Like other smart home gadgets, smart light bulbs ($25-$75) are just regular appliances with antennas so they can stay connected to a network. Smart bulbs can then receive instructions over a wireless network to power on and off, or even change its brightness and colour.
Though often cheaper, smart bulbs that directly link to the internet like Xiaomi Yeelight and TP-Link Kasa are best used in small amounts. Each individual bulb has a separate connection with your home network which means using too many can slow your WiFi down.
But for those upgrading a bigger space like a 5-room flat tip to toe with smart lighting, options like Philips Hue and Ikea’s fixtures use a smart hub to create a separate network for the bulbs, reducing the strain on your home WiFi.If you already have a regular lighting system in place at home, you might want to consider installing smart switches (around $50-100) instead. Smart switches act as a “bridge” between regular bulbs and a smart home system, allowing you to operate the switches remotely like how you would a smart bulb.
This means you’ll only have to replace a single bank of switches for each room when upgrading, instead of a whole bunch of bulbs from around the house.
