The best smart bulb I’ve tried so far but I do have a little wish list
So I have tried quite a few different bulbs and particularly smart bulbs over the past few months, so far the TP-Link Tapo Smart Bulb is definitely my favourite. It has one of the best apps, was easy to set up and use and overall is still a good lightbulb.
– Good brightness
– Easy to setup
– Nice app
– Amazing value
So this is I think the first lightbulb at this price point that I have seen which has smart functionality without the need for a hub. The hubs always annoy me as a concept, when clearly TP-Link have shown with this bulb that you can fit all of the hardware needed into the bulb itself why make customers spend more money to buy, set up and maintain a hub.
The setup process is easy and really it is just downloading the app and then the app guides you through connecting it to the wise and pairing it with your phone. It really only took a few minutes and the app is nice to use and particularly some of their animations were nice to see.
Once set up, you can control the bulb via the app, changing brightness and turning it off or on. There are also some automation functions like timers. One thing I would like to see is a Notification Center Today view widget, I have a few smart plugs which have this and it is by far my favourite way to turn smart devices on and off as it means you don’t need to load up the app.
The only other thing which is annoying but not exclusive to this bulb is that the power needs to be running to the bulb at all times for the smart features to work. This is obvious in principle, but it is hard to untrain people from flicking light switches when they leave a room.
TP-Link Tapo Smart Bulb Gallery
TP-Link Tapo Smart Bulb
£8.46
Pros
- Good brightness
- Easy to setup
- Nice app
- Amazing value
Cons
- Today view widget please
