The right smart light bulb is one that fits your socket and your set-up. Some bulbs connect over Wi-Fi with no hub, some ranges need a hub for full control, and makers sell different shapes, from standard bulbs to spotlights, candles and filaments. Check the hub and the fitting first, then compare colours, apps and voice control.
Most people shop for smart bulbs by colour and brand. That skips the two things that decide whether a bulb will work in your home at all: what it connects through, and whether it fits the light you want to change.
This list sticks to what each maker's own website says, read on 1 Nov 2026 (as of Nov 2026). It's alphabetical and in no particular order, and it notes where a maker's page is regional. You won't find claims about brightness, saving energy or how long a bulb lasts: just how each range connects and what shapes it sells.
Smart light bulbs at a glance
| Tool | Type | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Calex | Smart bulbs from a European lighting store | Indoor and outdoor smart bulbs from a European store |
| CYNC | GE Lighting smart home range | Bulbs you group with switches and plugs in one app |
| Feit Electric | Smart Wi-Fi bulbs and decorative LED bulbs | No-hub Wi-Fi lighting and filament bulbs |
| Govee | Smart lighting with a smart bulbs category | A smart bulbs menu inside a wide lighting range |
| IKEA | Smart LED light bulbs | Common socket sizes, with a hub for full control |
| Lepro | AI smart light bulbs | AI bulbs with music sync |
| LIFX | Wi-Fi smart bulbs and lights | Wi-Fi bulbs in several shapes, no hub |
| Philips Hue | Smart bulbs and lighting | Standard, spotlight, filament and starter-kit bulbs |
| WiZ | Smart lighting from a Signify brand | Bulbs, light strips and lamps in one range |
| Yeelight | Smart LED bulbs and lighting | Colour, dimmable, GU10 and filament bulbs |
Ten smart bulb makers and how their bulbs connect
Calex
Best for: Indoor and outdoor smart lighting from a European store with one free app for the whole smart home; the maker says it offers over 100 bulbs.
CYNC
Best for: Grouping bulbs with smart switches and plugs in one app, from GE Lighting's smart home range, with a bulb finder and a way to control non-smart things.
Feit Electric
Best for: No-hub smart Wi-Fi lighting you can dim, schedule and voice-control with Alexa or Google Home, plus white filament and Edison-style decorative bulbs.
Govee
Best for: Browsing a smart bulbs category, and a separate LED light bulbs group, inside a range of lamps, strip lights and outdoor lights.
IKEA
Best for: Smart LED bulbs for a variety of common socket sizes, some marked Matter compatible, with the DIRIGERA hub named for full control.
Lepro
Best for: AI smart bulbs, including B1, B2 and BR1 models, with LightGPM and LightBeats music sync named in product titles and Alexa and Google Assistant listed.
LIFX
Best for: Shapes from A19, A21 and BR30 to an E12 candle, a PAR38 flood light and a T10L tube light, on Wi-Fi with no hub, per its title.
Philips Hue
Best for: Bulb families from standard and spotlight bulbs to decorative filaments, Edison and globe shapes and starter kits, with a bridge listed under home controls.
WiZ
Best for: A smart light range of bulbs, lightstrips, luminaires, accessories and outdoor lights, plus home monitoring, from what its page calls a Signify brand.
Yeelight
Best for: Multicolour and dimmable smart LED bulbs, GU10 bulbs, filament bulbs and a downlight and spotlight, with cloud and local API pages in its support menu.
Hub or no hub, and which socket?
Here's the split that narrows the list faster than colour: whether a bulb needs a hub, and which socket and shape it fits. LIFX's page title says 'Wi-Fi bulbs, no hub required'. Feit Electric says 'no hub required' for its smart Wi-Fi lighting. IKEA says that to enjoy full control you 'connect using the DIRIGERA hub', and Hue lists a bridge among its home controls.
So start with the set-up you want. If you'd rather not add another box, look for the no-hub Wi-Fi ranges. If you're happy to add a hub, the hub-led ranges open up.
- No-hub Wi-Fi bulbs: ranges whose pages say no hub is required.
- Hub-led ranges: makers that name a hub or bridge for full control.
- App-group ranges: bulbs you group with switches and plugs in one app.
- Shape specialists: makers with spotlight, GU10, candle and filament bulbs in their menus.
Standard bulbs, spotlights, candles and filaments
Next, look at the light fitting itself. Hue lists an 'A19 - E26 smart bulb' beside 'spotlight bulbs' and 'decorative filaments'. Yeelight sells a 'GU10 smart bulb W1' and a 'smart LED filament bulb ST64'. One Wi-Fi maker lists shapes from A19 and BR30 to an E12 candle and a PAR38 flood light, and another says its bulbs fit 'a variety of common socket sizes'.
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Check the socket in the light you want to change before you order, and match it to the shape names on the maker's own page.
Apps, groups and voice control
Then think about how you'll switch them. CYNC suggests you 'group your smart bulbs, switches, and plugs together' in its app and schedule them. Feit's page says you can dim, schedule and voice-control its bulbs with Alexa, Google Home and its own app, and Lepro lists Alexa and Google Assistant in its product titles.
Calex offers 'one free app for your entire smart home' on its European store. WiZ says it's a Signify brand, Govee's menu carries a smart bulbs category, and one maker lists cloud and local API pages for people who like to tinker. If you already use one assistant or app, look for that name on each page.
What to check before you change a bulb
- What socket and shape does the light I want to change take?
- Am I happy to add a hub, or do I want a bulb that connects over Wi-Fi alone?
- Which voice assistant or app does the maker name?
- Do I want to group bulbs with switches and plugs?
- Is the maker's page for my country, or a regional store?
- Do I want plain bulbs, or decorative shapes such as filaments and candles?
Do you make smart light bulbs? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My advice for picking smart light bulbs
Start with the light, not the bulb. Check the socket and the shape, decide whether you're happy to add a hub, then shortlist the makers that list both. After that, compare apps, voice control and colours. Treat any line about brightness, energy or lifespan as the maker's own marketing, and if you're changing a fitting rather than a bulb, get help with the wiring.
If you're swapping more than bulbs, here's how to go about replacing a light switch safely at home. And if you work from home, see how to make your home office a space you love to work in.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
Do smart light bulbs need a hub?
Some don't and some do. Two makers on this list say their Wi-Fi bulbs need no hub, one says full control comes when you connect its hub, and another lists a bridge among its home controls. Check each maker's set-up before you buy.
Can I use a smart bulb without the app?
One maker here says that for simple operations like turning the light on and off, no remote control or app is required, because it can be done manually. Check the maker's own page for the bulb you choose.
Are there smart GU10 or spotlight bulbs?
Yes. One maker lists GU10 smart bulbs, another has a spotlight bulbs category, and another lists a PAR38 flood light. Check the shape and socket names on each page.
Can I get filament or vintage-style smart bulbs?
Some makers sell them. One lists decorative filaments and Edison and globe shapes, one sells a smart LED filament bulb, and another lists white filament and Edison decorative bulbs.
Do smart bulbs work with Alexa and Google?
Some say so. One maker says you can voice-control its bulbs with Alexa and Google Home, and another lists Alexa and Google Assistant in its product titles. Check the assistants named for the model you want.
Can I control bulbs, plugs and switches together?
One maker suggests grouping your smart bulbs, switches and plugs together in its app and scheduling them. Check whether the maker you like sells plugs and switches too.
