Remember the charm belong to clamp? No need to get out of bed to turn on the light switch! It seemed to have excelled at one point, and you can still buy it, but the technology has come a long way since then. Now you can control lights, set timers and schedules, and change colors with your smartphone or voice if you have a smart assistant — no clapping required.
If you want to turn your home into a small Smarter, smart bulbs are a great place to start. Most options are relatively cheap and easy to set up. Plus, there’s no camera or door lock for someone break into, and no wiring to mess with. If you decide to improve your home further, most of these brands have lists of other products.
Do you want to try voice control? Consider getting one smart speaker or smart screen. But you can always use the bulb’s app.
Update February 2022: We’ve added Govee Lyra smart lights and Sengled vintage bulbs to this guide. We’ve also updated pricing throughout.
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