Smart bulb buying guides and explainers — Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Matter and how to get smart lighting working without a hub.
Matter is a shared smart home standard that lets one device work with Alexa, Google Home, Apple Home and SmartThings at the same time, with more local control. Here is how it works, what Thread has to do with it, and whether to buy Matter devices now.
Smart bulbs work in most lamps with the right base size, but dimmer switches, enclosed fixtures, touch lamps and some outdoor lights cause problems. Here is a quick checklist to make sure your smart bulb fits and works.
Yes, smart bulbs draw a small amount of standby power when “off” so they can listen for commands, typically well under a watt each. Here is what that costs per year, how it compares with the LED savings, and how to minimize it.
Wi-Fi smart bulbs are cheaper and easier to start with; Zigbee bulbs respond faster, use less power and scale better across a whole home but need a hub. Here is a side-by-side comparison and a simple rule for choosing.
Most modern smart bulbs don’t need a hub: Wi-Fi and many Matter bulbs connect straight to your network. Zigbee and Thread bulbs do need a hub or compatible Echo. Here is how to tell which is which, and when a hub is worth it.