As the technology and materials for building lighting fixtures develops, so does the technology that creates those little glass bulbs that light those fixtures up. Smart bulbs have risen in popularity over the past few years due to their convenient features like automated vacation mode lighting, and the ability to turn all your lights on and off with a single voice command. Smart bulbs are LED light bulbs  If you purchase smart bulbs for your home not only will you have access to the more practical features of smart lights but also fun features like color changing bulbs. 

Before purchasing smart bulbs, just like any product, it's important to learn how to set them up and operate them. Smart bulbs require Wifi or Bluetooth to connect to the smartphone, tablet, computer, or home automation system the user controls them on. Most smart bulbs come with their own apps that allow you to control groups of lights. However, if you want to smarten up more than just your lights, you will need to pick a platform to control them with. Are you living with Alexa or Siri? A Google Home or a JBL Flip? If you own a smart speaker already, adding in your bulbs that your virtual assistant of choice can control is almost a no-brainer. 

Once you set up your bulbs through your method of choice, you now have access to all their cool features. Depending on the brand and the set up you select, smart lights can coordinate lighting changes to a movie or TV show you're watching. Many smart bulbs have a GPS feature to sync with your smart phone, so it can turn on your lights as soon as you come home and walk through the door.

A quick summary of smart bulbs:

• Higher initial cost than regular LED bulbs
• Longer life span
• More versatile and convienient than regular LED bulbs