The full white temperature scale—from warmest to coolest. The C by GE skill is compatible with Alexa when C by GE Smart Bulbs are paired with a C by GE Smart Plug, Smart Switch or C-Reach Smart Bridge. BEST BLUETOOTH: C by GE A19 C-Life and C-Sleep Combo; BEST FOR SECURITY: Sengled Flood Light with Motion Sensor; BEST PORTABLE: ... It’s relatively simple to set up a smart light bulb. [ Further reading: The best LED smart bulbs ] Christopher Null / IDG They are available in pairs — Two C-Sleep bulbs cost $49.99, while two C-Life bulbs cost $64.99. The best LED floodlights you can buy in 2020, recently started putting secondary Bluetooth radios into its products, recent efforts to roll those efficiency standards back, That same buyer's market extends to smart lights, which plays a huge role in our sleep cycles, can help you hack that biological clockwork, their best-in-class integration with IFTTT, automatically sync with your Google Assistant alarms, consider adding smart plugs and smart light switches into the mix, too, even when the light is turned off at the switch, a growing number of smart dimmer switches that are designed to pair nicely with smart bulbs, different smart bulbs might dim a little differently. The new competition helped to bring prices down, while the demand from consumers incentivized the industry to keep innovating. We've already installed the light bulb, so just tap Continue. But before you fill that shopping cart, you'll want to understand the ins and outs of smart lighting to make sure you're getting the best bulbs and switches for your smart home. GE's brand of C by GE smart home products - bulbs, switches and more - are now HomeKit-compatible, literally years after support was promised.. The C … Perfect for traveling people who want their houses to not look empty!!! Tap Add in the top right corner. You'll find no shortage of options in the lighting aisle -- especially smart bulbs, which are about as affordable as the smart home gets. Turn on all the lights you are adding to the app. Set scenes via the mobile app to optimize these C by GE LED light bulbs for reading and movie nights. * Available out of the box with C by GE Direct Connect  Smart Bulbs. Once you’ve found your true colors, save them as preset scenes in the C by GE App, group them with other Tunable White and Full Color Smart Bulbs or Full Color Light Strips, and enjoy them anytime you want. And, with lots of new options on the market -- including smart LEDs that don't cost a whole lot -- you might be tempted to fill your whole house with the things. ), the new GE C-Sleep bulbs are amazingly cheap, especially considering they include a Bluetooth radio.. For Part #1, let’s look at the physical design and construction of these fancy bulbs! Others use Bluetooth radios to connect directly with your phone when you're within 50 feet or so. * Available out of the box with C by GE Direct Connect  Smart Bulbs. Set schedules and scenes, change color and dim from your smart phone. Pairing smart lights with voice assistants is one of the most popular ways to do it. Set your C by GE Tunable White Smart Bulb to any white scale temperature you want—from warmest to coolest to settings that support your sleep/wake cycle. The C by GE Full Color smart LED light bulb helps create the perfect mood or vibe in any room. They are the perfect brightness and work really well in our home! I rarely have to turn lights off. Millions of colors and the full white temperature scale. See how it works. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Plug in your light strips or install your C by GE light bulbs in the sockets that will be powering them. And we've already turned on the light as well. There's a lot to be said for a whole-home connected lighting setup, including benefits like automated vacation-mode lighting that helps make it look like you're home when you're not, the fun novelty of color-changing bulbs, and the convenience of turning off all of the lights your kids left on with a single voice command as you go to bed. Launch the C by GE app on your mobile device. C-Sleep bulbs come in a $74.99 Starter Pack that includes two C-Life and two C-Sleep bulbs. The math made sense -- your average LED will add about a buck to your energy bill each year, compared to about $7 per year for a comparable incandescent. That said, you should definitely consider adding smart plugs and smart light switches into the mix, too. If you're shopping for smart lights, you'll find the most options (and, for the most part, the lowest prices) by sticking with smart bulbs. C by GE C-Life Starter Kit Review: Doesn't Hold a Candle to Philips Hue As the company whose founder invented the light bulb, it's only natural that GE has its own line of smart bulbs. Great product! GE pushed the launch back to add some improvements to its app to ensure Canadians get the best possible experience. The noticeable difference between the two approaches is that you'll see more differentiation from setting to setting in the top half of the bulb's dimmable range if you're using a logarithmic bulb. These are dimmable, smart bulbs controlled over Bluetooth; there's no Zigbee or Wi-Fi here. Philips Hue is a good pick, too, since its bulbs can automatically sync with your Google Assistant alarms in the morning. At about $15 a bulb, it’s an affordable way to experiment with smart lighting technology. The light bulb will blink three times once your mobile device is connected to it. The lighting transition between bright and calm helps improve your sleep routine. Able to set the mood no matter the time of day. The C-Life line also has bulbs designed for lamps or other fixtures, and come in a starter kit for $64.99, which includes the C-Reach Smart Bridge. Both provide all the smart features you love—including scheduling, color control, and more. Dim a bulb like that to the 70% setting, and you'll get 70% of the bulb's total lumen output. Primary setup can be performed in the C by GE app, and as with the C by GE Smart Plug, this was seamless for both bulbs. This is an easy way to make sure the two connect. Set scenes, change from one of the three pre-set colors, pre-set automations, dim and brighten the bulbs from your smart phone or tablet. How do I reset my bulbs … They connect via Bluetooth to my Google home/mini very easily. Set Up & Controlling Installing your Light Strip ; Set Up & Controlling Set Up Your C by GE Smart Lights ; Set Up & Controlling Brightness & Color Control ; Set Up & Controlling Enable Out-of-Home Control for C by GE Smart Lights; Set Up & Controlling Enable Alexa for your Smart Lights ; Set Up & Controlling Alexa Voice Commands for Lighting Use your C by GE App to create a Movie Night scene in seconds. Reveal ® is a trademark of Savant Technologies LLC. Schedule lights to turn on and off at convenient times to save energy and never come home to a dark house again. That's because the human eye perceives brightness changes logarithmically, which is to say that you need a bigger drop in lumens when things are really bright in order to notice an actual change. Follow your family's bedtime schedule with this 2-pack of C by GE LED light bulbs. At $10 per bulb (delivered! And then there's Zigbee, which you can think of as a local wireless network for your smart home gadgets. Flux WiFi Smart LED. Pair your Smart Bulbs and Light Strips with a smart assistant—like Amazon Alexa or Hey Google—for hands-free voice control of your lights. Set your C by GE Tunable White Smart Bulb to any white scale temperature you want—from warmest to coolest to settings that support your sleep/wake cycle. Learn more about: Scenes. Tap Continue. Smart Bulbs. Setting your smart lights to fade you to sleep at night or fade you awake in the morning is a great way to put the things to use. Other bulbs, like TP-Link Kasa LEDs, skip that approach and instead use a linear dimming curve that sticks to the specific percentage you're setting things to as you dim up and down. Perfect for every room, all day long. The bottom row is a TP-Link Kasa KB100 LED, which uses a linear approach. This light is super easy to set up and control with Google home. Make sure they are within 40 feet of each other*. First, you can buy the C by GE C-Reach Smart Bridge for $50 -- or you can use a Google Nest smart speaker or display to act as the Wi-Fi hub for the bulbs. Read: Best cheap smart LED bulbs of 2019: Does it matter which bulb you buy? For simple set up that does not require an additional hub or bridge, pair your C-Sleep bulb directly with a Google Home device. Most options offer their own control apps that let you group lights together and schedule them to turn on and off at specific times -- but there's a pretty decent chance that you'll want to smarten up more than just your lights. Voice platforms from Google, Apple and Amazon all make particularly good foundations for a smart lighting setup. The first question worth thinking about before you buy smart lights: Which platform do you want to use to control them? Most Zigbee bulbs offer their own version of a hub, and setting them up typically isn't complicated at all, but it does add a little extra expense into the equation. Super easy to set up and now we wish we had the whole house set up this way. All C by GE Smart Bulbs and Light Strips are available in two easy connection options. When I first got one of these I got it because I didn't believe that you could control a lightbulb from an app. The Bluetooth word mark is a registered trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., and any use of such mark by GE is under license. Lots of smart lighting products use Zigbee to send their signals -- if so, then you'll need a Zigbee hub plugged into your router in order to translate those signals for your home network. See how it works, Get control of lights while you’re away from home for a little extra peace of mind. No smart assistant needed. C by GE Bulb: Setup and quality. One other note -- we're seeing a growing number of smart dimmer switches that are designed to pair nicely with smart bulbs. See how it works, Did you find the perfect light settings for movie night? Select from millions of colors, including tunable white light that's synced with your body's sleep/wake cycle. ... turn on warm lights, and transform your bedroom into the perfect environment for easing into sleep. I have them set up as alarms in my kids room and as a night light in the hallway. No smart assistant needed. Choose the option that works best for your lifestyle. Fully dimmable and controllable soft white light. Step Four: Install your C by GE light bulb into a fixture or lamp and have the switch in the 'On' position. 7 things to know about smart lights before you buy a boatload of them. Just turn the feature on, set an alarm with the Assistant, and your bulbs of choice will slowly begin to fade up 30 minutes before it goes off. The other bulb being introduced is called C Life, and it only provides the one midday lighting tone. In a face-off with a Philips Hue color bulb C by GE had brighter, crisper whites. But when it came to colors, Hue won hands down, with a deeper range of shades, richer colors, and more nuance in those colors. Light strips will automatically turn on when plugged in. When it's dark for a while, our brain tells us we're tired and that we should go to bed. Use the C by GE App to create custom scenes, set schedules, and control multiple bulbs and light strips at once—even if you’re away from home. This starter pack comes with two bulbs, called C-Life and C-Sleep, and each is designed for different uses. © 2021 CNET, A RED VENTURES COMPANY. That same buyer's market extends to smart lights, including great picks from names like Wyze, Sengled and Philips Hue that you can get for less than $15 per bulb. Bulb defaults to on state when power is restored Okay, so the C by GE Bulb is exactly that, a smart bulb so not really a whole lot to say here as I am sure you can all figure out what it does. The C by GE Full Color smart LED light bulb helps create the perfect mood or vibe in any room. Just don't use them in a light fixture that already has its own dimmer and you'll be fine. Set schedules and scenes, change color and dim from your smart phone. With the logarithmic Lifx LED, you get less differentiation at the bottom of the bulb's range. While C-Sleep bulbs are similar, but have the added ability to change hue from cool to warm. Note: This article applies to C by GE bulbs and plugs only. C-SLEEP: Our smart LED bulb with 3 color settings (Vibrant for the AM, Active for the day, and Calm for the PM) that support your sleep/wake cycle. Sync your c-sleep bulbs with the “follow the sun” setting in the app, which automatically transitions through the three c-sleep settings as the day goes on. Open the C by GE app When the sun comes up and it gets bright again, our brain senses it and tells us it's time to wake up. Then, in 2014, rising efficiency standards and market-moving government subsidies spurred the industry into action, which led to lots of new options in the lighting aisle. There was no problem setting it up and it worked great. Best cheap smart LED bulbs of 2019: Does it matter which bulb you buy? To that end, here's a rundown of what you'll want to know before buying in. With a bulb that dims in linear fashion, you won't see as much of a difference between settings in the top half of the bulb's dimmable range because the light isn't dropping fast enough to account for the way our eyes work. Personally, I also have an easier time falling asleep when I set my bedroom's smart lights to a low setting, then tell them to fade out slowly over 20 minutes. Be respectful, keep it civil and stay on topic. From light bulbs and plugs to light switches and wall panels, smart lights are a popular smart home entry point. And no, recent efforts to roll those efficiency standards back shouldn't change that reality -- the lighting industry has already moved us into the LED age, and there's no sign that it's interested in reversing course. To get started, select the 'Enable' button in the Alexa App to link your C by GE account and discover your devices. ** Voice assistant required. They do have to be within a certain range, they recommend that the google device be in the same room, but I have mine in the kitchen and it controls it fine in my upstairs master bedroom. If you need more color in your life, this Flux LED bulb has plenty with more than … Watch Wonder Woman 1984 for free with HBO Max -- and don't skip the end credits, How to watch Pixar's Soul with Disney Plus right now, Adidas year-end sale: Get 50% off Ultraboost 20 running shoes and more, Discuss: 7 things to know about smart lights before you buy a boatload of them. The top row in each shot is a Lifx Mini White LED, which uses a logarithmic dimming curve. C-Life Bulb has only one color tempurature while C-Sleep Bulb has 4 different temperatures, why make two different bulbs? Then tap Add New Devices. As for smart light switches, they're easier to install than you might think, and can save you money if you have a whole bunch of light bulbs wired to a single switch. “Pm" for warm light, “am" for crisp light, and “day” for regular light, helping support the users’ circadian rhythm. These are husband-anger proof. C-LIFE: Our LED smart bulb that gives you more control of perfect everyday light—with instant dimming and brightening, preset scenes, and more. Then, things flatten out in the bottom 20% or so. Step Five: Google Home will offer to set up your lights for you. Neither approach is perfect, but if you're a stickler for dimming, both are worth understanding. It makes it so nice and easy to automate and protect our home. Switches like those will give you old-fashioned, physical dimming controls at the wall that won't screw with your bulbs (or render them unreachable when you flip the switch off). C-Life bulbs have an MSRP of $17.99 CAD for both A-line and BR30 bulbs, while C-Sleep will cost $29.99 for A-line and $34.99 for the BR30. See how it works. Smart bulbs are great at dimming, but if you use one with a dimmer switch, the two dimming mechanisms can clash and cause the bulb to flicker. Some bulbs, like ones from Philips Hue and Lifx, account for this by using a logarithmic dimming curve that drops the light a little faster in the top half of the bulb's dimmable range (the 70% setting might actually give you 50% of the total lumen output, for instance). At least not with old-fashioned ones. Step Six: Wait for the light to blink a few times, and you'll know the light is set up. It wasn't that long ago that some people were paying $20 or even $50 per bulb just to get regular, nonconnected LED lights into their home. C by GE Bluetooth®-only Smart Bulbs require pairing to a C by GE Smart Plug, C by GE Smart Switch, or Google Home or Nest device to enable out-of-home control. Meanwhile, a decent smart light switch doesn't need to set you back any more than $30 or so. With the linear Kasa LED, you barely get any perceptible difference in brightness across the upper half of the bulb's dimmable range. Smart lights can help you hack that biological clockwork by simulating a nice, slow sunrise to help ease you out of bed on an early morning. The good news is that those built-in dimming capabilities are typically excellent, with smooth, precise brightness controls that won't flicker or buzz like you often see with dumb bulbs and traditional dimming controls. We delete comments that violate our policy, which we encourage you to read. On the plug front, you'll find plenty of options for about $20 or less that can automate anything you plug in behind them. That's not a problem if you go with a smart switch, instead. Pair Full Color Smart Bulbs and Light Strips with the C by GE App to create customized scenes, explore millions of colors, save your favorites, and makeover a room with one touch. If that's the case, then you'll want to consider a wider smart home platform that can handle all of the different devices you might end up using. An extra investment, for sure, but potentially worthwhile. The GE monogram and C by GE are trademarks of General Electric Company used under license. Select C-Sleep & C-Life Lights. Support for its smart switches and dimmer doesn't appear to be live yet, but … That means a single LED will save you about $6 per year over an old-fashioned bulb like that -- and since LEDs are designed to shine for decades, paying dozens of dollars for one upfront was a sensible long-term investment. The GE C-Sleep bulbs provide 800 Lumens of output and use 10 Watts of power. Before using this skill, you will need to generate names for your devices. To control bulbs like that from further away, you'll need a Wi-Fi hub to relay their signals to your router and on to you via the cloud. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google Inc. Apple and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Schedule lights to turn on and off at convenient times to save energy and never come home to a dark house again. Your brain is pretty sensitive to light, which plays a huge role in our sleep cycles. The latest update to the C by GE iOS app mentions HomeKit support has been added, as 9to5Mac spotted, and seems to support the company's C-Sleep and C-Life bulbs. But both the C Life and C Sleep bulbs can do a bit more once connected to a smartphone. C-SLEEP: Our smart LED bulb with 3 color settings (Vibrant for the AM, Active for the day, and Calm for the PM) that support your sleep/wake cycle. Lifx bulbs are a good bet for use cases like this, because their best-in-class integration with IFTTT allows you to trigger a customized fade with something like a voice command. Whether it's the Google Assistant, Apple's Siri, or Amazon's Alexa, each makes for a capable connected home control point, particularly if you're willing to put a smart speaker or a smart display somewhere central in your home. Get control of lights while you’re away from home for a little extra peace of mind. C how our family of smart It’s a must have! For simple set up that does not require an additional hub or bridge, pair your C-Sleep bulb directly with a Google Home device. These bulbs are amazing--- a MUST have! Pair your bulbs with a smart assistant—like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant—for hands-free voice control of your lights. Even fancy color-changing bulbs aren't that hard to afford these days, with well-tested options from reputable brands like GE available for less than $30 apiece. Some use built-in Wi-Fi radios to connect directly with your router, which lets you control them remotely wherever you have an internet connection. Well, thanks GE and google because now I have them throughout my house! Set scenes, change from one of the three pre-set colors, pre-set automations, dim and brighten the bulbs from your smart phone or tablet. Smart plugs are also a great fit for alternatives like decorative string lights. While we're on the subject of dimming, it's worth noting that different smart bulbs might dim a little differently. C by GE Bluetooth®-only Smart Bulbs require pairing to a C by GE Smart Plug, C by GE Smart Switch, or Google Home or Nest device to enable out-of-home control. Another smart switch benefit -- your automations and voice controls will continue to work even when the light is turned off at the switch. Replay. That said, you'll definitely see more of a difference between those low-light settings. Price, Promotion, Processing: Pricing, delivery date and other errors may be withdrawn or revised and/or your order may be cancelled at any time, without prior notice, before we have both (a) shipped or provided access to your product or service, and (b) received your payment for the product or service. Now all you need is popcorn. Use one with a lamp, and you'll be able to automate it to turn on and off whenever you want or by using voice commands, all while using whatever bulb you like. It's a great time to fill your house with smart light bulbs and switches -- but do yourself a favor and read this first. How to: Access Factory Reset for Your Smart Bulbs, Sign up to receive updates on exciting new C by GE products, Lighting Products (HD, Grow, LED+ and Vintage). Making a smart color-changing light bulb is not that hard, but making one that is cheap to mass produce is hard. C by GE Smart Plug or Smart Switch required. The result: LED light bulbs that kept getting better and cheaper. And maybe you should! The C-Life, C-Sleep and C-Reach bridge will be available starting in May. You'll also find a number of smart home gadgets that double as a Zigbee hub -- most notably the Amazon Echo Plus and the second-gen Amazon Echo Show. All of that said, things are getting easier. Smart bulbs come with their own, built-in dimming mechanisms, so when you use one in a fixture that's wired to a dimmer switch, the dual dimming mechanisms can clash, often causing the bulb to strobe unexpectedly as you dim it up and down. If you've got one of those, adding in lights that your assistant of choice can control is almost a no-brainer, and you'll be able to use them alongside things like cameras, thermostats, and smart security systems. Set Up & Controlling . The most notable Zigbee brand, Philips Hue, recently started putting secondary Bluetooth radios into its products, which lets you skip the hub and connect direct with your phone for basic controls. took maybe 60 seconds to connect with Alexa and they work every time (when some bulbs disconnect randomly..... which makes my husband crazy). , things are getting easier also a great fit for alternatives like decorative string lights set you any! C how our family of smart dimmer switches that are designed to pair nicely with smart bulbs might dim little... Note: this article applies to C by GE LED light bulbs reading! Easy to automate and protect our home back to add some improvements to its app to ensure Canadians get best. 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