Best smart lighting 2025: Smart bulbs, string lights, outdoor, and more

Ready to turn your house into a smart home? Replacing your dumb bulbs with smart ones is perhaps the easiest way to start. Many smart bulbs can be screwed into existing light sockets, and they can be controlled remotely, put on schedules, change colors, and more. 

If you’re feeling more ambitious, you can venture into smart string lights, light strips, wall and ceiling fixtures, smart lamps, and even smart lighting for the yard or other outdoor areas. 

Our guide to the best smart lighting can help you navigate the thicket of options, from the various smart light manufacturers (like Philips Hue, LIFX, Nanoleaf, and Wyze) to the connectivity standards (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, and Matter). We’ll also let you know which voice assistants (like Alexa, Apple’s Siri, and Google Assistant) work with which lights. 

Why you should trust us

TechHive’s editors and contributors have been testing smart bulbs and lighting products practically since the category was invented. We continuously test the latest smart lights, accessories, and the apps that control them. We also have deep experience with a broad range of smart lighting devices, from smart A19 bulbs and color light strips to outdoor lighting and touch-sensitive light panels. You can trust us to guide you to the best smart lights for your home, office, back yard, and more.

Our top picks in smart lighting products






Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance — Best color smart bulb














Pros

Bluetooth support eliminates the need for the Hue Bridge

Excellent light quality and smooth dimming

Hue ecosystem is unrivaled in terms of size and depth

Supports Apple HomeKit ecosystem


Cons

Philips Hue products are much more expensive than the competition

Relying on Bluetooth limits you to 10 Hue devices

You need the Hue Hub to assign Hue devices to rooms

















What we like about the Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance smart bulb

Philips (now known as Signify) was one of the first players in this market, and the company’s experience shows. The addition Bluetooth support obviates the need for the $60 Philips Hue Bridge (although most smart home denizens will want the Bridge anyway). Signify’s Philips Hue lighting ecosystem is the industry’s deepest and broadest, with bulbs of every shape and size imaginable, not to mention lighting fixtures landscape lighting.

Who should buy the Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance smart bulb

Just about anyone looking to get started with smart lighting would do well with the Philips Hue White and Color Ambience smart bulb. It offers easy setup, doesn’t require the Hue Bridge (although you can always add one later), works with Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Assistant, and boasts terrific reliability (our editors have been using them for years and have yet to report any serious failures). And while Hue bulbs tend to be a tad pricier than the competition, they’re worth the extra cost.

Read our full

Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance A19 (Bluetooth + Zigbee) review






Wyze Bulb Color — Best color smart bulb, runner-up














Pros

Very inexpensive

Connects via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth–no hub or bridge required

Surprisingly bright considering the price


Cons

Can’t be grouped with the tunable white Wyze Bulb

Only available as a 2- or 4-pack

No competition for Philips Hue in terms of lighting ecosystem
















Best Prices Today:








Retailer


Price





Wyze



$34.99


View Deal



Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide






Product


Price




Price comparison from Backmarket






$34.99 at Wyze





Why we like the Wyze Bulb Color

Wyze Labs can’t match Philips Hue in terms of the breadth of its smart lighting ecosystem, but it beats Signify’s brand by a country mile in terms of pricing, and Wyze has a much broader array of product offerings when it comes to other areas of the smart home–most importantly in terms of home security. Wyze also now offers an excellent BR30 color smart bulb.

Who should buy the Wyze Bulb Color

Wyze’s color bulbs are among the most affordable on the market, and you don’t need a bridge to add one–or many–to your home. They’ll also work in tandem with your Wyze Cam, meaning you can set your Wyze camera to trigger a Wyze bulb if the cam detects motion. But the Wyze Bulb Color doesn’t support Matter, which means it’s a no-go for Apple HomeKit users, and the Wyze lighting ecosystem can’t match Philips Hue’s.

Read our full

Wyze Bulb Color review






Philips Hue White Ambiance (Bluetooth + Zigbee) — Best white smart bulb














Pros

Bluetooth support eliminates the need for the Hue Bridge

Excellent light quality and smooth dimming

Hue ecosystem is unrivaled in terms of size and depth

Supports Apple HomeKit ecosystem


Cons

Philips Hue products are much more expensive than the competition

Relying on Bluetooth limits you to 10 Hue devices

You need the Hue Hub to assign Hue devices to rooms
















Best Prices Today:








Retailer


Price





Philips Hue



$29.99


View Deal



Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide






Product


Price




Price comparison from Backmarket






$29.99 at Philips Hue





Why we like the Philips Hue White Ambiance (Bluetooth + Zigbee) smart bulb

Our choice won’t surprise anyone who’s been following this market. Philips dominates this space and is also our top pick for best color LED smart bulb. The latest Hue bulbs can be controlled via Bluetooth or Zigbee (the latter requires the Philips Hue Bridge), they deliver high-quality light, and are backed by a strong warranty. We only received the BR30 form factor for our review, but apart from form factor, that bulb is the same as the A19.

Who should buy the Philips Hue White Ambiance (Bluetooth + Zigbee) smart bulb

As with Philips Hue’s color smart bulb, we recommend the Hue White Ambiance for most folks who want to add smart lighting to their homes, although the A19 form factor is more appropriate for lamps and the like). It’s easy to set up, works with all the major smart home ecosystems, and the Hue Bridge is entirely optional (although certainly nice to have). The Hue White Ambiance is also considerably more affordable than the Hue White and Color Ambiance bulb, so peppering them around your home won’t break the bank.

Read our full Philips Hue White Ambiance (Bluetooth + Zigbee) review







Cree Lighting Connected Max Smart LED — Best budget smart bulb














Pros

Very inexpensive

Good quality light, plus colors

No hub requirement

Several other form factors in the Cree Connected Max family


Cons

We experienced slight delays during our testing

No Apple HomeKit support
















Why we like the Cree Lighting Connected Max Smart LED bulb

You can’t beat the price of the Cree Lighting Connected Max Smart LED considering you get both tunable white and full color. Cree Lighting’s Connected Max family includes a full range of form factors, too, including BR30, PAR38, vintage filament, tape lighting, and even retrofit downlights. It’s not HomeKit compatible, but it does work with Siri Shortcuts.

Who should buy the Cree Lighting Connected Max Smart LED bulb

If you’re on a tight budget and absolutely don’t want a smart bulb that requires a bridge, the Cree Lighting Connected Max Smart LED is your best bet. It delivers impressive lighting quality for the price, you can easily expand your collection of Cree lights with other form factors, and it works with Alexa and Google Assistant.

Read our full

Cree Lighting Connected Max Smart LED (Tunable White + Color Changing) review






Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus (2020) — Best LED light strip














Pros

Bright and colorful

Supports both Bluetooth and Zigbee

Apple HomeKit compatible (with the Hue Bridge)

Robust scheduling and automation features


Cons

Much more expensive than competing products

Power cable saddled with a chunky wall wart

Lights can’t be animated without a third-party app
















Why we like the Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus

The Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus makes for a great and easy way to add accent lighting to kitchen counters, stairways, and other indoor areas. The Philips Hue ecosystem is bigger than any other smart lighting solution, but Hue products are also much more expensive than the competition.

Who should buy the Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus

It may be pricier than other light strips on the market, but we still recommend the Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus even if you’re on a budget. The reason: Smart light strips are notoriously prone to failure, particularly the cheap ones. But a Hue Lightstrip Plus has been working flawlessly for years in a TechHive editor’s kitchen, and Hue has been good about replacing defective units if the need arises. Aside from reliability, the Hue Lightstrip Plus benefits from Hue’s robust ecosystem, support for all the major smart home platforms, and the fact that the Hue Bridge is optional.

Read our full

Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus (2020) review






TP-Link Kasa Smart Light Strip KL400L5 — Best LED light strip, runner-up














Pros

Affordably priced

Alexa, Google Assistant, and SmartThings integrations

Solid collection of animated effects

Plenty of scheduling, scene, and grouping options


Cons

Cumbersome Wi-Fi setup

Can’t sync its LEDs with your music

Flimsy construction

Can’t be extended with additional light strips
















Why we like the TP-Link Kasa Smart Light Strip KL400L5

TP-Link built more features into this light strip than we expected for the price, and it even offers one feature that our top pick doesn’t: animation sequences. The Philips Hue product, on the other hand, feels much more durable, and you can add extensions to the end of a strip. The biggest factor in TP-Link’s favor? The price tag.

Who should buy the TP-Link Kasa Smart Light Strip KL400L5

If you must spend less on a smart light strip, we’ll point you in TP-Link’s direction. While you can’t extend this light strip, you can put it on a schedule, group it with other Kasa lights, and use it with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings, and you can even tee up some nifty animated lighting scenes.

Read our full

TP-Link Kasa Smart Light Strip KL400L5 review






Nanoleaf Shapes Hexagons — Most innovative lighting design














Pros

Beautiful and interactive lighting scenes

Touch actions let you control other smart devices

Alexa, Google Assistant, Thread, and HomeKit compatible

Surprisingly easy to install


Cons

Panels can be difficult to remove from a wall (but don’t appear to cause any damage)

Chunky AC adapter

Expensive















Best Prices Today:








Retailer


Price





Nanoleaf



$199.99


View Deal



Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide






Product


Price




Price comparison from Backmarket






$199.99 at Nanoleaf





Why we like the Nanoleaf Shapes Hexagons

This is the first of Nanoleaf’s Shapes interactive light panels, and it set the stage for several other equally fun versions. This modular lighting system won’t illuminate a room–that’s not it’s intended purpose–but it can set a mood like nothing else on the market today.

Who should buy the Nanoleaf Shapes Hexagons

Whether you’re a Twitch streamer who wants to add some eye candy to their setup or you simply want to decorate your office or another room, Nanoleaf’s Shapes light panels are the way to go. They’re easy to install–and, crucially, remove when the time comes. They also work with Matter (following a software update), and their touch functionality remains unmatched.

Read our full

Nanoleaf Shapes Hexagons review






LIFX Ceiling — Best smart ceiling light














Pros

Extremely easy installation

A bevy of lighting features thanks to dual zones 

Very high quality light, with ample range


Cons

Built-in wiring connectors aren’t the most secure and won’t work for all environments 

LIFX app remains a bit obtuse

Draws quite a bit of power 

















Why we like the LIFX SuperColor Ceiling

The best feature LIFX’s SuperColor Ceiling light may well be how easy it is to install. Thanks to a cleverly designed mounting bracket and a handy clip that holds the fixture a few inches below the ceiling, the LIFX Ceiling light has an almost idiot-proof setup process. We also love the two-zone lighting as well as the Matter support.

Who should buy the LIFX SuperColor Ceiling

With its easy installation, the LIFX SuperColor Ceiling is a great choice for those who might otherwise balk at installing a smart light in their ceiling. And thanks to its Matter support, the LIFX light will work in Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings households

Read our full

LIFX SuperColor Ceiling review






Philips Hue Lily — Best outdoor spotlight














Pros

Robust aluminum housing, glass lenses, and IP65 weatherization to withstand the elements

Full color light, with up to 600 lumens of brightness

Can be scheduled, controlled by Alexa or Google Assistant, and triggered by a Philips Hue Outdoor Sensor

Low-voltage cables can be buried


Cons

Requires Philips Hue Bridge

Range is impacted by having the the Hue Bridge inside your home, hardwired to your router

Expensive, and each add-on spotlight costs another $100


















Why we like the Philips Hue Lily

Signify’s Philips Hue product line includes the most complete collection of outdoor and landscape LED lighting. In addition to the Lily spotlight, there’s the Lily XL spotlight, the Calla Bollard light, the Econic Outdoor Pedestal, the Amarant linear outdoor light, no fewer than 9 wall or ceiling-mount outdoor lights, and even outdoor LED light strips. That diversity, and the high-quality design and construction of these luminaires, justifies Signify’s high price tags.

Who should buy the Philips Hue Lily

Already invested in the Philips Hue ecosystem for your indoor lights? If so, then ponying up for Hue outdoor lights is a no-brainer, and the Lily spotlight is a great place to start. It’s weatherized for the elements, works with all the major smart home ecosystems (now that the Hue Bridge has been updated with Matter), and plays nice with a variety of Hue outdoor accessories, including the Hue Outdoor Sensor.

Read our full

Philips Hue Lily outdoor spotlight (3-spotlights and 1 power supply) review






Hampton Bay Hubspace Landscape Spotlights — Best outdoor spotlight, runner-up














Pros

Comparatively inexpensive

Hubspace ecosystem is increasingly comprehensive

Can be powered by any 12/15-volt transformer, if you have already one


Cons

Spotlights are more fragile and wiring system is less sophisticated than the pricier competition from Philips Hue

Transformer and wire sold separately from the spotlights

There’s history of retailers abandoning their proprietary smart home ecosystems

















Why we like the Hampton Bay Hubspace Landscape Spotlights

These budget-priced landscape spotlights deserve to be compared to the much-pricier Philips Hue Lily product line. The trade-offs include less-robust construction, less-sophisticated wiring, slightly dimmer brightness, and a less-complete smart lighting ecosystem, but you will spend significantly less money, especially if you deploy a lot of lights. Buyers should also be aware, however, that there is a long history of retailers abandoning their proprietary smart home platforms. For the record: We have not seen any indication of this from Home Depot; the company has released several new Hubspace products since we received this kit for review.

Who should buy the Hampton Bay Hubspace Landscape Spotlights

If you’re not already a Philips Hue user or you don’t have a Hue-sized budget, you can still up your outdoor lighting game with this affordable kit from Home Depot. It’s relatively easy to deploy, works with an increasingly wide range of Hubspace lighting devices, an–so far–Home Depot appears to be sticking by its smart home brand, unlike other retailers we’ve seen.

Read our full

Hampton Bay Hubspace Landscape Spotlights (3-pack) review






Philips Hue Calla — Best outdoor pathway light














Pros

16 million of color, plus temperature-tunable white light

Robust construction and protection from the elements

A component in the broad Philips Hue lighting ecosystem


Cons

Delivers only 600 lumens of brightness

Must be hardwired to a plug-in power supply

Very expensive compared to run-of-the-mill pathway lighting
















Why we like the Philips Hue Calla

The Philips Hue Calla outdoor pathway light adds sophisticated safety to outdoor walkways and patios, and Philips has the most complete smart lighting ecosystem in the industry. But you’ll need an outdoor outlet to power this and all other Hue landscape lighting, and the components are very expensive.

Who should buy the Philips Hue Calla

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, Philips Hue’s lighting products are well worth their premium prices, particularly when it comes to outdoor lights like the Calla. That makes them the best choice for those who want to light up their outdoor pathways, especially if you’re already a Hue user, and they’ll work seamlessly with any other Hue lights in your yard.

Read our full

Philips Hue Calla outdoor pathway light review






Ring Smart Lighting Solar Pathlight — Best outdoor pathway light, runner-up














Pros

Battery powered with integrated solar panel

Built-in motion sensor

Can be integrated into the robust Ring home security ecosystem

Once you have the bridge, add-on lights cost only $35


Cons

Fabricated entirely from plastic

Much more expensive than dumb pathlights

Requires Ring Smart Lighting Bridge (included), which connects only to 2.4GHz Wi-Fi networks
















Why we like the Ring Smart Lighting Solar Pathlight

Ring’s smart lighting system isn’t as broad as Signify’s Philips Hue, but it covers the bases, and these Ring pathlights boast a couple of features that Hue’s don’t: solar charging as well as built-in motion detection. While we were initially concerned about the all-plastic housing, we’ve had one of the lights deployed for more than two years and haven’t detected significant deterioration.

Who should buy the Ring Smart Lighting Solar Pathlight

Have a Ring Alarm protecting your home? If that’s the case, going with Ring outdoor lighting is a natural next step, and the Ring Smart Lighting Solar Pathlight has much to recommend it, provided you’re already using the Ring Smart Lighting Bridge.

Read our full

Ring Smart Lighting Solar Pathlight starter kit review






Enbrighten Wi-Fi Café Lights — Best outdoor string lights














Pros

Wi-Fi control, with Alexa and Google Assistant support

Bright, vibrant colors, plus white light in six color temperatures

Very good app with lots of customization and scheduling options

Additional strings can be daisy-chained, up to 200 feet


Cons

No IFTTT or Apple HomeKit compatibility

Bulky control unit housing the power supply and Wi-Fi adapter

Expensive compared to a plethora of “dumb” alternatives
















Best Prices Today:








Retailer


Price





Jasco Products



$159.99


View Deal



Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide






Product


Price




Price comparison from Backmarket






$159.99 at Jasco Products





Why we like the Enbrighten Wi-Fi Café Lights

Jasco’s Enbrighten Wi-Fi Café Lights are certainly expensive, but they’re also very pretty, highly customizable, and exceptionally durable for year-round outdoor installations. There’s also surprisingly little competition in this admittedly specialized segment of outdoor lighting. Signify has outdoor Philips Hue light strips, for example, but that’s a very different look from café-style lights.

Who should buy the Enbrighten Wi-Fi Café Lights

Provided you have the budget, the Enbrighten Wi-Fi Café Lights is a good choice for decorative outdoor string lights that respond to Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands. These café lights are also a great pick if you have a lot of ground to cover, given that the strings can be daisy-chained together.

Read our full

Enbrighten Wi-Fi Café Lights review






Enbrighten Eternity Lights — Best permanent holiday lights