Are LIFX Bulbs Worth It? Our Guide
The latest in cutting-edge illumination technology in the comfort of your home. LIFX offers a range of different bulbs to suit your everyday needs.
Their lights and bulbs are energy efficient and environmentally friendly, well built and a good option if you are looking at smart lighting options.
LIFX Smart LED Bulbs Guide
Most of LIFX’s lights and bulbs boast an impressive range of 16 million colours, with tones through from cool to warm and white tones, and the ability to be dimmed from 1-100%.
Benefits of LIFX Bulbs?
Over other smart bulbs LIFX bulbs have a few key benefits and positive points.
- No need for a hub or bridge
- Use WiFi technology
- A range of 1 trillion colors on its color-changing bulbs
- Good brightness from the bulbs
All of LIFX’s light products boast an LED lifespan of 22.8 years. This is based on assumed usage of three hours per day. If you were to use a bulb for eight hours a day it would still last you over seven years, which is a good deal longer than most bulbs on the market.
Below we have rounded up the different LIFX bulbs currently on the market.
LIFX A19 LED Light
The LIFX LED Light is a perfect bulb to fit the mood of any event. You can screw this bulb into your existing light fittings. As a traditionally shaped bulb, it is ideal for standard table and desk lamps. Options include a B22 bayonet cap and an E27 Edison screw.
It delivers an output of 1100. With 11 Watts at its full brightness, it is extremely efficient, producing an impressive brightness while minimising on energy waste.
LIFX + A60 with Night Vision
This bulb is identical to the LIFX A60 LED Light, and additionally it will, if desired, give you 950nm infrared light while the visible bulb light is off, which will allow your camera to take photos in the dark. This feature will work regardless of what type of camera you are using because it does not require a connection between the two.
Compatibility is irrelevant; if you have a night vision camera it will take photos in infrared regardless of where the source comes from.
LIFX + BR30 with Night Vision
This is another energy efficient and environmentally friendly bulb. At just 11 Watts it gives you an output of 1100 lumens. It’s much like the LIFX + A60 with Night Vision, and likewise uses 950nm to enable your camera’s infrared vision. The main difference lies in its shape: the BR30 is a wide end flood light, suitable for ceiling fittings. It possesses an E27 Edison screw.
LIFX Mini range – The LIFX Mini bulbs cast a good deal of light evenly in all directions, with one exception. The bulb’s shape does not expand any wider than its base. Because of this, the LIFX Mini Colour does not cast much downward light, so it would be best suited for a tabletop or bedside lamp whose direction can be angled.
All of the LIFX Mini bulbs give an output of 800 lumens, with 9 Watts at full brightness, and software dimming of 1-100%. They are available with either a B22 bayonet cap or an E27 Edison screw.
There are three options in the Mini range:
LIFX Mini Colour
The LIFX Mini Colour bulb gives you the same range of colours as the LIFX A60: 16 million colours with warm to cool whites.
LIFX Mini Day & Dusk – The LIFX Mini Day & Dusk gives you pleasant white tones that emulate daylight. Users can tailor the colour temperature to compliment their home and mood. It gives a colour range of “warm evening sunset to daylight white.”
LIFX Mini White – The LIFX Mini White has a colour range of 2700K warm whites.
LIFX Tile – This smart, attractive tiled display will bring a unique flair to your home. Its five tiles give you 34 Watts at full brightness and like many of the LIFX products, it boasts 16 million colours and blended whites with software dimming of 1-100%. So you can cater it to your individual taste or mood, and it’s suitable for any occasion.
It is available with plugs A, C, I and G.
LIFX Beam
This attractive L-shaped display can be mounted on the wall to bring unique style to your home. Much like the LIFX Tile, this has a smaller design, making it suitable for those users who desire a colourful enhancement to their home aesthetics but find the LIFX Tile too big for their liking.
Each kit contains six beams plus one illuminated corner, which produce 27 Watts at full brightness. It is available with plugs A, C, I and G.
LIFX Strip Lighting
This LED Strip gives you tasteful lights at the touch of a button. With 16 million colours contained within a strip of lights, it gives you 700 lumens at 8 Watts per metre.
One of the benefits of LIFX is the light strip, it is one of the best on the market, bright, colourful and well designed. For internal use the light strip is well diffused and uses Polychrome technology color zones that gives you multiple colours within a strip unlike others on the market.
I’ts length of 2m can be extended up to 10m.
LIFX Z LED Strip 1m Extension for the LIFX Z 2m LED Kit for when you need more than 10m. 1m and 4m packs are available.
LIFX 100MM Downlight
Like most LIFX products, the LIFX 100MM Downlight boasts a range of 16 million vivid colours with cool to warm whites and software dimming of 1-100%. It produces 13 Watts at full brightness. Mount this attractive downlight to give your home a vibrant splash of brightness.
It’s neat, compact design is pleasing to the eye, so even when turned off it won’t disrupt the aesthetics of your home.
Options available include Single Light, Starter Pack (2 lights), Living Pack (4 lights), Master Pack (6 lights).
LIFX Z HomeKit Compatible Controller
This controller enables you to upgrade your LIFX Z so that it’s compatible with Apple Homekit. You can now control your LIFX using Siri on the Apple Home app on your iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad or Apple Watch.
This accessory requires LIFX Z LED strips. Purchase the controller, compatible with LIFX Z power supply, or the controller together with power supply. Both UK plug G and EY plug C are available.
LIFX GU10 Downlight
This downlight, much like its sibling products, brings an attractive spread of 16 million colours with cool to warm whites into your home and possesses software dimming of 1-100%.
It gives you an output of 400 lumens and 6 watts at full brightness, so it is less bright than the other LIFX products on offer. With an angle of 60 degrees, you can mount it and position it however you like to get the mood you want. However, at 73mm it is a little longer than a standard GU10 bulb, which is 55mm, so it may be worthwhile measuring your fittings before you purchase. It will fit, but it may protrude out from the base more than you would like.
Read – Which is better? Philips Hue vs LIFX Comparison
About LIFX Smart LED Bulbs
With LIFX, you set the tone. Whether you want a relaxed night in to watch movies, a soft romantic dinner or a vibrant party, their lights will cater to your needs. You can even set them up so as to notify you with a smart flash of light whenever you get an email, or automate them so that they switch themselves on and off and alter their colours to your specifications throughout the day.
LIFX products do not require special equipment to set up and install. They come ready to use, so all you need to do is plug them in. Each bulb or light possesses Wi-Fi capability and will work with iOS 9+, Android 4.1+ and Windows 10, making it that much easier for you to set up your events with the minimum of fuss.
What is LIFX compatible with?
LIFX works with a wide range of third-party apps and products such as:
- Amazon Alexa
- Google Assistant
- Apple’s HomeKit
- Works with Nest
- SmartThings
- IFTTT
- Razor
The lights and bulbs are also voice compatible with HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant.
The LIFX app
The LIFX app uses colour wheels, so users can precisely select the desired colour simply by rotating the wheel, with additional dials that control brightness. It it regularly updated so that it continues to bring you the latest features available.
It provides multiple helpful features, such as scheduling the lights to wake you up gently by gradually increasing their brightness throughout the morning, and you can save any lighting “scene” you create to use again later. These features make the LIFX app the most intuitive, advanced, and user-friendly one on the market.
No technical expertise is needed to get started, and all the hardware you need is contained within the light itself.
Should you buy LIFX bulbs?
LIFX is a great system and great for adding smart bulbs into your home. It isn’t the cheapest yet isn’t the most expensive, it has lots of great features and the main bulb and light options you would want. With no hub many see this as a benefit as well.
If you are looking at having a large system of smart bulbs, or don’t have great wifi in your home where you would use your bulbs then other smart bulbs maybe more suitable for your use.
Bottom Line
LIFX bulbs are well built and good quality, the colour range and brightness is also great and with no need for a hub then these are a great choice for someone looking for a smart lighting system.
LIFX is not the most flexible and does not have as many bulb choice and lighting options as the Hue range, although there is no need for a hub or bridge, if you are looking to have over 30 bulbs then the Hue system may have its advantages. That being said if you are looking for some smart lighting for a few rooms then LIFX is a great option to consider.
Founder & Editor
Mike is the founder of Hue Home Lighting, a huge Hue fan with far too many lights, covering home and garden. A smart home gadget addict and also enjoys the odd bit of DIY
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