9 key-points to consider!
Smart LED lights – What to watch for ?
I was looking into buying smart led lights. And it turns out there are quite some things to consider before you decide to buy a smart led light.
Now of course you can go and visit one or more comparison sites. But what properties of a smart led light do I filter on and which are the most important?After doing my research I found that the following properties and tips can help you buy the right smart led light!
Lumen: what is it and how much do you really need ?
In simple terms, the amount of lumen indicates how bright a bulb can shine or how much light it produces, in all directions. To figure out how much bulbs and how much lumen per bulb you need, you need to ask yourself the following questions:
- In which area of the house do you want to put a new lamp ? This is important because different parts of a house have different light requirements. See below table to get a feel.
- And of course, how many bulbs will fit in your new lamp?
TIP: always test a bulb in the evening to have to best comparison!
Knowing your light requirements for the different area’s in the house and the amount of bulbs you need, you can calculate the amount of lumen you need per bulb. In general there are around 6 different lumen values in the range of: 470, 600, 800, 1100, 1400 and 1600 lumen.
TIP: if you go for dimmable lights, you can always go for a little bit more lumen per bulb, because you can always adjust the brightness.
Color versus temperature
Next to the brightness, you will need to know what color(s) the bulb can emit. Check the following table and figure to get a feel for the different colors, compared to their temperature.
If you go for dimmable lights you have the option to adjust the temperature/color.
Color
Don’t forget to check if the smart led light can also emit the full range of colors. Why not if it is for the same price…;)
Smart or not
Be sure the led light is really a smart led light! Only smart led lights can be controlled by an app on your smartphone.
Smart: connection options
If you have smart led lights, then also check in which way you can connect to them. In general you can use one of two ways to communicate with the lights. Either via Wifi (2.4 GHz) or via Bluetooth. I would always choose to go for the Wifi option, for several reasons.
- In general when connecting smart lights via Bluetooth there is a limit to the amount of lights you can connect, in most cases 10. To be able to connect more lights you will need to buy an additional component called, a bridge.
- Your Wifi is always one whereas for Bluetooth people sometimes choose not to.
Smart: app options
With a smart bulb of course comes a smart app. Next to the basic functionalities, a few additional functionalities that you should definitely check for are: a timer, ability to group light bulbs and configure light scenes. What I personally also find very useful is the ability to separately control the brightness and color of the bulb and having the option to use voice control.
Life expectancy
Some of the more expensive brands selling point is the life expectancy of their bulb. Now it is true that on average they have a life expectancy of around 25000 hours where as the less expensive ones have a life expectancy of around 15000 hours. But 15000 hours is more then sufficient for daily life.
Fitting (lamp holder) and size
Before you buy a lightbulb be sure you have the right type. There are about 4 types: E14, E27, GU10, GU53 and G9. Also not unimportant is the size of the bulb itself ;)
Filament
Nowadays light bulbs have all kinds of nice filament structures.
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