Warning: Undefined array key "tracking_id" in /var/www/vhosts/smarttechstuff.co.uk/httpdocs/affiliateCode/custom-shortcodes.php on line 57
Light Bulbs that Work With Alexa
Using your Amazon Alexa device to control your home lighting is one of the best uses for your Echo or Echo Dot.
Quick version: the #1 Alexa compatible lights n 2024 are the Philips Hue Starter Pack. The Hue system is simple to set up and easy to expand. And the quality of both the hub and the lights beats the pants off the competition. See it on Amazon.
By replacing your existing lighting with new smart bulbs, you can control them with either your smart phone or through Alexa voice commands such as “Alexa, turn off the lights”. Who doesn’t want to be able to control their lights with their voice? Amazon echo light control is also one of the easiest smart home upgrades you can make.
There’s no need to get an electrician to do anything. It’s very quick and easy! There’s so many of cool things you can do with Alexa compatible lights and bulbs that go way beyond turning lights on and off.
Here’s just some of the functions your Amazon Echo light bulbs can do:
- Give you control of smart lights when you’re not at home
- Set up a crazy light show for house parties
- Change the colour of a smart lamp in one room
- Dim light accurately by percentage
- Set unique lighting for each room
- Relax with some chilled mood lighting!
In this guide we’re going to look at everything you need to know about the wonderful world of Amazon Echo light control, and look at some of the best bulbs, lamps, LED strips and starter kits you can buy in 2024.
What’s the UK’s Best Amazon Bulbs & Lights in 2022?
In the next part of this guide on Alexa compatible lighting, we’ll be looking into some of the top Echo bulbs on the market. While Amazon don’t make their own brand of lights as for the Alexa, there’s some good brands out there that do. Here’s a run down of the best Echo smart bulbs out there.
Products we recommend are:
- Philips Hue Smart E27 Bulb Starter Kit
- Novostella B22 RGB Alexa Light Bulbs
- LegElite Smart Light Bulbs
- ASZKJ Smart Bulbs
- Techin Smart Light Bulbs
#1 – Philips Hue Smart E27 Bulb Starter Kit
This has to be one of the best ways to get your home upgraded to smart lighting. These 100% Alexa compatible lights from Philips come with everything you need to install smart bulbs at home. Use the kits included hub to connect the bulbs to your home and enjoy all the fun and practical benefits of smart lighting.
Has a fantastic app that you can use to adjust every detail of the lighting in each room of your home. There’s lots of cool extra lighting that you can add to the system as you go too. (Check out the video below to see it all in action…)
Here’s some of the commands you can use with this kit
- “Alexa, turn the living room blue”
- “Alexa, turn on scene Savanna Sunset in living room”
- “Alexa, turn the bedroom to warm white”
- “Alexa, turn the lights to pink”
#2 – Novostella B22 RGB Alexa Light Bulbs
Ever have a mood light that swapped between a handful of colours? I did and I thought it was pretty cool. These Echo smart lights give you up to 16 million colours to choose from. The Novostella is a very popular brand of smart light bulb.
It doesn’t need a hub – you just fit it like a normal light bulb. Then you can tell it exactly what to do, either using your Echo, or with the fab free app. And each pack includes 3 bulbs to get your smart home’s lighting going.
This Echo Smart bulb features
- 3 bulb pack
- A+ energy rating
- Works with Amazon Echo / Alexa
- Dim, change colour easily
- Cool free app
- Easy to use timer settings
#3 – Legelite LED Smart Light Bulb
You don’t have to pay a fortune for some lovely Amazon Echo light bulbs in your home and the Legelite LED bulbs prove that. The 2 pack will set you back less than £25. Again, there’s nothing fancy to set up here and no extra equipment or hub required. Just whack the bulbs in and download the app and you’re ready to go.
Enjoy trippy lighting wherever you want it, or chill to some forest green soft lighting.
This Echo Smart bulb features
- Works with your Echo and Alexa
- (Or Google home!)
- 16 million colours
- Fast set up
- Cheap 2 pack available
#4 – ASZKJ Smart Bulb
If you’re not looking to spend a fortune on some Amazon smart bulbs, but want something that will last a while, these budget priced bulbs might do the trick.
They do the same thing some of the more expensive ones; dimming, Alexa voice control and picking from a huge range of colours with remote control. The Smart Life app gives you finer control over the functions and these Alexa bulbs have ridiculously high reviews on Amazon.
This bulb features
- Super cheap smart bulbs
- Crazy high Amazon reviews
- Voice controlled (with Echo)
- Easy setup
- Controlled with the Smart Life free App.
#5 – Teckin WiFi Light Bulb
Like all smart lights, the Teckin one use super-energy-efficient LED lights. This means that for 7.5 watts you get an equivalent of 60 watts. And they don’t ‘pop’ every five minutes like those awful bulbs you get at the supermarket. These low-priced, friendly smart bulbs are fully compatible with all Echo speakers and are easy to get running. There’s no extra hubs required either!
This Echo Smart bulb features
- Simple-to-use smart bulbs
- Voice control with Alexa and Echo
- Remote app control over Wifi
- Choose from 16 million colours
- Super energy efficient
Quick Guide To Amazon Echo Light Control
Which Alexa smart speaker do you need?
The smart bulbs covered in this guide are compatible with any of the Amazon family of voice assistant speakers. You can set up light control with any of the following products from Amazon:
- Amazon Dot
- Amazon Echo
- 3rd party speakers with Amazon Alexa
You can also use non-Amazon devices too, such as the Google Assistant, but always check on the site you’re buying for to check if it’s compatible with smart bulbs. You don’t even have to use your smart speaker to control your lights. Modern smart lights work with your phone (via a free downloadable app) to give you full control over your home lighting.
In fact, even if you’re planning to use Echo to control lights, you’ll also want to download the app as you’ll be able to do some impressive stuff with it.
What do you need set up Amazon Echo light control?
There’s one or two things that you’ll need in order to be able to control your home’s lighting with your Echo.
Amazon Echo light bulbs – Every room which you plan to have smart lighting in will need it’s own light bulb. There’s several different kinds:
- Ceiling / standing lamp / table lamp bulbs
- Strip lighting – as in a roll of lights, not a strip bulb
- Other unique forms like light-up ‘bowls’
The light bulb is more expensive than a traditional light bulb but is different in a number of important ways. Firstly it will have a much longer life span. Some last up to 27 years! That makes sense as it would be far too expensive to keep replacing them otherwise.
Secondly, smart Echo bulbs can emit the whole spectrum of colour (and can also be dimmed). The other main difference is that smart lighting has built in WiFi connectivity so that it can connect to your home devices to do the controlling part.
Do you need any extra hardware?
Some manufacturers have their own ‘smart hub’ that connects their light bulbs together. It looks a bit like a mini router and works in a similar way. The smart bulbs connect to the hub, which then in turn connects to your home router. You don’t need a hub to set up Amazon Echo Light Control – some bulbs are able to connect to your home network without this.
QUICK TIP – Smart bulbs are available in all the major fittings. Thick, thin screw – or bayonet. Good news; you don’t need to change the bulbs socket – your existing fittings will work fine!
Amazing, awesome and practical stuff Alexa bulbs can do!
Amazon light bulbs are silly amounts of fun; you’ll likely never want to have boring old light bulbs in your home again. They’ve also got some seriously handy uses that will make life easier for you and your family too.
- Set 7 day, 24 hour lighting schedules, if that’s your thing
- ‘Animate’ your smart lighting & colours in one room… or the whole house
- Turn off one or more smart bulbs from your bed
- Turn your Alexa lights off and on for security, when you’re away
- Choose from millions of colours with your smartphone
- Give voice commands to your Alexa such as “turn the room PURPLE!”
Best way to buy Alexa Compatible Lights
While you can buy a single bulb to play around with and give Alexa voice commands, to get the most from smart lighting in your home, you’ll need several bulbs – ideally one for each room in your home. They aren’t that expensive and often come in packs, which can save money kitting out your home with smart lighting.
Another good way to buy smart lights for your Echo is to look out for starter kits. Many of the major manufacturers have nifty starter kits that you can buy that will save money. You can control lighting in as many rooms as you’d like to and you can expand your lighting as you go.
Let me know in the comments down below how your smart home is coming along. Did you use any of these products? Which Echo smart bulbs are you using that you think our readers will love?
Resources and further reading
Wikipedia has some lengthy info on how smart lights can save your energy consumption.
Can’t decide whether to use smart light switches vs. smart light bulbs? Watch this video
If you need to install a smart light switch, check out this video:
