The best HomeKit light bulbs tend to do exactly what you expect of them. They are one of the most fundamental parts of a smart home thanks to your ability to control them from afar, yet they also tend to be some of the cheapest. All you need to know, in order to get started, is whether your bulb of choice is HomeKit compatible and you're ready to go.
From here, you pick up an iPhone or one of the best iPads, connect it to a smart app or Home and you can turn off lights, set up timers, and more in mere moments.
It helps that, with smart tools like Apple Shortcuts, they become so much more than a simple bulb and can fit into your everyday life with ease. It doesn't matter if you're a gamer looking for some mood lighting or someone who wants a bit of ambiance for a movie, there's a great purpose out there for a smart bulb. With an easy connection to Siri, it can become a fantastic night light for a child who doesn't have access to a smart app too.
Given their relatively inexpensive price point, HomeKit light bulbs are an excellent introduction to HomeKit. If you want to turn it into a full on smart home, you can get one of the best HomeKit hubs or check out the best HomeKit devices while you're planning things out.
Before you do that, here are the very best HomeKit light bulbs you can pick up right now.
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. They're incredibly simple to use and once installed, you can just use Siri or your iPhone to turn your lights on or off. That goes for no matter where you are in the house too, so it's very flexible.
From there, you can get more creative with your HomeKit setup. That could mean adding on one of the best HomeKit cameras, or using one of the best HomeKit air quality sensors to ensure your home has the cleanest air possible. For bigger projects, there's always the best HomeKit security systems too.
In all cases, including the best HomeKit light bulbs, it'll all work with the Home App. You can use it to create scenes and have the lights do certain things when certain parameters are met. For instance, you could schedule the hall light to come on after you unlock the door via 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 buying smart light bulbs, it's important to consider compatibility. All the smart bulbs in this guide are compatible with Apple's HomeKit, but if you're looking for alternatives, you need to check they work with your current setup.
Matter compatibility is particularly useful. It's the new standard for smart home devices and it's backed by Apple, Google, Amazon, and many other big names. Matter is designed to increase interoperability between smart home devices across platforms. That means any accessory you buy with the Matter logo will be platform agnostic so if you ever want to switch away from HomeKit, you can.
It's also important to think about what features you need most. Some people may only need a smart light bulb with simple white and yellow shades of light, while others may prefer one with millions of color. Predictably, the more features means the more expensive the light bulb, so think about what your priorities are.
Our recommendations
If you want the best smart light bulb on the market, the Nanoleaf Essentials A19 Bulb is the one for you. This smart bulb has an incredible 1,100 lumens of brightness and can display millions of colors. The LED bulb utilizes Thread networking technology which offers lightning-fast response times and excellent reliability.
It's ideal to go alongside any HomePod 2, HomePod mini or the latest Apple TV 4K in your home.
If you want to add smart capabilities without losing the vintage charm of a filament bulb, there's always Sylvania's gorgeous Smart+ bulbs. They provide the cool filament look while also offering Bluetooth fucntionalriy, so there's no need for a separate hub.
Whichever smart light bulb you go for, consider adding on a HomeKit light switch so you don't have to worry about wires or anything more than what you're already used to. While you're planning how to spruce up your home, consider adding on one of the best HomeKit ceiling fans. With the right set of shortcuts, you could even have it start the moment you turn a light on.
