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What is Smart Lighting? Full Guide!

November 20, 2024 | 8 min read

What is smart lighting? Understanding smart lighting can be far less confusing than it sounds. Technology has come a long way in the last two decades and has allowed for the introduction of smart lighting. It means you can control your home’s lighting remotely.

You can schedule when your lights turn on and choose the type of atmosphere you create with them. Smart lighting is ingenious and can prove advantageous. While it might not appeal to every household, it is practical for modern living.

In this article, you will learn what smart lighting is, how it works, its features, its advantages, and its drawbacks.

Part 1: What is Smart Lighting?

Smart light bulbs are LEDs that are designed to run wirelessly. Unlike traditional bulbs, these types of bulbs are more interactive, and they typically operate via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or other communication protocols like Zigbee, enabling users to manage their lighting remotely through smartphones, tablets, or voice commands.

Smart lighting bulbs possess the following features:

Adjustable Settings

Unlike traditional lights that limit your settings, smart lights allow you to enjoy full control over how you want to illuminate your space.

With smart lighting, you can adjust your settings to suit your mood or the occasion, and change the brightness levels, as well as the type of color temperature you want.

Integration Smart Home System

Home assistant integration gives you convenient control over your lighting system. Many smart lights, such as eufy Permanent Outdoor Lights, support integration with Alexa and Google Assistant, enabling you to run your home’s lighting just by giving commands.

Connect with Security Cameras and Sensors

Smart lighting can also be used with security sensors, monitors, and cameras, and that’s a game-changer. Linking up with exterior home cameras offers greater peace of mind and security for the home.

Part 2: How Do Smart Lights Work?

As stated earlier, Smart lighting systems operate via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or other communication protocols like Zigbee. These connections allow for various features, such as dimming, color changing, and scheduling. For instance, you can set the lights to turn on at specific times or adjust brightness based on the time of day. Some models even include sensors that detect motion or ambient light levels, enabling automatic adjustments without user intervention.

Smart lighting systems can be controlled individually or grouped together for synchronized actions. Plus, they support integration with smart home ecosystems, allowing them to interact with other devices, such as security cameras or thermostats, creating a cohesive automated environment.

Part 3: Understanding The LED Technology in Smart Lights

LED technology is the heart of many smart lighting systems, and this is because it’s more effective in converting electricity into light. Plus, LEDs can produce millions of light colors, and they create a safer lighting source that doesn’t impact the microchip inside.

Here is what you should know about the different types of LED used in many smart lights today;

RGB Lights

RGB stands for "Red, Green, Blue." These lights use a combination of red, green, and blue LEDs to create a wide spectrum of colors.

It can produce over 16 million colors.
It does not have dedicated white LEDs.
It can create a shade of white by mixing red, green, and blue.
It’s limited to displaying one solid color at a time.

RGBIC Lights

RGBIC stands for "Red, Green, Blue, Independent Controller." This technology builds upon the RGB system by adding an intelligent control chip[2][4].

Allows individual control of different LEDs.
Can display multiple colors simultaneously.
Offers more dynamic lighting effects than standard RGB.

RGBA Lights

RGBA stands for "Red, Green, Blue, Amber." This type of LED light adds an amber component to the standard RGB setup[2][4].

Expands the range of yellow light
Can produce richer orange and gold tones
Improves the overall color rendering capabilities

RGBW Lights

RGBW stands for "Red, Green, Blue, Warm White." These lights include a dedicated warm white LED in addition to the RGB components.

Produces thousands of additional shades of white light.
Offers a range from warm to cool white.
Improves the quality of white light compared to RGB alone.

RGBWW Lights

RGBWW stands for "Red, Green, Blue, Cool White, Warm White." This technology incorporates both cool and warm white LEDs alongside the RGB components.

Produces even richer colors than RGBW.
Offers a wider range of white light temperatures.
Used in most eufy smart LED lights and Philip hue lights.

RGBWWIC Lights

RGBWWIC stands for "Red, Green, Blue, Cool White, Warm White, Independent Controller." This is the most advanced LED technology in this lineup.

Combines the benefits of RGBWW with individual LED control.
Allows for multiple colors and white light temperatures simultaneously.
Controls groups of LEDs for seamless color blending.

Why Do Smart Lights Use LED Technology?

LEDs use smart technology to power them and they are unique in design. They don’t heat like other lights do. LED technology keeps lights cool to touch without sacrificing light quality. It means the internal microchip doesn’t damage easily so the light lasts longer.

They also produce millions of light colors, including RGB, RGBA, RGBW, RGBWW, and RGBWWIC for greater vibrancy and versatility.

LED technology is also energy-efficient which makes smart lighting systems affordable to run in homes.

Part 4: Why Should You Use Smart Lighting for Your Home?

A smart lighting system enhances convenience and functionality in everyday life. Ere us why you should consider using smart lighting for your home;

Ease of Use

One of the primary advantages is the ease of use, allowing users to set up schedules to turn on/off lighting. Besides, users are able to adjust lighting simply by speaking commands to smart home assistants or through the app on your phone.

Save Money

There’s nothing worse than going to work only to realize you’ve left the kitchen light on. It’s frustrating and hugely costly. Smart lighting stops that. You log into the app and switch it off. You save money with everyday operational costs and when you accidentally leave a light on.

Convenience & Security

Anyone can feel wary returning to an empty and dark home late at night. Smart lighting lets you conveniently switch on a light or two just before you arrive home. It makes you feel safer and offers better security too. Some smart lights, including eufy smart lights, can also work with security cameras and sensors to enhance home security.

Helps Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Household carbon emissions can be high and your electricity usage can play a major role in that. It’s important to reduce your carbon footprint without compromising your home’s security or light quality. Smart lighting is energy-efficient and can reduce your overall carbon emissions each year.

Part 5: What Are the Disadvantages of Smart Lighting?

People often ask what is smart lighting but don’t look at the complete picture. Everyone focuses on the advantages, such as cheaper running costs and getting a better way to control a home’s lighting system.

You need to know the disadvantages so that you know what to expect with a smart lighting system.

Upfront costs can be high
Requires steady Wi-Fi connection to enable smart features
May experience compatible issues with existing smart home system

Part 6: 5 Best eufy Smart Lights Right Now!

Once you know what is a smart bulb, it’s time to find the best smart lighting systems for the home. So, let’s look at some smart lighting for home.

1. eufy Permanent Outdoor Lights - Best for Outdoor Decoration

These lights are a true delight that consistently exceed expectations. The eufy Permanent Outdoor Lights will transform your home into the highlight of the neighborhood during the holiday season; the only limit to their lighting effects is your creativity. Just enter a few words in the eufylife app, and you'll receive a unique lighting display.

Key Features:

The outdoor lights are AI-powered for customization
The lights work with Google Assistant and Alexa
You can sync the lights up with eufy security cameras
They offer a great lifespan of 55,000 hours

2. eufy Outdoor String Lights - Best for Yard Decoration

Thanks to its unique design, eufy outdoor string lights can be installed in different ways to light up your patio, deck, porch or create a light canopy over your outdoor dining area.

The eufy string lights have around 80 preset light themes to choose from and you can also customize them using their AI features.

Key Features:

Work with the eufy security cameras and sensors
Sync the lights up to music
Flexible installation

3. eufy Outdoor Pathway Lights - Best for Entryway/Driveway

The eufy outdoor pathways lights are sleek, modern, and stylish. They effortlessly brighten up your outdoor space, illuminating pathways and walkways. With their color-changing features and AI-powered capabilities, these lights enhance your outdoor decor like no other. Additionally, they can integrate with eufy cameras to deter intruders by displaying warning colors.

Key Features:

Integrate with Amazon and Google smart home systems
Low-voltage landscape lighting
You can link up the lights to your eufy cameras

4. eufy Outdoor Spot Lights - Best for Highlighting Features

The eufy outdoor spotlight is one of the types of lighting for enhancing the ambiance of your outdoor space. They effortlessly light up features like walls, statues, or trees, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.

They’re made from strong aluminum and are built to last. Rust and corrosion-resistant, these spotlights can run for over 50,000 hours.

Key Features:

Sport 500 lumens for enhanced outdoor visibility
Low voltage landscape lights
Come with an adjustable 130-degree angle design

5. eufy Indoor Floor Lamp - Best for Indoor Lighting

The eufy indoor floor lamp is a unique addition that will seamlessly blend into any room. Its modern design not only enhances the contemporary feel of your space, but the 12 independent control chips also guarantee smooth color transitions.Plus, the eufy indoor floor lamp is specially designed to prevent it from wobbling or tipping over. This enhances its safety, especially around children and pets.

Key Features:

Comes with 1700 lumens for adjustable brightness
You can sync the lamp with music
80 preset lighting themes

Conclusion

By now, you should know what smart lighting is. As you can see, it is far simpler than it sounds. Smart lighting allows you to have full control over the illumination of your space, and their advanced technology makes them very convenient to use.

Overall, Smart lighting for home can be a cost-effective solution for modern households. If you have a busy lifestyle, smart lighting is worth considering as it’s functional and reliable.

FAQs

Do Smart Lights Use Electricity?

All smart lighting systems use electricity. When a smart light or bulb is switched off, it still uses a small amount of power as it stays connected to your Wi-Fi network.

How Safe Are Smart Lights?

Smart lights are generally safe to use but they remain vulnerable to hackers. Since you use Wi-Fi, it gives hackers a backdoor to your personal data. Of course, if you take precautions, the risk can be reduced.

Is Smart Lighting Expensive?

Initial costs for smart lighting can be expensive. Smart bulbs can also be a little more expensive than standard bulbs. It may be possible to save money in the long term since smart bulbs are energy-efficient.

Does Smart Lighting Need Wi-Fi?

Wi-Fi is typically needed if you want to use smart lighting smart features. Bluetooth, however, can be used as a backup method if your internet connection fails.