We researched dozens of color-changing light bulbs, considering their color range, brightness, energy efficiency, extra features, and ease of use and setup. Our best overall pick is the Lifx A19 Led Light Bulb since it doesn’t require you to use a hub, lets you choose from millions of different colors, and has a variety of intuitive lighting features and settings. Here are the best color-changing LED bulbs.
You can change the color of this bulb, dim it, or turn it on and off via the compatible app. It’s also compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit, so you can control it with voice commands. This bulb has a heftier price tag than other models, but it offers many convenient features in return. You can set light schedules to turn the bulb on and off at certain times in the day or use the Day & Dusk feature. This setting automatically adjusts your light’s brightness, color, and temperature to get gradually brighter in the morning and dimmer and warmer toward evening. The main downside of this bulb is that it needs Wi-Fi to work, so if you have Wi-Fi connectivity issues, it may not be the best option for you. Otherwise, the bulb offers 1100 lumens of brightness and over 16 million different colors. It has a lifespan of up to 22.8 years and relies on only 11 watts to bring you the equivalent of 75 watts, making it a long-lasting and energy-efficient option too. Price at time of publish: $100 Regardless of your setup choice, the light bulb is Alexa- and Google Assistant-compatible, so you can control it via voice commands. If you use the hub, you gain Apple HomeKit and Siri access. The app lets you easily choose from 16 million colors, dim your lights, and set timers, while the bulb packs in an impressive 1600 lumens of brightness. There’s a variety of color presets available in the app’s scene gallery, but you can also select a photo from your camera roll to serve as the scene inspiration, and the lights will change color to match the photo’s mood. Price at time of publish: $65 Setup is straightforward, with only three steps: Screw the bulb into your desired and compatible fixture, download the compatible app, and connect your bulb to your phone via Bluetooth. Once it’s all set up, you can take advantage of its energy-saving design that uses only 9 watts to bring you the equivalent of a 60-watt incandescent bulb. Price at time of publish: $13 This 7-watt light bulb is equivalent to a 60-watt incandescent bulb, making it an energy-conscious choice for your home. The light bulb lacks Alexa and Google Assistant compatibility, but you can set on/off timers and sync the bulb to your music, so it switches colors to the song’s rhythm. Price at time of publish: $14 Operation is simple with the included remote control that allows you to choose from warm white light, 16 different beautiful colors, or rotate through them all. You can also select from four different “special effect” modes (strobe, flash, fade, and smooth) and use the remote to dim or brighten the light to your choice of four intensities. Unfortunately, there is no option to set schedules or timers, but it does have a memory mode feature, which means it will turn on to your last-used light setting. Price at time of publish: $25 The main downside of this lighting kit is its high price tag. However, the included Hue Bridge adds value by giving you advanced lighting controls that you can’t get with Bluetooth alone—including setting up to 50 Hue lights at once from any location and managing smart home routines and timers. This light set is also compatible with Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, and Microsoft Cortana, so you can control your bulbs with voice commands in addition to the app. Price at time of publish: $180 This light bulb’s color and brightness range isn’t as expansive as other models, offering 10 different light colors and 760 lumens of brightness. But 760 lumens is a decent amount of brightness, and if you don’t mind not having complete color customization, this light offers a warmer white and a cooler white, as well as a blue, green, orange, pink, purple, red, blue-green, and yellow color preset. It’s also compatible with any lighting fixture that works with typical A19/21 light bulbs, BR30 floodlights, and 6-inch recessed lighting fixtures. Price at time of publish: $35 Aside from smart connectivity, this bulb offers many lighting features in the app. Choose from default scenes/color presets, create your own from over 16 million color options, or set up a dynamic scene with changing colors. The Screen Mirror feature syncs the light to a screen to mirror the color scheme of your movie or video game or Razer Chroma gaming devices, such as keyboards or mice. The light bulb even has a Circadian Lighting feature, automatically changing the lighting temperature and brightness to encourage productivity or rest, depending on the time of day. Price at time of publish: $20 When choosing a color-changing bulb for outdoor use, it’s crucial to check that it’s weatherproof and meant for this purpose. Typically, these bulbs will be labeled as indoor/outdoor or specify that the bulb is weather-resistant, humidity-resistant, or safe for outdoor use in a protected area. Some are waterproof and can even be used in a swimming pool as long as the light fixture is sealed. Remember that weather- or humidity-resistant bulbs can’t tolerate a drenching downpour, so keep these bulbs in a fixture with some protection from severe weather conditions.
Smart Features
As a general rule, there are two categories of color-changing LED bulbs: Those that are smart and app-compatible and those that are remote-controlled. Many less-expensive color-changing LED bulbs rely on remote control instead of an app to change the light color and effects or turn the light on and off. You’ll generally need to be in the same room as the bulb to control these bulbs with a remote. Smart color-changing LEDs have an app you can download to your phone, allowing you to control the light remotely by connecting to the bulb with Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Once connected, you can turn the light on or off, dim or brighten the light, change the colors, or choose a particular effect. More advanced smart bulbs also work with a smart home hub to set up automation and routines. Many color-changing smart bulbs, with or without a hub, are also compatible with voice assistants such as Alexa or Google Assistant.
Range of Colors and Effects
Most remote-controlled LED color-changing bulbs have a handful of color options ranging between 10 and 16 choices. Smart and app-controlled color-changing bulbs, on the other hand, usually offer millions of colors for near-endless gradients of color to choose from. Many color-changing bulbs also have effect options, such as wave, strobe, blink, flash, alternating, and many others. Some light bulbs may even be able to sync to the music you play and change the pattern of light to the rhythm of the song you’re listening to. Others may be able to sync to your screen and match the light colors to a movie you’re watching. Typically, smart bulbs tend to be more feature-packed with color effects and customization than non-smart options.
Why Trust The Spruce?
Sarah Toscano is a staff writer at The Spruce, specializing in tech and smart homes. She has been researching products as an e-commerce writer for over a year, with a focus on creating content related to tech, gadgets, and entertainment. She scoured through customer reviews and online discussion forums, watched multiple review videos, and analyzed each product’s specs and features to help make the picks for this article. Sarah also consulted Larry Campbell, a Licensed Master Electrician and Home Improvement Editorial Board Member for The Spruce, to help her better understand the nature and technicalities of color-changing LED light bulbs and their color settings.
