If you’re anything like me, you spent your childhood dreaming of lights you could control by clapping. The Clapper’s premise was brilliant—no more getting up from your bed to hit the light switch! (You can still buy it.) But technology has come a long way since then. Now, you can control the lights, set timers and schedules, and change colors with your smartphone or your voice if you have a smart assistant in your home. No clapping required.
Smart bulbs are a great place to start if you want to make your home a little smarter. Most options are relatively cheap, and they’re easy to install. There are also no cameras or door locks for someone to hack into and invade your privacy. I’ve tested and lived with a handful since March, and these are my favorites.
If you want to take your smart home a step further, consider getting a smart speaker or smart display so you can use your voice to control bulbs. Two affordable options we like are the Nest Mini and the Echo Dot, but you don’t need them. You can always use the bulb’s app.
Updated September 2020: We added new products from Ikea and Nanoleaf. Eufy discontinued the Lumos, so we removed it.
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