Smart LED Bulbs: Warm, Cool, or Something in Between?

THE FARMHOUSE

*This post is sponsored by Bulbrite

Last year we shared a lighting plan for our kitchen remodel. We introduced five different lighting sources to the space plus smart switches to allow for dimming and scheduling. And today we want to continue that conversation with the introduction of smart LED bulbs. Have you heard of them?

We recently swapped out our pantry lightbulbs for two Bulbrite Solana smart LED bulbs and wowza. Not only can we schedule and dim them, but I’m absolutely giddy with the ability to adjust the bulbs’ temperature between 2200-6500K using our phones (!!!). So let’s talk about smart bulbs…

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Our Farmhouse, sources here

Wifi connected bulbs are the simplest way to get smart lighting in your home. You literally just change out a light bulb. It connects to your wifi and you control it with the Bulbrite Solana app on your phone. The whole process takes a couple minutes and doesn’t require any tools.

Bulbrite Solana offers different styles to match your fixture. We placed an Edison-style in our sconce and the standard frost went in our overhead pendant. We’ve been playing around with them for a couple of weeks now and we wanted to share everything we’ve learned, because smart bulbs are definitely a great addition to anyone’s home lighting plan.

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Features of smart bulbs

Here are a few features of Bulbrite Solana smart light bulbs:

Scheduling

You can set an on/off time. And gradually brighten in the morning like a gentle sunrise.

Dimming

With the Solana app, you can dim to create the right ambiance.

Scene setting

Set the mood of your room with preset scenes (think initmate dinner setting or a warm bedtime reading).

Temperature changing

These bulbs have the ability to change from a warm light to a cool light (between 2200 and 6500 kelvins) using the Bulbrite Solana app. This is definitely my favorite feature and you can read more about this below.

LED

These bulbs use less energy to achieve the same light output as standard incandescent. Plus they’ll last for years (and years and years…).

As wonderful as smart bulbs are, there are a few limitations to consider. First, the light switch has to be in the ‘on’ position to use the wifi functionality (aka your phone). This is just a reality of having the tech built into the bulb rather than the switch. But something to keep in mind if you have many switch flippers in your house (ahem, kids), you might find yourself having to physically flip the switch to use the smart features. And there’s always the case that if you’re not even remotely tech savvy (thinking about you, mom 😉), smart lighting might not be the best fit for you.

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Temperature

You guys had a lot of questions about our lightbulb temperature preference. And I’m one of those people who’s sensitive to light and bulb temperature is a huge factor in my enjoying a space. So in general, I like to buy bulbs between 2700 and 3000 kelvins. That number may not be perfect for every space, every time, but it’s the range we stick to for our house. And a million times better than than the cool, fluorescent lights of my youth that basically made my skin crawl.

But of course, with Bulbrite Solana smart LED bulbs, you don’t need to pick a particular Kelvin beforehand. You get allll the kelvins! Each bulb can be adjusted to the exact warmth/coolness you like (between 2200 and 6500 kelvins) using your phone. So. Dang. Cool! We took photos of our pantry from the warmest light to the coolest, splitting the range in quarters.

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Where to use smart LED bulbs

These bulbs are more expensive than standard LEDs so we wouldn’t fill an entire house with them. But they’re perfect for spots you want smart functions like scheduling an on/off, simulating a slow sunrise, and specifying a temperature. Our pantry was a good fit because I felt like the temperature of that space was off from the adjacent kitchen, which has a custom blend of light temperatures from several fixtures. I was able to match the light temperature of the pantry to the kitchen by playing around with the temperature range on the Bulbrite Solana app.

We’ve also been thinking about using smart LED bulbs in the chicken coop (assuming our wifi reaches out there) since it’s a ways from the house and we won’t always want to run out there to turn them on or off. Imagine the marital spats one bulb could save 😉

Lifespan and energy usage of bulb

Bulbrite Solana bulbs have a projected lifespan of 22.8 years for standard bulb and 13.7 years for the Edison. That’s a long time! Those numbers are based on a 3 hrs/day usage and assuming your energy costs about 11¢/kWh, you’ll spend less than a dollar powering each bulb every year. And that’s exactly why we’ve gone 100% LED in our home and our rentals.