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We'd quite like a couple of these for the house - it would be handy when one of us is stuck to the sofa / bed with MiniMonkey. I've had a look around, and it seems like our options are Philips Hue (quite expensive but well rated, looking about £70 for a hub and two bulbs), LIFX standalone bulbs (about £25 for a bayonet bulb) or some slightly dodgy looking Chinese versions for around £15 quid a bulb. Veho Kasa also look half decent at £25 for two bulbs,
I'm wary of the cheapy Chinese ones - not just 'cos I'll be plugging them into the mains, but also because if we get more down the line we might end up having to use different apps for different rooms, which would be a right pain. We don't have Google Home or Alexa at the moment (we do have smart heating but it's a crappy proprietary one) but we might do down that route at some point, especially if we move in the next couple of years.
Anyone used any of the above and have any recommendations / suggestions?
I started with LIFX as they were on offer, with the others I bought the cheapest that Amazon offered at the time. All are working fine requiring no additional hub.
I’m wary of the cheapy Chinese ones – not just ‘cos I’ll be plugging them into the mains, but also because if we get more down the line we might end up having to use different apps for different rooms, which would be a right pain.
They all seem to use the same software with a different name. I'd get an Alexa though as it's much easier.
See I quite like the idea of an Alexa / Home, but MrsMonkey doesn't like that Amazon / Google will be listening to our every word. I suspect they probably know everything about us anyway...
I have quite a few Hue bulbs.
Some i find very usefull, some not so much. The living room ones for example are good as thats where we relax and spend most of our time. We can set the mood/brightness and colour of the lights to suit. Brilliant. We also have them in our bedside lamps. They are set to turn on and gradually get brighter in the morning, and it its great for a nice gentle wake up.
We also have some in the kitchen. Useless, its either on, or off.
The biggest problem for me is that the light switch needs to be on to control the lights. The kids and the mother in law are constantly switching them off, meaning i cannot remote control the bulbs.
MrsMonkey doesn’t like that Amazon / Google will be listening to our every word. I suspect they probably know everything about us anyway…
They don't listen to your every word. They only listen after hearing a wake up command such as "hey google"
That's what they want you to think... (apparently).
For the paranoid get a couple of TP-Link bulbs. They work in isolation direct from an app on your phone (KASA) so they don't need to be connected to the internet (only to be on your wi-fi network), have a home hub component, use a cloud account or depend on Alexa and Google and all the attendant snooping. I got one for the landing which I wanted to remote/schedule dim but as it's controllable from about four switches didn't want the complexity nor the buzzing and incompatibility with dimmer switches. In the future I could add them to smart home tech of some kind but for now minimal possibility of snoop (no default gateway for those in the know). This is definitely not smart home tech - just solving an otherwise clunky analogue issue.
They don’t listen to your every word. They only listen after hearing a wake up command such as “hey google”
I should clarify that a little. They are always listening, they have to to hear the wake up commnds. However, they only send data back to Google once a wake up command is heard. All other snippets are deleted and never leave the device.
This is easy to prove with a packet sniffer.
Similar situation here, very convenient to control lighting when glued to the sofa by a baby. Have a look at the IKEA Tradfri stuff. Much cheaper than Hue and more trustworthy than random Chinese stuff. Started off as a geeky project with just a couple of bulbs but soon expanded to nearly every room in the house as it's so easy to use. Various kits available with wall-mounted remotes as well as a decent app. If you've got iPhones it integrates with Siri which is great for hands-free control of everything.
I've only Hue bulbs and hub and it works great, both via programmed routines and via Alexa commands. As has been said, people switching off the lights at switches is the main problem.
Hue here and various Amazon Echo's.
I think it works really well - the most useful is in the living room where we have LED lighting strips behind old snowbaords that we use as lamps / background lighting. It's nice being able to change the colour / brightness to suit what you're doing. I like the wake up feature on the bedside lights too.
It does / can get pretty expensive though.
The biggest problem for me is that the light switch needs to be on to control the lights. The kids and the mother in law are constantly switching them off, meaning i cannot remote control the bulbs.
That's the thing that puts me off, I wanted to put them in the bedroom because it's a PITA when you get into bed and realise the light's on, but I think that's possibly outweighed by needing to use your phone every time you want to turn the light on (or ask Alexa I guess).
That’s the thing that puts me off, I wanted to put them in the bedroom because it’s a PITA when you get into bed and realise the light’s on, but I think that’s possibly outweighed by needing to use your phone every time you want to turn the light on (or ask Alexa I guess).
You can still use the switch to turn on.
That’s the thing that puts me off, I wanted to put them in the bedroom because it’s a PITA when you get into bed and realise the light’s on, but I think that’s possibly outweighed by needing to use your phone every time you want to turn the light on (or ask Alexa I guess).
You can still use the switch to turn on.
Actually I can see the problem there - if you turn the lights out at night with the phone and go to sleep, then wake up in the light and leave them off, go downstairs, pop up later after it's got dark to grab something but leave your phone downstairs you won't actually be able to turn the lights on, as they're already on at the switch but off on the app.
That was rather a long winded explanation, sorry.
I guess you could solve it with smart buttons (or Home / Alexa) but that does complicate things rather.
Hmm.
Actually I can see the problem there – if you turn the lights out at night with the phone and go to sleep, then wake up in the light and leave them off, go downstairs, pop up later after it’s got dark to grab something but leave your phone downstairs you won’t actually be able to turn the lights on, as they’re already on at the switch but off on the app.
Non-issue.
If I turn the bulbs off with Alexa, switching the wall switch off and back on again makes the lights come back on. (I think this is configurable behaviour, I'd have to check, but that's the default.)
Would smart bulbs work with the Alexa that is built into the Sonos One?
Non-issue.
If I turn the bulbs off with Alexa, switching the wall switch off and back on again makes the lights come back on. (I think this is configurable behaviour, I’d have to check, but that’s the default.)
Interesting, that's the exact thing I wondered about, flyingmonkeycorps's description is exactly what I can imagine happening. Hadn't realised that turning them off and on again 'fixed' that issue. Which bulbs is that with Cougar?
Non-issue.
If I turn the bulbs off with Alexa, switching the wall switch off and back on again makes the lights come back on. (I think this is configurable behaviour, I’d have to check, but that’s the default.)
Interesting. What bulbs is that with?
**edit** Ha, too slow!
I'm not sure if they're the same thing but Lidl have the colour changing bulbs in our local store just now for 6 or 7 quid each.
Which bulbs is that with Cougar?
Philips Hue. I went a bit giddy on Amazon last Black Friday.
It’s any bulb.
Ace. Found some super poggy ones on Amazon for like 6 quid each, for that I might take a punt then we can always upgrade to something better later on.
Philips do sets containing the bulbs and a light switch that are paired together and don't need a hub to operate, if you later get a hub you can easily pair them all together.
The switches are great and have a wall mount but can be taken with you like a remote.
I've 3d printed some covers for the normal lightswitch which hold the remote and help stop the lights being turned off. I've seen some for sale on eBay if you don't know anyone with a 3d printer.
I use various Hue lights around the house with Alexa, along with a remote for the living room, placed over the top of the original switch, for the people that insist on using a light switch. Also have some smart plugs for lamps, which turn on and off automatically. I find the Alexa/Hue very handy when you have your hands full or cannot move.
If you turn off the light with a physical switch, when you turn it on it will default to whatever setting you previously had it on.
The lights in the Hall/Landing do not get used with a switch, they are on an automatic setting, so they turn on an hour before sun set and go on to a night light late at night until a specified time. You can go a step further using the motion sensor/light sensor, but I haven't got one of those yet.
Without Alexa it would be a PITA to use smart bulbs for those odd occasions you want a bit more light. Unlock phone, find app, open app, wait, choose light, select scene, set scene.. or you can just say "Alexa turn on movie scene in the lounge".
My use of Chinese bulbs was about 5 years ago when they wouldn't even light a little box room!
What about smart switches as an alternative?
I feel smart bulbs are an unnecessary bloat of wireless signals (bad enough the amount of 2.4Ghz signals clashing around my house from me and my neighbours) and seems daft having wifi in a bloody light bulb!
I'm after light switches that use the mains wiring for the smart comms, or at a push wifi on the switch (at least if there are multiple lights off one switch I don't need multiple smart bulbs, just one smart switch).
Also, for Alexa etc, is this all requiring an Internet connection and the request to turn stuff on is going to a cloud server and back to the light? Not that I want to be talking to devices. I just want stuff that will switch on at set times and on sensing entering the house or a room etc. Using my home NAS or a Raspberry Pi would be enough for my needs. I don't need Amazon / Google involved.
Without Alexa it would be a PITA to use smart bulbs for those odd occasions you want a bit more light. Unlock phone, find app, open app, wait, choose light, select scene, set scene.. or you can just say “Alexa turn on movie scene in the lounge”.
If you have an android phone you can setup quick action buttons. So an icon on your home screen that when pressed will turn on all lights in the living room to 50% for example.
Yeah smart lights without something like Alexa to voice control them is missing most of the point IMO, I don't take a phone or iPad to bed for starters (but have a Spot). I do have a Hue remote switch for the bathroom lights though, mostly as I didn't want to be waking the GF by talking to Alexa if getting up in the middle of the night, the Nest night light mode gives me enough light to see the switch...
Non-issue.
If I turn the bulbs off with Alexa, switching the wall switch off and back on again makes the lights come back on. (I think this is configurable behaviour, I’d have to check, but that’s the default.)
Interesting, that’s the exact thing I wondered about, flyingmonkeycorps’s description is exactly what I can imagine happening. Hadn’t realised that turning them off and on again ‘fixed’ that issue. Which bulbs is that with Cougar?
I KNOW Hue do it - can configure it to either be "last setting" or "100% on"....
I really like the Hue/alexa set up...
I've got several bulbs around my flat, and i got the little 'remote control thingy' that is stuck to my daughter's bunk bed... she can't reach light switches, so it's sweet seeing her turn them on/up/off with her little remote! Also, she can just voice control lights on and off.
Security wise, it's cool to be able to have the rooms come on randomly if need be.
Also, you can combine with IFTTT and have certain lights (hall and lounge for me) turn on once you come within 500m of home.. (this only happens when it's dark outside..v clever).
Also, when using alexa, it's nice to be able to just shout "alexa, lights off" when leaving the flat, as invariably my kids haven't turned a light off! This is also linked to some smart plugs/floor standing lamps.
The final cool thing with alexa are scenes.. "alexa, goodnight" turns off all lights except the kids room - dimming it to 10%.... She also gives me a motivational night time quote. Win.
I'd like to get the Hue motion sensor thing (again, so my daughter can pee with the light on), but my toilet light can't fit a hue bulb in it, so will likely get a 'wall switch pir' device.
I like smart lights!
DrP
I did Philips Hue on the cheap for my outside lights. Bought a v1 hub on ebay for pence (everyone was busy offloading them for v2) and did bogof on a couple of Hue white bulbs at Currys. As above I have a big on/off button widget on my phone screen, so don't have to open any app.
I’d like to get the Hue motion sensor thing (again, so my daughter can pee with the light on), but my toilet light can’t fit a hue bulb in it, so will likely get a ‘wall switch pir’ device.
I ended up going that route for the entrance hall as I don't have an Alexa close enough (and don't want to have to shout :p ), the Hue motion sensors are a crazy price so just got a £10 plug in thing off Amazon and it works great.
Happy with our Hue stuff, I've just bought bits and bobs when it was on offer. Mostly ours are for timers (things like the porch light coming on at dusk, kids nightlight on at bedtime, off in the morning, or timers for when we're away) and for more convenient grouping of lights. So we have a bunch of ceiling lights, a freestanding light over the dining table, and a couple of light strips all tied to one remote. Or in the bedroom, ceiling light, bedside lights, and a lightstrip all on two remotes (we have one each stuck behind the headboard) so you can dim or shut off everything in one press.
I just put little "leave on" labels on the proper switches. You can get mounts for the remotes that go over the original switches if you wanted to hide the physical ones - but as said, if you just flip the power off and on to the Hue bulbs they come straight on which is a handy backup sometimes.
The Phillips Hue V2 hub (the square one) is Zigbee compatible so you can use Ikea bulbs (and other makes) which are cheaper than Hue. You can also use Geldopto controllers and cheap colour 5m long LED strips in place of the £70 Hue offering. I don't think that LiFx bulbs will work with any of the remote systems though. They are much brighter and with far more vivid colours than any of the competition.
rocket jr has bought into Hue
The biggest problem for me is that the light switch needs to be on to control the lights.
apart from this ^^ he uses HomeKit to turn the lights on automatically when he's near his home. can also see if they've been motion triggered when he's away. He has some temperature sensors linked in and some of the free standing lights as well. It's a bit like a nightclub at times but he likes it lol
I'm using Hive at home. Timers dead easy on it. I have 3 lights and a smart plug. When I go to sleep I say "Alexa, turn off the downstairs lights"... Still haven't got bored of that 😀
I have a hive smart plug in the lounge that usually controls a lamp. I recently changed it over and haven't got round to changing it back yet as I'm still finding it amusing when I want to turn off the lamp I have to say 'Alexa turn off the Christmas Tree'
I don’t think that LiFx bulbs will work with any of the remote systems though.
They don't need a hub at all.
I've got a few ( Phillips ), don't know if I would bother again, knowing what I know now. I have a few ghosts in the machine I've yet to sort out. Bulbs that come on when I get home irrespective of daylight and another that likes to respond to an old name. I just need to spend some time on it. Ifttt is ok and pretty simple, but that is because it is simple. The hue app won't allow bulbs to be in multiple groups, oddly. Stringify is pretty useful, much more so than ifttt, but not without its foibles.
Having to wait 10 minutes to switch off before bed because I'd stupidly triggered an update was a highlight...
for HUE you can get one of these thingsy
that covers your light switch (which is now always on) and holds the hue remote (which is £15 or so), therefore allowing you to still control the light as you like (pressing a button on the wall, and not switching the switch by mistake) and using your app\voice control of choice
What I want is lightbulbs controlled as normal from switches, but that will be daylight coloured during the day (cos our house is gloomy) but normal warm colour during the day.
What's the easiest way of doing this?
I am really happy with the Ikea system, relies on a wifi connection.
What I want is lightbulbs controlled as normal from switches, but that will be daylight coloured during the day (cos our house is gloomy) but normal warm colour during the day.
with Hue you can set up a schedule to turn lights to different scenes at different times of the day. If you just turned it off at the wall it'd be off, and when on I guess it'd be on whatever scene you last set it to (so might have to schedule it to change ever 10 minutes or whatever).
Its easier just to mount the normal remote next to the lightswitch though, then you can dim the lights\whatever.
What I want is lightbulbs controlled as normal from switches, but that will be daylight coloured during the day (cos our house is gloomy) but normal warm colour during the day.
Sounds like you need smart bulbs. I’m not sure if you can get smart switches for none hue bulbs.