The Benefits of Smart Lighting
Whether you’re just starting out in the smart home world or looking to upgrade your existing lights, smart lighting can be an affordable and convenient way to add functionality to your household. Whether you’re lying in bed, working from your couch late at night or even a country away, you can control your lights with just a tap on your smartphone. But beyond that convenience, there are many ways you can use smart lighting to improve your day-to-day life and even enhance your home’s security and ambiance.
One of the most obvious benefits of smart lighting is that it saves energy. By leveraging technology like motion sensors, remote controls and timers, smart lighting can turn on only when necessary, while also using less electricity than standard bulbs. Smart lighting can also help reduce your carbon footprint by using LED bulbs which burn fewer fossil fuels than traditional ones, and are more efficient at producing light.
You can control smart lighting with apps on your phone, tablet or laptop computer – and in some cases, smart speakers (Amazon Echo or Google Assistant) if you have them. If you’re a homeowner, you may also be able to integrate your lighting with other smart home devices. For example, if your doorbell or security cameras detect someone approaching, your lights can switch on; and if you get an important notification while you’re out of the house, your lights can change to a certain colour to notify you that something is up.
Some smart lights need a hub, which is a device that plugs into your router and connects your other bulbs. Other smart lights are hubless and work over Wi-Fi to communicate with your phone or device. If you’re looking for a simpler solution, hubless smart bulbs are a good choice and often more affordable than a bulb with a hub.
Adding a hub to your system can open up additional features, including the ability to control multiple bulbs at once with group control. You can set them to turn on and off at a certain schedule or to automatically sync with sunrise and sunset for a more natural daily routine. It’s also possible to set up’mockupancy’ when you’re away from home, which will randomly turn on and off the lights at various times to give the impression that the house is occupied.
Lighting is a key part of any interior design and can be used to enhance your space with a range of colours, patterns and moods. Whether you want to create a welcoming entrance or a soothing bedroom, there’s a smart light to suit your needs. Moreover, smart lighting can improve your home’s safety and security by incorporating technology like motion sensors to deter intruders, and remotely-controlled features that prevent lights from being left on when you’re out of the house. So go ahead and make your house the smart home of your dreams – you won’t regret it.