February 8
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The world is becoming smarter with new and improved technologies coming up. And smart outdoor lights are some of the best innovations of late!
I have never been a fan of excessive technology in my life - that is, till my children introduced me to smart devices. I was stunned when I realized how straightforward and convenient its operations were. Moreover, I found most of the devices relatively user-friendly and very aesthetic.
Hi! I’m Stacy, and in today’s guide, I will tell you all about the smart outdoor lights I installed in my home. These lights provided ideal outdoor lighting and made my life easier within seconds. So, if you’re thinking about installing them in your home, check out my guide to make sure that you can make the most of it.
Let’s get right to it then!
Are you looking to introduce smart lights into your home? There could be several reasons for which you want to install them - decorative purposes, convenience, or added security.
Moreover, there are dozens of smart lighting options that you can explore. In my opinion, the best feature of this technology is the ability to control your home lights with the convenience of voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant. However, there are several other benefits which I will discuss with you in the next section.
Convenience and usability are a few reasons why I opted for smart lights in my home. These make an excellent option for homeowners looking for ideal outdoor lighting that is easy to control. Here are the primary benefits I enjoyed from my new smart outdoor lights.
Have you ever experienced winding down after a long, hard day and suddenly remembering that you left the outdoor lights on? Well, it happens to me all too often.
With the advent of smart outdoor lights and their integration with voice assistants, I never had to worry about this again. Now, I can lie in bed and call out to Alexa to turn off the outdoor lights. It has made my life so much simpler, and in my opinion, it is one of the best features of this technology.
Depending on the brand of smart outdoor lights you purchase, download an app on your smartphone for seamless integration. Since I purchased a couple of Philips Smart Home Lights, I downloaded the Philips app on my phone, which allowed me to integrate Alexa, my phone, and the smart lights effortlessly.
Now, I can do regular maintenance checks on the lights and their features to ensure that everything is working smoothly. Moreover, I don’t even need to call in a professional technician for the job.
Although there is a slight learning curve, the introduction of voice and app control has made it much simpler. Once I figured out how to use the app on my smartphone, I could conveniently control and check the activity of my outdoor lights without any hassle.
I was excited to test my new color-changing LED outdoor lights because of the glowing reviews I read about them online. After purchasing and installing them, I quickly synced the smart light features with a phone app. Before long, I could easily control the brightness levels and color-changing modes with the click of a button (on my phone).
What I loved the most about this technology is how conveniently I could change the colors. Moreover, it provided a beautiful, aesthetic glow, perfect for hosting small get-togethers and parties.
My guests loved my new installation and wanted to know where I got them from. Not just that, I was stoked when they complimented my color choice for various themed parties.
Imagine walking up to your garage or entryway with keys and a bunch of bags in your hand, fumbling for the light switch. Trust me, it gets annoying soon. With my motion sensor smart outdoor lights, I finally stopped waiting for someone else to turn on the lights for me when I entered my home.
Not only are smart lights extremely efficient at sensing your presence and turning on automatically, but they also turn off once you are inside. This feature is especially beneficial for those who often forget to turn off their outdoor lights at night. Moreover, it helps you save unnecessary costs by automatically switching off when you don’t need them.
Most smart lights have this feature in-built, so you don’t need other tools to use it efficiently. Of course, the more expensive smart light brands feature advanced tools like ‘Dawn To Dusk’ timers, ambient light sensors, and dimmer switches.
One of the primary reasons for switching to smart lights for my home was to enhance security and ensure peace of mind. These lights can be customized to automatically turn on or alert you through the phone app if an intruder walks through your property.
For me, this feature was extremely advantageous as I would often spend my weekends alone at home and was concerned about security. Moreover, I could customize how long I wanted the lights to stay on, their brightness level, and the type of alerts I wanted on my phone.
Of course, this feature works best with smart motion sensor outdoor lights. I appreciate the ease and convenience of synchronizing the features of the lights with my home voice assistant and phone apps.
If you are looking for the best outdoor lighting products, you can’t go wrong with smart lights. Nowadays, you will find smart lights that come with advanced features like app control, voice control with Google Assistant, and solar panels.
With the addition of solar panels, I found that I was saving a substantial amount of money on energy bills. Since these lights do not use electricity and rely solely on solar energy for power, I could take advantage of the natural resource without spending additional money on energy costs.
Not just that, smart lights can be customized to turn off after a specified period. This feature is excellent for those looking for environment-friendly and sustainable products. In my opinion, this is a vital feature to have during this time, when it is imperative to use eco-friendly products whenever possible.
There are dozens of smart lighting options that are designed for convenience. Adding these lights to your home can help you automate several features while saving energy costs in the long run. If you are wondering what the various options in the market are, let me tell you about some of the best ones.
One of my favorite smart outdoor lights has been the smart flood lights I installed outside my garage and patio. This product helped save me several trips back and forth to the garage as I could easily control the lights through my Google voice assistant or my phone.
Moreover, the flood lights were motion sensored, which was an added advantage. Whenever I pulled up to the front of my garage or walked towards the patio, the lights were programmed to turn on automatically. Not just that, I added a program that would shut them off automatically after 10 minutes of not detecting motion.
If you are new to smart home technology and want to dip your toes into it before fully committing, consider installing smart bulbs. This can be one of the simplest and most affordable ways to explore the new world of smart home automation.
In my case, I began exploring smart lights by replacing the old bulbs in my entryway with smart bulbs. These connect to your phone using the home Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, whichever option is more feasible.
I highly recommend opting for smart bulbs that have high IP waterproof ratings and weather-resistant technology. Since you will most likely install the bulbs outdoors, it is best to opt for durable products that won’t damage easily under extreme weather conditions.
If you aren’t looking to change the bulbs at the moment, you have another option - smart switches. Smart switches remove bulbs out of the equation and give you complete control over the switches themselves.
While the basic models will offer minimal automation features like turning your lights on and off, more advanced models offer better features. Furthermore, one of the best things about this product is that you can control your smart outdoor lights without a hub.
These switches are compatible with most third-party apps, Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa. If you can spend a little more money to get hold of advanced features, you will be able to enjoy temperature control, ambient light control, voice control, and built-in motion sensors. These features enable you to have complete control over the outdoor lights.
Tip - If you’re confused between smart switches and smart bulbs, keep in mind how they operate differently. In the case of smart bulbs, you will need to keep the power on continuously if you want optimal results.
However, this isn’t the case with smart switches. Even if the smart switch is turned off, your programmed automation and remote controls will work nonetheless. This is mainly because smart switches are hard-wired, whereas smart bulbs are not.
Another excellent option for switching to smart devices for outdoor lighting is to opt for smart fixtures. The additional features, along with their premium feel, is enough to convince most homeowners to make the switch.
I recently swapped out the light fixture above my garage with a smart fixture and flood lights. This enabled me to enjoy several excellent features like an in-built motion detector, automatic turn on and off features, and an HD night vision camera that allowed me to monitor the garage from my phone.
I considered a couple of factors when making the switch from traditional to smart outdoor lights. Here are some of the most important factors I had in mind.
Of course, one of the primary considerations was my budget. While there are several premium options in the market, I opted for the budget smart lights since I wanted to experience them before investing. Safe to say, I was pleased with the features and soon upgraded all my devices.
If you already have smart home devices like Amazon’s Alexa and smart indoor lights, it makes sense to opt for smart outdoor lighting. Making the switch will enable you to conveniently integrate all the features and functions, giving you complete control over home automation.
Another excellent reason to switch to smart outdoor lights is if you wish to schedule the lights. Doing this will enable you to set up specific times to turn on or off the lights automatically. Moreover, it helps you save energy costs and prevent frequent trips outside to turn off the lights (in case you are a tad forgetful like me)!
In my experience, switching to smart outdoor lights has been one of the best additions to my home.
You can find the best lights for your home according to your budget and specifications. It is best to opt for heavy-duty, durable outdoor lights that feature IP waterproof rating, as they will protect your lights in the long run. Furthermore, I advise considering your options carefully to make sure that you’re purchasing the right product.
If you have any questions about the smart lights I used in my home, you can check out my other guides and reviews, where I have talked about them at length. Feel free to drop a comment below and let me know which smart devices you have at home.
Until next time!
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