The best smart bulbs add convenience, customization and color to a fundamental part of every home: lighting. They can overhaul your living room without any changes to the furniture and decor or serve as an inexpensive entry point for anyone starting to build out their smart home. Forgot to turn out the lights before climbing into bed? A few taps on your phone or a simple voice command can fix that. Hate fumbling for a switch when you arrive home with your hands full? Most smart bulbs can be programmed to automatically turn on before you walk through the door.
To find which brand makes the smart bulb that shines brightest among the competition — both literally and figuratively — I swapped one into every lamp in my apartment. With 10 options in rotation, I spent months navigating each bulb’s app, connecting them to various home ecosystems and programming them to work automatically. It was lit. Each provided a clear upgrade over a standard bulb, but the TP-Link Tapo L535E cast the winning light. Here’s why.
Matter compatibility and a do-it-all app make the affordable Tapo L535E bulbs the right choice for both smart home savants and those dabbling in the convenience of smart lighting.
Best smart bulb: TP-Link Tapo L535E Smart Wi-Fi Multicolor Light Bulb
When all you’ve had to do to illuminate your home your whole life is screw in a bulb and flip a switch, the added steps of downloading an app and creating an account can sound like a hassle. But the L535E makes setup as painless as possible. Just scan a QR code to get it set up in the smart home app of your choice. I installed and reset the bulb multiple times and had no issues connecting to Apple Home, Google Home or Amazon Alexa. And because the bulb has Matter compatibility, those options aren’t mutually exclusive. It can exist in and be controlled by all those ecosystems at once.
Of course, not everyone needs a full smart home ecosystem. Maybe you just want a couple of cool lights. Then, good news: The Tapo app — a big part of what sets this bulb apart from the competition — doesn’t require the help of Siri, Google Assistant or Alexa if you don’t want it. Each box includes quick start instructions on how the app can get your bulb up and running in no time. The process takes just minutes for newbies. After I had enough practice, only seconds.
The Tapo app’s interface is cleanly designed and a joy to use. The five primary tabs are:
- Home: This is the control hub for all lights and where you’ll spend most of your time.
- Cameras: While not of much use in this guide, an essential function for anyone who owns our best-tested pet camera, the TP-Link Tapo C120- 2K.
- Vacuums: Tapo sells robot vacuums via Walmart, which can be paired with an auto-emptying dock.
- Smart: Your launching pad for all automation and shortcuts.
- Me: Manage your account and settings.
Within the home tab, you can access groups of lights or an individual bulb. From there, the controls are arranged in a basic layout: Power on or off; adjustable presets, one of which is a dynamic white tone that can match or compensate for natural light; a brightness slider from 1-100 percent; a palette comprised of 16 million colors, which can be displayed as solids or programmed into “themes” that change colors according to your desired cadence; and a warm-to-cool white light slider for those of us who aren’t hosting any raves.
Scroll down to see run time and energy figures for that day, the previous seven, or past 30. Set a timer for the bulb to turn on or off, perfect for a bright wake-up after a nap or a time limit on your before-bed reading. For more permanent routines, schedule light changes at any time or specifically at sunset or when you arrive home. If you’re heading out on vacay, Tapo can have your lights make it look like you’re home at random intervals while you’re away.
Tapo shines with small details that make the user experience that much better. These include a dark mode in the app, the ability to select an idle two-hour period to auto-check for firmware updates, and a feature that fades lights in and out for 1 to 60 seconds to help your eyes adjust. You can also view the history of your shortcuts and automations.
Not all these features are exclusive to Tapo, but the approachable and intuitive design makes a compelling pitch to smart home enthusiasts and newcomers alike — especially at its often low price. Discounts regularly drop as low as $17 for a two-pack at Amazon. While that’s more than what you would pay for a traditional bulb, it’s a good deal for the added features and longevity (the L535E is rated to last more than 22 years with three hours of daily use).
At 1,100 lumens, the L535E was plenty bright, with vivid colors and distinct whites. While other bulbs offer more preset color-changing scenes, some of which can even sync with music, the custom themes of Tapo’s bulb still got the job done when I wanted my own personal light show.
How we tested
To assemble our testing pool, I dug around for the most popular smart home brands’ latest offerings, carried over several models from our previous round of testing and explored a few new options that looked intriguing. Each bulb had to be an A19 (think pear-shaped, the emoji) which always includes an E26 base (the most common size). The resulting 10 bulbs then rotated through the seven lamps in my apartment, a group made up of table and floor lamps with various styles of shades. Over several months, I evaluated each bulb’s performance across these categories.
Setup and use
- I noted how long it took to set up the bulb using the instructions provided and accounted for any hurdles that came up, including account creation, Wi-Fi bandwidth requirements and firmware updates.
- Each bulb’s partner app was judged on its interface and features.
- To see how easy the bulb was to automate, I programmed various schedules and routines when applicable, such as on/off changes when I left or returned home or dimming at certain times.
Light
- The brightness, white tones and colors of each bulb were compared while displayed in various lamps.
- I tested any available scenes or preset lighting modes exclusive to that bulb.
Connection and reliability
- Because the bulbs are intended to be installed for years and years, using the bulbs over an extended period allowed me to observe any connection issues.
Compatibility
- In addition to using the bulbs in their native apps, I connected them to any of the three major smart home ecosystems (Apple Home, Google Home and Amazon Alexa) with which they were compatible, testing how complicated the bulb was to integrate and control.
- Using an Apple HomePod Mini, a Google Nest Mini and an Amazon Echo Show 5, I spoke various voice commands to test each home assistant’s control of each bulb.
- I accounted for connectivity protocols like Matter, Thread and Zigbee. While these technologies are advanced for new users, they become important for people who want to build a smart home with more devices than just a few bulbs.
Price
- The price of each bulb, including discounts when bundling in multi-packs, was considered.
Size and appearance
- While many lamp shades will hide what the bulb looks like, clear shades or shadeless light fixtures can be revealing. I assessed the shape and appearance of each bulb to see if it would be obtrusive or affect how the light would disseminate.
What to consider when shopping for smart bulbs
Ecosystem and Matter compatibility
Knowing if you prefer one smart home ecosystem over another can have a major influence on which smart bulb is best for you. Several bulbs we tested were not compatible with Apple Home or required a complicated setup using Siri Shortcuts. You’ll want to avoid those models if you’re an iPhone user. Android users, of course, would be better off with Google Home or Amazon Alexa. There’s no clear-cut choice among those three ecosystems either, as it’s mainly a matter of preference.
That said, Matter is starting to eliminate the need to choose. The Connectivity Standards Alliance defines this protocol as “the seal of approval that says smart devices work reliably together. This means taking the guesswork out of the purchasing process, letting consumers choose from a wider range of the brands they love, and bringing them the comfort of a seamlessly connected home.” You should be able to buy a smart home product — a bulb, a camera, a door lock — and not question whether it will actually work with your setup.
Here’s an example from this guide’s testing process to help things make sense. Our top pick, the Tapo L535E, works with Matter. I have the Tapo app, Apple Home, Google Home and Amazon Alexa on my iPhone and can control the Tapo bulb with all of them. It’s especially helpful since I prefer Apple and live with someone who prefers Alexa. We both win. That isn’t possible with some of the other bulbs I tested, like the GE Cync Dynamic Effects, which has really fun color capabilities but isn’t Matter-compatible and can’t connect to Apple.
Although this clearly seems like the future, Matter is still relatively new. It wowed us at CES 2023 and is slowly being rolled out to additional smart home categories. The good news is lots of brands are on board, so expect to see more and more Matter products available each year.
Additional smart pursuits
Most bulbs we tested come from brands that make more than just a basic smart bulb. Some, like Nanoleaf, Govee and Philips Hue, specialize in all sorts of smart lighting — light strips, string lights, home theater setups and more. If you know A19 smart bulbs are just the start of your journey to fully customized lighting, those brands are worth a long look.
Other brands, like Tapo, have a significant footprint in other areas like home security. If you know you want lights and cameras to work seamlessly right out of the box and be controlled from one native app, keep that relationship in mind.
Price
If you live in a dorm or apartment, or if there’s just one room in which you want to install smart lights, small differences in price might not matter to you. But once you start talking about multiple rooms or an entire home, paying a premium for light bulbs can add up. Philips Hue has a tremendous reputation among smart lighting aficionados, yet its entry-level bulb we tested costs $50 for one or $90 for two. Even with discounts usually found at online retailers like Amazon, that is way more expensive than every other brand we tested.
Other smart bulbs we tested
If you’re considering smart lighting to add color to your home, no bulb we tested matches this model’s four segmented quadrants that can each display a different color simultaneously.
The color options in GE Cync’s Dynamic Effects bulbs are just so incredibly cool. The bulb can be programmed to shine with four different colors at one time. Half green, half blue? Sure. Three-quarters red with a touch of orange? Easy. Checkered yellow and purple? Have at it. This is a singular feature that no other bulb we tested can contest.
However, there is a learning curve to the Cync app in terms of applying the split colors and general navigation. You’ll have to get over it to make the most of the nifty feature, because that level of control isn’t possible in Google Home or Amazon Alexa (the bulb isn’t compatible with Apple Home). That exclusive nature, and a price tag nearly double our top pick’s, held the Dynamic Effects bulb back.
Govee makes every kind of smart light imaginable. If you can get over some connection issues, these bulbs can be the start of an epic lighting project.
I hit a few roadblocks during the initial setup with my Govee bulbs. Once that was smoothed over, it was clear these basic bulbs are intended to be a gateway into a more immersive lighting experience. This wasn’t too surprising since we love Govee’s LED light strips and were mighty impressed with the AI-powered game lighting at CES 2024. Expand your Govee arsenal beyond just A19s and you’ll likely have a blast with the Tap-to-Run and DreamView features. The former allows you to program multiple commands into a single tap. The latter helps you create color-changing scenes with several devices at once.
But this is a review of the A19s on their own. They’re solid but unspectacular. The Govee app does let you use your phone’s camera to recognize any color and match it. Apple Home and Matter are not supported as of now, which stings.
We tested Govee bulbs that were 1,000 lumens, but the 800-lumen model is even cheaper.
Under the same TP-Link umbrella as our top pick from Tapo, Kasa’s bulbs are a fine budget choice but outdated in comparison.
Tapo and Kasa are both smart home brands from the same company, TP-Link, and the relation is obvious when looking at the similarities between the two apps. The interface and layout are similar, but Kasa feels like the “lite” version — because it is. It’s missing several features. The bulbs are not Matter-compatible. Unless you need a cheap smart bulb, there’s no reason to go with Kasa over Tapo.
With Matter compatibility and a fair price, Meross’ bulb is a great option for users of any ecosystem. Its native app deserves praise for bare-bones bulb control but could do without the ads or social forum.
Setting up the Meross in its partner app and all three ecosystems was no issue, and that’s one of the most important qualities in any smart bulb. If you primarily use Apple, Google or Alexa to control your smart lights, the $40 four-pack is a savvy buy to build up your stash of bulbs.
We ultimately didn’t pick Meross because of a few drawbacks. While its app makes it easy to control the bulb in the home tab, the rest presents some distractions. I see the value in a forum tab because it provides a place to ask other users for guidance, but I’m not sure the social aspect of it is for me. Plus, there are no dynamic color-changing settings.
I tested a previous model that worked exclusively with Apple Home. Though the bulbs Nanoleaf sells today are Matter-enabled, iPhone users or home decor nuts should be the target audience here.
Nanoleaf Essentials’ Matter bulb is the only A19 sold on Apple’s site, and it makes sense why. Its previous iteration worked like a charm with Apple Home in our testing, with a seamless setup and a reliable connection. Unfortunately, I’ve seen a lot of reports of that reliability lacking in the new Matter bulbs sold today — though it’s important to remember that complaints are usually much louder than compliments on the internet.
For those who need Matter bulbs, Nanoleaf’s are a bit pricier than some of the others we tested, like Tapo and Wiz. But they’re also just one piece of a smart lighting line that offers some one-of-a-kind fixtures that other brands don’t have. For example, imagine these A19s in a home office with these Cono and Cup lamps designed with the home decor brand Umbra. Or maybe as a small piece of a gaming haven outfitted with a Nanoleaf 4D screen mirror.
It’s also worth noting — for better or for worse — that these bulbs had the most unique appearance. They’re shaped like a rhombicosidodecahedron. I’ll let you Google what that means.
A few challenges with firmware updates and ecosystem integration tainted my assessment of this trendy newcomer.
The setup was straightforward with the Nooie Aurora until I was prompted to update its firmware. The app glitched during the process and gave me an error message that was only on the screen for a split second and wasn’t in English. The problems persisted when attempting to link with Amazon Alexa, though I did get through after several tries.
Once the bulb was working properly, the Nooie app proved to be fine. One of its four main tabs is the brand’s online storefront, though Nooie isn’t alone in pushing additional products in its app. Controlling the bulb was a clean and simple process, though it lacks the robust feature set found among competitors.
At 6.9 ounces, it’s also far heavier than the rest of the bunch, which could be an issue in smaller swing-arm lamps. Our top pick from Tapo weighed less than a third of that at 2.2 ounces.
Significantly more expensive than every other option, Philips Hue has the reputation and features to back up the cost. But is it worth it?
Philips Hue has a reputation as a top dog in the smart bulb space, and I didn’t find anything to contradict that. Setup took little time, the app has a fine interface and there are tons of color-changing scenes from which to choose. But to get more than Google and Alexa compatibility and unlock a Matter connection, I would have needed to purchase and set up a Hue Bridge in my home. Philips does sell the bridge with several starter kits.
Considering these bulbs are more than double the price of the next most expensive competitor, and the bridge is an added cost, I found it hard to justify that kind of money. If you’re just trying out smart bulbs, go with another inexpensive option that shined in testing. If you’re already committed to smart bulbs throughout your entire home, maybe the reliability is worth it for you — but then the dollars are really going to add up.
Owned by the same parent company as Philips, Wiz checked almost every box and nearly claimed the top spot. It has Matter compatibility to work in any ecosystem, tons of color-changing presets and isn’t expensive.
There’s not a lot separating Wiz from our top pick, it’s that close of a runner-up. Connecting and controlling the Wiz bulb in every ecosystem was no problem thanks to Matter, and the Wiz app has some unique features I appreciated. When first setting up the bulb, you’re introduced to a setting called WiZclick. With that setting engaged, turning the bulb on with a manual switch once or twice in a row can trigger different displays. For example, I set mine up so that a flick of the light switch made the bulb a soft white. But flipping the switch on-off-on engaged a scene of blues and greens.
Other wiz benefits include a library tab in its app that explains every lighting mode for new users, 23 preset dynamic lighting scenes and a SpaceSense feature that claims to power on lights when you’re physically near them — though I had mixed results getting it to work.
At such a low price, Wiz makes a strong argument for the best smart bulb. If you’re buying your first smart bulb or want to try something new, I’d recommend getting one Wiz and one Tapo for less than $20 combined and seeing which you like better before buying more.
The winner from our previous round of testing, a lack of Matter support and serious questions about security have dropped Wyze down in the rankings.
Wyze emerged as the top pick in our previous round of testing because it was an affordable option with intuitive controls and a variety of colors. It has since been lapped by more options that are just as inexpensive. And while failed firmware updates and a lack of Matter compatibility are annoying, a far more troubling issue was the security breaches in the Wyze app that allowed users to tap into the camera feeds of complete strangers. You can do better with several of the other bulbs we tested.
