How Do Smart Bulbs Work? And Should You Buy Some?

Mar 17, 2024

Find out more about how the popular smart home technology helps brighten up your space.

By now, many people probably have smart bulbs throughout their homes. But have you ever wondered how exactly a smart bulb works? What’s inside a smart bulb that allows it to dim, change colors, and make your routines so much easier?

If you haven’t jumped on the smart bulb bandwagon yet, perhaps an in-depth look at what’s inside a smart bulb and how it works will convince you it’s time to buy some.

Not all smart bulbs will be built exactly the same, but in general, they all consist of the same basic components. Inside a smart bulb, you’ll usually find a circuit board (or boards), a heatsink, a power supply, a Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth module, and of course, LEDs.

When you separate the top piece from the base piece, you’ll be able to see the bulb’s LEDs. Depending on the smart bulb, there could be RGB LEDs to allow for millions of colors or various white LEDs that are capable of one white tone or changeable tones between warm white and cool white.

The circuit board is the brains of the operation, the Wi-Fi module allows the bulb to connect and communicate with your home Wi-Fi network, and the power supply, as the name implies, is what delivers power once the bulb is plugged in.

Smart bulbs and lights are able to work in your home because of wireless communication. In the same way you’re able to print something wirelessly from your computer, you can wirelessly control your smart lights through a dedicated hub or through your phone over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

As mentioned above, a smart bulb has a module or modules built into its base that allow for wireless communication over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Depending on the brand or type of smart bulb you go for, the wireless communication requirements may be different. For example, some smart bulbs only communicate over Wi-Fi directly through your smartphone, and other bulbs may require the use of a secondary hub connected to your router, like a Zigbee or Z-Wave hub.

If your smart bulb requires a Zigbee hub, or something similar, any command you send out from your phone to your smart bulb will travel from your phone over your Wi-Fi network to the hub, and then from the hub to your smart light. If your smart bulb connects directly to your Wi-Fi network, instructions sent out from your phone will go from the phone through your network to the bulb.

Typically, utilizing a Zigbee or Z-Wave hub offers a faster and more reliable connection for your smart devices than a direct connection between your smart bulb, network, and phone. But however your smart bulbs and lights connect, this wireless communication is what allows you to remotely turn your lights on and off, use voice commands to dim brightness, or use your lights in automatic routines.

If you’re not ready to ditch your dumb light bulbs for smart ones, there are still ways you can take advantage of the features and conveniences that come with smart bulbs. Rather than replacing the bulb itself, you can invest in smart switches or smart plugs.

Opting for a smart switch or a smart plug versus a smart bulb will limit the functionality of your lights. Many smart bulbs allow you to dim the brightness, adjust the color temperature, and even change the color altogether to green, blue, and so on. With smart plugs or switches, you’ll only be able to turn the light on or off, whether you’re controlling the light with an app, through voice control, or in a routine.

Anywhere in your home that you currently have a light, you can swap the existing light out for a smart option. The most common bulb base in the US is E26, and many of the smart bulbs you’ll see have this specific base. However, there’s a smart bulb for pretty much any bulb base out there. You can get smart ceiling lights, outdoor lights, candelabra lights, and so much more.

Most of the precautions for selecting the right smart light are intuitive. For example, if you want to put smart lights on your patio, you’ll want to look specifically for outdoor smart lights that can properly withstand the elements. Or, if you’re in need of smart lights for your bathroom, make sure it has an IP rating for damp areas.

Smart bulbs are often the first recommendation for people wanting to start investing in a smart home. This is because smart bulbs are easy to set up, intuitive to use, and although smart lighting can be expensive, it’s an affordable alternative to other smart home products.

One of the biggest advantages of smart bulbs over dumb options is that you can incorporate them into routines to help you throughout the day. You can use smart lights as an alarm clock by setting them to gradually brighten at a certain time in the morning, and alternatively, use them to signify it’s time to go to bed by gradually dimming at night.

Then, you could leave your house for work without having to worry about turning off the lights because you can set your smart bulbs to turn off at a specific time or let them use your phone’s location to know when you’ve left for the day. Smart bulbs also offer you the ability to dim the lights, customize scenes for movie nights, and control lights from an app on your phone or through voice commands.

For extra functionality, you can even pair smart bulbs with motion sensors to automatically turn on and off. If you don’t want to fumble for the bathroom light switch in the dark, set up a motion sensor right inside the door so your lights automatically turn on when you enter the bathroom.

From how they're made to how they improve your quality of life, smart bulbs are an awesome invention. If you've ever been interested in what it'd be like to have a smart home, smart bulbs and other smart lighting products are the best first step. It's easy to play around with routines in the app or using your preferred virtual assistant, and from there, you can see what other parts of your regular routines you could also automate.

Sarah Chaney is a professional freelance writer for MakeUseOf, Review Geek, Laptop Mag, and other publications. She received her bachelor’s degree in English at the end of 2020, and shortly thereafter left her full-time job to make freelance writing a career. Sarah covers a variety of topics, including software- and hardware-related content, Android apps, video games, board games, and general tech.