Best Smart Bulbs For Alexa in 2023

Nirebird color-changing smart light bulbs are big contenders for the best smart bulbs for Alexa title. They have the same if not more features than the competition for a price tag that will compliment anyone’s wallet. These best smart bulbs for Alexa have WiFi functionality built-in and support 2.4Ghz connections, which means every wireless router should be able to connect up. 

WiFi smart bulbs are normally the easiest to set up. Using a third-party app to connect to your WiFi network, Nirebird smart light bulbs will then connect up to Alexa using the necessary third-party skill, which usually shares the same name as your setup app.

This set of four or six smart bulbs should cover a lot of people’s needs. The dimmable 800-lumen bulbs feature around 16 million colors which are fully customizable through the Alexa app. As the final nail in the competition’s coffin, these smart bulbs have very similar specs as high-end bulbs at the fraction of the price.

Sengled is positioning itself as a budget alternative to Philips Hue, offering similar products for a considerable markdown in price. Although some of their marketing material is a bit questionable, such as Bluetooth smart bulbs being a great option as they don’t slow down WiFi networks (WiFi bulbs will not slow down any network), they make good smart bulbs.

Featuring a 3-year warranty and U.S.-based live customer service, there’s certainly an element of brand confidence when purchasing a Sengled smart bulb for Alexa. These Bluetooth-compatible bulbs are pretty much a plug-and-play product. Simply screw the bulb into your chosen light fitting (make sure you buy the right light fitting) and set them up using Alexa.

You can then voice control your light bulbs, with these smart bulbs featuring dimming and scheduling support. This kind of support comes in really handy when making it look like someone is home when you’re away on a business trip or on vacation. The Bluetooth low energy mesh keeps these smart bulbs for Alexa connected, even if one or two are too far away from your Amazon Echo.

For someone who wants the pedigree of Phillips Hue without going to town on their other products and setting up a Philips Hue bridge, these smart bulbs are for you. Granted, you’ll only be able to set up ten bulbs compared to the hue bridges max capacity of just over 50, but if you’re looking at finding 50 smart bulbs, chances are budget isn’t too much of an issue.

With that being said, you’ll be losing some functionality via the hue app by having Hue bulbs just running off Bluetooth. Timers and remote turn-offs being amongst them, but you should be able to control these features via the Alexa functionality instead. Worst-case scenario, they are a good stop-gap for someone looking to upgrade their lighting system to a Hue bridge supported setup down the line.

We have to say, the color ‘hues’, design, and unique ambient features to make the bulbs pop. It purely comes down to personal preference whether or not these differences warrant sinking an extra $100 when compared to cheaper brands that pretty much do the same job. For someone looking to invest in Philips Hue brilliant selection of lighting solutions, it probably is worth it in the long run.

Unlike the previously showcased Bluetooth bulbs, these Sengled smart bulbs for Alexa require a Zigbee hub. In a similar fashion to Philips Hue, the Zigbee hub is needed to hook up multiple devices to your smart home network. But the great thing about the Alexa Amazon Echo range is that some have a Zigbee hub built-in.

The Zigbee connection supports both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz WiFi signals, which other smart bulbs for Alexa don’t support. The chances are you’d be absolutely fine with 2.4Ghz connections, but for households with multiple smart bulbs, 5Ghz just ensures speedy voice controls, etc.

Brightness can be adjusted from 1%-100% alongside these smart bulbs packing 60W equivalent of light squeezed from 9 watts. They support timers, schedulers and will look great in any home lighting setup. In fact, they’ll look great in commercial setups too.

When people talk about Wifi lighting and the best smart bulbs for Alexa, Philips Hue normally comes up. Philips Hue setups are great for larger setups that rely on solid connections over large areas. It’s also a great choice for intuitive and interactive lighting that responds to what’s going on whilst gaming and watching films. Ambient lighting is a big selling point for Philips Hue, but ultimately their products aren’t suitable for small setups or for someone who literally wants a bulb to turn on and off with their voice.

Considering users on a smaller budget, it’s probably not a great idea to invest in Philips Hue. It can cost upwards of $700 for a Hue hub, three smart bulbs, a gradient strip for your TV, a sync box that allows the light strip to display ambient lighting in sync with your TV, and maybe a portable light or two. Philips Hue products always have a great build quality and come with unique features, but these are high-end products for big-budget smart lighting.

If you have that big budget, go for it and enjoy yourself. But for more modest shoppers, there are smart bulbs out there at a fraction of the cost that has similar features. When it comes to the best smart bulbs for Alexa, you can say Philips Hue is the best, and they are up there, but consumers are paying for a brand above all else.