Smart Lights Review: The Best Options for Every Room
In today’s connected world, smart lighting offers more than just illumination—it provides customization, convenience, and energy efficiency tailored to every part of your home. Whether you’re looking to enhance the ambiance in your living room, create the ideal bedroom setup, or optimize lighting in your kitchen, smart lights can transform any space with minimal effort. In this comprehensive review, we’ll explore the best smart lighting options for each room of the house, including key features, popular brands, and installation tips.
Table of Contents
Why Choose Smart Lighting for Your Home?
Smart lights allow you to control brightness, color, and schedules from your smartphone, voice assistant, or other smart home hubs. Here’s why they’re an increasingly popular choice:
- Convenience: You can control lighting with voice commands or automate schedules.
- Customization: Create different lighting scenes and color schemes to fit any mood or activity.
- Energy Efficiency: Many smart lights are LED-based and can reduce energy usage through efficient scheduling and dimming options.
- Integration: Smart lights integrate with other smart devices, allowing you to create routines that adjust lighting based on specific actions, like arriving home or watching a movie.
Now, let’s look at top lighting recommendations for each room, so you can create a cohesive smart lighting setup for your home.
Living Room: Setting the Mood
The living room is often a multi-functional space, used for relaxing, entertaining, and sometimes even working. Smart lighting here should offer versatility to adapt to these various activities.
Recommended Options:
Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance
- Features: With over 16 million colors, adjustable brightness, and compatibility with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit, Philips Hue is the gold standard for living room lighting.
- Best For: Creating dynamic lighting scenes for movie nights, gatherings, or a relaxing evening.
- Cost: higher-end, but very reliable and versatile
LIFX A19 Smart Bulbs
- Features: These bulbs offer a rich color palette, built-in Wi-Fi (no hub needed), and seamless integration with smart assistants.
- Best For: Users who want to avoid extra hubs and enjoy vibrant color options.
- Cost: mid-range, hub-free option
Nanoleaf Shapes
- Features: Nanoleaf’s customizable panels are excellent for creating statement lighting. They’re touch-reactive, allowing you to change colors by touch or sync to music.
- Best For: Accent lighting that doubles as wall decor for a modern, high-tech look.
- Cost: premium choice with high customization
Bedroom: A Calming Retreat
Bedroom lighting should offer soft, dimmable options for relaxation while also providing adequate brightness when needed. Adjustable colors and scheduling features are also useful for setting up a nighttime routine.
Recommended Options:
Wyze Bulb Color
- Features: Affordable, voice-controlled, and color-changing, the Wyze Bulb Color offers high-quality dimmable light without breaking the bank.
- Best For: Budget-conscious users who still want a full range of color options.
- Cost: budget-friendly
Philips Hue White Ambiance
- Features: With various white tones ranging from cool to warm, these lights mimic natural daylight to help regulate sleep patterns.
- Best For: Users who prioritize white light customization for waking up gently or winding down at night.
- Cost: investment in sleep-friendly lighting
Govee LED Strip Lights
- Features: These adhesive-backed LED strips can be placed behind bed frames or along walls to add a subtle glow. Govee lights also sync with music and are customizable by color.
- Best For: Mood lighting that can be hidden and customized to match bedroom decor.
- Cost: affordable with solid quality
Kitchen: Bright and Functional
The kitchen is a high-activity area that requires bright lighting for tasks, but smart features allow it to serve as a social hub as well.
Recommended Options:
Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Light Bulb
- Features: These Wi-Fi-enabled bulbs can be adjusted for brightness and white temperature. They’re easy to install and work without a hub.
- Best For: Users looking for reliable task lighting with the flexibility of dimming.
- Cost: budget-friendly
Sengled Smart LED with Motion Sensor
- Features: Sengled’s motion-sensing lights are great for hands-free lighting when you enter the kitchen. They’re compatible with Alexa and can be programmed for specific brightness levels.
- Best For: Users who want motion-sensing functionality in busy areas.
- Cost: affordable and practical
Nanoleaf Essentials A19 Smart Bulb
- Features: With vibrant colors and tunable whites, this light can be adjusted for day and night use, making it ideal for both cooking and entertaining.
- Best For: Adding a splash of color to your kitchen while retaining practical white lighting.
- Cost: mid-range with good color options
Bathroom: Bright and Safe
In bathrooms, smart lights should provide bright, natural-looking light that’s gentle on the eyes. Smart mirrors and lighting strips can also enhance the setup.
Recommended Options:
TP-Link Kasa Filament Smart Bulb
- Features: These bulbs mimic vintage filament designs but come with full smart functionality, ideal for giving a warm, classic touch to your bathroom lighting.
- Best For: Style-conscious users who want adjustable brightness without sacrificing aesthetics.
- Cost: budget-friendly
Philips Hue Go Portable Light
- Features: This portable, waterproof smart light is easy to move around and offers soft white or colored light. It’s also voice-controlled and rechargeable.
- Best For: Adding ambient light that’s portable, especially useful for nighttime bathroom visits.
- Cost: mid-range, flexible option
GE Cync Smart LED Downlights
- Features: These LED lights are designed for recessed lighting and can be controlled via the GE Cync app, offering white tones that mimic natural light.
- Best For: Users who prefer in-ceiling options for a minimalistic look.
- Cost: investment in permanent fixtures
Home Office: Productivity and Focus
In a workspace, lighting should be bright and adjustable to minimize eye strain and create a productive environment. Smart lights here should offer customization to suit different times of the day.
Recommended Options:
Yeelight Smart LED Desk Lamp Pro
- Features: Designed specifically for workspaces, it has adjustable brightness and color temperatures, helping to reduce eye fatigue.
- Best For: Focused lighting for desk work with extensive adjustability.
- Cost: functional and ergonomic design
Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus
- Features: These LED strips can be placed along shelves or desks for accent lighting, creating an inspiring workspace without taking up much room.
- Best For: Users looking to create a clean, modern workspace with indirect lighting.
- Cost: premium lighting strips
Nanoleaf Essentials Smart Lightstrip
- Features: This tunable white and color-changing strip provides options for focus and relaxation modes, making it versatile for different work scenarios.
- Best For: Flexible lighting to match different tasks and productivity modes.
- Cost: mid-range option with good color features
Outdoor Spaces: Security and Ambiance
Smart lighting for outdoor areas adds safety and ambiance, whether for the front porch, backyard, or patio.
Recommended Options:
Ring Smart Lighting Pathlight
- Features: These solar-powered, motion-activated lights illuminate pathways and are compatible with the Ring app, making them ideal for outdoor security.
- Best For: Users looking for energy-efficient, motion-detecting security lighting.
- Cost: affordable with great features
Philips Hue Calla Outdoor Bollard
- Features: These lights provide vibrant, customizable colors, perfect for landscaping or accenting outdoor spaces. They work well with Hue Bridge for seamless control.
- Best For: Outdoor areas where color accents are desired, like patios or gardens.
- Cost: premium, decorative lighting
LIFX Color Outdoor LED Floodlight
- Features: This high-brightness floodlight offers millions of color options and connects directly to Wi-Fi, making it easy to control without an extra hub.
- Best For: Lighting up larger outdoor spaces with flexibility in color and brightness.
- Cost: good value for large areas
Final Thoughts on Choosing Smart Lighting for Every Room
Smart lighting in 2025 offers endless possibilities to create the ideal ambiance, enhance security, and save energy. With a variety of options tailored to specific rooms and needs, the best smart lighting setup is one that aligns with your lifestyle and preferences. Whether you’re upgrading an entire home or just starting with a single room, this guide provides a practical approach to finding the perfect lighting for each space.
With careful selection and customization, smart lighting can transform your home into a comfortable, functional, and visually stunning environment.