There are some amazing, connected home gadgets on the market today. One of these is the smart light bulb. Your voice can control these bulbs through an Amazon Echo or Google Home, or even just activate them through an app on your phone.
Smart bulbs are far superior to the regular ones available at your hardware store. They offer features like dimmers and if you are a fan of the Philips Hue, then there are millions of shades to choose from. Plus, there’s no need for an extra hub if you consider the bulbs below.
Did I mention how great it would be not having to fumble around trying to find the right switch? You’ll never have this problem again once your home is equipped with these energy-efficient bulbs.
Do You Need A Hub For Your Smart Bulbs To Work With Alexa?
No, you don’t need a Hub. Simply say “Alexa turn on the living room light” and she does it. These bulbs have Wi-Fi built right in—so they’re compatible with Alexa straight out of the box. No need for any confusing setup or anything like that: it’s as easy as taking them home and connecting them to the app.
Smart Hubs is added expense anyway, and may not be the best solution for people who are dipping their toes in Home automation. If you are those people who want to experiment with smart lighting and don’t want to commit to the technology, then my choices of bulbs are the right choice for you.
Light Bulbs That Work With Alexa Without A Hub
- Sengled Smart Light Bulbs.
- Etekcity Smart Light Bulb.
- Philips Hue White A2.
- Gosund Smart Light Bulb.
Sengled Smart Light Bulbs
If you’re not that fussed about the features Philips Hue offer, Sengled is a great Smart Lighting system for someone on a budget. It has its flaws, but it may suit your needs if all you want to do is turn lights On and Off or dim them without too many complications.
This bulb is impressive—it paired quickly and offers full functionality, no DH needed. The bulb is super responsive-switches off and on using the SmartThings app and via Alexa.
It is an automated lightbulb with an open/close sensor and responds to sensor action too! It is perfect for any room in your home and gives clean color changes plus; you don’t need the app or a hub.
Etekcity Smart Light Bulb
You don’t need a hub with the Etekcity, and it works with Alexa. It may not be a popular brand like the Sengled or Philips Hue, but it has exceeded many expectations in terms of usability and brightness.
The app lets you create different devices so that the bulbs can be controlled separately or together. Moreover, it allows for voice commands which Alexa will happily oblige to any request- much like lighting a Christmas tree!
You can choose whichever color shade and brightness you want from an easy user interface on your phone. But what is surprising- how bright this bulb is! There are many manufacturers claiming their bulbs are bright, however, when you take them home, they are less effective than expected as they tend not to have enough luminosity.
The Etekcity is an amazing and affordable product you must try. If I can’t convince you to give it a try, then check out this review on Etekcity.
Read More Reviews On The Etekcity
Philips Hue White Bulbs
Thanks to the new sets of Philips Hue bulbs, you don’t need the Hub. You can connect them to Bluetooth or use Wi-Fi to control them. This is a great option if you have 2-3 Hue bulbs as it caters to people who can’t afford the additional $50 for the Hue Hub.
Let’s face it, there are some features you can’t access without the hub, but the best part is you can use Alexa voice commands to change colors or turn- On and Off, just to name a few. It is pricey, but you are paying for the Hue brightness, colors, user-friendly experience, and functional app.
You will get Alexa working flawlessly with your Philips Hue App.
Gosund Smart Light Bulb
I am always excited to recommend the Gosund brand because of its affordability and high-quality products.
Have you ever wanted to change the color of your room in an instant? The Gosund Smart Wi-Fi LED Light Bulb A19 is a quick and easy way to do exactly that! You can control anyone bulb or all bulbs at once with just a tap of your finger from anywhere around your home.
There are other benefits. For starters, it uses 80% less energy than standard lights, which means more money is saved on electricity bills each month. Additionally, there’s no need for extra hardware because these lights connect directly through Wi-Fi—so anyone who wants access needs only their smartphone and requires nothing else.
The Gosund bulb is compatible with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant—so install it into your home’s networks and control them by voice command no matter where they are located.
To Recap
The best smart bulbs that work without a hub are the Sengled and Philips Hue. If you need something affordable, then go with the Sengled bulb.
However, if the price is not an issue and quality is your primary concern, then opt for the Phillips Hue. Regardless of your choice, they both have features that are worth investing in when it comes to home automation.
