This is a question that many people have been asking lately, as the popularity of these lights has been on the rise. In today’s article, I’m going to answer that question for you and explain everything you need to know about wifi-led lights.
In summary, Wifi led lights are LED light bulbs or strips that can be controlled by an app on your smartphone or tablet so they’re not only able to turn off/on but also change colors, brightness, and even make different light patterns.
There you have it if you came for a quick short and sweet answer but you would want to stick around as I have a lot more information to share on this topic.
How Do The Wifi Led Lights Work?
The wifi led lights work by connecting to your home’s wifi network and then being controlled by an app on your phone or tablet. This is what allows you to turn them off/on, change colors, brightness, etc.
Wifi-led lights use a device called wifi controller to connect the actual light bulb(s) with your smartphone or tablet. There are two types of controllers: one that connects between the wall outlet and the power supply for most cases like under-cabinet lights, and a plug-in controller that plugs into the wall outlet like a traditional light bulb.
The app that you use to control your wifi led lights is called a “controller app.” This app can be downloaded from either the App Store or Google Play. The most common controller apps are WifiLight, Kasa, and Yeelight.
What Types of Wifi Led Lights Are There?
There are three types of wifi-led lights; led light bulbs, strips, and panels.
Led Light Bulbs:
Light bulbs are the most common type of wifi-led light and come in a variety of shapes and sizes including A19, BR30, G25, R20, PAR16, PAR30.
The A19 is the most common type of led light bulb and is used for general lighting in your home or office. It’s also known as a “standard-sized LED bulb” because it has an E26 base which means that it can fit into any standard screw-in light socket.
BR30 bulbs are also used for general lighting but have a wider beam angle than the A19 so they’re perfect for recessed cans, track lights, and other downlights.
G25 bulbs are shaped like a globe and can be used in either indoor or outdoor fixtures.
R20 bulbs are smaller than the A19 but still provide a lot of light.
PAR16 is short for Parabolic Aluminum Reflector and has an increased beam angle to provide better lighting in larger rooms or spaces like garages, basements, etc.
PAR30 is similar to the PAR16 but provides even more light output which is great for use in outdoor fixtures.
Light strips:
Light strips are thin, flexible light sources that can be mounted almost anywhere. They come in either a 16ft or 32ft roll and can be cut to size as needed.
The most common type of light strip is the RGBW light strip which has red, green, blue, and white LED lights built into it so you can choose from over 16 million different colors or set them to one color.
The RGB light strips only come in red, green, and blue which means they can’t be used for general lighting purposes but they do provide more vibrant colors than the RGBW strip since there is no white light mixed in.
The dimmable light strip uses a standard power supply that can be plugged into an outlet or connected to your home’s electrical system and works just like any other dimmer switch on the wall (you don’t need a controller app for this one). They come with adhesive backing which makes installation easy.
Panels:
Led panels are the largest type of wifi led light and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Most panels are square or rectangular but there are some round ones as well depending on your needs. Panels can be used for both general lighting purposes such as replacing fluorescent tubes in offices, school classrooms, etc., or for specific tasks like reading, working on a computer, or watching TV.
Just like the light strips, panels come in either an RGBW or RGB configuration and can be dimmed using a standard dimmer switch.
What Are The Pros Of Wifi Led Lights?
There are many benefits to using wifi-led lights over something like the regular led light bulb, strings, panels, and even Bluetooth-enabled led lights. Below are some of the important benefits of using the wifi led light.
1. Wifi Led Lights Can Be Controlled Remotely
You can control your wifi-led lights from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. This means you don’t have to be home or even near your house to turn on/off any of your wifi led lights.
Many people use this feature when they go away on vacation so that burglars think someone is always home. You can also use it to control your lights while you’re at work or out running errands.
This is one of the important benefits of wifi led lights over Bluetooth-enabled ones because you don’t need to be within range of the light in order for it to work.
You can control your wifi led lights with a smartphone app that connects directly through your home’s internet router or via voice commands using Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, etc.
2. Wifi Led Lights Can Be Integrated With Other Smart Devices
If you have other smart devices in your homes such as Google Home, Amazon Echo, or Apple HomeKit then you can easily integrate them with your wifi led lights for increased convenience.
For example: if you want to turn on/off the lights when coming home from work then just say “Okay Google” (or whatever command you have set up) and the lights will automatically turn on/off.
If you have an Amazon Echo Dot then simply say “Alexa” followed by whatever command and it will work just like if you had spoken directly into your smartphone app.
3. Wifi Led Lights Can Be Scheduled
One of the best things about wifi-led lights is that you can schedule them to turn on or off at certain times.
For example, if you want your living room light to come on at sunset then you can easily set that up in the app. You can also have your lights turn off automatically when you leave home or go to bed (so you don’t waste electricity).
Scheduled on and off times are also useful for when you go away on vacation as it will make it look like someone is always home. This can deter burglars from breaking into your property because they think there might be people inside the house.
4. Wifi Led Lights Can Be Used For Security Purposes
Most wifi led lights to come with a built-in motion sensor that will turn the light on when it detects movement. This is a great security feature because it can scare away burglars or anyone trying to break into your house.
The motion sensor can also be used to detect when you’re home so the light turns on automatically as you walk in the door.
5. Wifi Led Lights Are More Efficient Than Regular Bulbs
Led lights to use a fraction of the energy that regular light bulbs do which means they save you money on your electric bill.
Wifi led lights are even more efficient than Bluetooth-enabled ones because there is no need to power them with a separate battery.
While this is highly debatable, when you look at it from the perspective of how much energy each light uses, wifi led lights are more efficient.
What Are The Cons of Wifi LED lights?
As with any product, there are some disadvantages to using the wifi led light. Below we’ve listed a few of the most common cons that people have complained about when using these lights.
1. The App Can Be Bugged And Become Difficult To Use
One of the most common complaints about wifi led lights is that the app can become buggy and difficult to use.
This often happens when an update is released or if you’re using a different version of your smartphone operating system than what was designed for the app. Usually, all you need to do for the light to work properly is to uninstall and reinstall the app.
However, if the problem persists then you might need to contact customer support for help.
2. Difficult Connecting With Other Smart Devices
Some apps also have trouble connecting with other smart devices such as Amazon Echo or Google Home.
If an update isn’t released soon then it can be extremely frustrating trying to get your lights to work properly.
This is one of the most common complaints about wifi led lights but it’s also something that can be easily fixed with a future software update or by pairing them with another device that is more compatible.
3. You Need An Internet Connection
Wi-Fi Led Lights can’t work without an internet connection because they need to connect to the cloud in order for you to control them from your smartphone or tablet.
If your wifi goes down then so will the connection with these lights. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing but it does mean that if there is ever an outage where you can’t get online then your lights will be out of commission until the problem is fixed.
This is why most of these lights will still have switches on them so you can turn them off/on manually in case of emergencies.
4. They Are More Expensive
With all the goodies comes a higher price tag. Wifi LED lights are not as cheap as your regular led light bulb, but if you think about it, the long-term savings make up for the extra cost.
Wifi led lights typically cost more than Bluetooth-enabled ones, but they’re still cheaper in the long run than traditional light bulbs.
Despite these few cons, wifi led lights are a great product that has many benefits to offer. Not only are they more efficient than regular light bulbs but they can also be used for security purposes and can be scheduled to turn on or off at certain times.
Conclusion
Wi-Fi LED lights are slowly becoming the norm in many households and for good reason. They offer a lot of features that make them stand out from the competition, such as being able to be controlled with a smartphone or tablet, having a longer lifespan, and using less energy.
While they do have their fair share of disadvantages like being more expensive than traditional light bulbs, the pros outweigh the cons by far. If the benefits I discussed above interest you then I recommend giving wifi-led lights a try.