Smart Bulb vs. Smart Switch: Which is best for you?

Introduction

Should you use smart bulbs, or smart switches? I’ve been using both in my smart home for several years, so I understand the pros and cons of each. I’m going to compare smart bulbs vs. smart switches on five dimensions — functionality, features, control, installation, and cost — to help you decide what is best for you.

Main Points

Functionality

I’ll start with how they work. Generally speaking, smart bulbs replace your existing light bulb, whereas smart switches replace your existing light switch. There are exceptions to this, which I’ll cover in a bit.

Let’s say you have a room with multiple lights all controlled by the same light switch. One smart switch would allow you to control all those lights at once. Otherwise, you would need to replace each light with a smart bulb.

Additionally, smart bulbs only work if the light source is turned on. For example, if you want to control your smart bulb by voice or from an app, or if you have a smart home automation to turn the smart bulb on or off, these things will only work if the switch for that light bulb is left on. This applies to bulbs controlled by a wall switch, or bulbs sitting in a lamp.

If the switch is off, then your smart bulb cannot be controlled remotely by app, voice, or automation. This can be a major source of frustration. But, there is a solution for this, which I’ll come back to.

Features

Okay, so it sounds like smart switches are clearly better, right? Well, not necessarily.

Since a smart switch controls the existing lights, you’ll continue to get the same lighting ambiance that you have today. If your existing lights are only a cool white, they’ll continue to be a cool white with a smart switch. The one additional feature that a smart switch may give you is dimming control, so you can adjust the brightness level of those existing lights.

However, not all lights are dimmable, even LEDs. I’ve installed several types of smart switches on several sets of LED lights. In some cases, the dimming feature of the smart switch causes the LED lights to make a buzzing sound, which is a deal breaker. If you’re looking to install a smart switch to dim your existing lights, make sure they are compatible first.

On the other hand, a smart bulb allows you to decide what type of lighting ambiance you want to create.

If you buy a color temperature changing bulb, then you’ll have the ability to adjust from cool lights during the day to warm lights in the evening. This can help with your overall comfort and circadian rhythm.

If you buy a color changing bulb, then you’ll have the ability to choose from up to millions of colors. This could be useful for smart home automations like flashing a light red if someone is ringing the doorbell, or just creating the perfect ambiance for a holiday or a party.

And virtually every smart bulb is dimmable.

Control

Regardless if you choose smart bulbs or smart switches, you’ll get the ability to control your lights from an app, your voice, or include in smart home automations, like having a light turn on when you enter a room, or turn off when nobody is in the room.

Some smart switches have customizable buttons that all you to adjust the lighting to a favorite brightness setting.

To avoid having your smart bulb control ruined by someone flipping off the traditional switch, you can buy smart bulbs that also have compatible smart switches. This way you can get all the benefits of smart bulbs with the convenience and frustration-free experience of a switch.

I mentioned earlier that, typically, smart switches replace your existing light switch, but there are exceptions. Well, if you get a smart bulb with a compatible smart switch — such as Philips Hue smart bulbs lights with a Lutron Aurora smart dimmer switch — then you can choose to install the smart dimmer switch either in place of an existing switch, or mount it anywhere you want since these are battery-operated and do not require electrical wiring.

I have this setup in my home, and have installed the switch both ways. I’ll leave a link for it in the description.

Installation

Speaking of installation, how does that work exactly?

Well, smart bulbs are the easiest to install by far. Just screw it in to your light fixture and you’re done in seconds.

Smart switches are another story. You’ll need to cut the power to that part of the home, remove the existing wall plate, and connect hot, load, and ground wires.

I am not an electrician, but I quickly learned how to change out light switches around my home — just make sure you have some idea of what you’re doing so everything is done safely.

If you’re going with smart switches, one thing to check for is if your existing lighting uses a neutral wire. Some brands, like Lutron Caseta, do not require a neutral wire, which can make installation possible in just about any home regardless of its age.

Whether you use smart bulbs or smart switches, you’ll want to take the additional step of connecting them to the manufacturer app, or smart home hub of your choice, like Amazon, Apple, Google, or my preference, Home Assistant. This will allow you to control your smart lighting by app, voice, or integrate into smart home automations.

Cost

And finally, what about cost?

Since smart bulbs require you to replace each bulb, the cost can add up quickly. A single smart bulb on Amazon ranges from less than $5 for a brand like Sengled, to over $60 for a brand like Philips Hue.

Smart bulbs are not all created equal, and drivers of cost include the brand, features, watts, and reliability. If you want to learn more about this, check out my video on Philips Hue smart lighting, which I’ll link to.

Of course, if you want to add switches that are specially designed to control your brand of smart bulbs — like Philips Hue smart bulbs plus a Lutron Aurora smart dimmer switch — well, that’s another cost. A smart dimmer switch like this may add another $40, but they can control more than one bulb.

Smart switches are almost always the more affordable option, but it comes down to how many switches or bulbs you are looking to make smart. That doesn’t mean smart switches are all cheap.

In my experience, Lutron Caseta are the most reliable smart switches, but like Philips Hue smart bulbs, these suckers are a small fortune at around $60 or more per smart switch. I’ll leave a link in the description for what I’m using.

Recommendations

Here’s how I would summarize the battle of smart lighting:

As you can see, it’s a bit of a toss-up in my view. So, what should you buy? Ultimately, it comes down to what you want.

Do you want the ability to change the color temperature or color of your lights? Get smart bulbs. Are you good with your existing lights, and just want to make them smart so you can control a bunch at once? Get smart switches. I use both smart bulbs and smart switches in my home depending on what I’m looking to control.

My favorite is pairing Philips Hue smart bulbs with Lutron Aurora smart dimmer switches so I get the best of both worlds. But I also use Lutron Caseta smart switches to control a bunch of non-smart ceiling lights. See links in the description for each of these.

Final Thoughts

A couple final tips to keep in mind.

If you’re going with smart bulbs for indoor spaces, I highly suggest choosing ones that at least have the ability to adjust the color temperature, from cool to warm lighting. I really believe that is a game-changer in terms of comfort and ambiance in any room.

Also, make sure you select the maximum watts that your light fixture allows — I would not compromise on brightness by getting a lower wattage just to save a few bucks.

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Featured Tech

💡 MY FAVORITE SMART BULBS
Philips Hue Smart 60W A19 LED Bulb - White and Color Ambiance Color - 1 Pack: https://amzn.to/3vHIsBf
Philips Hue Smart 60W A19 LED Bulb - White Ambiance Warm-to-Cool White Light - 2 Pack: https://amzn.to/427c8nr
Philips Hue Smart 75W A19 LED Bulb - White and Color Ambiance Color-Changing Light - 2 Pack: https://amzn.to/3Sp2QQD
Philips Hue Smart 75W A19 LED Bulb - White Ambiance Warm-to-Cool White Light - 2 Pack: https://amzn.to/3vH5sAy
Philips Hue Smart 100W A21 LED Bulb - White and Color Ambiance Color - 1 Pack: https://amzn.to/3OaHwvH
Philips Hue Smart 100W A21 LED Bulb - White Ambiance Warm-to-Cool White Light - 1 Pack: https://amzn.to/3OdA4jv
Philips Hue Smart 40W B39 Candle-Shaped LED Bulb - White and Color Ambiance Color-Changing Light - 1 Pack: https://amzn.to/47LhfLs
Philips Hue Smart 40W B39 Candle-Shaped LED Bulb - White Ambiance Warm-to-Cool White Light - 1 Pack: https://amzn.to/3U4AV9V
Philips Hue Bridge - Best Way to Use Philips Hue Smart Bulbs: https://amzn.to/3wEHnL5

💡 MY FAVORITE SMART SWITCHES
Lutron Caseta Smart Home Dimmer Switch: https://amzn.to/48EZ1LQ
Lutron Caseta Smart Dimmer Switch for ELV+ Bulbs: https://amzn.to/49WZLgn
Lutron Caseta Smart Lighting Dimmer Switch Starter Kit with Caseta Smart Hub and Pico Bracket: https://amzn.to/3P2yP76
Lutron Diva Smart Dimmer Switch Starter Kit for Caséta Smart Lighting, with Smart Hub, Pico Remote, and Pedestal: https://amzn.to/49B3yjM

💡 SMART SWITCHES MADE FOR PHILIPS HUE SMART BULBS
Lutron Aurora Smart Bulb Dimmer Switch for Philips Hue Smart Bulbs - Mount Anywhere: https://amzn.to/3wBWDbL
Lutron Aurora Smart Bulb Dimmer Switch for Philips Hue Smart Bulbs - Mount on Switch: https://amzn.to/3uVqlIc