Getting started with building a smart home can be daunting. The benefits are sort of nebulous at first, and the up-front cost can be off-putting. There are a lot of ways to approach the idea of building out a smart home, but we contend that smart lights are the best first step on that journey.
The benefits are visible The benefits of many smart home devices aren’t quite as palpable as a smart light’s. A smart light changes the mood of your entire home and reinvents your relationship with a light switch. Meanwhile, smart speakers can amount to a spooky robot ghost lady that lives in your kitchen. A smart lock gives you a different way to fumble for your keys. A smart thermostat operates quietly in the background with the end result being a comfortable temperature.
Your phone has great support Smart lights are one of the product categories with the most consistent support for smart home platforms like Google Home and Apple HomeKit. These are well-integrated with the phone you already have, giving you an easy way to issue voice commands to your lights. These mechanisms are in addition to native Android and iOS apps that often provide home screen widgets and advanced functions you’ll need to dip into anyway during setup.
Smart lights are readily available Smart home devices as a whole are becoming easier to find, even in big-box retail stores. Most of us have seen smart products on the shelf at Best Buy. What sets smart lights apart is the fact these can be found even in stores like Home Depot, often alongside even more lighting-related accessories. In fact, smart lights are often bundled with smart speakers like the Nest Mini or the Echo Dot.