This guide presents a comprehensive overview of the best connected E27 bulbs as of November 2024. It highlights the advantages of smart bulbs, including voice assistant integration, customizable lighting, and enhanced security features. The top three models are detailed, showcasing their brightness, color options, and compatibility with various smart home systems. Essential criteria for selecting the right bulb are also outlined, emphasizing base size, color flexibility, brightness, and system compatibility.
Updated Selection of Top Connected E27 Bulbs
As of November 12, 2024, our compilation of the finest connected E27 bulbs remains unchanged. The models that our experts have thoroughly tested and endorsed continue to hold their ground, with no new contenders emerging to change the rankings. If you’re in search of the best products at competitive prices, we encourage you to explore this comparative guide. It not only highlights the strengths and weaknesses of the top connected E27 bulbs but also outlines essential purchasing criteria you shouldn’t overlook.
Benefits of Connected Bulbs
Connected bulbs offer seamless integration with voice assistants such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Siri, allowing you to manage your lighting effortlessly with simple voice commands. These smart bulbs enable you to customize brightness and color temperature, creating the perfect ambiance for various activities throughout the day.
Additionally, you can set up automatic on and off schedules to enhance your home’s security by simulating your presence while you’re away. Leading brands in the connected bulb market include Philips Hue, Tapo, Xiaomi, and Meross, each providing a range of options from basic models to advanced features.
Before diving into our technical summaries, here’s our top three list of the best connected bulbs currently available:
- 1. Nanoleaf Matter Essentials E27: Best Overall Connected Bulb
- 2. WiZ Color Wi-Fi Bulb: Best Value for Money
- 3. Meross MSL120: Best for Apple HomeKit
Our Testing Methodology
In our evaluation process, we concentrated on E27 type bulbs, known for their widespread use. We began by assessing the ease of installation, noting that some models require a hub, along with the user-friendliness of the associated apps. We also examined the connectivity and compatibility with various ecosystems, including Matter, Google Home, and Apple HomeKit.
To assess performance, we measured brightness, beam angle, lifespan, and lighting quality across different settings, considering aspects such as color tones and light temperature ranges, as well as energy efficiency ratings.
Lastly, we tested remote control functionalities through voice commands and apps, thoroughly investigating each feature offered by the bulbs.
Detailed Reviews of Our Top Picks
1. Nanoleaf Matter Essentials E27
This innovative LED bulb delivers an impressive brightness of up to 1100 lumens and boasts over 16 million color options, with a temperature range from 2700 to 6500 kelvins. Its Wi-Fi capability ensures quick installation, and it can be controlled via the Nanoleaf app as well as Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa. Additionally, it supports the Thread network for fast and reliable connectivity with various smart ecosystems.
The Nanoleaf app offers an intuitive interface for managing brightness, color settings, and temperature, along with the ability to create schedules and dynamic lighting scenes. It can even sync with music, games, or movies, while automatically adjusting for optimal circadian lighting throughout the day. However, like many others, it falls into energy class F, indicating lower energy efficiency.
2. WiZ Color Wi-Fi Bulb
This versatile E27 LED bulb provides 806 lumens of brightness and features a color temperature range from 2200 to 6500 kelvins, along with a good color rendering index (CRI 80) for varied atmospheres. With an estimated lifespan of 25,000 hours, it’s a reliable choice.
Equipped with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth (for installation only), this bulb operates without a hub and is compatible with Google, Alexa, Siri, Apple HomeKit, SmartThings, IFTTT, Matter, and more. The WiZ app is user-friendly, offering multiple features like static or dynamic lighting modes, custom scene creation, daily scheduling, and motion-based automation through SpaceSense technology. It also allows for energy consumption monitoring and presence simulation while away, but it is rated in energy class F.
3. Meross MSL120
Delivering 810 lumens of brightness, this bulb is ideal for smaller spaces and features multicolor LED lighting with a temperature range of 2700 to 6500 kelvins for creating diverse atmospheres. Its 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi connection simplifies pairing with the app without needing a hub, and our tests showed no disconnection issues.
Controlled via the Meross app, this bulb includes features for managing on/off states, brightness, tones, colors, scene creation, scheduling, and device grouping. It’s compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant, SmartThings, and Apple HomeKit, although it also has an energy class F rating, indicating it is not the most energy-efficient option.
4. Tapo L530E 3.0
This budget-friendly 8.3 W LED bulb provides effective lighting for small areas, emitting 806 lumens with a wide diffusion angle of 220°. It offers 16 million adjustable colors from 2500 to 6500 kelvins, perfect for setting the right mood.
Featuring a standard E27 base, it connects via 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi for easy remote control through the Tapo app or voice assistants like Alexa and Google. The Tapo app is straightforward, enabling you to customize lighting, create scenarios, set timers, and monitor energy usage. However, it also falls under energy class F and may not be powerful enough for larger spaces.
Choosing the Right Connected Bulb
To make the best choice when selecting a connected bulb, consider these essential criteria:
- Base Size: Ensure you choose a bulb compatible with your existing lamp’s base. In our focus, we examined the widely used E27 type, known for its easy screw-in design.
- Color Options: Many models now feature colored lighting, allowing you to create personalized atmospheres in every room.
- Brightness Levels: Connected bulbs generally use low-consumption LEDs, consuming around 10 W at full brightness.
- System Compatibility: Check the bulb’s compatibility with various applications and platforms, as they typically come with dedicated apps for remote device management.