Verdict: Smart Lighting for Alexa
Jumping into the future with smart lighting and voice control is easy, and we have shared great options to get started quickly.
Controlling your lights using your voice may still feel like something out of Back to the Future but getting Alexa controlled lights in your house is actually pretty simple and relatively affordable. For those looking for investment over the long run, there are top tier picks that stand apart from budget alternatives available today. In this article we share three options for Alexa controlled lights for your home which cater to different price points.
Alexa Controlled Lights with Phillips Hue
We’d recommend the Philips Hue as our favorite first choice, though it is also the most expensive option listed here now on the market. They have been in the smart home sector for a really long time and alongside their lights working with Alexa devices using the Hue skill they also have an excellent app.
Hue has HomeKit compatibility for iPhone users which many others lack and supports a massive range of lighting including filament style bulbs, spotlight (GU10) bulbs and choices of both white and coloured bulbs. Philips Hue bulbs are easy to install and can be used without a bridge but we’d recommend picking up a Hue bridge for the extra functionality available.
If HomeKit compatibility isn’t something you’re bothered by then there’s cheaper Hue-compatible bulbs out there allowing you to use the excellent Hue app and Alexa to control your bulbs whilst spending less. The only downside of the Philips Hue is definitely the price as coloured bulbs start at £38 each while white ones are around £14 however, they’re brighter than their competitors and last a really long time.
They also use less electricity than traditional light bulbs (and less than energy saving bulbs) which makes them a worthwhile purchase despite higher initial cost for your home automation setup.
Alexa Controlled Lights with TUYA & Budget Options
We’ve spoken about Tuya before on Mark’s Tech Blogs because it isn’t a brand of products but an infrastructure used by many budget smart home brands as the app for their devices. This means you can combine different brands all into the same Tuya app which is also compatible with the Smart Life app found in various marketplaces.
When looking out for Alexa controlled lights with Tuya compatibility you want to be reading product descriptions specifically for Smart Life or Tuya products available online. Again, these come in a range of bulb types and can cost as little as just £9 for a coloured bulb making them a much more affordable option compared to premium brands.
It’s worth noting that when we’ve tried Tuya compatible smart bulbs before we’ve found that the coloured ones aren’t as bright as Hue bulbs and nor are the white options provided there. They are however energy efficient and work well with Alexa which is enough for many users looking at their initial setup costs.
Our Top Picks: Meross Smart Bulbs
Meross smart garage door opener reviews show great quality so they offer a similar experience here too as our final pick in this section. Our final picks come slightly more expensive than the Tuya compatible bulbs but offer excellent quality and HomeKit compatible Alexa controlled lights for your home.
We recently reviewed the Meross smart garage door opener because their products are affordable, well made and easy to use generally across their product line. Meross offers a smaller range than other options above but their bulbs are slightly brighter even with colours compared to cheaper Tuya ones found online in stores now.
Meross have their own app and Alexa skill both of which are easy to use and work well together without needing complex setup steps on your phone or tablet devices directly from the smart hub.
