Internet-connected light bulbs are one of the most effective and easiest ways to start building a smart home.
With these lights, there is no more getting out of bed to hit the light switch. You can schedule when you want your light to be on and off irrespective of your location.
Additionally, most of these lights are relatively inexpensive. In fact, you may not need a hub to operate them.
Moreover, they are easy to install and use. You will mostly need an app on your smartphone for the setup and configurations.
And if you fancy using your voice to control things, then you can add a smart speaker or display. The accompanying app can also work with popular assistants like Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant.
So, if you are planning to make your home smarter and cheaper with smart lights, this article is for you. We have tested several cheap light bulbs and choose only the best to help you simplify your selection.
These smart bulbs offer value for money because they have similar features to some premium smart lights.
The Best Cheap Light Bulbs
1. AiDot Linkind Matter Smart Bulb
The AiDot Linkind Wi-Fi Matter Smart Light Bulb is one of the cheap light bulbs that works with Matter.
It also features built-in WiFi, making it easy to connect to your home network.
Besides this, you can also pair it up with popular home automation systems like Google Assistant, Alexa, SmartThings, and HomeKit.
You can also link with other third-party smart home devices via IFTTT applets.
Above all, the AiDot Linkind WiFi smart bulb delivers rich colors as well as warm and cool whites.
And the best thing is that it provides energy usage reports, helping you minimize energy bills.
Pros
- Supports Matter
- Rich colors
- Custom and music-themed effects
- It works with multiple home automation
- Offers power outage reports
Cons
- It only maxed out at 800 lumens.
Price: $15
2. Wiz Tunable White LED Smart Bulb
If you have always believed that you need to spend a lot of dollars to get the best smart bulb, then you are wrong.
As it turns out, the Wiz Tunable smart bulb is not only among the cheap light bulbs but also compares favorably with premium bulbs.
The bulb offers multiple ways to control it. You can use the Wiz app to schedule on and off and change brightness.
Apart from this, you can use Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, or IFTTT. Furthermore, the bulb is Matter-compatible.
Pros
- Good range of tunable whites
- Good value for money
- Matter compatible
- Can act as a motion sensor
Cons
- Motion setup is not straightforward.
Price: $13
3. Roku Smart Bulb SE Color
If you just want a decent pick of colors and white tones, then you will love the Roku Smart Bulb SE Color.
The bulb supports 16 million colors plus a white light temperature that ranges from 1,800K (warm) to 6,500K (cool).
Another thing to note about this bulb is that it uses an embedded 2.4 GHz WiFi radio to link to your home network.
You can also use a Bluetooth radio to connect to the Roku app.
Pros
- Impressive color quality
- Affordable
- Supports voice control
- It doesn’t need a hub.
- Interacts seamlessly with other Roku smart devices.
Cons
- Limited integration potential
- It doesn’t work with HomeKit, Matter, or IFTTT.
Price: $9.88 (one) and $17.99 (two-pack)
4. U-tec Bright A19 Color
The U-tech Bright A19 is also among the cheap light bulbs that can display 16 million colors.
The bulb has a white color temperature range of 2,700K to 6,500K. It is also one of the brightest lights, with a dimming range of about 30-1,100 lumens.
Moreover, it supports Google Assistant, Alexa, and SmartThings.
Pros
- Good color quality
- Bright 1,100-lumen output
- Works as a WiFi extender for U-tec smart devices.
- It supports home automation systems, including SmartThings, Alexa, Google Home, and IFTTT.
Cons
- Lacks support for HomeKit
- Doesn’t offer power usage reports
Price: $17.99
5. WiZ 60W A19 Color LED Smart Bulb
This is not only one of the best cheap light bulbs but also easy to set up.
The bulb includes a collection of fun and useful modes.
It is also compatible with Siri, Alexa, Google Home, and SmartThings.
We were impressed with its straightforward setup and how the light spreads.
The WiZ 60W A19 smart bulb is also impressive because of its wide array of scenes.
Besides this, it has a wider color temperature range.
Pros
- Compatible with smart home automation systems
- Offer a circadian-rhythm mode for automatically switching the white color.
- Wider color temperature range
- Easy to set up
Cons
- Slightly pricier than most of the models here
Price: $23.89
6. Govee LED Smart Light Bulb
Govee is synonymous with colored lights. So, you expect the Govee LED Smart Light Bulb to be bright and colorful.
This great-looking bulb is compatible with Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa.
And the good thing is that you can connect to these smart home automation systems without the need of a hub.
Pros
- Excellent color saturation
- It is easy to set up and use.
- Has lots of customization options
Cons
- Doesn’t support Matter
Price: $19.99
7. Philips Dimmable A19 Smart Bulb
Philips usually delivers reliable smart bulbs such as Hue LEDs; however, some of them are pricey.
But this is not the case with this white bulb.
The Philips Dimmable A19 Smart WiFi Light Bulb is not only affordable but also offers ample features found in smart lights.
These features include support for voice control through Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa and integrations via IFTTT.
Pros
- No hub required.
- Works with popular systems like Alexa, Siri Shortcuts, Google Assistant, and IFTTT.
- Connects through WiFi for remote app control
- Supports light scenes, rhythms, and schedules.
Cons
- Unstable WiFi setup and app control
Price: $19.94
8. Wyze Bulb White
In the market defined by expensive smart lights, Wyze has been able to maintain lower prices for its light bulbs.
This doesn’t mean that they are substandard in any way. In fact, it is reliable just like pricey models.
And the good thing is that, just like other Wyze products, you can control the Wyze bulb via the Wyze app.
Additionally, you can connect it to Google Home and Amazon Alexa.
Pros
- Works with Alexa and Google Home
- Tunable white
- Easy to adjust schedules via the Wyze app.
- Affordable and reliable
Cons
- Lacks support for Apple HomeKit
Price: $17 (2-pack)
9. Cync Full Color Direct Connect Smart Bulb
If you are looking for cheap light bulbs with colorful light, consider investing in Cync smart lights.
Its installation is straightforward if you already have the Cync app.
We love the fact that we spend less than a minute to set it up.
Controlling the bulb is equally easy. From the app, you can switch colors, control power, set schedules, and activate light shows.
Pros
- Seamless connectivity to Alexa and Google Assistant
- Straightforward setup and use
- Deliver bright colors.
- Doesn’t need a hub
Cons
- No support for Siri
Price: $13
10. TP-Link Tapo TL135E Smart WiFi Light Bulb
This smart light bulb from TP-Link is amazing in many ways.
At just under $15 and with full multicolor capabilities, you can improve the ambience in your home.
It has everything that you will expect of a smart light bulb, including millions of colors and tunable white temperature ranging from 2,500K to 6,500K.
Pros
- Easy-to-use app
- Excellent performance
- Reliable and versatile
Cons
- Sips some power even when in standby mode
Price: $14.99
How We Tested These Cheap Light Bulbs
In order to consider a bulb for testing and rating, the smart bulb must be:
- Affordable, i.e., good overall value for money
- Come with an app with on/off control and scheduling.
- Support at least one smart home.
- Easy to install and use
- Reliable performance
To test these bulbs, we started with basic app features like scheduling and on/off control.
We also tested advanced features like scenes and music syncing for the ones that had them.
From here, we experimented with voice control for the system each supported.
More importantly, we tested how each bulb produced light, e.g., maximum potential brightness and white color temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Smart bulbs let you control your lighting in a way that you can’t achieve with traditional bulbs.
They are more convenient because you can control them via your smartphone or even voice control.
Some even come with remote control options as well as schedule timers.
Besides the added convenience, you can also save on energy because it will only work when needed.
The good thing with some of the above smart bulbs is that they offer energy usage reports.
Yes, some smart bulbs can take any color of the rainbow.
Others are just plain white, so you should be keen when shopping if playing with colors is your thing.
Playing with colors is a fun way to add atmosphere to dull spaces.
But the problem is that most of them tend to be pricier.
While some smart bulbs require a dedicated hub or bridge to connect to the internet, most of them will work without a hub.
All you need is to connect to your home WiFi and smartphone.
If you already have a smart home hub, it would be best to add smart bulbs that work with it.
This way, you won’t have to buy a new hub. What’s even better is to invest in smart lighting that doesn’t require a hub.
Closing Remarks
The best smart bulbs can completely transform your home in an inexpensive way.
With just a few cheap light bulbs, you can control the entire lighting in your home from wherever you are.
The above bulbs will allow you to set the mood in different rooms, control usage, and lower energy bills.
The good thing with some cheap light bulbs like AiDot Linkind and Wiz lights is that they offer great value for money.
Some of them don’t require a hub to run and work with popular smart home systems like Alexa, Google Home, SmartThings, and HomeKit.
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