Flood light bulbs are some of the most important lighting around as they help to brighten and secure our homes, inside and out. When you are ready to leap into the world of HomeKit bulbs, there are many factors to consider, such as weather resistance, brightness, color temperatures, and connectivity, making it hard to choose. There are quite a few HomeKit options available, so we gathered them all to help you pick the right one for your needs.
Bright beauty
LIFX BR30
Staff Favorite
The LIFX BR30 is the brightest HomeKit BR30 light bulb around with its ability to output a whopping 1,100 lumens of white and color goodness. LIFX’s bulb is capable of displaying 550 billion, that’s right, billion, different shades of whites and colors, which is above and beyond the standard 16 million seen on other bulbs. To top things off, this bulb also sports an IP65 weather-resistance rating, making it one of the only outdoor options available.
Cost effective
Feit LED Smart Bulb
Feit’s LED Smart Bulb offers HomeKit and Siri control at the lowest price around. The low price doesn’t mean this bulb is low quality, though, as it is capable of outputting 650 lumens of brightness, and supports dimming. This bulb also uses Bluetooth for a direct to HomeKit connection, saving you money as an additional hub is not necessary to make the smart home magic happen.
Clear choice
Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance BR30
The latest Philips Hue BR30 bulb offers a rare mix of connectivity options, with both Bluetooth and ZigBee wireless radios built right in. Having both options allows the bulbs to work right out of the box with your phone, and it can also work with the Philips Hue Hub for expanded coverage, faster response, and out of home control. Being a Hue bulb, its color and white reproduction are, as you would expect, fantastic, making this a solid option.
Direct color
Sylvania Smart+ Full Color BR30
The Sylvania Smart+ Full Color BR30 uses Bluetooth connectivity to pair directly to HomeKit, without the need of an additional hub. This direct connection also means that it is incredibly easy to set up. Just screw the bulb in, scan the HomeKit code, and you are ready to go. This bulb’s 16 million colors and 800 lumens of brightness also make it no slouch when compared to others.
Night vision
LIFX BR30+
LIFX’s BR30+ light bulb offers the same brightness and awesome color abilities as its non-plus sibling. However, this one bakes in infrared technology. This allows the bulb to work in tandem with security cameras to improve night vision, all without being visible to the naked eye. This feature also works automatically, turning on when the area it is in gets dark, perfect for outdoor spaces as it is also IP65 weather resistance rated.
Tuned in
C by GE Tunable White BR30
As its name suggests, the C by GE Tunable White BR30 gives you the ability to customize its color temperature. Tuning works via an app, and it can adjust the light output from warm ambers at 2,000K up to crisp blue at 7,000K. These adjustments allow you to set the perfect temperature for the time of day, with energizing blues during the day, to softer whites to help calm you down in the evening.
Par for the course
Philips Hue White PAR38
The Philips Hue White PAR38 has the distinction of being the only HomeKit bulb option in its size class. Thankfully, though, this bulb checks all of the boxes, with extreme brightness levels reaching 1,300 lumens, full dimming, and outdoor weather resistance. Philips also has one of the best warranties around with three years of coverage, protecting your investment for years to come.
C the colors
C by GE Full Color BR30
The C by GE Full Color BR30 provides millions of vibrant colors, as well as adjustable white light. This bulb isn’t the brightest around coming in at just 700 lumens, but it does support dimming and color temperature tuning. This mid-range light bulb also has a mid-range price tag to match, which helps when you need more than one bulb.
Soft and bright
Sylvania Smart+ Soft White BR30
Sylvania’s Smart+ Soft White BR30 bulb gives off bright warm white that is great for most settings. The Soft White version can reach up to 800 lumens of brightness, and its warm light sits within the lower end of the color temperature spectrum at 2,700K. Built-in Bluetooth integrates with directly to HomeKit, without the use of servers or the cloud, making controls available without an internet connection.
Connect them all
C by GE Soft White BR30
The Soft White BR30 from C by GE only offers one color temperature option, soft white, but it makes up for it with its low price and voice assistant compatibility. This bulb has Bluetooth built-in for a fast, straight to phone connection, but it also works with the C-Reach Hub, giving it the ability to work with not just HomeKit, but also Alexa, and Google Assistant. This bulb’s flexibility ensures that it will be around even if you decide to change things up.
More than a bulb
Philips Hue White Ambiance BR30
When you buy a Philips Hue light bulb, you are also buying into a large and robust ecosystem filled with apps and accessories. The White Ambiance BR30 fits right in alongside any other bulbs that you may already have, adding adjustable white light to your scenes and recipes. This bulb also pairs directly with Hue remotes or buttons, giving you tactile control where you need it the most.
Flooded with light
Replacing your BR30 or PAR38 light bulbs with HomeKit enabled bulbs is a great way to bring modern features to fixtures that are frequently overlooked. Whether it is indoors or out, HomeKit integration allows these bulbs to work with scenes, and powerful automations can turn them on and off automatically throughout the day. If you want the brightest BR30 light bulb that also supports billions of colors, then the LIFX BR30 is the one for you. This beautiful bulb also has IP65 weather resistance, giving you plenty of placement options around your home.
Need to replace multiple bulbs, but want to keep costs down? Then check out the Feit LED Smart Bulb. This 650 lumen, all-white bulb is the cheapest option around, and it doesn’t require an additional hub, making the cost of entry even lower. Whichever option you choose, Siri and HomeKit will be a tap or shout away, giving you convenience and control anytime and anywhere.
Source of the article – iMore