pair on the Nanoleaf website for $119/£119, with orders shipping from October 31st.

If you're in the  Philips Hue smart light ecosystem you might have a Hue Bridge at the center of it. If that's the case, there's a cool new software update that you're going to enjoy. But there's also some news that some people will very much not be fans of.

A new software update is now rolling out to Philips Hue Bridges around the world that adds support for an important smart home standard — Matter.

However, a new report also suggests that Philips Hue could be getting ready to force users to create a company account to be able to access their accessories, and that could be bad for the privacy-conscious among us.

The good and the bad of Hue

Starting with the good news, support for Matter will mean that the Hue Bridge will gain support for other Matter-capable devices that you might have around the home. 

The upshot for people who already have their Hue lights and accessories configured in the Home app is that they won't notice anything new. But for everyone else, this now means that people will be able to set up their Matter-capable accessories via the Hue app and then control them there, too.

The new feature is a welcome one and it makes it easier for people to make their smart home components work more closely with each other, no matter which company might make them. Philips Hue makes some of the best HomeKit lights out there, but there might be a new catch to consider.

The security researchers at Mysk report that Philips Hue "will soon force users to create a Hue account and sign in to continue to use the app" including controlling their smart lights.

That's a worrisome situation because, as a follow-up Mysk post on X notes, "many privacy-conscious users have picked Philips Hue because it doesn't require an account and that, in fact, encouraged them to buy more of your lights."

They also note that "the best security model to protect smart devices is to keep them disconnected from the internet, or at least keep this option available."

Whether Philips Hue customers will eventually lose access to their smart lights if they don't sign in with an account remains to be seen, but that's perhaps another reason to configure them using the Home app rather than the Hue one. 

Between the blue light from our screens, the notifications from our phones and the general pace of modern-connected-everything life, getting a good night's sleep or settling down to focus and concentrate on some important work can be very difficult.

These sliding scales of attentiveness and tiredness are in part defined by circadian rhythms, 24 hour cycles that humans have evolved to respond to, based on natural light patterns. It’s why you’re more likely to feel sleepy in a dimly-lit cinema room than watching a movie in your brightly-lit living room, or feel more ready to get to work at a desk sat next to a window flooded with daylight than in a pokey corner of a basement office.

The SkyView 2 lamp from BIOS Lighting looks to captialize on these principles to help improve your sleep and concentration levels, making it a great dorm-room addition for any student struggling to get up in time for their lectures, or unable to find the focus to complete their assignments.

• Want more recommendations for the student in your life? Check out iMore's Ultimate Back to School Guide

NASA-inspired lighting

Designed by BIOS Lighting Chief Scientist and co-founder Robert Soler, the former NASA expert on the effects of circadian lighting (an important factor for anyone living for months on end in space stations) knows how to harness light for wellness purposes.

An egg-like orb on a circular black base, the SkyView 2 stands about 12 inches tall and slowly changes color over the course of the day, based on where you’re situated in the world to match the sunrise and sunset times of your location. Designed to be left on all day long, at sunrise the SkyView 2 glows a purple color, during daytime it turns a mix of sky-blue and white to mimic daylight, at sunset it begins to transition to an orange glow, an evening amber, and then while at nighttime turning to a deeper almost-red color as its brightness drops.

Connecting to your iPhone and the accompanying SkyView app over Wi-Fi 2.4GHz and Bluetooth, registration with the SkyView servers will automatically set the lamp to your local sun schedule, and automatically populate a year-round timetable for you. You can of course tweak these to better suit your personal wake and sleep times too, while there are in-app presets to override the schedule for ‘Sleeping’, ‘Reading’, ‘Relaxing’ and ‘Working’ lighting settings best suited to those activities. A single button/dial on the base also lets you switch off the lamp, tweak pairing settings, and dial down brightness manually.

• The best HomeKit lights for students

The SkyView effect

The SkyView 2 is intended to be placed where you’re most likely to spend the majority of your time during the day, which can make using the slumber-inducing sunset settings a bit awkward, as you’re probably most likely to set up the lamp in a home office or living room. To get the full effect you may have to get used to unplugging the SkyView 2 and moving it around during the day. A dorm room where these two spots may effectively be the same place seems an ideal location, then.

But whether you’re using it in a bedroom or an office, the SkyView 2 achieves its desired effects. It led to a much more gentle wake up than going from pitch-black-shutters-drawn in my bedroom to ceiling lights on — well, at least it did when I manually tweaked the default sunrise brightness. The SkyView 2 can glow incredibly bright! Bright enough, even to light a small room by itself.

As such, it’s perfect for working alongside. Its daylight setting is a good mimic of outside, natural lighting, and I certainly felt more alert in its presence.

It’s a good looking lamp, too — BIOS Lighting deserves extra praise for how the SkyView 2’s LED lights gradually change inside its lamp bowl, mixing and merging subtly like ink in a glass of water. It makes for a good statement piece even if you’re not looking to take advantage of its wellness credentials.

There is room for improvement though — the app isn’t all that intuitive, including references for Alexa support that isn’t ready yet, and somewhat buries the schedule-tweaking screens. It’d also be fun to create some custom lighting presets with the hues available — though that’d naturally render the sun scheduling core of the light obsolete.

Then there’s the price — it’s expensive at $499.99, while a ‘Pro’ version of the SkyView 2 costs $949.99 with its hand blown glass dome and taller stand. That Pro version is simply prohibitively expensive. 

But there’s no denying how attractive the SkyView 2 is — nor the fact that, in my experience at least, its core concept works. I feel ready for action when working alongside it, and ready to rest as it winds down for the night. If your day-to-night cycle needs a boost, it’ll be worth every penny.

HomeKit lights have evolved so much since Apple debuted the platform back in 2014. It's gone from LED lights to home appliances such as toasters and dishwashers.

With iOS 16.4 introducing a new version of HomeKit that touts it to be more reliable than how it was before, now could be a great time to look into changing your home into a HomeKit-enabled place to stay.

With this in mind, we've picked a few that Amazon is offering in its Spring Sale which ends later today (March 29), that could give your home the jumpstart it needs to get smart.

Save big on Philips and Nanoleaf lights

The clear success of HomeKit isn't just thanks to Apple with its Home app - it's the manufacturers that have taken the platform and run with it.

It's why you can look at Amazon's Spring Sale, search for 'HomeKit lights', and be greeted with a bunch of ways to change up your home. There's so much choice that it could be dizzying to grasp, but if you start with the three lights here, it could help you imagine what the next step could be for your home and HomeKit.

Philips Hue is synonymous with all that’s cool and functional in the world of HomeKit lightning, and the Philips Hue Iris is a smashing little lamp that continues that tradition. Harnessing all the power of HomeKit, Matter, and Siri, this lamp can be controlled by your voice or at the touch of a button, bathing any space in a distinct glow with millions of colors to choose from. 

The Philips Hue Iris is not without its faults, however, and some might consider that the features and build quality should demand a slightly lower price tag. I, however, have had great fun using this in my office. So is the Philips Hue Iris worth your time and money? Let’s find out!

Price and Availability

The Philips Hue Iris is available from Philips Hue’s own website and Amazon. In the U.S. it’ll set you back around $110, although I’ve seen it for $90 at some retailers. Meanwhile, in the UK, the Iris is £95 from Philips Hue’s website or around £80 at Amazon. This option is available in Black and White.

Notably, there are a couple of more premium color options, one of which is reviewed here. The copper, gold, and silver (pictured) models are usually around $130/£120, and for that, you get a more premium finish. Otherwise, you get free shipping, 30-day returns, and a two-year warranty. The Iris has been out for a while, so it definitely pays to shop around for a bargain. 

Philips Hue Iris: What I like

There’s a lot to like about the Philips Hue Iris, starting as soon as you open the box. Setup and connectivity are very straightforward. All you do is plug the lamp into a power socket and then connect to the lamp using your iPhone. You can use the Iris either with Bluetooth or a Philips Hue Bridge. This means the lamp is great for people who are already invested in the Hue ecosystem or for people who have never owned a smart light. 

You do need a Bridge to get the most out of your Iris, as this gives you the most options in terms of voice control and connectivity with other devices. For example, it’s more important if you want to run multiple lights in lots of different rooms, so if you’re planning on buying more than one Hue light I’d definitely recommend it. Without a Bridge, you can only control up to 10 lights in a single room, whereas a Bridge can support 50 and multiple rooms. Using a Bridge is also more reliable in terms of connectivity compared to Bluetooth, and has a better range. The Bridge also unlocks control for your lights once you leave the house, which is handy if you forget to turn them off. 

If you’re running a setup without a Hue Bridge, all you need to do is download the Philips Hue app (you can add a Bridge at a later date if you want to) and follow the instructions. You can add your device by scanning the QR code or just holding your iPhone close to the lamp. 

The Hue app is similar to Apple’s Home app and allows you to divide your lights into rooms, controlling on/off, brightness, and color with ease. There’s also an automation tab, and my personal favorite, the Hue scene gallery, which gives you access to lots of tailored light settings with pre-made presets. The app is intuitive and easy to use and I’ve encountered no connectivity quirks or bugs using it. 

The Iris, through the Philips Hue app and Apple’s Home app, offers both white and colored light in almost any shade you can imagine (over 16 million to be precise). The colors themselves are rich and beautiful, especially when you turn the Iris up to full brightness. However, it’s important to note what kind of lamp this is – it’s not a spotlight for reading or a lamp that can really power a room by itself. Philips describes it as a light “that both washes the wall with color and offers a gentle backlight,” and it’s true. This is really light for mood lighting and works best complemented by other items or in a very small space. It would work well on a desk, or in a living room to add light to a wall, or perhaps as a moody bedside light. 

My favorite feature of the Philips Hue Iris is its seamless integration with Apple’s Home app, HomeKit compatibility, and the new Matter smart home standard. I love being able to switch on the light using just my voice and Siri. You can do this through any Apple device with Siri, including Apple’s HomePod and HomePod mini. Thanks to HomeKit, and providing you’re using the Philps Hue Bridge, you can also set timers and automations, such as ensuring all of your lights switch off when you leave the house, or on when you arrive. The Iris can also be used with automations through HomeKit, for example, it can be connected to a motion sensor or a thermostat.  

Matter means that if you have a Philips Hue Bridge, then you can use your Philips Hue Iris with Apple’s best HomeKit hubs such as the HomePod and Apple TV, but also with Google Home’s Nest Hubs, Amazon’s Alexa devices, and more. It will also be integrated with more smart home devices that don’t necessarily support HomeKit. Matter is a huge upgrade to the smart home, and thanks to Philips’ support Hue lights are more useful than ever. 

Philips Hue Iris: What I don’t like

There are a couple of bits about the Iris I don’t like. $95 is quite steep for a lamp, especially one that is more focused on mood lighting and wall washing as opposed to lighting up spaces. This is definitely an “accessory” lamp to complement other lights in a room, which makes the price a bit harder to justify. If you can find it for less, then go for it. 

In keeping with the moodiness of the lighting, it’s not all that bright. This is by design, but just be sure you know what it is you’re getting into if you buy one. The best anecdote I can provide is that sometimes my wife and I change colors on each other’s office Hue lights in what can only be described as the world’s saddest practical joke. My wife switched my light to fluorescent green once, and I didn’t actually notice for about an hour because the light isn’t that potent. 

While the lamp has a lovely design, the materials used are a little plasticky considering the premium price. This is likely to keep the cost down, but it's disappointing when you lift the lamp and it feels like a product worth far less than you pay.

Competition

There aren’t really many direct competitors to the Philips Hue Iris. Philips offers the Hue Bloom which is very similar in style and design, but $20-$30 cheaper. We also recently reviewed the QiZ Luminaire Mobile Portable Light which is a portable lamp with fun presets, however, it falls down against the Iris when it comes to Apple Home integration. The Govee Aura LED lamp is also a good option. 

One interesting alternative comes by way of my colleague John-Anthony, who has created a similar setup by simply buying a FADO Table lamp from Ikea for $30 and then putting a Philips Hue bulb inside. This is an ingenious DIY solution to creating a similar atmospheric light for significantly less money. Because it’s a Hue light you still benefit from all that HomeKit and Matter integration has to offer.  

Philips Hue Iris: Should you buy it?

Buy it if…

• You want a fancy lamp for mood lighting
• You want lots of different colors from your lamp
• You already possess a Philips Hue Bridge and a smart lighting ecosystem

Don’t buy it if…

• You want a cheap lamp
• You don't use smart home gadgets
• You don't need colored lighting
• You want a lamp to light up a whole room

Verdict

Overall, I’m really happy with the Philips Hue Iris. It’s a great little lamp to help brighten up a room and set the mood, and it really shines thanks to its HomeKit integration, the excellent Hue app, and its endless color palette. However, it is pricey for how much light it puts out, and you’re going to need a Hue Bridge to get the very best out of it.

Signify has today announced a new addition to its Philips Hue line of smart lights, and it'll look great wrapped around your Christmas tree.

The new Festavia string lights feature 250 mini smart LEDs spread along a 20m cable. You can, of course, use the lights wherever you like, but the most obvious use at this time of year is your tree. Otherwise, they'll look right at home pretty much anywhere.

Light it up

Like other Philips Hue lights, the Festavia string lights support Apple HomeKit, so they'll work fine with your Home automations and shortcuts. They'll also work with Siri, so you can bark orders and have your Christmas lights turn on or off or change color.

Speaking of colors, Signify says that more than 16 million of them are supported, and you can create a colorful effect — they don't all need to be the same color, making for some astonishing patterns.

Signify is also updating the Hue app to add a "new Sparkle effect makes each light on the string twinkle, creating an extra festive look." Another addition is Scattered, spreading "up to five colors randomly along the string for a colorful, festive experience."

If that sounds like something you want in your home, the new Philips Hue Festavia string lights go on sale on November 15 and will cost $160.

There's nothing cooler than walking into a room and having the lights automatically turn on, and that's something you'll be doing soon if your home is full of WiZ smart light bulbs.

WiZ has announced that a new software feature, coming later this month, will allow most WiZ bulbs bought in the last year to use Wi-Fi distortion-sensing technology to recognize when you're in a room. Only two bulbs will be needed for it to work, and when it does, it promises to be pretty special.

Distorted thinking

WiZ is pretty excited, too, because the technology — dubbed SpaceSense — sounds surprisingly simple. "Wi-Fi signals are slightly disturbed when people move around in a room, like a ripple in a swimming pool," a press release says. "By measuring the small deviations in signal strength caused by those disturbances, the WiZ lights can determine if there is an object moving in the room."

Danny Lousberg, Head of Software Product Management of WiZ, says that this new technology will allow people to get motion-sensing lights without dealing with complicated sensor systems. "For many users the need for extra hardware to enable motion detection in their system felt complex, expensive and cumbersome. Now, for the first time ever, SpaceSense takes those hurdles away, opening up automations and other smart lighting advanced benefits to everyone."

WiZ says that the new SpaceSense magic will come to bulbs as part of a new software update that is set to land later this month, so there shouldn't be too long to wait. Unfortunately, while WiZ is part of parent company Signify just like Philips Hue, the two aren't compatible with each other. Both will work with future Matter tech, though.

Apple is set to add its own Matter support with a future iOS update, with the latest iOS 16.1 beta already getting things set up for go-time later this year.

You know, usually, I'm pretty keen to keep using normal, everyday things. I don't really need a smart TV, I've got all the streaming services on my consoles, and I'm not sure I'll ever need smart windows or smart blinds. I also can't see myself buying a smart microwave and I certainly don't think I'll ever get a smart dog feeder — you get the picture. But somehow, I am unable to stay completely away from the land of the smart device — and you can now join me with these Prime Day Philips Hue deals. There's a smart hub and light strip available now for just $167 at Amazon, a deal that will save you over 30% off.

Prime Day is almost over so make sure you get in there quick before the prices return to normal! It'll be a while until these prices on the best smart lights dip this low again.

Traditionally, I have always used a light switch: one that I click when I enter a room and click when I leave. What I didn't know is just how useful it would be to be able to turn those lights on and off with my phone — and my god is it useful. I can turn on the light in the morning without having to get out of bed, I can check what lights are on when I'm not home, and turn some on to make it look like there's somebody in. One of my favorite uses is to turn on the kitchen light when I go to make a midnight snack — no fumbling in the dark for the light switch ever again.

Philips Hue is home to some of the best smart lights, especially when it comes to HomeKit light bulbs. They connect seamlessly with your phone and even work with Alexa and Google Assistant. They are, however, very expensive, particularly if you want to pick up a few light bulbs while you're at it. Thankfully, Prime Day has made them significantly cheaper, but not for much longer!

If you're looking for more Prime Day Apple deals, then we have a Live Apple Prime Day deals hub to keep an eye on.

What you need to know

• Signify is adding more products to the Philips Hue range.
• The company today unveiled brand new track lighting and a portable table lamp.
• There's also a new gradient lamp and a sunrise wake-up effect for its app.

Signify is today adding a brand new range of lights to its smart lighting range, including all-new track lighting and its first-ever portable lamp.

The company announced:

Philips Hue's Perifo track lighting lets you create fully customizable tracks using individual rails on your wall or ceiling. A new Go portable table lamp does exactly what it says on the tin. Featuring a silicone grip it's designed for indoor and outdoor use and boasts a 48-hour battery and a charging base.

There are new color and white ambiance can downlights, a new Xamento bathroom range, and a new Xamento M ceiling light.

One of the coolest additions is a new Signe gradient lamp which is perfect for your bedside and comes in both a floor and table lamp version.

You can see a full list of new products, prices, and availability below:

• Philips Hue Perifo rail black or white (End of Summer 2022 in EU) EU: EUR 49.99 - 89.99
• Philips Hue Perifo connectors black or white (End of Summer 2022 in EU) EU: EUR 19.99 - 29.99
• Philips Hue Perifo PSU wall or ceiling (End of Summer 2022 in EU) EU: EUR 99.99
• Philips Hue Perifo track lights (End of Summer 2022 in EU) EU: EUR 119.99 - 299.99
• Philips Hue Go portable table lamp (End of Summer 2022 in EU and NAM) EU: EUR 149.99
  NAM: USD 159.99
• Philips Hue Signe gradient table oak (available June 21 in EU) EU: EUR 239.99
• Philips Hue Signe gradient floor oak (available June 21 in EU and mid-July in NAM) EU: EUR 349.99
  NAM: USD 349.99
• Philips Hue White and color ambiance downlight — generation two (Available June 21) US and Canada: 4-inch 59.99 USD, 5-/6-inch 59.99 USD, 5-/6-inch 4-pack 219.99
• Philips Hue White ambiance downlight — generation three (Available June 21) US and Canada: 4-inch 49.99 USD, 5-/6-inch 49.99 USD, 5-/6-inch 4-pack 189.99
• Philips Hue Xamento recessed spot black (available June 21 in EU) EU: EUR 79.99 single pack / 3-pack EUR 219.99
• Philips Hue Xamento M ceiling light black (available June 21 in EU) EU: EUR 219.99
• Philips Hue Tap dial switch in black or white (available June 21 in EU and NAM) EU: EUR 49.99
  NAM: USD 49.99

Philips Hue lights are awesome but there is also a wide variety of other light manufacturers that make light strips just as good. Whether you're looking for the best HomeKit light strips or some bayonet smart lights, Hue has you covered.

If however, you're looking for other brands to use in your smart home there are some seriously impressive light strips that will enhance the mood in your home, often for far cheaper than Philips' offerings. 

These are our top picks for the best alternatives to Philips Hue light strips including Nanoleaf, meross, and more.

Quick List

Q&A

Should I opt for Hue or one of these light strip alternatives?

While it may be the most familiar name for smart light bulbs, there are plenty of Philips Hue Light Strip alternatives that are cheaper and just as capable. Some of the latest light strips go above and beyond with extras like music detection and dynamic colors. The LIFX Lightstrip easily bests the Philips Hue strip with 16 color zones and higher maximum brightness levels. While its price is slightly higher, you will save a little because it doesn't require a separate hub.

If you're looking for a brighter smart alternative, check out the Nanoleaf Essentials Lightstrip. This light strip can output a whopping 2,000 lumens of colorful lighting; plus, it works with HomeKit Adaptive Lighting and the Google Assistant. Nanoleaf's strip also packs in Thread wireless capabilities when paired with a HomePod mini, offering faster and more reliable connections over Bluetooth. Regardless of which option you go with, smart LED light strips will allow you to light your home your way.

Philips Hue is a name you see and hear almost everywhere, making it the go-to option for most when it comes to smart lights. However, Philips Hue lights can be pretty expensive, especially once you get into colored bulbs, and they require a separate hub, which only adds to the cost. If you're looking for smart lighting that won't break the bank, these are the best cheap alternatives to Philips Hue color bulbs.

Cost effective color with the best cheap alternatives to Philips Hue color bulbs

The best smart light bulbs are incredibly-convenient to have around. Smart bulbs can save you money on your electricity bill and offer you more control over how much light and what type of light you want in your home. While Hue may reign supreme as the popular high-end choice, the best cheap alternatives to Philips Hue color bulbs can give you a lot of what the brand offers at a much more affordable price point.

The LIFX Color A19 gets our top choice for the best cheap alternative to Philips Hue color bulbs thanks to its ability to produce millions of vibrant colors and 810 lumens of bright light. The LIFX bulb also works with the most popular smart home platforms — Alexa, Google, and HomeKit, and is available at a reasonable price.

If you just want the basics and don't need HomeKit support, the meross Smart Wi-Fi LED Bulb with Color gives you a lot of bang for your buck. Even with a low price, this affordable bulb still gives you access to smart controls, millions of colors, dimming, scheduling, and more — all without a separate hub.

What you need to know

• Philips Hue has unveiled a series of new lights.
• It has new fixtures for both indoor and outdoor use.
• It is also adding new effects to its app.

Philips Hue this week unveiled a series of new indoor and outdoor lights for use in your smart home.

In a press release parent company Signify stated:

New products ionclude the new Philips Hue Inara wall light, a decorative outdoor lantern with a dimmable white bulb, and a new Lucca wall light for gardens and balconies.

As pictured at the top of the article, there is also a new Calla stainless steel bollard for paths and patios, and a new Resonate wall light.

The company also announced changes to its app coming in the first quarter of 2022:

Thanks to its wide variety of lights and HomeKit compatibility Philips Hue's range are some of the best smart lights you can get for your home.

So you're all-in with the best smart light bulbs. You've got almost your entire house rigged up so you can literally control your lights with Amazon Alexa, Google, or Siri on-demand. The one thing you're missing, though, is those darn ceiling fans and chandeliers with the smaller candle sockets. Well, not to worry — we've rounded up all of the best smart candelabra bulbs for you so you can complete your connected castle.

Lights-on!

Your home is one of the most important things in your life. It's where you relax after a long day. It's where you make memories that last a lifetime, and most importantly, it houses the things you love the most. We all want our homes to be safe and comfortable, and the best smart candelabra light bulbs will do a lot to help make your house feel a little more like home.

Our favorite is the Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance bulb for its combination of bright, colorful light and compatibility with all of the voice assistants. We also love the incredible versatility, reliability, and functionality provided by the entire Hue ecosystem. It's definitely an investment, but for us, it's worth the money.

If you only need a few bulbs and are looking to save some dough, check out the LOHAS E12 Candelabra Smart Light Bulb. These affordable bulbs, sold in packs of two, offer millions of colors and connect directly to your home's Wi-Fi without the need for a separate hub.

What you need to know

• Philips Hue is getting all-new Spotify integration.
• It will bring immersive lighting that can match the beat of the music and the mood.
• The new features are available from September 1.

Philips Hue is getting all-new Spotify integration through the Philips Hue app, parent company Signify announced today.

Signify stated:

Philips Hue's app will be able to analyze the metadata for any Spotify song in real-time, providing a light script. Not only will it match the beat of the song, but it can also change the lights to reflect things like the mood, tempo, genre, and more. A new Sync tab in the app also lets users quickly switch the feature on and off, changing the brightness and intensity of the lights. Integration is free through the Philips Hue App, provided you have a Hue Bridge and colored lights, it also doesn't need a microphone to listen to music, which is great for privacy and means you can use your phone for other tasks whilst it's working. Users will need to link their Spotify and Philips Hue accounts within the Hue app.

The company also announced a string of new HomeKit compatible lights including more of the best HomeKit light bulbs currently available.

What you need to know

• There's a ton of new Philips Hue products now available.
• It includes new light strips, bulbs, and ceiling lamps.

Signify has today announced even more products for its Philips Hue lineup, including new additions to its lineup of some of the best HomeKit light bulbs, and the best HomeKit light strips currently available.

In a release today Signify stated "Signify, the world leader in lighting, announces a large range of new Philips Hue smart lighting products and features to create a light experience like no other. New products include four new gradient-enabled products, new White ambiance Filament bulbs, more powerful smart bulbs, and new bathroom and ceiling lights. Finally, with new updates to the Philips Hue app that includes a first-ever deep integration of lighting and music with Spotify, it's an exciting year for smart lighting."

New products from Hue include a new Play gradient light tube for use above or below your TV, new Signe gradient floor and table lamps, new Ambience gradient lightstrip, new more powerful smart bulbs, and new White filament bulbs, as well as a new Surimu ceiling panel.

In fact, all Philips Hue Filament bulbs now come in White ambiance. To help support all of its new products and HomeKit integration, Philips is also updating its Philips Hue app:

New scenes are coming in Fall 2021, and the company is also bringing out a Philips Hue Play HDMI sync box later this year, designed to work with the newest generation of consoles and 120Hz refresh rate displays. You can read the full rundown of the new Philips Hue range here.

What you need to know

• Philips Hue Gradient Lightstrip Ambiance hasn't been announced, but it looks like it's coming.
• The new two-meter light strip will support displaying multiple colors at once.

Philips Hue doesn't have its own light strip that's capable of displaying multiple colors at once — but that looks like that's going to change soon.

According to hueblog.com, the Philips Hue Gradient Lightstrip Ambiance is a two-meter light strip that will be able to display multiple colors at once, hence the gradient part of the name. Based on images of the box shared by the same report, support for Alexa and Google Assistant will be included and, we have to assume, HomeKit support will be there too.

While Philips Hue does already have the Play Gradient Light Strip available, that's a product that's designed to be attached to the back of a TV. That isn't the case with this unannounced product.

As you might expect, the same report also expects an extension to be available for those who need something longer than two meters, too.

Expectations are that the new light strip will cost around $150, although there is no current indication of when we should expect it to go on sale. Don't fancy waiting? These are the best HomeKit light strips that are already available today.

Smart, colorful lighting is all the rage these days, with the best LED light strips making it easier than ever to set the mood in our homes. However, despite just how popular light strips have become, most still suffer from the same set of flaws that were present when they made their debut. You know what I am talking about — uneven lighting with exposed LEDs and flakey extension kits that make longer runs more of a hassle than just buying another strip.

Smart light panels from brands like Nanoleaf solve these problems with modular designs and diffusers in various shapes like hexagons. But what if you just want a diffused look in straight lines or right-angles that you can expand with ease? Before the recent release of the Govee Glide — which I have been testing for the past few weeks, options were extremely limited. While it isn't perfect, the Govee Glide goes beyond just filling a niche with tons of amazing effects, bright colors, and an easy setup. Let's check it out.

Govee Glide Wall Light: Price and availability

The Govee Glide Wall Light is currently only available online through Amazon and Govee's web store. The Govee Glide comes in a complete starter kit that includes six straight light segments, one corner segment, a control module, and a power supply.

The Govee Glide kit retails for $99.99, and the company plans to release expansion sets available in the future. To celebrate the recent launch, Govee is offering an exclusive discount for iMore readers. From now through July 11th, 2021, you can take an additional 20% off the price using promo code RDFQMEYJ.

Govee Glide Wall Light: What I like

Installing and setting up the Govee Glide is quick and easy, thanks to the adhesive mounting system. Each Glide light segment features two 3M velcro-style adhesive strips on the back that lock into another set of strips that attach to the wall. I really like how the strips come pre-attached right out of the box, so all that is needed is, quite literally, a peel and a stick to get them up on the wall.

Each Glide segment measures around a foot in length and are close to an inch-and-a-half wide, providing a generous amount of coverage in the starter kit. The Glide features glossy white plastic construction with no exposed buttons on either the segments or the power module, giving the whole thing a clean look even while off. The light segments snap into one another using the built-in connectors with a satisfying click, creating an almost seamless look across the installation when coupled with the edge-to-edge lighting capabilities.

Even with the inherent design limitation of being primarily straight line segments, the Govee Glide is pretty versatile. During testing, I installed the Glide in various designs and positions throughout several rooms in my home. With the included segments, I created a right-angle design that followed the outline of my TV, a straight line that matches the width of my couch, and a shorter offset angle that highlights the area behind my desk — all within a few minutes.

Admittedly, despite having a unique light segment design, I was still expecting a lighting experience similar to any one of the countless smart light strips on the market. Upon firing up the Glide for the first time, I was immediately struck by the clean, diffused look of the segments, which made colors pop and how bright the lights are at the max level. I absolutely love how the Glide produces perfectly even light throughout and how you cannot see the individual LEDs underneath the diffuser.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the Glide's ability to display multiple colors within each segment — up to 57 in total at the same time. Having various colors within each segment enables dynamic lighting capabilities that incorporate all of the lights in your installation. Dynamic lighting means that the Glide can show effects that bounce colors off of one another in a playful manner or follow each other from end to end. At my last count, there are around 40 effects, or scenes, that can be activated in the Govee app, and of course, you can personalize colors at any time.

Speaking of the Govee app, I like how simple it is to control the lights from the comforts of my iPhone. The Govee app puts the Glide's power toggle on the first screen that you see, which is excellent for quick changes, and most settings and features are easy to understand with clear labeling. Through the app, I like that I can set up a timer for my Glide and create Smarts — or automation, in a few taps, although, without any additional Govee gear, Smarts aren't particularly useful for me currently.

Another thing that I like about the Glide and the Govee app is the ability to integrate the light with most of the major smart home assistants. The Glide works with Alexa and the Google Assistant, like pretty much most smart home devices these days, and it also works with Siri Shortcuts for the iOS crowd. Setting up a Shortcut that sets the Glide to my favorite scene — Rainbow, is familiar and easy, and once created, I love that I can put a quick toggle anywhere I desire on my phone.

Govee Glide Wall Light: What I don't like

Although getting the Govee Glide up on the wall is relatively straightforward, I will freely admit that my first attempt didn't quite go as planned. Since I am used to hanging light panels that accept removable connectors on either side, I ended up installing my Govee Glide lights in the wrong orientation for my design. After mounting all of the segments on the wall, I realized that the last piece didn't have the male end to attach the power module to, meaning I had to put it on the opposite end, creating an eye-sore with a more visible cord.

Now the good news is that I was able to correct the issue without significant hassle, as most segments just popped right off. However, since the segments rely on adhesive, there is the potential to pull the whole two-piece strip off of the wall when making adjustments — leaving you with a strip that may not stick again. Surprisingly, Govee doesn't include additional strips in the kit, so the only way to fix it is by making a trip to the store.

Another hardware gripe that I have with the Govee Glide is that the starter kit only includes one corner segment. The Govee Glide seems like a natural fit for squares or rectangles with its clean lines, but you cannot create these with only one corner in the box. I could easily see the Glide as being a viable alternative to using smart light strips behind the TV, so it is rather odd that Govee doesn't include multiple corners or at least have a way to purchase additional segments.

Finally, as someone who prefers all things HomeKit for my smart home, not having the ability to use the Govee Glide with my platform of choice is a real bummer. Because of the lack of HomeKit, I cannot incorporate the Glide into my existing lighting scenes or automation, and since it isn't in Apple's Home app, there are times where it sits dormant as the Govee app isn't part of my daily routines. Yes, support for Siri Shortcuts is nice, but it isn't a substitute for HomeKit — especially considering just how inconsistent Shortcuts are when used with a HomePod.

Govee Glide Wall Light: Competition

With the Govee Glide's unique design, there isn't much in the way of direct competition. I can only recall one genuine alternative — the LIFX Beam, which has been around for a few years. LIFX's offering — like the Glide, supports millions of colors and comes in a kit that includes six straight segments and one corner. The LIFX Beam works with Alexa and the Google Assistant, but it one-ups the Glide by supporting Apple's HomeKit. However, the LIFX Beam is a bit more expensive, with a suggested retail price of $149.99.

While not quite as close as the LIFX Beam, Nanoleaf's line of connected wall light panels are within the same realm as the Glide. Nanoleaf currently offers a variety of light panel shapes including the square Canvas panels, Shapes Triangles and Mini Triangles, Shapes Hexagons, and the one that started it all, the boxier Aurora Triangles.

Nanoleaf's light panel systems are considerably more expensive, with most starting right at $200 for a kit. Still, they work with all of the major smart home platforms — including HomeKit, where they get the top billing in our guide to the best HomeKit light panels. Nanoleaf's panels also feature an easier-to-use modular connection system that opens the doors to tons of design possibilities. Most support touch controls as well that effectively make them each a smart home button.

Govee Glide Wall Light: Should you buy it?

• You want a smart light with a built-in diffuser
• You are looking for dynamic color lighting
• You want smart app and voice controls through Alexa and the Google Assistant

• You want to control the lights with HomeKit
• You want to create a display now with more than one corner
• You want a permanent installation

If you are in the market for smart lighting that provides all of the benefits of an LED light strip without all of the baggage, then the Govee Glide may be the one for you. The Govee Glide gives you access to millions of colors, lots of neat effects, and convenient controls, all with a diffused look that gives you even lighting throughout. However, if you need more than one corner for your installation, or want to control your smart lights with HomeKit, then you will need to look elsewhere.

At a starting price of $100, the Govee Glide is well worth the premium over your average run-of-the-mill LED light strip. Govee's light is just as easy to install with a peel and stick mount system, and since it packs in a built-in diffuser, you get clean, consistent lighting across your entire display. Add in the ability to expand the Glide with a simple click via future expansion packs, and you get an entertaining and versatile light that gets my recommendation for those that don't rely exclusively on Apple's HomeKit for their smart home needs.

What you need to know

• There's a brand new Philips Hue app.
• A total design overhaul brings with it a new interface and improved user experience.

Philips Hue, maker of some of the best HomeKit lightbulbs available, has today unveiled a brand new app for users.

The company says the new app will improve performance and enhance the user experience with new automations, a new Hue scene gallery, and more. Signify says the new app has been "rebuilt from the ground up" and is designed to be the future of smart lighting.

A new Tile View lets users see all of their lights and scenes in one place on opening the app so that you can monitor and control all of your smart lights in one place. The new scene gallery also lets users access and view new scenes curated by the company. Users of the old app will also be overjoyed to note that you can now quickly switch between multiple Hue Bridges.

Routines have been replaced by Automations with new options for changes and customization. The app also features multi-user geofencing, which can check who else is in your home when you run an automation so that all the lights don't switch off when you leave the house but someone else is still home.

Users can now also choose sunrise, sunset, or a specific time for starting and ending automations.

"As world leader in the smart lighting industry, the focus of Philips Hue is to keep improving its products and services with the latest innovations," said Philips Hue's head of Technology George Yianni. "The millions of users worldwide of the Philips Hue app are at the basis of its new launch. We analyze suggestions and reviews and even co-create with our users via usability studies and beta apps. With the launch of the new Philips Hue app, we set the first milestone in the future of smart lighting. It's the new Philips Hue experience, and this is just the beginning. We are excited to share more innovations in the rest of the year."

You can read the full release from Signify here, and more information is available regarding the new app on Hue's website. Philips Hue products can also be used with HomeKit, and you can find exactly where to get the best Philips Hue Light Deals here.

What you need to know

• Philips Hue will work with the new Matter connectivity standard.
• The company says existing products will also work with the standard through a firmware update.

You won't need to buy a new Phillips Hue light bulb to make it work with the new Matter connectivity standard.

As reported by Appleinsider, the Connectivity Standard Alliance announced the new Matter connectivity standard earlier this week. The standard is hoped to be adopted across smart home brands to increase interoperability.

When Matter was revealed, Signify, the owner of brands like Philips Hue, announced that the brand would support the new standard.

AppleInsider has learned that the company also plans to bring Matter compatibility to its existing lineup of Hue products as well with a firmware update.

If enough brands adopt the new standard, consumers would be able to purchase smart home devices with more confidence that they will work with other brands and ecosystems like Apple's HomeKit, Google Assistant, and Amazon Alexa.

When it comes to home automation, Philips Hue lights are some of the best smart light bulbs on the market. Not only are they fully integrated with HomeKit so you can control them from your iPhone, iPad, or with Siri, but they are usually pretty easy to find. However, Philips Hue bulbs can get quite expensive.

While a Philips Hue light bulb will always be more expensive than your standard light bulb, here are a few suggestions for the best Philips Hue light deals so you can get your hands on some for less.

Philips Hue Light Deals: Amazon Warehouse

Amazon is already one of the cheapest places to buy Philips Hue lights. However, the Amazon Warehouse can have some truly great deals.

If you don't know, Amazon Warehouse is where Amazon sells items that are either pre-owned or open-box products at discounted prices. When it comes to the Philips Hue lights, you'll typically find open-box items at a discount, or damaged packages.

Depending on the product and the seller, the discounts can drastically change from listing to listing, so you'll have to do a little sleuthing. However, Amazon has a great return policy and customer service, so you should feel comfortable that you're taking minimal risk.

If you are patient, Amazon runs additional Warehouse sales throughout the year that typically take an additional 20% off already low prices, but it is only for Prime members.

Philips Hue Light Deals: Refurbished & Renewed

Some online stores (or maybe even some retailers) sell refurbished Philips Hue bulbs and hardware, which can sometimes be picked up for an extreme discount.

Of course, you should do some research from the place you are buying, regardless of the source. Make sure you are familiar with the return or refund policy so you know how to protect yourself in case you receive a faulty or damaged product. Also, look for any kind of refurbished/renewed certification such as Amazon Renewed which covers your purchase for 90 days.

Philips Hue Light Deals: eBay

When it comes to finding things for cheap, the name eBay gets thrown around quite a bit. You can find lots of listing from eager sellers willing to sell you Philips Hue lights on eBay, and if you look hard enough, you may even find a really good deal. Plus, eBay runs promotions such as taking $10 off an order frequently, making a good deal great.

Whether it is auctions on the latest gear, or lower "buy it now" pricing, eBay can be a great resource for finding good deals. However, always make sure to review all of the details including tech specs, and the sellers history before purchasing or bidding to prevent any headaches.

Philips Hue Light Deals: Starter Kits

Speaking of eBay, if you put in a little effort, you can use sales on Philips Hue Starter Kits to your advantage. These starter kits often include multiple light bulbs as well as the Philips Hue Hub at special pricing, which you can then turn around and sell on eBay, putting some extra money back into your pocket.

Of course, there are those pesky eBay fees and shipping costs, but if you are just selling the hub your costs should be minimal. Also, be sure to look for any eBay seller promotions, which can often bypass listing fees, or even net you cash back.

Philips Hue Light Deals: Government rebates

I'm not entirely sure how common these are, but some governments or other regulatory bodies will offer rebates or subsides for renovating or otherwise updating older incandescent bulbs to newer LED bulbs because they are more energy efficient.

Sometimes these rebates, tax breaks, or other incentives can be used with smart bulbs like the Philips Hue, so look around and see what you can find for your area!

Philips Hue Light Deals: Thrifter

Thrifter is one of the best daily deals websites around. The dedicated team of deal seekers constantly updates the site with new deals as they hit the web, in all sorts of categories, including smart home products like Philips Hue! Check Thrifter daily for the best results.

If you want the deals to come to you, then subscribe to Thrifter's daily newsletter. These handpicked deals ensure that you will be getting some of the best prices on Philips Hue gear.

Have any tips on the best Philips Hue light deals?

Do you know where to look for cheap Philips Hue lights and hardware? Let us know in the comment below!

Updated February 2021: Don't forget to check out Thrifter every day for new deals!

With the ability to light up our homes on-demand and prices making them more affordable than ever, smart light bulbs are truly a staple in today's home. The best smart light bulbs are now available in just about every size and shape, some offering just the basic white light, while others providing enhanced brightness levels, cool colors, and nifty effects. However, for all of the changes on the outside, not much has changed when it comes to getting them connected to our home networks, and smart assistants all rely on either Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, RF, or Zigbee.

On the surface, Nanoleaf's latest lighting product, the Essentials A19 Light Bulb, which I have been testing for the past few months, is just another smart light bulb with bright colors, an app, and voice controls. However, thanks to the inclusion of a Thread radio onboard, Nanoleaf's bulb represents the next chapter for HomeKit and the connected home by combining all of the best features from the various wireless standards that came before it. So what makes Thread and the Nanoleaf Essentials A19 Light Bulb so great? Let's take a look!

Colorful, affordable, and Thread

Nanoleaf Essentials A19 Light Bulb review: What I like

Despite the sheer amount of options available today, Nanoleaf's offering is anything but your typical smart light bulb. For starters, Nanoleaf chose a unique Rhombicosidodecahedron design for the bulb's diffuser which looks incredibly slick while not in use and looks amazing when illuminated. Even with the unique design and the smarts inside, Nanoleaf's bulb sports measurements similar to that of standard "dumb" LED light bulbs at just 2.4-inches wide by 4.4-inches long, allowing it to fit into most fixtures with ease, though it is not always guaranteed.

Nanoleaf's bulb supports the industry standard of 16 million colors and a white color temperature range between 2700-6500K, but again, it goes beyond the norm with the ability to hit 1,100 lumens of peak brightness. I have tested many smart bulbs over the years, and I have always felt that the 450 and 800-lumen options were just not bright enough for most room sizes, so the extra brightness is certainly welcome. Colors produced by the bulb are about as good as it gets, with darker colors like blue, red, and pink, all performing well, while green and purple tones are just good enough — like I have seen in pretty much every other color bulb that I have tested.

What separates the Nanoleaf Essentials A19 Light bulb from the rest though is the wireless radios inside. Nanoleaf's light bulb is the first consumer smart home accessory that supports Bluetooth and Thread connectivity, both of which are hub-free (sort of), low-power wireless standards that keep setup simple, and device activity local. Thread, however, promises expanded range, greater reliability, faster response times, and longer battery life, through mesh networking and self-repairing capabilities.

During setup, the Nanoleaf Essentials A19 Light Bulb will automatically determine which connectivity method to use, based on whether or not one of Apple's HomePod minis are in the home. Apple's' Thread-equipped HomePod mini acts as a "border router" for the bulb, which is essentially how a hub works for other connectivity methods, such as Zigbee. If a HomePod mini is not present, the bulb will connect via Bluetooth, but if one is ever added after the initial pairing, it will automatically switch to Thread, which is how my experience went.

I really like how setting up the bulb follows the same process for either option, with the steps for iOS/HomeKit users requiring nothing more than screwing-in the bulb to a fixture, and then scanning the pairing code with the Home or Nanoleaf app. If the bulb connects via Thread, the user will not see any additional settings or dialogs for the new connectivity method, everything will just work behind the scenes.

As previously mentioned, my setup started with Bluetooth as Nanoleaf sent over the bulb before the release of the HomePod mini, so I got to experience the differences firsthand. Bluetooth performance, was, well, Bluetooth. I will dive into more details regarding Bluetooth later, but to sum it up, the performance was slow, spotty, and unreliable. Things took a dramatic turn for the better though once I set up my first HomePod mini. Again, while there is no confirmation provided by HomeKit or Nanoleaf regarding which method is being used, I saw my light bulb flicker shortly after the HomePod mini was ready to go, which gave me the first clue that Thread was ready.

With Thread up and running, commands sent via the Home and Nanoleaf apps took effect instantly on-device, no matter how far I was away from the bulb inside of my house. Now, I will admit, before testing, I expected only modest improvements, so I was blown away by the immediate response times as it truly matched the speed that you get with Wi-Fi devices. Naturally, I was still skeptical, so throughout testing, I periodically sent commands to the bulb after intervals of 10, 20, and 30 minutes to see if the bulb would go into some kind of lower-power sleep state, but every one executed instantly each time. Even three months later, the bulb is still lightning fast, and I have yet to come across a time where the bulb was not accessible.

Regardless of the connectivity method, the Nanoleaf app provides access to dimming, color adjustments, scenes, and Circadian Lighting. While being able to adjust colors is neat, I especially like how Nanoleaf's bulb supports the same Color Scenes that are available with the company's signature Shapes Light Panels, allowing it to cycle through colors and brightness levels with slick transitions. I love the variety of scenes available from Nanoleaf and the user community, and how the app shows a color palette before downloading, making it easy to identify the perfect scene depending on the mood.

While the Nanoleaf app currently has the option to create schedules for other products, setting one up for the Essentials light bulb takes place outside of the app. Currently, users will have to create schedules through automation via HomeKit, or with Google Home devices, which I prefer as it keeps everything under one roof. One advanced option available through the app is Nanoleaf's Circadian Lighting feature, which helps to calm and energize the mind through automatic color temperature adjustments. In the morning the bulb will display warmer tones to ease users into the day, and in the afternoon, it will switch to a cooler white shade to help with focus.

Moving over to the HomeKit, Nanoleaf's light bulb supports the basics like Siri voice controls, color adjustments, dimming, scenes, and automation. The Essentials bulb also supports the latest iOS 14 HomeKit Adaptive Lighting feature, which is similar to Nanoleaf's Circadian Lighting with automatic color temperature adjustments made throughout the day. HomeKit also allows for remote out of home controls for the Nanoleaf light bulb when combined with a HomeKit resident device, like a HomePod, Apple TV, or iPad, which is another plus for those in the Apple ecosystem.

Bluetooth blues

Nanoleaf Essentials A19 Light Bulb review: What I don't like

As great as the Nanoleaf Essentials light bulb performs via Thread, things are not quite as great if you do not have a HomePod mini. Without a HomePod mini, Nanoleaf's bulb relies on Bluetooth, and unfortunately, I experienced lengthy response times, and inconsistent performance with the low-power wireless standard.

Over Bluetooth, commands would take up to 10 seconds before executing on-device, and in some cases, they would just flat-out fail, even if I was just a few feet away. The spotty Bluetooth performance would give me pause when it comes to adding it to automation and scenes so needless to say, if you are interested in the light bulb, I would strongly recommend picking up a HomePod mini to go along with it.

Speaking of Thread, it appears that the Nanoleaf Essentials A19 Light Bulb only works with the HomePod mini. Other Thread devices — like those from Nest or eero, do not act as a border router for the bulb. Also, while Thread works seamlessly with the HomePod mini, everything is done behind the scenes so there are no advanced settings, network overview screens, or troubleshooting steps provided by Apple's Home app or the Nanoleaf app. The third-party Eve for HomeKit iOS does display some basic information, but again, no actual settings if something goes wrong.

Finally, the Nanoleaf app can be a little confusing and at times, frustrating. Toggling the bulb is simple enough, but applying scenes takes place via multiple different areas in the app, and of course, the lack of schedules even with a dedicated section for creating them for other products is just odd. My biggest gripe though is how the app syncs scenes with HomeKit. Every time I open the Nanoleaf app, it automatically adds all of the default scenes — most of which I have removed previously, back into the Home app. Because of this, I try to avoid the Nanoleaf app at all costs and stick to Siri and the Home app for all of my controls.

The competition

Smart, color-capable light bulbs are everywhere these days, with many different shapes, sizes, and connectivity options to be found. However, when it comes to HomeKit, the number of bulbs does slim down by quite a bit leading most to stick to the tried-and-true Philips Hue and LIFX product lines, but both have their fair share of limitations and are expensive. Smaller vendors, like VOCOlinc and Meross, offer cheaper alternatives, but they top out at lower brightness levels, and color reproduction may not be as good as what you get with the established brands.

The latest Philips Hue A19 White and Color Ambiance Light Bulb support both Bluetooth and Zigbee connectivity, which allows those new to the smart lighting game to jump right in without a hub. Unfortunately, Philips Hue bulbs that connect via Bluetooth do not work with Apple's HomeKit and are limited to local connections so you will miss out on remote, out of home controls. To enable advanced features, Hue bulbs require the Hue Bridge, which adds to the cost, and setup becomes a little more complicated. And, as previously mentioned, Hue color bulbs are expensive, coming in at $50 each.

The standard LIFX Color A19 light bulb, available for $50, matches the Nanoleaf Essentials light bulb with a peak brightness of 1,100 lumens, and onboard dimming, but that is where the similarities end. LIFX's bulb supports one trillion colors, which is well above and beyond the 16 million that Nanoleaf touts, and it connects directly to home networks via Wi-Fi which offers lightning-fast response times. The LIFX color bulb also works with Alexa, Google, and HomeKit, plus it supports remote controls without a hub, but if you plan to add multiple bulbs around the home, your network may get saturated quickly.

Nanoleaf Essentials A19 Light Bulb review: Should you buy

You are looking for an affordable HomeKit light bulb

At just $20, Nanoleaf's color-capable light bulb is one of the cheapest hub-free HomeKit options around. If you are looking for a quick and easy way to add a little color around your home, or just want the smart conveniences that come with a HomeKit-enabled light, then it is hard to go wrong with the Essential A19 Light Bulb.

You want a bright light bulb that supports millions of colors

Nanoleaf's Essential A19 Light Bulb supports the industry standard of 16 million different colors and shades of white, along with a room-filling brightness at 1,100 lumens maximum. Through the smart app controls, you can dial in your favorite hues, dim the lights down on-demand, and of course, you can incorporate them into scenes with other Nanoleaf bulbs or HomeKit accessories.

You own a HomePod mini and want to experience Thread connectivity

If you happen to have a HomePod mini in your home, then you will get the absolute best performance and reliability possible with the Nanoleaf Essential A19 Light Bulb. The HomePod mini and Nanoleaf's bulb are both equipped with Thread wireless radios, which offers instant response times and makes the overall experience with the bulb magical without a complicated setup process.

You do not own HomePod mini and do not like Bluetooth smart accessories

Bluetooth-based smart accessories are generally slower to respond to commands and less reliable due to limited range, and the Nanoleaf Essentials A19 Light Bulb is no exception — if you do not own a HomePod mini. If you don't already have Apple's smaller speaker and don't plan to add one soon, then you may want to look at other light bulb options.

You want a light bulb that works with Amazon Alexa

As of now, the Nanoleaf Essentials A19 Light Bulb does not work with Amazon's Alexa. If you want to utilize voice controls or want it to work with other smart accessories, you will need a HomePod or a Google Home device in your home.

You want to sync your light bulbs with media devices

Unfortunately, Nanoleaf's light bulb doesn't support any form of screen mirroring currently. This means that you won't be able to sync it with movies, shows, or games on your TV or monitor today, but Nanoleaf has mentioned that they are "working on it".

Unless you just have to have a light bulb with screen mirroring capabilities now, it is hard to find a reason not to buy Nanoleaf's Essential Light Bulb if you live within the Apple ecosystem. Nanoleaf's bulb offers all of the goodies at a lower price than its rivals, and having Thread onboard means it is about as future-proof as you can get for smart accessories. On the other hand, if you are on team Android, spotty Bluetooth and lack of integration with Alexa or other Thread accessories mean that you may be better off with another bulb.

With a surprisingly affordable price tag and Thread networking, picking up a Nanoleaf Essentials A19 Light Bulb for your home is a no-brainer — if you have a HomePod mini. Thread is an absolute game-changer for the smart home world as it combines the best of Bluetooth, Zigbee, and Wi-Fi, and does so with a simple, seamless setup process that just works.

Add in bright, vivid colors, dimming, and HomeKit Adaptive Lighting support, and you get a clear winner that is easy to recommend to those just starting their smart home journey, and for those wanting to expand their connected castle. Nanoleaf has knocked it out of the park with the Essentials A19 Light Bulb, so much so, that it is now my go-to pick as the best standard-size smart light bulb on the market for those in the Apple ecosystem. I just hope that Nanoleaf is able to expand to other bulb shapes and sizes so that I can put them in even more places around the home sooner rather than later.

Grab the Meross smart table lamp on sale for $26.99 when you apply the code OQTQBMTA during checkout. That brings it down from a street price of $45, and this lamp fluctuates in price between $40 and $50. The coupon code brings it down to one of the best prices we've seen.

Meross has really made a name for itself in the budget smart home market. We originally discovered the budget smart garage door opener that continues to be a hugely popular item, but the company is growing with newer and better items every day.

This is a great little smart lamp designed to sit on your nightstand or anywhere else around the house. It can be tuned to multiple different types of white from 2700K warm white to 6500K cold white. You can also choose from more than 16 million colors, changing the lamp from white to blue to red and back again. Choose some cool energizing colors or warm relaxing light. Get the mood just right no matter what you're doing. The lamp is dimmable as well so you can find the right color and then pick just how bright you want it.

You can of course adjust all of this from a free app. The app also gives you the ability to set schedules, timers, and countdowns. Get the lamp to turn on or off automatically with specific routines. Create a sunrise in the morning or have the lamp turn on when you get home at night. You can control it from anywhere as long as its connected to a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network.

In addition to app control, the Meross smart lamp also works with your existing smart home network. Apple HomeKit and Siri can even change the color based solely on color temperature. It works with Alexa and Google Assistant as well.

What you need to know

• Signify has unveiled some brand new Philips Hue lights and switches.
• The lineup includes new linear spotlights and outdoor wall lights.
• There's also a new wall switch and dimmer too!

Philips Hue lights are some of the best smart lights for your home, and now their lineup is getting even better with new outdoor lights and switches.

Announced Thursday, Signify is releasing four new products, including two new outdoor lights and new switches to control your smart home. From the press release:

There are also new switches on the way. First, there's a new Philips Hue wall switch module that you can install behind a regular light switch to turn it into a smart switch, making it compatible with your smart home. Philips has also upgraded its dimmer switch with wireless controls and magnetic attachment.

Philips Hue Amarant will roll out on March 2 in North America for $169, whilst the Hue Appear will be available from January 26 in Europe for 149 euros.

The new wall module is coming in the Summer for $40, and the new dimmer switch will be available in the US from February 23 for just $24.99. Full details here.

What you need to know

• The Fluora LED Floor Plant stands at over 4-feet tall with five artisan stems and 20 leaves with 300 LED lights inside, all of it viewable at 360-degrees.
• It's live on Kickstarter with a price of $499 (retail $699).
• You can get Super Early backer pricing at $429, or Super Bird at $469.

When it comes to decorating the home, adding a houseplant is always a nice touch, but let's face it — we all don't have green thumbs. Fortunately, the Fluora Magical LED Houseplant is a great substitute, and honestly, it adds way more pizazz to a home than a real plant. The Fluora Magical LED Houseplant by Color and Light just launched its campaign on Kickstarter, and you can back it now.

So what is the Fluora LED houseplant? It's inspired by the traditional natural houseplant, but turns it into the world's first lighting product with a volumetric display. The Floor Plant, which is currently the only model being made, stands at 4-feet tall in a premium ceramic pot with five artisan stems and 360-degree viewing angle. It has 20 polycarbonate leaves that contain about 300 individually addressable LED lights, and they're all mapped in a 3D space. The LED lights can access 16 million different color combinations, and with the companion smartphone app, you can control the color, animation, and effect. For example, the Fluora can swirl and pulse with your favorite colors, bringing in fresh new life to your home.

The idea behind the Fluora LED Houseplant is that most digital art is flat and two dimensional, which limits its potential to transform the surrounding environment. Since the Fluora LED Houseplant has every LED light in the stem and leaves mapped in a 3D space for 360-degree viewing angles, it's much more immersive.

But the Fluora LED Houseplant has the potential to be much more than just a pretty piece of art in your house. The creators are also working on the Photon platform, which would make it possible to integrate Fluora with your existing smart lighting systems. With Photon, it would be possible to control and customize all of your lighting fixtures, including Fluora, as if they were a single unit. Photon also lets every Fluora plant run its own animations locally, so you have no issues with latency.

I spoke with two of the creators of Fluora, and they told me that they also plan to integrate HomeKit eventually. And later on, Fluora can be further customized for creating your own multi-sensory experiences, such as having your plant in sync with your music, exercise, or meditation routines. And while the Fluora website shows off three versions: Tabletop, Floor, and Hanging, only the Floor version is available right now on Kickstarter. The Tabletop and Hanging will launch sometime in 2021 — unfortunately, no idea on how much these will be.

The Fluora Magical LED Houseplant is currently on Kickstarter now until November 20, 2020 with pricing at $499 for a Floor Plant. You can be a Super Early backer and get one for $429 (only 100 slots), or an Early Bird for $469 (300 slots). The retail price for the Floor Plant will be $699 once it's out of the Kickstarter phase.

If you're interested in the Fluora Magical LED Houseplant, check out the Kickstarter page to learn more and make a pledge. And if you want to decorate your home right now, check out some of the best smart lights that are readily available.

What you need to know

• Nanoleaf has shared a new light panel design to celebrate the release of Star Wars: Squadrons.
• Spaceship design consists of 57 triangular light panels, and supports four colors across the display.
• Nanoleaf Screen Mirror capabilities allow the light panels to sync with the game for a more immersive experience.

Nanoleaf is celebrating the launch of Star Wars: Squadrons today by showing off an ultimate spaceship light panel design that can sync with the new release. The latest Star Wars game, available now for the Xbox One, PC, and PS4, features single and multiplayer battles with classic starships like TIE fighters and X-wings.

Nanoleaf's massive spaceship design incorporates a total of 57 light panels from the company's iconic triangular-shaped line across three separate displays. The larger spaceship portion measures 74-by-52-inches, and features various shades of blue, green, and white, which Nanoleaf provides hex colors for if you want to create your own at home. The other two accent displays that sit off to the side of the spaceship are 49-inches tall, and are shaped in straight lines with nine panels each.

The displays are made possible by Nanoleaf's modular light panel system that uses a series of Linkers, Controllers, and Power Supplies, to keep them all connected. The panels do not require any tools for installation, and are mounted to walls with removable mounting tape. Once installed, Nanoleaf's panels can be controlled via the Nanoleaf Smarter Series app, as well as via voice through smart home platforms like HomeKit.

To take things even further, Nanoleaf's Screen Mirror capabilities allow the panels to sync with games like Star Wars: Squadrons, and movies, creating more immersive experiences. Nanoleaf's panels can even sync with ambient music through a Rhythm module that uses an on-board microphone and does not require any additional software to get the party started.

Nanoleaf's triangle Light Panels are available as part of a nine-pack starter kit with prices starting at $200 at various retailers like Amazon, or directly from Nanoleaf's online store. Additional expansion sets are also available starting at $60 for a pack of four panels.

What you need to know

• The Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box lets you sync your Hue lights to your home entertainment system.
• It just got a big update.
• You can now use Siri to control the box, and it now supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+.

A big update to the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box will allow users to access Siri control, as well as support for HDR10+ content and Dolby Vision.

In a press release, details of the latest update were revealed:

Now, users can enjoy synchronized lighting effects when viewing Dolby Vision or HDR10+ content. Previously, this worked by way of passthrough, but you couldn't sync your lights.

The other big update is voice control support, notably for Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant. This is currently only in English, but the press release states "at launch", suggesting more language support may be on the way:

The final update means the Sync Box can now respond to a standard infrared TV remote, or a Harmony universal remote, allowing users to switch between multiple HDMI devices or turning the box on and off.

These latest features are available by way of a software update, found in the Hue Sync mobile app, specifically the settings menu.

What you need to know

• Arlo has announced that its Pro 3 Floodlight Camera is now available at select retailers.
• Latest product combines a powerful floodlight with the the acclaimed Pro 3 camera.
• Arlo has also released an updated Alexa skill for its Video Doorbell.

Arlo has announced a pair of smart home goodies including the release of its Pro 3 Floodlight Camera, and an update to its Alexa Skill for the Video Doorbell.

Arlo's security hybrid, the Pro 3 Floodlight, combines a powerful floodlight with the company's popular Pro 3 Camera into one convenient package. The floodlight camera can be powered by the included rechargeable battery or hard-wired, and it can integrate with existing Arlo devices or work as a standalone solution.

The new camera sports a 160-degree field of view, HDR, and captures footage at 2K resolution, 2560 x 1440. The camera also includes a siren built-in, and lighting can be set to solid, or a flashing pattern. Other features are staples such as 2-way audio, weather resistance, and smart home integration through Amazon's Alexa and the Google Assistant.

Speaking of Alexa, Arlo's CEO has took to Twitter today to announce that an updated Alexa Skill is now available for its Video Doorbell. The updated skill allows Amazon Echo devices to answer and 2-way talk to visitors when the Video Doorbell button is pressed. Arlo's CES also mentioned that the company plans to add this functionality to other cameras as well in the coming weeks.

The Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Camera is available for purchase now at Home Depot with a retail price of $249.99. The Floodlight will also be available soon at other major retailers such as Best Buy and Amazon, as well as on Arlo.com.

What you need to know

• Nanoleaf has shared an epic Yoda design using Canvas light panels.
• Design incorporates 48 light squares and displays multiple colors simultaneously.
• Canvas squares can act as HomeKit buttons, putting Yoda to work around the home.

Nanoleaf has gotten into the Star Wars spirit with an epic Canvas light design to celebrate today's May the 4th holiday. Spanning a total of 48 of the company's Canvas light panels, Nanoleaf has designed an incredible Yoda that puts the icon in full color above an equally sweet desk setup.

Nanoleaf's Canvas lights are a favorite of ours for their modular nature that allows those with actual creative talent to bring to life just about anything they can think of. The Canvas squares can display up to 16 million different colors and shades of whites, and each square can show off a color that is independent of others in the same set up.

Canvas light squares also sport touch capabilities which enable all sorts of controls like tapping to change colors, and even playing games like Simon or Memory. HomeKit integration takes the touch sensitive panels even further by enabling each one of them to work as HomeKit buttons. Yes, you read that right, each Canvas light square can trigger actions or scenes for other HomeKit accessories, which means this awesome Yoda acts as 48 HomeKit buttons!

A starter pack consisting of 9 Canvas squares is currently available for $200 at various retailers like Amazon, or directly from Nanoleaf's online store. Expansion packs are also available that consist of 4 and 25 panel sets with pricing starting at $80.

When it comes to smart light bulbs, there are tons of options available these days, with pretty much every manufacturer providing their own take on the category. Despite having a lot of choices, most smart bulbs tend to be a little on the dim side, with very few reaching over 1,000 lumens.

The smart bulbs that do offer high brightness levels, such as LIFX's popular A19 color light bulb, come with a price tag that can be a little hard to swallow at $60. Progress is definitely being made on this front, though, from companies like Novostella, offering the best of both worlds. I recently had a chance to test out the Novostella 13w Smart LED Light Bulb, and I am really enjoying having connected bulbs that can light up an entire room.

Covers all of the bases

Novostella Smart LED Light Bulb: The features

The Novostella Smart LED Light Bulb is one of the brighter A19/E26 smart bulbs around, capable of reaching up to 1,300 lumens. Despite its high brightness, the bulb still sips energy, rated at just 13 watts when in use.

Novostella's offering can display the industry standard 16 million colors and shades of whites and is fully dimmable. Color temperature adjustments ranging from 2700K to 6500K are also available via smart app control.

The bulb connects directly to a home network via 2.4ghz Wi-Fi, with no additional hub required. Like many smart home accessories, the bulb does not work with 5ghz networks, which is something to keep in mind if your router doesn't support separate channels.

Smart control is available through the Smart Life app, which is an app that works with a variety of accessories from different manufacturers. The app supports basics like sliders for adjustments, toggles for on/off, timers, and scenes.

Through the Smart Life app, voice control integration with Amazon's Alexa, and the Google Assistant are just a few taps away. The app also supports automations, as well as platforms such as IFTTT for convenient controls.

Finally, the bulb is rated for indoor use only, with no weather resistance on-board. Novostella lists the bulb's lifespan at 50,000 hours, and it includes a one-year limited warranty.

Bright and beautiful

Novostella Smart LED Light Bulb: What I like

Novostella's smart light bulb is bright, really bright, instantly lighting up the area around it the moment I turned it on. The 1,300 lumens of brightness was really nice to have in a smart bulb, as most that I have tried over the years have always ranged between 400-800, which is not quite bright enough for some areas.

Colors from the light bulb were also bright and vivid, easily handling any color thrown at it from the Smart Life app. The one exception to this is greens, which for some reason, is a sore spot for many smart bulbs, but I am positively impressed by Novostella's color reproduction.

Adjustments to colors and brightness made through the Smart Life app took effect almost immediately on the bulb itself. Navigating the Smart Life app was rather easy, with clearly labeled tabs at the bottom leading to things such as scenes, schedules, and colors.

I like how the app puts the main controls up front, with a large color ring around a bulb icon, and sliders separate from the navigation area. For an app that can be a little overwhelming at first, with tons of different accessories available to select when pairing, the app does get the actual control portion right.

Bulky base

Novostella Smart LED Light Bulb: What I don't like

While physically installing the Novostella light bulb is quite easy, the base of the bulb is rather bulky and heavy when compared to traditional LEDs. In most cases, the bulb should fit within most lamps, but its size may prevent it from working with enclosed fixtures or small lights in general.

As previously mentioned, the Novostella smart bulb only works with 2.4ghz networks. Your mileage may vary, but some routers, such as my Eero system, may cause an issue with pairing due to it using the same SSID for both 2.4 and 5ghz.

Having dealt with this issue before for other accessories, I was ready for pairing trouble, using an old AirPort Extreme router that can separate SSIDs. There is no doubt in my mind that this limitation will cause frustrations for many, likely leading to cases where people simply give up trying to pair it.

For voice control, the Novostella smart light bulb works with Alexa and the Google Assistant, but unfortunately, Apple's HomeKit is not supported. Support for Siri Shortcuts is available through a Tap-to-Run automation in the "Smart" tab in the app, and once created, you can toggle the light bulb on and off through Siri on your iPhone or HomePod.

Smart and bright

Novostella Smart LED Light Bulb: The Bottom Line

Despite some of its flaws, such as lack of 5.ghz and HomeKit support, Novostella's Smart LED light bulb is a great alternative to the more pricey offerings available. At 1,300 lumens, this bulb is one of the brightest around, and it matches its competitors in color reproduction, at 16 million shades of beautiful colors and whites.

Novostella's bulb also features quick response times using the Smart Life app, and even though Siri is not around, having Alexa and Google Assistant support is good enough for most. If you are in the market for a bright, affordable bulb, and know-how to get around the 2.4ghz limitation, then this bulb is undoubtedly worth a look.

Novostella is collaborating with iMore to bring our readers a special exclusive 15% discount for this product. Enter promo code IMORENOVO at checkout to receive this discount at Amazon. Offer is valid from 04/17/20 through 04/23/20.

What you need to know

• Seven Philips Hue lights introduced at CES are available now.
• Two fixtures are designed for the great outdoors, four are recessed downlights.
• Latest lighting can be purchased directly from Philips Hue and Best Buy.

Philips Hue made quite the splash at CES 2020 in Las Vegas, with the introduction of a whopping 11 new outdoor light fixtures, the first of which are now available. A total of seven new lights can be purchased today, including for the first time, recessed versions of white and color downlights.

As with most Hue accessories, the updated lineup of lights can display up to 16 million colors, and 50,000 shades of white. Each fixture can be controlled via the Philips Hue app, as well as with the various voice assistants, such as Amazon's Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple's HomeKit.

The following Hue lights are available for purchase at the Philips Hue online store and Best Buy as of today:

Philips Hue Lily XL

An updated version of the popular outdoor spot light, the Lily XL is now available. This larger version includes a more powerful spotlight, creating a dramatic effect wherever it is aimed at.

$130 at Philips Hue

Philips Hue Econic Outdoor Pedestal

A North America exclusive path light, dubbed the Hue Econic Pedestal, brings the smarts to one of the outdoor staples. These low voltage lights are smaller than the original but still retain the lantern like design.

• $130 at Best Buy
• $130 at Philips Hue

Philips Hue White Appear Outdoor Wall Light

The Hue Appear offers both color and white light in a sleek modern design that is suited for the outdoors. This light casts "triangles" of light against whatever surface that it is mounted to for a truly unique look.

$140 at Philips Hue

Philips Hue White Ambiance Downlight 4-inch

The Hue White Ambiance Downlight replaces existing recessed fixtures for a clean and seamless look. This 4-inch version sports updated Bluetooth capabilities.

• $35 at Best Buy
• $35 at Philips Hue

Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance Downlight 4-inch

The White and Color Ambiance version of the 4-inch downlight offers up to 16 million different shades of whites and colors. With this release, you can finally ditch the ugly bulbs in favor of a cleaner solution.

$55 at Philips Hue

Philips Hue White Ambiance Downlight 5/6-inch

Now available in a 5/6-inch version, the Hue White Ambiance Downlight offers color temperature adjustments that can help to energize and calm. Like all Philips Hue products, it works in conjunction with the Hue Bridge, and this version includes direct to device Bluetooth.

$35 at Philips Hue

Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance Downlight 5/6-inch

A proper recessed Philips Hue color downlight is finally available! This larger 5/6-inch version can finally bring playful colors to your kitchen, basement, or anywhere you have recessed lights.

$55 at Philips Hue

Philips Hue White Ambiance GU-10 2-Pack

An updated 2-pack of GU-10 White Ambiance bulbs is also now available. The updated version bundles two bulbs at a low price, and Bluetooth connectivity.

$50 at Philips Hue

Philips Hue smart lights are pretty fantastic since you can control them with your phone through the Philips Hue app, HomeKit, or through a virtual assistant with voice commands (Alexa, Siri, or Google). For those times where you need a physical button though, you can go with the official Philips Hue Smart Dimmer Switch for convenient controls. It works just like a normal light switch, except it's imbued with smart technology that, as it states in the name, allows for wireless dimming. Here are some accessories that can enhance how you use and store your Dimmer.

Not just for dimming

With all of these accessories, your Philips Hue Smart Dimmer Switch with Remote is bound to get a lot of use! Our favorite accessory is the Philips Hue Smart Plug, which works with the dimmer to add remote control to just about anything you can plug in. This plug works great with lamps, fans, heaters, air purifiers, and more.

Have trouble keeping your Hue light bulbs connected due to a certain someone in your home using the old light switch on the wall? Then check out the Samotech Toggle Light Switch Cover. This handy accessory installs over the top of your light switch, blocking others from using the traditional method, and a magnetic base gives your dimmer the home it deserves.

What you need to know

• Philips has confirmed via Twitter that the Hue Bridge v1 will stop getting software updates after April 2020.
• Philips initially announced that support was winding up in April of 2019.
• After April, the v1 will not work with the Hue app, or any digital assistants.

Philips has confirmed via Twitter that support for the Hue Bridge v1 will stop after April 2020.

As spotted by 9to5Mac, in a tweet to a disgruntled customer Philips said:

Back in April of 2019, Philips made the following announcement regarding the Hue Bridge v1:

We have now arrived at the discontinuation of further software updates and online services part of this announcement. The Hue Bridge v1 will still work with the dedicated Hue Bridge v1 app, however, it will no longer work with the official Hue app because that requires your Bridge to be on the latest software. Your Bridge will also stop working with digital assistants like Alexa and Siri.

Philips has reassured customers it has no such plans to wind up support for the v2 Bridge anytime soon, and that it is not working on a new bridge currently.

The Philips Hue Play HDMI sync box is down to $199.99 at Best Buy. That's $30 off its regular price, and today Best Buy will throw in a $50 gift card, too. That's $80 in total savings with $30 saved directly off the price. We have seen other Philips Hue Play devices go on sale with this $50 gift card promotion but never the HDMI sync box. So this is a new sale and a great way to save if you want the ultimate smart lighting setup at home.

$79.95 $100.00 Save $20 1623250163

Simulates the sunset and sunrise and includes 5 different wake-up sounds. Has an FM radio with snooze and automatic dimmable display. It also includes 10 brightness settings. Help establish a healthy sleeping and waking routine.

$69.99 $120.00 Save $50 1620833737

The kit includes two multicolor BR30 smart bulbs and the Philips Hue bridge designed to help you unite your bulbs and connect them to your Wi-Fi network. Find the perfect lighting with preset scenes or lighting effects that sync to your movie.

Up to 20% off 1607686186

The X2HR have Hi-Res Audio with 50mm high-def neodymium drivers and an acoustic open-back architecture. They have deluxe memory foam ear pads and a lightweight adjustable hammock with genuine leather.

$169.99 $200.00 Save $30 1601821721

Built-in bedroom sensor and smartphone connection helps create ideal environment. AmbiTrack sensor measures your bedroom's temp, noise, light, and humidity. Customize the alarm, light, sound, and sunrise/sunset themes. Has clock and touch display.

$130.40 $137.79 Save $7 1413777600

We reviewed the sync box back in December and gave it 4 stars out of 5 and a Recomennded badge. Nirave Gondhia said, "If you do have a Hue setup already and watch a lot of TV, the Hue Play Sync Box is a great device. Yes, there are some compromises you have to make, but the experience offered by the Hue Play Sync Box absolutely makes up for these. The Hue Play Sync Box is so good, it's replacing the LIFX setup behind my TV."

You do already need to have a Philips Hue Bridge with Philips Hue smart lights connected to it to make this work. We share a lot of deals on Philips Hue lights, so there's a good chance you've already got something setup. If not, you can look into an option like this 2-bulb starter kit that includes a couple of smart bulbs and the bridge and will work with the sync box.

This device syncs your Philips Hue lights to your TV screen. So whenever you're watching a movie or TV show, the smart lighting in the room around you will dance, flash, dim, or brighten in sync with that content. It even works with streaming media players or gaming consoles thanks to the four HDMI ports. It works with both white and multi-color bulbs.

Make no mistake about it, the classic filament light bulb design is back and here to stay. These updated bulbs are not only stylish, but they sport the same energy savings as traditional LED light bulbs, and now in the last couple of years, they have added smart wireless technology for convenient controls.

I recently set up a trio of smart filament bulbs from the Bulbrite Solana line, and found that the trendy design definitely adds some character to rather ordinary light fixtures. This character comes not just from the exposed "filaments" inside of their glass housing, but also from their adjustable color temperature, giving them the ability to add yellowish and white tones to any surrounding, on-demand. Needless to say, I am a fan of the look, and of course, the smarts.

Same, but different

Bulbrite Solana Smart Filament Light Bulb: The features

The Solana filament lineup spans three different bulb shapes, the standard A19, G25 globe, and ST18 Edison, each of which uses a medium screw base that is compatible with the majority of fixtures around. The Solana bulbs are made of glass, with a small white support at the bottom, and inside are thin LED strips arranged in a criss-cross pattern to give the filament look.

All three bulbs are listed as consuming just 5.5 watts of energy when in use, however, the bigger variants are, for some reason, labeled as 60-watt equivalents, versus the A19 being listed as 40-watt. Each bulb is only capable of producing a maximum of 600 lumens of light, again, despite the difference in marketing. The bulbs support just white light, although they are dimmable, and tunable, allowing users to adjust them from a soft white shade to daylight.

Lifespan is rated at just over 13 years with standard use, and Bulbrite offers a 2-year limited warranty. Bulbrite states that the bulbs can be used outdoors in enclosed fixtures. However, I was unable to find any information regarding potential weather resistance, and the company mentions that lifespan will be impacted by extreme conditions. Bulbrite also states that the bulbs are only suitable for traditional light switches and lamps, and not those of the dimming variety.

The Solana line works with a free app, as well as Alexa and Google Assistant, for convenient controls without a subscription. The bulbs utilize 2.4ghz Wi-Fi for connectivity to your home network and work without a separate hub, which is nice, particularly as all three sizes are sold for below $20 each. In addition to standard on and off controls, the Solana app has scheduling options and support for scenes.

Responsive controls

Bulbrite Solana Smart Filament Light Bulb: What I like

Since the light bulbs have all of the included hardware built right in, and without the need of a hub, installation involved simply screwing them into lamps within my home. Pairing the bulbs was also easy, at least for 2 of the 3 (more on that in a bit), requiring nothing more than creating an account within the Solana app, and selecting them after being found.

Controlling the Solana line via the associated app was pretty standard fare, with familiar sliders and toggle switches controlling power, brightness, and color temperature. Response times for adjustments were swift, with changes able to be seen pretty much instantly. I did not run into any instances where the bulbs failed to respond and they were always available upon launching the app with no delays.

Overall, I found the app to be more than sufficient for day to day usage, with a clean layout and easily accessible controls. The only flaw that I saw with the app was that the group or room controls looked exactly like an individual bulb controls, which may be confusing at first for those just looking to access one bulb.

The actual bulbs themselves produced clean white light, and I liked being able to adjust the color temperature from a softer white or yellow, to the more intense daylight on demand. I enjoyed seeing the filament-like effect from the bulbs, especially at the lower brightness levels, and didn't see any issues with flickering or humming with the lamp with which I tested them. The Solana light bulbs definitely nailed the filament design, instantly giving my lamp a more stylish, industrial look.

2 out of 3

Bulbrite Solana Smart Filament Light Bulb: What I don't like

As I previously mentioned, pairing the Bulbrite Solana Smart Filament Light Bulbs was quick and easy for two out of the three bulbs that I tested. Unfortunately, one bulb when powered on for the first time did not blink rapidly. Instead, it just stayed illuminated, which meant that the Bulbrite Solana app could not see it when attempting to pair it.

To fix this, I had to perform a reset procedure that involved turning on and off the light fixture rapidly a total of five or six times, with a slight one-second pause in between. This wasn't the biggest of deals, but it was strange that one would come like this right out of the box, and it also gives me reason to believe that these bulbs could be reset accidentally if you have house members that like to play with the light switches.

Moving over to the hardware side of things, I found that the bulbs themselves were a little bigger than some of my existing dumb bulbs, especially the ST 18 variant, which is comically large. Granted, these light bulbs are meant to be seen and will more than likely not be used within closed fixtures or lampshades, but it still is something to keep in mind as they could potentially look out of place compared to the size of the socket to which they attach.

I also found that the Bulbrite filament line was a little on the dim side for my tastes, with 600 lumens just not packing enough power to work as area lighting. Even with the "20-watt" difference in the name between the smaller A19 and the larger globe and Edison styles, each of them still output the same maximum brightness level, which is just odd.

Finally, even though the Bulbrite Solana line supports Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant, it does not support Apple's HomeKit, which is quite a bummer. The bulbs also require an internet connection and a registered account to access them, which means that you could be left in the dark if there is an outage at home, or if the company's cloud service were to experience an interruption. Sure, you can just walk over to the light switch on your wall or flick a button on a lamp to toggle them on or off if worse comes to worst, but I would undoubtedly prefer a local approach for connectivity.

Affordable alternative

Bulbrite Solana Smart Filament Light Bulb: The Bottom Line

The Bulbrite Solana Smart Filament LED Light Bulbs provide all of the connected goodies, like dimming and remote control, without breaking the bank. These bulbs are responsive, easy to set up, and just look plain cool with their on-trend design.

As with anything, there are certainly some downsides to consider, such as their limited brightness output, internet requirement, and lack of HomeKit support. If you can look past these issues, though, then the Bulbrite Solana lineup is definitely one to consider for your next smart upgrade.

While much of the focus of the smart home world lies inside of your home, there is a growing market for convenient solutions for the great outdoors. Security cameras and video doorbells are some of the most common outdoor accessories. Still, weather-resistant smart lighting is also becoming more mainstream, with light strips and bulbs leading the charge.

Other types of outdoor lighting are also slowly getting a smart makeover, including the classic floodlight. I recently set up a pair of Novostella Smart LED Floodlights for my home, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much connected tech could fit into a small, yet powerful accessory, and still retain the level of weather resistance needed to operate out in the harsh elements. I can certainly see this type of accessory being commonplace in the near future, although it needs some refinements to bring that to fruition.

Connected classic

Novostella Smart LED Floodlight: The features

The Novostella Smart LED Floodlights, which are sold in pairs, feature a pretty unremarkable design that is mostly all black, with a large window that sits in front of a bank of LEDs. The floodlights have no physical buttons or switches on-device, with all of the controls coming from an app, or via voice using Amazon's Alexa, or Google Assistant. The floodlights are weather-resistant, sporting an IP 66 rating, which is typically referred to as having full dust protection in addition to protection from high-pressure water.

Around the back of the floodlights, there is a stand which pivots towards the top or bottom and has screw holes for securing it to the side of your home. A 3 foot power cord rests at the bottom, and along the top of the floodlights is a terminal for a screw-on antenna, which is optional, but adds increased wireless range.

The smart portion of the floodlights is enabled through Wi-Fi connectivity over the 2.4ghz band only. The floodlights connect directly to your home network without needing a separate hub, and there are no subscription fees involved, just a simple registration is all that it takes to get everything up and running.

As for lighting, the Novostella Floodlights support what appears to be the industry standard of 16 million different shades of colors and whites. The floodlights are fully dimmable and are capable of reaching up to 2,000 lumens of brightness using just 20 watts of energy. Each floodlight projects its lighting at a 120-degree angle, and additional extras, such as motion detection, or multiple color zones are not included.

Rugged exterior

Novostella Smart LED Floodlight: What I like

When the Novostella Smart LED Floodlights arrived, I was immediately surprised about just how compact they were and was amazed that the company was able to cram two of them into its packaging. I was also surprised with the build quality of the lights, as they appear to be built out of solid aluminum, which makes them quite hefty, and gives me the impression that they will stand the test of time.

Even the power cord itself felt substantial, and the spot where it connects to the internals of the light was rigid and had what looked to be a bushing that was truly meant to keep out water. The stand or mount portion was also made of aluminum, and I liked that the floodlight can be mounted in various orientations, although I will note that actual mounting screws are not included. The Wi-Fi antenna is removable, which is nice if you plan on keeping your lights near your home router, and it gives the whole package a much cleaner look.

Powering up the lights for the first time immediately blasted them on at full intensity with a clean white light, which gave me no doubt that they can reach their claims of 2,000 lumens. Colors on the floodlights were also bright and vivid, with color reproduction being on par with most other smart lighting, each with adjustable temperatures.

Color, brightness, and temperature adjustments were quick and easy within the associated app, with various sliders and color wheels available. Preset colors are also available, putting some of the more common schemes, such as a "reading mode," just a tap away, although most of them don't quite align with outdoor lighting. Changes sent from the app happened pretty much instantaneously, thanks to its direct connection to the network over Wi-Fi.

Pairing problems

Novostella Smart LED Floodlight: What I don't like

Setting up the Novostella Smart LED Floodlights was an interesting experience, to say the least. While Novostella includes a QR code in the user guide to take you right to the app store listing for the appropriate app, the app itself is not branded for the company or the lights. Instead, the app seems to use a catch-all type of approach, which lists a vast range of accessories that can work with a bunch of different brands, including one from another one of my recent reviews.

Since the app isn't specific to the floodlight, the user manual steps, pictures, and terminology don't quite align with what you actually are presented. This obviously created some confusion, but I did manage to make my way to the pairing process after just randomly choosing a Wi-Fi light bulb as my accessory, where I was presented with another issue: my lights were not ready for pairing out of the box. Powering on the lights led to them merely staying lit, and not blinking rapidly like how the app stated to indicate that they were ready to pair.

Instead, I had to perform a reset of the lights, which involved unplugging it and plugging it back in around five times rapidly. This process was again not aligned with the reset process in the app, but I figured since the floodlight does not have a manual power switch on it, this was the way to get the job done. Of course, the app experience is why I prefer accessories that work with Apple's HomeKit platform as it provides consistency, but unfortunately, the Novostella floodlights do not support it.

Over on the hardware side of things, I found that I was unable to actually stand the floodlights upright like they are shown on the marketing material. This is due to the design of the floodlight, with its Wi-Fi antenna piece protruding from one end, and the heavy-duty power cord attaching to the other. You can choose not to install the antenna, but it will limit range, and it will cause the power cord to sit at the top of the light, which looks all sorts of weird and probably isn't good for weather resistance. Speaking of the cord, I found it to be rather short (3 foot), all but guaranteeing that it will need an extension cord for outdoor placement.

Mixed bag

Novostella Smart LED Floodlight: The Bottom Line

In the end, the Novostella Smart LED Floodlight is somewhat of a mixed bag. On the one hand, the stable, rugged exterior with weather resistance rating, coupled with its bright and crisp colors, makes it suitable for most outdoor lighting needs. However, the less than stellar pairing process, short cord, and flawed stand design, keeps it from being one of the standouts for the category.

You can certainly get a lot out of the Novostella Smart LED Floodlight if you are willing to put in a little work. Mounting the floodlight with your own screws can bypass the stand issue, providing your own extension cord can negate the short cord problem, and knowing the tricks to pairing can undoubtedly help to get things up and running quickly. For most people, though, it merely seems like too much to ask for the price of admission.

What you need to know

• Caséta Wireless Smart Motion Sensor is available now at Amazon.
• Motion Sensor has a 180 degree field of view and 10 year battery life.
• Sensor works with other Caséta accessory such as light switches and dimmers.

Announced back at CES 2020 in early January, Lutron's Caséta Wireless Smart Motion Sensor is now available for purchase on Amazon. Lutron's motion sensor gives owners of Caséta Wireless light switches and dimmers a hands-free way to turn on the lights just by entering a room.

The Caséta Wireless Smart Motion Sensor features a 180 degree field of view and passive infrared sensors that detect heat to determine activity within a room. Lutron claims that its motion sensing technology, dubbed XCT, can deliver 3x finer motion detection, making it more accurate and more responsive than offerings from competitors.

Lutron's sensor is completely wireless, connecting via RF to the company's Caséta Smart Bridge, and is powered by a small CR123 battery. Lutron states that users can expect up to 10 years of battery life with the included battery. Lutron also includes various mounting options, such as a corner bracket, in the box for easy placement around the home, but it is rated for indoor use only.

Unfortunately, it appears that the sensor does not integrate with Apple's HomeKit or other smart home platforms at this time. This limits the sensor to only working with Caséta accessories for the foreseeable future, which does put a damper on what looks to be a solid device.

In addition to the motion sensor, Lutron's upcoming Smart Wireless Repeater, which was also announced at CES, is available for pre-order on Amazon, with an estimated shipping date listed as within 1-2 months. A vacancy only variant of the motion sensor is also in the works, which is slated for release later this year.

What you need to know

• Six Philips Hue light fixtures introduced at CES are available now.
• All six fixtures are designed for the great outdoors.
• North American releases will follow in March.

Philips Hue made quite the splash at this years CES held last month in Las Vegas, with the introduction of a whopping 11 new outdoor light fixtures, the first of which are available now. A total of six smart fixtures are now available in European markets, including an update to its popular Lily spotlight, as well as entirely new designs that are made for mounting on a wall.

As with most Hue accessories, the updated lineup of lights can display up to 16 million colors, and 50,000 shades of white. Each fixture can be controlled via the Philips Hue app, as well as with the various voice assistants, such as Amazon's Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple's HomeKit.

Four of the latest Philips Hue additions will be exclusive to Europe, with just two making their way to North America in mid-March. The following Hue lights are available for purchase on Amazon UK as of today:

Philips Hue Resonate

Even though the Resonate light come in a rectangular form factor, these outdoor lights actually create triangles of light. What's more is that the light from them comes out both the top and bottom creating a distinct look. The European exclusive Hue Resonate are available in both a black and stainless steel finish.

£130 at Amazon UK

Philips Hue Appear

Just like the Resonate, the Hue Appear projects beams of triangular light from both sides of the outdoor fixture. The Appear however takes on a skinnier cylindrical frame and will only be available in black. This light will also make its way to North America starting in mid-March.

£130 at Amazon UK

Philips Hue Attract

Another Europe exclusive is the Hue Attract which features a classic downlight design. This outdoor light has an open glass shade which provides an "arc of light" against the wall that it is mounted to.

£182 at Amazon UK

Philips Hue Lily XL

An updated version of the popular outdoor spot light, the Lily XL has also been announced. This larger version include a more powerful spotlight, creating a dramatic effect wherever it is aimed at. A North American release will follow in mid-March.

£130 at Amazon UK

Philips Hue Daylo

Another European exclusive, the Hue Daylo is a circular outdoor fixture that comes in both black and stainless steel options. These lights mount directly to a wall which gives it a truly unique look.

£110 at Amazon UK

Philips Hue Impress

The newest Philips Hue Impress model features the same design as before, however, this time it comes in a low-voltage option. Going the low-voltage route allows the Impress to be installed simply by plugging it in, forgoing wiring or a call to an electrician.

£120 at Amazon UK

Two additional fixtures, the Nyro wall light, and pedestal light will follow in May of this year. A range of outdoor power supplies and cables will also be available soon.

The Govee USB-powered RGB LED light strip backlighting with remote is down to $9.90 with code E3G7U7YU on Amazon. The light strip goes for $15 without the code, and that's its regular street price. The savings through the code bring it down to the lowest price we've seen.

$19.49 $29.99 Save $11 1612171421

Find out the internal temperature of your food and get remote alerts when what you're cooking hits a desired temperature or falls out of a preset range. Clip the on-page coupon for 15% off and enter the below code at checkout for the full savings.

Up to 30% off 1603448452

The sale includes TV backlighting, LED light strips, interior lighting for your car, smart lights that respond to Amazon Alexa, and more. These are mostly plug-and-play, work with Govee's free smart app, and the LEDs stay cool to the touch.

From $8 1602669391

Govee strip lights and LED bulbs are super popular because of their balance of features and price, and several models are discounted by 30% or more at Amazon. The sale also features Govee's home temperature sensors.

$29.99 $43.99 Save $14 1592851723

Govee's RGB light strip is easy to setup and can be controlled using an app on your smartphone, or even with your voice! It works with Alexa and Google Assistant and comes in two strips measuring 16.4 feet long each.

$39.99 $39.99 Save $0 1543640400

The light strip comes with an updated design that allows it to be split in up into three or four pieces so you can form a square around the back of a TV or go around a corner somewhere. Because of this it can be adjusted to fit any size TV between 40 and 60 inches using the different pieces and the connecting wires. You don't need to cut or bend the strip to make it fit anymore. Larger screens (50 to 60 inches) will only get three sides covered.

You can pick between 20 different colors for the light strip, and it also supports a time setting and scene modes that can change the lights. You can also use the included remote to change the color or adjust the brightness of the lights whenever you want. All you do is plug the strip into your TV's USB port to power it, then stretch it where you want it to go. That makes it easy to fully hide behind your setup since there's no cord stretching to an outlet or anything. It comes with a controller box in addition to the remote that uses simple button controls.

For the scene mode, you can choose between seven scenes corresponding to different events depending on what you're watching. The lights are also safe to touch, produce very little heat, and use a strong 3M adhesive to stay connected to your TV. To ensure the strip stays connected wherever you put it, it also comes with five clips.

With the lights set up behind your TV, they will also work as bias lighting. Bias lighting helps reduce eye fatigue and create whole-room ambiance.

Despite my affinity for adding smart home accessories whenever I can in my home, there is one area, or rather one company, that I haven't had in my life for quite a few years now. Back when Philips Hue first burst onto the scene, I was right there along for the ride, adding the company's light bulbs, light strips, and dimmers, everywhere I could.

However, as my smart home needs evolved, I ended up leaving the Hue ecosystem, not because of any issues or troubles, but rather, because I wanted smart light switches to be the end all lighting solution for my home. So needless to say, I lost a little color in my life when making the transition.

I recently began thinking about adding some accent lighting or bias lighting to my desk setup, and despite a plethora of options now available on the market, I just couldn't resist the allure of going back to Philips Hue. I ended up picking a Hue Play Bar Starter Kit, which also included the most important piece of the puzzle, the Hue Hub. While I expected great performance and reliability from the lights, I didn't expect just how much I would enjoy the simple pleasure of having colorful lighting and effects back in the home again.

Versatility in a bar

Philips Hue Play Bar: The features

The Philips Hue Play Bar comes in quite a few different configurations, including starter kit bundles, standalone light bars, and extension packs, all in addition to white and color variants. The Play Bar itself sports a sleek, slim, profile that is composed of a solid lightweight plastic frame with an opaque diffuser on the side that covers the internal LED. At its longest, the Play Bar comes in around 10 inches in length, and sits at about 1.7 inches wide, which makes it easy to fit into most spaces without a stand.

Included in the box are several mounting options, including: a stand for placement on a table and a TV mount for attaching them directly to the back of a TV. For tabletops, the Play Bar can work both vertically and horizontally, using the included stands, or just by laying them down. Attaching the table stand to the light does require the use of an allen wrench, which is included.

If you want to go the bias lighting route for your TV or PC monitor, you can attach the Play Bar around the back using the provided mounting clips which utilize double-sided tape. You can also attach the Play Bar directly to a wall using the same mount, but it should be noted that they are only rated for indoor usage. Wiring for the Play Bar comes in the form of a single (per light) 80-inch, pre-attached cable that attaches to a power supply.

Each Play Bar is capable of producing up to 530 lumens of brightness, which is plenty for accent and bias installations, but not quite enough to light up an entire room. Of course, being a Philips Hue product, the Play Bar supports the company's gold standard of up to 16 million shades of colors and whites along with dimming capabilities.

Color for days

Philips Hue Play Bar: What I like

As I have already alluded to, I absolutely enjoyed seeing the area around my desk lighting up with bright and vivid colors throughout the day. At first, I paired the Play Bars with a HomeKit remote and had it set to simply change it to a single color. Eventually I came around to trying some of the scenes available through the Philips Hue app, and settled on using the Colorloop formula under the Hue Labs section.

Speaking of pairing, the whole set up process with the hub and app was quick and rather painless. The hub was found instantly by the Hue app, and after a quick update, the Play Bars were also found in a matter of seconds. After everything was ready to go, I immediately added it to HomeKit, which is my smart home platform of choice, and again, the process was quite simple. I will also note that the Play Bar, like everything else Philips Hue, works with all three of the major voice assistants, Alexa, Google Assistant, and HomeKit.

Since I went with the lights to complement my room lighting and desk setup, I utilized the included stands to place both lights in a vertical position on each side of my monitor. The plain, thin, design makes the lights look like speakers on my desk and doesn't scream "smart connected lighting", which is exactly what I was trying to avoid. The lights "face" the wall behind my desk, and when illuminated, they give off just the right amount of light, and do not cause any visual distractions.

One of the main reasons that I went with the Play Bars was for performance and reliability. The Philips Hue Hub connects to accessories via a ZigBee wireless radio, which not only keeps things off of your Wi-Fi network, but it can extend its range through mesh networking. This all adds up to the Philips Hue line having rock solid reliability and extremely fast response times, which is exactly what I am seeing with the Play Bar.

Strings attached

Philips Hue Play Bar: What I don't like

Even though the Play Bar comes with a rather generous cable length with room for expansion, I did not like that only one power supply was included in the box. This means that both of the lights included with the kit I purchased plugged into the same outlet, which was ok for my setup, but it could potentially limit placement depending on the situation. Also, the cords that attach to the Play Bar cannot be removed, although they can be removed from the power supply.

Just like with all of the Philips Hue line, along with all color lighting in general, the Play Bar struggles to represent one color in particular, which is green. Sure the lights are capable of displaying bright lime greens on demand, however a darker shade just seems to be the one color that manages to miss out on the fun, which is sad to see even after all of the advancements in the area over the years.

Perhaps the biggest downside to the Play Bar is that it does require the Philips Hue Hub for just about everything. The hub requirement applies to not just the smart side of things, but also for simply turning the lights on and off without pulling the plug. There are no physical switches or buttons to be found on-device, which is understandable for bias lighting, but it still would have been nice to be able to manually toggle colors or power if needed.

Raising the bar

Philips Hue Play Bar The Bottom Line

If you are looking for a clean and simple way to add bias or accent lighting around your home, then the Philips Hue Play Bar is one of the best options around. The compact and versatile design allows it to fit in just about everywhere, including on a tabletop, mounted on a wall, or neatly tucked behind your TV. Yes, there are light strips available that can work for many applications, however, the lamp-esque nature of the Play Bar just makes things easier to manage, and it can be re-used for other purposes in the future.

The Philips Hue Play Bar offers some of the best color reproduction around (minus that pesky dark green), and is bright enough for most scenarios. Response times and reliability are top notch, and the Hue lineup plays nicely with all of the smart home platforms, keeping things lit up even if you decide to change things up in the future. Of course, the Play Bar does require the Philips Hue Hub for things such as turning them on and off, dimming, and changing colors, but if you are in the market for colorful lighting, then you should already be looking in the direction of Hue.

Adding a new vibe to your room for 2020 doesn't cost much. This Govee 16.4-foot LED Strip Lights Backlighting Kit drops to just $16.99 at Amazon when you enter promo code DRC53WPC during checkout so you can switch up the look of any room in your home at an affordable price. This deal saves you $10 and brings this light strip down to one of its best prices in history.

$19.49 $29.99 Save $11 1612171421

Find out the internal temperature of your food and get remote alerts when what you're cooking hits a desired temperature or falls out of a preset range. Clip the on-page coupon for 15% off and enter the below code at checkout for the full savings.

Up to 30% off 1603448452

The sale includes TV backlighting, LED light strips, interior lighting for your car, smart lights that respond to Amazon Alexa, and more. These are mostly plug-and-play, work with Govee's free smart app, and the LEDs stay cool to the touch.

From $8 1602669391

Govee strip lights and LED bulbs are super popular because of their balance of features and price, and several models are discounted by 30% or more at Amazon. The sale also features Govee's home temperature sensors.

$29.99 $43.99 Save $14 1592851723

Govee's RGB light strip is easy to setup and can be controlled using an app on your smartphone, or even with your voice! It works with Alexa and Google Assistant and comes in two strips measuring 16.4 feet long each.

$39.99 $39.99 Save $0 1543640400

This kit comes with 16.4-feet of backlighting which is easy to install behind a desk or TV. Simply peel off the adhesive backing and stick it to the area you want. It's capable of being controlled either using the included remote or with an app on your phone. There's also a control box attached to the strip itself which can turn the light on and off. Meanwhile, the app allows you to schedule when you want it to turn on or off, as well as switch modes; there's one which can sync the lights up to the beat of your music.

The app even allows you to choose between over 16 million colors, giving you a world of variety and allowing you to truly change up the look of your room whenever you'd like. This strip is not waterproof however, so youll only want to use it indoors. At Amazon, this kit has received pretty respectable reviews, resulting in a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars based on nearly 200 customer reviews.

Shipping at Amazon is free on orders totaling $25 or more, or with an Amazon Prime membership. If you've never been a Prime member before, you can start a free 30-day trial to score free two-day shipping with no order minimum, along with access to benefits such as the Prime Video streaming service, exclusive members-only discounts, and more.

What you need to know

• Philips Hue's 19/20 catalog has been leaked on the web.
• It appears to reveal a new range of outdoor lights.
• Hue could be set to reveal the new products at CES in January of next year.

A leak appears to suggest that Philips plans to announce a new range of outdoor Hue smart lights next year.

According to Hueblog via 9to5Mac, Hue is set to launch a new range of outdoor smart lights at CES in January of 2020. The report claims that the official product catalog for 2019/20 has been leaked on the net and that there are new white and color ambiance models revealed within.

Philips looks to follow up its 2018 Hue Lily with a new, Hue Lily XL. It is said to be around 5 inches wide, putting out 1,200 lumens, double the 640 in the previous model.

Other new reported products include a new Impress wall light. It is similar to the current 24V model, however, it has a power cable, rather than requiring a fixed power connection.

There's also reportedly a brand new set of lamps called Nyro, which come as path or wall lamps and have a very cool angular design. Hue Resonate appears to be another wall lamp, along with the Hue Appear and the Daylo. There's also a classic wall lamp named Hue Attract.

Away from actual lights, Hue also has plans for a new power-unit with 40 watts, a more eco-friendly option. You can read a full rundown of all the purported leaked models over at Hueblog. The piece suggests that Hue may be planning to announce these products at CES in January of next year. This seems to be based solely on the notion that Philips announced new Hue lights at CES 2019, there is no indication of a potential release date according to the leaked products themselves.