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Devices like smart thermostats, speakers, and video doorbells can help convert your home into a smart one without requiring complex wiring or the help of a professional. One of the easiest smart home gadgets to set up includes smart light bulbs. They look just like regular light bulbs and even screw on to compatible sockets with ease. The difference lies in operation and the capabilities of the device. 

With America banning incandescent light bulbs, many homes are now switching to LED bulbs — which can get brighter, run cooler, and make a significantly smaller dent in your electricity bill. Smart bulbs also use the same LED technology, but are backed with features like wireless connectivity, brightness adjustment, and loads of colors to choose from. Most smart light bulbs offer a similar suite of features, and the one you go for will ultimately depend on convenience and ecosystem perks, if any.

Major smart lighting brands include LIFX, Govee, and TP-Link — all have options at various price points. If you are on a strict budget, however, there is another option worth considering: the Amazon Basics Smart LED Light Bulb. It retails at just $12.99 and offers all the essentials and then some. 

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With a rating of 4.5-stars and over 34,000 reviews, the Amazon Basics Smart LED Light Bulb is one of the more popular options on the marketplace. It’s rated at an equivalent output of 60W, producing 800 lumens of light. The smart bulb connects to the Alexa app on your smartphone, which lets you control the brightness, colors, and other presets. Note that, like many smart light bulbs, you will need to establish a connection to your home network through the 2.4 GHz frequency band.

We’ve previously discussed how shopping for Amazon Basics products can help you save money on Amazon — and this is no different. The smart bulb is priced competitively and since it requires no additional hub or accessories to function, you won’t have to worry about added cost later down the road even if you purchase several of these light bulbs for different rooms in your house.

You can create groups in the Alexa app and pair any desired number of smart lights together. This can make batch operations like scheduling on and off times or changing the brightness much easier. A notable downside of sticking with the Amazon Basics Smart LED Light Bulb is that it only works via Alexa — so you will have to install the app on your phone and create an account.

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For someone who wants the essentials and the convenience of controlling the lights in their home via an app on their phone, the Amazon Basics Smart LED Light Bulb holds its ground against competitors. For example, the LIFX Color A19 Smart Bulb retails at close to $30, and the popular TP-Link Tapo Smart Light Bulb is priced a touch higher at $15. Amazon’s option undercuts most alternatives by a decent margin, but it does make a few compromises worth looking into.

For starters, light bulbs from premium brands like TP-Link and LIFX can emit millions of different colors that you can pick from. By contrast, the Amazon Basics Smart LED Light Bulb can only cycle between 16 preset colors. Though it does offer the same convenience of brightness control, voice commands through Alexa hubs, and an easy set up process, paying a little more will unlock a virtually endless selection of colors.

Being forced to use Alexa to control your lights might also be a dealbreaker for some, especially if you’ve never owned or used Alexa-based gadgets in your home before. Most competitors offer standalone apps, but also have compatibility with Google Home and Siri. This helps you create richer routines through your phone’s default assistant and control your lights just by saying “Hey Google” or “Hey Siri,” as opposed to pinning a third-party app on your home screen for quick access.

Amazon

Amazon sells multiple smart light bulb models under its Amazon Basics brand, including the A19 smart bulb with color-changing LEDs, a soft white version of the A19, and an A19 model that has an automatic “dusk to dawn” sensor built in. As well, Amazon sells a BR30 smart bulb available in color-changing and soft white variants.

We selected the multicolor A19 smart bulb from Amazon Basics as the best alternative to more expensive options due to its conventional design, compatibility with existing light sockets, low price point, hub-free connectivity, and support for multiple light colors. We analyzed Amazon customer reviews for the A19 light bulb, finding that it maintains a high rating across nearly 35,000 reviews, with most users reporting that the device works well, is easy to set up, and is an affordable option for establishing smart lighting throughout one’s home.