Create a mood in your home with a smart LED light strip.
Amazon
If you've got a reliable internet connection, smart lights are a cheap way to make your home rich-dude-penthouse levels of cool. You can adjust the brightness of your lights, and most devices allow you to set the mood by choosing from more than 16 million colors. Over the past few months, I tested some sweet lighting options that require no external hub and most work with your existing smart home assistants. Here are my favorites, all for $80 or less.
1. The best smart LED light strips
LIFX
Amazon
This one's my favorite. The biggest feature: you don't need a separate hub to control your smart lights. They connect via Wi-Fi and have adhesive on the back so you can stick the lights on your walls, or underneath ledges and cupboards. The LEDs create up to 16 million colors and are programmable, so you can create custom lighting patterns through the smartphone app. You can also set up a lighting schedule and make changes with your voice through Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Assistant. The starter kit comes two 6.5-foot LED strips. There are eight programmable color zones on each strip and 700 lumens per strip. The strips have a 22-year lifespan. $70.
2. Two-foot smart LED strips
Sylvania
Amazon
The Sylvania LED light strip is Apple HomeKit-enabled, meaning you can change colors and settings with Siri or through the app. It connects over Bluetooth, and comes with three 2-foot flex strips with adhesive on the back. I’d recommend buying extra double-sided tape just in case you move the LEDs around; each time you remove them, they lose some of their stick. The lights are energy-efficient, have an adjustable white color temperature, and a range of 16 million colors. Extra strips cost $21 for three, or you can get an extender kit (to help reach around corners, for example) for $22. The only feature I wish Sylvania included—one that LIFX does—is is the ability for the lights to automatically rotate through colors. With these lights, you can only adjust brightness and change colors. $39.
If you use an Android phone, make sure to get this version. It has the same functions but is also compatible with Amazon Alexa or the Google Assistant. $52.
3. A new option for LED lighting
Eve
Amazon
This next option—a single 6.6-foot, 1,800-lumen LED strip—is the newest to the market. Like others, they can be trimmed at certain points to create a shorter segment. (Once you cut it, you can’t connect the two pieces.) The Eve LEDs can be extended with additional strips and reach up to 32.8 feet. The LEDs produce a full spectrum of whites and colors and are compatible with Apple’s HomeKit—therefore voice controlled with Siri. This setup requires no extra hub. The starter kit is available for $80and extension strips are available for $50.
4. A longer LED strip
Minger
Amazon
If you're looking for a longer LED strip option, Minger’s WiFi connected strip of LEDs are 16.4-feet-long, waterproof, and can be controlled via the Govee app on your smartphone or with Amazon Alexa. The company doesn't recommend connecting multiple strips. $29.
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