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HomeKit light bulbs are a straightforward method to light up your home in the best, smartest way. All you need is to make sure that the lightbulb fits into the slots, and that it's HomeKit compatible.
After this, it's just a simple matter of controlling your bright new smart lights with the Home app on your iPhone or one of the best iPads.
Smart appliances are all the rage these days - you can create Apple Shortcuts to change the lights for when you need some extra lighting, or to add to when you're playing a game. Or you can ask Siri to switch on the nightlight for your child to help them go to sleep.
You can buy a HomeKit lightbulb relatively cheap now, so if you want to try one out, you only need to slot one of these in, connect to WiFi and see if it works for you.
So with this in mind, we've listed a bunch of great bulbs for you to look into. But we've also got the best HomeKit hubs if you're keen to make your whole home even smarter.
Quick List
Simply the best
Nanoleaf's Essentials A19 light bulb features millions of colors, 1,100 lumens of peak brightness, and support for HomeKit Adaptive Lighting. That is only part of it, as this bulb works without the need for a hub with Bluetooth and Thread connectivity. While Bluetooth is great, we were blown away by the lightning-fast response times.
Affordable ambiance
As noted in our review of the meross Smart Wi-Fi LED Bulb, we loved how it gives you the convenience of HomeKit and Siri controls at a price that won't break the bank. This bulb tops out at a bright 810 lumens, supports a mix of 16 million colors, and since it uses Wi-Fi, you don't have to worry about setting up a hub.
Mighty and mini
The LIFX Color A19 is one of the smallest HomeKit-enabled smart bulbs on the market. Don't let the small size fool you, though — this tiny bulb pumps out 800 lumens of lighting bliss, equivalent to a standard 60-watt bulb. This bulb also supports millions of color combinations, covering just about any hue you can dream up.
Brightest of the bunch
Philips Hue is synonymous with smart lighting thanks to accurate color reproduction, fast response times, and excellent reliability. The latest 16-watt A21 Hue bulbs also happen to be the brightest HomeKit light bulbs on the market at a whopping 1,600 lumens of colorful goodness.
Vintage charm
Filament-style lighting has made a huge comeback, and what better way to welcome it back than by adding in some smarts? Sylvania's Soft White Filament Bulb does just that by mixing in Bluetooth wireless with the beautiful stylings of the original light bulb design.
Dynamic colors
Yeelights's color LED bulb utilizes Wi-Fi, allowing it to connect to your home network with just a scan of a pairing code. It provides up to 800 lumens of multi-color goodness through the Home app and Siri, but for even more fun, the Yeelight app offers many dynamic scene options that make your home come alive.
Q&A
The best HomeKit light bulbs are ideal for smart home beginners as they're one of the quickest ways to upgrade and expand your smart home with very little cost or commitment. Once installed, you can use Siri or your best iPhone to turn your lights on and off, no matter where in the house you are.
That's not to say that those who already own plenty of the best HomeKit devices won't benefit from new smart light bulbs too, as you can get creative about all of the ways your smart tech works together. The best HomeKit light bulbs will also work with the Home App, so that you can create scenes and have the lights do certain things when parameters are met. For example, you could schedule the hall light to come on when you unlock the door with one of the best HomeKit door locks.
If you want to add some smart lighting into your home but you've already got smart light bulbs or want a different option, then take a look at our best HomeKit light strips guide instead.
What should you look for in a HomeKit lightbulb?
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When you're buying a smart light bulb we recommend you first consider compatibility. All of the smart bulbs in this guide are compatible with Apple's HomeKit, but if you're looking for other options, checking they work with your current set up is a must.
You'll also want to consider Matter compatibility. Matter is the new standard for smart home devices. It's backed by Apple, Google, Amazon, and other big names. Matter aims to increase interoperability between smart home devices across platforms. Any accessory you buy with the Matter logo will be platform agnostic, meaning that if you ever decide to switch from HomeKit to another platform, you'll be covered.
Another key consideration is features. Some smart light bulbs offer very simple functionality, like just simple white and yellow shades of light, whereas other bulbs offer a choice of millions of colors. The more features generally mean a pricier bulb, so decide what's a priority and how much you're willing to spend.
Our recommendations
If you are looking for the best smart light bulb on the market, the Nanoleaf Essentials A19 Bulb is a fantastic option. This smart bulb boasts an incredible 1,100 lumens of brightness and can display millions of colors. This LED bulb utilizes Thread networking technology which offers lightning-fast response times and excellent reliability if you have a HomePod 2, HomePod mini or the latest Apple TV 4K in your home.
Want to add some smart capability without losing the vintage charm of filament bulbs? Sylvania's beautiful Smart+ bulbs provide the hip filament look and Bluetooth functionality, enabling all of the goodies that HomeKit offers without needing a separate hub. Whichever bulb you choose, the best HomeKit light bulbs will give you all the benefits of a HomeKit light switch without messing around with wires. To smarten up your home even more, you might consider pairing up a smart bulb with one of the best HomeKit ceiling fans.
