Your newly renovated home is coming together – success! And in that redesign spirit, you decided to add more efficient, tech savvier, and more aesthetically pleasing lighting options. With fresh paint, new furnishings, and some art pieces, there’s still one other design element to add. Your first order of business? Make room in your space and your budget for stylish smart lighting for your abode. They’re easy-to-use, save you time and energy, and can look irresistibly chic. What’s not to love?
You might be thinking: That’s great! But how much does it really cost? And, what is smart lighting exactly? There are so many options at various price points to consider. Even though there’s a sea of choices out there, you don’t need to feel overwhelmed.
Smart lighting is a type of lighting technology that’s purposefully designed for energy efficiency. What does that entail? Smart lighting can include tech-based automated controls like voice activation and smartphone feature capabilities. Most smart lighting also features design and aesthetic functionality as well, including dimmable lights, color change capabilities, and light warmth levels. Smart lighting works in any type of home and these fixtures can be a savvy asset to living rooms and bedrooms, but they also play well in outdoor spaces and patios.
Looking for the most effective smart lights for your budget? We got you covered. Get started and check out our round-up below for the best smart lights for your wallet.
Smart Lighting Under $50
Want to control the mood of your home with just the sound of your voice? Well, you don’t have to time travel to the future. For just under $35, you can sync your virtual assistant like Siri with voice control smart bulbs with the C by GE C-Reach Smart Bridge. Homeowners can call on their virtual assistants to schedule appointments and dim the lights in one fell swoop. Talk about convenience.
Or, if adjusting the mood with color is more your speed, the Peteme Smart LED Light Bulbs can dim and brighten with voice control via virtual assistant and change color at a moment’s notice. The bulbs run at $37.99, and create a bevy of light effects in 16 million colors. Yep, that’s correct: 16 million colors and each and every shade is dimmable.
Want to add just a touch of lighting and some flare? At under $30, the Govee Smart WiFi LED Strip Lights comes with a built-in microphone that dances lights in tandem with music beats and syncs music with a smartphone or speakers. Talk about a light-up dance party.
You don’t have to stop with just those options, as many retailers have packs of smart lights and sconces priced between $30-$50.
Smart Lighting From $50 to $200
If you have a bit more wiggle room in your budget, the Sunco WiFi LED Smart Bulbs provide a lot of bang for your buck at just $59. Besides the standard light control features, homeowners can control these smart lights via phone or tablet, with no hub required. Plus, users can set an on/off timer to suit any schedule or lifestyle. And if that wasn’t sweet enough, these color changing bulbs also boast a five-year warranty, making them a smart and budget-friendly option.
Already mastered the art of smart bulbs? Many homeowners might want to take their smart lighting a step further with iLintek Smart Recessed Lighting ($135). Robust features include music syncing, timing functions, low power consumption modes, and a remote control. Keep in mind you’ll have to dim the light with smartphone or controls as this model is easy to install but is not compatible with a wall dimmer switch.
Smart Lighting Starting at $300
Are you cruising for the cream of the crop smart lighting options? Don’t fret, we got you covered. Whether your budget is open ended or you are browsing for top of the line options only, you can’t steer wrong with the Juno LED Retrofit Recessed Speaker ($399). This fixture will light up a room, but also sync with any homeowner’s must have smart tech function. The smart light and speaker will adjust a home’s thermostat, schedule appointments, run a smart vacuum, adjust light levels, read audio books, sync music, and more. That’s a heck of a lot of features all in one room. Plus, most homeowners will enjoy the fact that this smart light doesn’t require a hub and all functions can be set up from just a smartphone.
While the recessed speaker might seem a bit spendy, the icing on the cake for this smart tech is that it’s maintenance free and boasts 50,000 hours of operation. Consider that functionality with cost per usage and the unit practically pays for itself.
Looking for more? Browse all smart lighting options here.
Are there any other lighting products you want to get the lowdown on? Leave us a comment or tag us on social media!
Stephanie Valente is a Content Director and Editor in Brooklyn, NY. She’s previously held writing and social media positions at Barkbox, Men’s Journal, and currently works at a full-service advertising agency. She’s a self-confessed home and design enthusiast. Stephanie is an award-winning poet and fiction writer. When she’s offline, you can find her taking a yoga class, running, hanging out with her rescue dog Pepper. Find her on stephanievalente.com.
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