That’s with the use of smart bulbs, globes that include microprocessors and the ability to connect via either Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or their own proprietary networks to enable a range of clever features that go beyond simply switching on or off. Here’s what you need to know to make your home lights into a smart home lighting extravaganza.

What can I do with smart light bulbs?

Feature sets do vary a little by type and manufacturer, but across the entire suite of smart lighting solutions, beyond simple illumination, you can expect many of these features to be open to you:

Remote lighting control

Whether it’s having your lights come on in your house while you’re getting out of the car after a busy day, or switching lights off because you forgot to do so while on holiday, most smart lights offer a remote, app-based control system.

Voice control

Most lighting systems will work with Apple’s Siri, Google’s Assistant or Amazon’s Alexa – and many will happily chat with all three. This skips the need for an app or smartphone handy, as you can simply tell your assistant of choice to control your lights as needed.

Custom timers

Many bulbs will allow you to set certain lights to come on or off at predetermined times, whether it’s for security reasons, or simply to raise the lights slowly as day breaks so you can wake up in a more comfortable way.

Grouped lights

Rather than head to multiple switches, or have a sparky install a grouped switch at additional cost, you can group bulbs and light strips together, so you can (for example) switch on all your kitchen and open plan dining lights at once, or have groups of lights that you enable as needed.

Custom dimming and colour choices

For traditional bulbs, the only way to dim or change the light colour was to have a dimmer switch – which mostly don’t work with LED bulbs now – or buy a different light colour bulb. Many smart bulbs have both these features as standard, and you can have a lot of fun setting custom colour and light intensity scenes, whether it’s for a romantic dinner or a movie night at home.

Are all LED lights “smart” lights?

No, not at all. LED (Light Emitting Diode) lights describes the illumination technology used in most standard household light bulbs for some years now across Australia, but just because a bulb is LED doesn’t automatically mean that it’s a smart bulb.

Typically smart bulbs will cost a little more than a standard LED bulb, and that’s because each bulb is, in effect, a tiny computer by itself, with chips inside built to regulate its lighting and communication features.

Can I install smart lights myself?

In most cases, the answer to this question is yes, because the actual installation of most smart lights is no different to putting in a fresh light bulb. Pick your screw type – typically either Edison Screw or Bayonet type, pop out the old bulb and put the new bulb in. Some smart lights do require a smart “hub” device, such as Philips Hue, and that connects up to a spare Ethernet port on your home broadband router. From there, it’s a matter of connecting and configuring through the bulb’s specific app on a smartphone in most cases.

However, managing multiple bulbs across you home network can be tricky – so why not call a Geek? We make Smart Home Installation hassle free, so give us a call today!

Do I have to buy all the same brand smart light bulbs?

Strictly speaking, no, you don’t, although there are some obvious advantages to choosing a brand and sticking with it. That gives you just the one app for configuration and control, and an easier general way to group lights and control lighting effects.

However, there is a way around this if you do end up with mixed brand bulbs, because most of them work quite well with Apple’s Siri and Home, or Google’s Assistant and Home Apps. If you’re using either to control your smart home, then they’ll just treat compatible lights as lights, full stop. You can group in Apple Home or Google Home apps and then use that approach for control. Speaking from experience this can work, although the different response speeds of some bulbs can mean that grouped bulbs from differing manufacturers may actually come up with slight delays between bulbs.

What happens to my smart light bulb if I switch it off at the wall?

It gets switched off, but that should be rather obvious. The real key factor here is that a smart bulb isn’t in any way smart with no power, so if you’re having trouble getting one to respond, try checking that the wall switch isn’t in the off position, especially if you have any lights with multiple switch positions.

Most smart bulbs go into very low power modes when not “on” as bulbs (but still “on” at the wall), and being LED bulbs they’re already quite power efficient. The core idea is that once you’ve switched to smart bulbs, you shouldn’t need to actually hit the wall switches at all any more.

That being said, you absolutely can still use your regular light switches for straight on/off control. If you do have older dimmer dials in place, the dimmer parts won’t work with smart bulbs, but the straight switch should still operate without issue.

Which smart light bulb or system is best?

This is a super open question, because it very much depends on your needs and budget. There are some super-cheap smart light bulb systems on the market these days, as well as more established – and slightly more expensive – “brand names”, such as Philips Hue or LIFX.

The best way to approach setting up a smart light system is to consider what you need out of it, and where any future expansion plans might sit.

If you’ve got smart speakers in your home, for example, look for bulbs that advertise that they work with that assistant, whether it’s Google’s Assistant, Amazon’s Alexa or Apple’s Siri. In the latter case, most Siri-compatible bulbs will talk about being Apple HomeKit compatible.

The more expensive platforms generally offer more features, including colour changing bulbs, a wider – and sometimes more comfortable – range of dimming levels and often easier configuration. Cheaper bulbs absolutely still have their place, but you may find them harder to get connected to your home Wi-Fi, or on some cases a little less comfortable to do so. One type I’ve tested in the past (sold under many brand names) lets you know it’s ready to pair by blinking the actual light bulb on or off. That works, but it’s like being stuck in a cheap disco until you get it paired and it stops blinking!

But which one should you pick? There’s actually no one brand I’d say was absolutely better than the others, because it does depend on some of the other technology in your home, especially your choice of smart speaker system. If you don’t have smart speakers installed, while a smart doorbell will still work, you’ll get a less useful system as a result.

The other factor you need to take into consideration is your internet speed. We’ve detailed how you can improve your internet speeds here – but if you’re still struggling after those tips, it might be time to book a Wi-Fi troubleshooting session online today.

Here’s a quick rundown of the major brands and their pros and cons.

Ring Doorbells

Pros
Ring is wholly owned by Amazon, and it’s best suited if you’ve already got its Alexa-powered Echo speakers and smart displays in your home. One strength of the Ring ecosystem is that there’s a lot of doorbell options at a variety of price points, from simpler battery-powered options that can be stuck in place, making them good for renters, to fully installed, wired-only options that provide higher quality video.

Cons
Obviously, if your smart speaker of choice comes via Google, it’s not going to work so well. Ring also charges a monthly or annual fee if you want to store video of folks who come to your door over time. You can still get alerts to your phone or smart devices without extra cost, but if you want archived video, you’ve got to pay.

Google Nest Doorbell

Pros
Google’s only got a single video doorbell available in Australia, the premium priced and oddly titled Nest Doorbell. Integration with Google speakers is very good, and it’s AI is excellent at detecting the difference between a visitor, and a visitor with a package, or a car or pet. You can even optionally train it to recognise faces, so that it knows when a family member is home, for example. Google also gives you a 3 hour rolling bank of video storage online, recording just the motion it detects.

Cons
Installation of the Nest Doorbell is a little more fiddly than most of the Ring devices. If you do want face detection and recognition, that comes as part of a paid Nest Aware subscription only. In my own tests the Google Nest Doorbell is a little slower at sending alerts to connected devices; often where a Ring doorbell would see a delivery person coming and alert me before they hit the bell, the Nest Doorbell only ever managed to do so once they were already there.

Arlo Essential Video Doorbells

Pros
While it’s a separate company – at one time it was part of networking giant Netgear, but now it’s a distinct entity – Arlo’s Video Doorbells work with Google Assistant speakers or Amazon Alexa devices, giving them nice flexibility. There’s not quite the same range as Ring, but there are wired and wireless options to pick from.

Cons
Like Ring, if you want stored video, you’ll have to pay for a subscription to access it. If you want intelligent AI-led detection of any kind, that’s also locked behind the subscription layer. The wired Arlo system rather unusually contains no chime of its own; the idea is that you’d retrofit it to an existing wired doorbell to keep your current chime active.

Google recently updated the smaller of its two smart displays, the Google Nest Hub, with a 2nd generation model that doesn’t change much visually if you’ve ever seen the original model.

For those coming to the party late, Smart Displays are effectively smart speakers – think devices like the Google Nest Mini, Amazon’s Echo speakers or Apple’s HomePod Mini – with screens on them to display contextual information, photos, videos and in some cases to act as integrated security cameras.

The original Google Nest Hub has had a lot of success in Australia, where Google’s Assistant is the dominant brand in smart assistants with between 64-80% of the total smart speaker market.

The new model is a little cheaper than the original was when it first came to market, although there’s been a bit of late rush recently of the first gen model being on sale even cheaper. While the design is much the same – a 7 inch screen that sits in front of a speaker wrapped in either a grey or black fabric – Google has made some interesting changes behind the screen.

The speakers haven’t changed in terms of output power, but Google’s claim is that they’ve got improved bass thanks to a larger internal chamber where the speaker sits. You pretty much have to sit two of them side by side to notice it markedly, but it’s an improvement no doubt.

The general features that make the Nest Hub attractive for many are still present; you can ask Google Assistant just about any question you’d throw into a Google search and it’ll either speak the answer, show you the answer or where it can do so, give you both. The 2nd Gen Nest Hub increases the microphone count from 2 to 3, and here I’ve seen some solid improvement in its ability to catch my voice from across a room, even when a noisy TV was running.

One of the defining aspects of the original Nest Hub was that it lacked a camera, with Google citing privacy concerns at the time. If you wanted that for security monitoring or for video calling through Google Duo, you had to pony up for the much pricier Nest Hub Max.

The Google Nest Hub 2nd Gen doesn’t quite have a camera, but it very nearly does. Specifically, it uses Google’s Soli radar technology, also seen in the Google Pixel 4 phone and Nest Hub Max for a couple of key features. You can access specific screen commands without touching the screen, thanks to radar tracking of your hands, although as with the Nest Hub Max this is a little bit quirky in real world use. The other area – and the one that’s drawn a lot of attention in tech circles – is the ability for the Nest Hub 2nd Gen to manage sleep tracking without you needing to wear a special tracking band or bracelet, or anything at all if you’re that way inclined!

Instead, you set it up by placing the Nest Hub 2nd Gen in your bedroom. Google reckons a lot of its Nest Hub users already do this, but the Nest Hub 2nd Gen’s radar can then grab a radar image – not a photo or video – of your form on top of your sheets. Then when you go to bed, it uses machine learning to track your sleep and provide you with metrics over a period, as well as advice on how to improve your sleep.

As technology goes it’s very cool, and Google’s at some pains to state that the actual tracking data stays on the device itself. Google says it’s not watching you while you sleep in that way, and in any case you’ve got to explicitly opt in to sleep tracking to even start using it.

In my experience, it’s surprising in a way how good the sleep tracking is on the Nest Hub 2nd Generation, but it’s far from flawless. It tended to overstate my sleep, and on more than one instance didn’t track when I was awake during the night due to some insomnia. That may improve over time, given that the Nest Hub itself has added all sorts of features such as video streaming since its first model debuted, but there’s another issue here. Google says that Sleep Tracking is a free feature for at least a year from now, but that indicates that it intends to charge for it, presumably at some point in 2022 or later. Right now I don’t know that it’s accurate enough to be worth paying for, and that’s assuming that you can get past the slightly-creepy factor of having radar watch you while you sleep.

Still, if you’re keen on a smart display, the faster processor and better microphone pickup in the Google Nest Hub 2nd Gen make it an easy enough recommendation. If you’ve already got a first generation model there’s not enough here to make it a must-have upgrade, however.

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If you’re installing a new air conditioning unit you can spend up big and get a high powered unit that’s ready to roll with internet connectivity and voice control, so you can perform fancy tricks like setting your AC to fire up when you’re away so that your home is pleasantly cooled – or nicely warm – when you do return.

But what if you’ve got a sturdy older unit that doesn’t think in terms of Internet at all? Tado recently sent me its Smart AC Control V3+ unit to test out. The core idea here is that it can take any standard AC unit that works off an IR remote – which is functionally speaking all of them – and give it the essential smarts to work in an interconnected way via a smartphone app or its own control panel.

Installation of the Tado Smart AC Control V3+ is a simple enough affair, with an easy app-led install that walks you through registering your device, and then placing it in a way where it’ll work with your already installed air conditioning unit. That’s a line-of-sight question, although IR is pretty good at bouncing off walls. I tried pretty hard to find a sane spot in my living room where it wouldn’t work, and outside burying it under the sofa it always functioned nicely.

Most big brands are well represented so that all you should have to do is tell the app the make and model and it’ll work out the functions available to you as a result, but you can also add features if it misses out on a button on your remote that you’d like to replicate.

You can then use the app itself or the Tado touch panel to quickly adjust your home’s AC parameters, or connect it up to existing smart home speakers for voice controlled temperature control. It still feels all rather Star Trek to me every time I tell Google to switch on my air conditioning, and in my experience it’s marginally slower that way – because Google then has to talk to Tado’s servers, who then talk to the actual Tado device that then sends the final IR command up to you. We’re still only talking a matter of a few seconds in any case.

Tado’s claim is that the Tado Smart AC Control V3+ goes further than just replicating what your remote can do with additional features such as geofencing to smartly turn your AC off even if you forget when going out, as well as air quality controls and open window detection, to help you save money and energy.

Geofencing naturally relies on the app and the location sensing of your connected smartphone, and can work pretty well if you do often leave the home without switching your AC off. The other features are designed with health and wealth in mind, although in my own experience they can be a bit hit and miss – especially that open window feature. My own living area is quite open plan, and from time to time the Tado app’s tried to notify me of an open window when none was open; all I can guess is that it’s detecting air temperature shifts in a larger area as an open window.

The overall question here of course is one of value. If you’re happy enough with a basic AC remote control then this is adding some convenience, and could save money over the longer term by limiting your accidental power usage, whether that’s due to leaving the AC on or leaving windows open. I’m forever scrambling to work out where my kids have left the AC remote – yes, it has its place, but like the TV remote, it seems to like to travel – so it’s quickly become a very welcome addition to my own home.

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To answer the obvious question, yes, this does involve having a live speaker in your home, and it’s well worth reading the privacy policies around that and judging on your own comfort levels about how happy that prospect makes you. If you’re uncomfortable, a smart speaker isn’t for you.

If you can leap that hurdle – and despite what some may say, they’re not part of a mass surveillance activity to speak of, although some providers will use search queries and the like to target advertising in other mediums to you – then a smart speaker can be a great way to start the shift to a smarter and more connected home, or to make it easier to get your news, messages and of course enjoy your choice of music.

Right now, three of the biggest tech companies on the planet all have an “entry level” smart speaker in the market at $149. There are cheaper smart speakers, like the Google-owned Nest mini or Amazon-owned Echo Dot, but those are very basic speakers with pretty poor audio output – so much so that the Amazon Echo Dot has an external 3.5mm jack that’s explicitly there for folks to send audio to better speakers!

That $149 price point can buy you some surprisingly good speakers, but you should consider the benefits and drawbacks of each model. I’ve tested all three, and here’s a quick rundown primer on what to think about when making your choice. Bear in mind that while a fair amount of smart home gear will “talk” to any given assistant, you can’t mix and match Amazon, Google or Apple smart speakers and expect them to talk to each other. As such, the choice you make is going to work best if it’s the choice you stick with, no matter which that is.

Amazon Echo 4th Generation

Onboard Assistant: Amazon Alexa

Pros: Of the 3 models tested, Amazon’s Echo 4th Gen has the best microphone pickup if that spoken accuracy is key for you. Amazon’s near-dominance in the smart speaker space in the US also means that there’s a huge variety of devices that work with Amazon’s Alexa assistant, making it pretty easy to integrate with most smart home appliances. It’s also the only one of the three with audio input and output for maximum flexibility.

Cons: The sphere shape of the Echo 4th Gen might make you think that it delivers 360 degree sound, but this isn’t the case. Its speakers are quite directional, so careful placement is a must. If you want a smart speaker for home office or small room music playback, it’s the least impressive of the three.

Apple HomePod Mini

Onboard Assistant: Apple Siri

Pros: Like the Echo Dot 4th Gen, the HomePod Mini is a spherical speaker, but it has much better audio output, edging out the Nest Audio in my tests for the most pleasing tone across a range of music genres. It’s also the showiest, with a swirling LED display at the top that reacts to touch and flares up when it hears the Siri wake word.

Cons: Like a lot of Apple gear, it makes the most sense if you’re already living in an Apple world. Currently it only supports Apple Music where its competitors will generally talk to a number of music services including Spotify. Apple’s HomeKit standard that the HomePod Mini uses for smart home integration isn’t quite as common as Google Home or Alexa compatibility either, so you have to pick your internet-aware gadgets a little more carefully.

Google Nest Audio

Onboard Assistant: Google Assistant

Pros: Google’s Nest Audio speaker is the largest of the three speakers tested, and it’s only just pipped by the HomePod Mini in the audio stakes. However, it’s far more flexible in terms of the music and content services it will work with and broadcast than Apple’s speakers, which could be important if you’re already subscribed to a third-party music streaming service. The flatter design of the Nest Audio makes it a lot less obtrusive than the spheres of the Echo 4th Gen or HomePod Mini if you’d prefer your smart speaker to be heard but not seen.

Cons: Google makes the Nest Audio in a range of 5 colours for the US market, but here in Australia we only get 2 of them, which is rather dull. There’s no audio input, so if you want to send music from a phone it has to be via Bluetooth. If you’ve got multiple Google Home/Nest speakers or phones in the same area, it can also sometimes be a touch confusing working out which speaker is actually replying to a request.

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Nuki Smart Lock 2.0

RRP: $419+

Nuki’s Smart Lock isn’t in fact a lock in its own right. It’s a module that you install over your existing lock with your key placed inside. It then uses a motorised turner to flip the key around as required when you tell it to open or close a given door. Because it’s an add-on module, it’s a nicer option than some smart locks that require a full replacement of your actual lock. With landlord approval, you could pretty easily install the Nuki Smart Lock 2.0 on a rental property if you wanted and take it with you when you left that property later on.

The idea is that you install inside your home, so nobody knows it’s there, but then use a Bluetooth connected smartphone to actually unlock the door as you approach. Nuki also sells a Wi-Fi connection bridge, so you could then manage your lock and its status from anywhere on the planet, although of course the Bridge costs extra.

Installation of the Nuki Smart Lock is an interesting one; you’ve to measure up your lock and ensure it will fit, and then either side bolt it into place if it has a protrusion, or effectively “stick” it on if it’s a flatter lock type. One catch I discovered early on here was that if you don’t get good adhesion, the Nuki lock can pretty easily spin itself out of place through sheer motor force. Placement can also be tricky if you have locks and handles above each other too closely.

Once it’s installed securely, however, I was quite pleased with how well it typically worked. There’s a button at the back so if you’re inside you don’t even need a phone. A simple tap will get the key spinning and unlock the door. It’s also voice compatible with Amazon’s Alexa Assistant or Google Assistant, but you’ll have to invest in the Nuki Bridge if you want that kind of functionality. Likewise, you can integrate with a keypad if you want number pad entry, but that’s an added cost too.

Arlo Essential Spotlight Camera

RRP: $229

Arlo has been around in the home security camera space for some time, but most of its products to date have relied on the idea of having multiple cameras connected to an Arlo Hub that hooks into your home internet connection. You can do that with the Arlo Essential Spotlight Camera, but it’s also designed to act as a standalone unit if you only wanted the single camera in place.

As the name suggests, it’s camera with an integrated spotlight that fires up if the camera detects movement after dark. Once it’s charged up and set up, a process that’s nicely simple through Arlo’s app for iOS or Android, you then have to choose where to place it. It’s rugged enough for outdoor use, although the further it sits from a decent Wi-Fi signal, the more power it’s going to use. One drawback with this model compared to other Arlo devices is that it uses a sealed battery, so when you want to recharge it, you’ve got to move the entire camera offline, unless you’re using in in a situation where you can keep constant power flowing to it.

Actual video pickup is really good, with nicely crisp 1080p images even in low light situations. You do need to be careful about placement however, because the spotlight is very bright, and a few of my family members did comment while I was testing that it was a tad blinding if it spotted them returning home late at night.

Arlo’s proposition isn’t just for hardware, however, and if you do want longer term storage of your footage, as well as advanced features such as object detection and advanced motion zone setting, you’ve got to pay extra for an Arlo Smart subscription package. You get a 3 month trial with the Arlo Essential Spotlight Camera, but after that plans start at $4.49/month.

Bear in mind with a camera like this that if your core interest is in making sure you get alerts on your property when you’re not there, you’ll also need a decent speed broadband service to send images to your phone or other device when you’re away.

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There are heaps of advantages though – you can control them through your phone or with voice command, group them into cool patterns for events such as parties, movies, or even for when you get up at night to get a glass of water. For want of a better term, they’re “smarter” lights.

That sounds complex, but for the majority of lights, it’s a simple matter of using a phone-based app to select the brightness, in some cases the colour temperature and in others the actual colour of the bulb to best suit your mood.

There’s plenty of them, however, under a wide variety of brand names, all with slightly different features. So what should you look out for when buying smart light bulbs?

Will it work with my digital assistant?

Some bulbs will work only with Google Assistant, or Alexa, or Siri. Some will work with all three. If you’ve got a mix of Amazon, Android and iOS devices, flexibility could be a big plus, but if you’re only using one platform, it doesn’t make sense to spend extra if you don’t have to.

What kinds of shapes can I get?

Bulbs are bulbs, right? Well, not so much if you have fancy light fixtures they have to work around, or bulbs mounted vertically in walls. You may want to check if the brand you’re choosing offers alternate shapes or sizes to accomodate other light fixtures around them.

Can I do colours?

Most lights will let you change the intensity of the brightness, and some may let you change the colour temperature, from cooler white/blue mixes to warmer white/yellow types. Others, however, offer a full disco style experience, so if you want that low red room for romance (or Halloween!), you can do it. Not a vital feature for some folks, of course, but if you want it and your brand doesn’t support it, it’s a problem.

E27 or B22?

There are two common light fixture types worldwide. E27, often called the “Edison” or “screw” type uses a simple threaded screw to fit in, and is more common globally, but you may have B22, or “bayonet” types, distinguishable by the prongs that stick out from the sides and form the fixture point for your lights. If you’re looking at changing over your entire house over time, it’s worth checking each bulb, as some houses — especially those with a few years that may have seen a few odd electrical choices in their time — might surprise you.

Do I need new wiring, or a central hub?

Some devices act as standalone bulbs with no need for a central hub, although this type often doesn’t work together in groups because of that fact. Other bulb types, such as the Philips Hue bulbs, work off a central “hub” device that acts as the brains. Check carefully before you start buying, because it makes sense to keep within the one system if at all possible.

Do you want remote control when you’re out of home?

Internet-connected lights can be checked while you’re out, which is super-handy if you can’t remember if you’ve switched the lights off, or just want a light to go on for security reasons. Again, not all lights support that kind of functionality, and quite how well it works can depend on the speed and reliability of your Internet connection.

Do you already have dimming switches?

If you’ve got existing dimmer switches for traditional incandescent lights, it’s worth checking how your brand of choice handles those. Most standard smart bulbs can dim themselves, but they don’t much like the electrical variance of an actual dimmer switch.

How quick do you want to change over?

One of the nice things about integrating smart lighting solutions is that you don’t have to change every bulb all at once. A friend of mine is just about done with his switchover to smart lighting solutions, but he’s taken more than a year to do so, adding a bulb at a time and building up a full profile (in his case, through Google’s Home application) to cover everything from what happens when he gets home to how he wants his lights to dim when there’s an important match on he wants to watch.

While you will pay a little more for smart light bulbs, they can be very practical and useful for a wide number of scenarios. One of the more useful aspects, of course, is that they’ll still work just fine from regular light switches as well, and you generally don’t have to do any additional installation or wiring tricks to get them to work.

If you buy one and decide they’re great, you can go the whole hog, but equally if you work out they’re not for you, you can simply use the bulbs you’ve already bought as regular lights, and leave it at that. Uninstallation is as simple as unscrewing a light bulb, and while there’s probably a terrible old joke in how many people that might take, typically it’s pretty easy.

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