Our smart lights review (member content) look at ease of use, app support, power use and performance for a range of popular brands including Phillips Hue and LIFX. Not sure where to begin? Try our smart lights buying guide.
If you have a smart lights, share your set-up in the comments below.
I read your review of smart lights published in the 4 April 2019 Choice Insider bulletin, and would like to ask the following questions.
As a photographer, there are a couple of attributes of LED lights that affect me. First is the CRI or Colour Reproduction Index of a light. This represents the spread of the colour spectrum the light produces, and its similarity to daylight. A higher number is better. Can you add the CRI rating to your review?
There are two methods of dimming LED lights. The most common is to flicker them rapidly on and off, which is not noticable to the eye but results in lower output. The second method reduces the current to the LED to produce consistent lower output without flicker. For photography and video, the flicker can cause real problems for anyone shooting indoors by available light. In still photos it produces alternating dark and light bands. For video, both banding and dark frames can result. It would be easier to choose appropriate lights if the method of dimming was reported in your review. Please add this information to your review.
Thanks.
I have a couple of LIFX that allow colour and brightness control via app. I like the ability to adjust the colour temperature to what I find comfortable between operating theatre white and late sunset orange. I use them as security to turn on and off when I’m not home.
I see there’s a Smart Light update
Perhaps a worthy inclusion could be the Philips Hue Dimmer kit (a pre-paired white globe & dimmer switch). This kit doesn’t need a hub. It works very well & a lower price entry level to smart lighting. Over a few years I’ve bought 3 of these, then added a hub kit. I use one of the switches as a master living area on/off.
Get real switches - no fussing about with apps for normal operation.
Another inclusion should be the Ikea Tradfri range - also Zigbee. There are also 2 pre-paired hubless globe & switch kits ($14.99 & $39.99)
Another advantage of these pre-paired kits is they don’t even need internet in the property. (edit>) However, you don’t get the full smart operation - only what the switch allows.
