LIFX

With wi-fi on-bulb, can relative newc omer LIF X steal the lighting crown?

£ 195.96 (4 bulb pack), lifx.com Compatibility

HomeKit support is imminent, but there’s no sign of Google Home. LIFX has to make do with a not-insubstantial 66 commands on IFTTT.com. As with Hue, you get Amazon Echo, SmartThings and Nest compatiblity, among others.

usability

Setup is simple – just install the bulbs and the app will recognise each one. The LIFX app neatly displays all controls on one page. We especially like the colour wheel, which makes easy work of fine-tuning colour, intensity and brightness.

value

If you’re only looking at upgrading a few bulbs in your house, the LIFX could be the better purchase, since you can just buy a couple of bulbs for a lower price – because they don’t need a hub, you just pay for the lights.

performance

If you need super bright bulbs, go with LIFX. The third gen bulbs are capable of a whopping 1100 lumens, making them far brighter than Hue, while the temperature range is even broader, at 9000K maximum – for higher blue-white light output.