Nothing feels smoother than asking Alexa or Siri to turn down the lights… except for that part where you have to shush all your dinner guests first before doing so. Not a good look.
When setting up your smart home, it's easy to focus solely on voice assistants. But voice technology still lags behind when it comes to the detailed requests you might want to make in order to set the perfect mood. "Set the living room lights to warm white at 50%" is still too many steps for a voice assistant to handle all in one go. It's 2024; why is this still a problem?
A better option is to learn your way around what automations and routines you can preprogram to live a well-lit life. After I set these schedules up for myself, I found they required little to no additional maintenance, and in recent years a variety of new adapters and products have emerged that make connecting all of your devices to one another easier than ever.
This isn't just for looks. Lighting can have a considerable impact on your mood, which in turn can affect your health. Smart lights have more customization options, are easy to program and let you change the vibe of your living space from energizing to cozy with the push of a button. Maybe that's why the global smart lighting market was valued at $15.05 billion in 2022 and is expected to achieve a compound annual growth rate of 22.1% through 2030, according to a report from Grand View Research, a market research company.
As a full-time creator focused on wellness tech, I spend a lot of time thinking about how to make my home and work environments more nourishing. Here's some of the gear I've used to integrate various smart lighting accessories and automations throughout my home.
No. 1: Program your smart lighting to run on a schedule
Every morning, my smart lighting automations get to work before I even open my eyes. I've scheduled the Nanoleaf Lines on my bedroom wall to begin a gentle sunrise effect at 8:50 a.m., gradually increasing brightness over the next 30 minutes until they reach 50% daylight. It's an ideal way to ease into the day on the schedule that works best for me.
The author's Nanoleaf Lines are on a schedule to gently illuminate each morning, and they double as his webcam lighting when sitting at his desk.
Throughout the day, my lighting transitions to different shades of white, from cool daylight in the morning to a cozy, warm light in the evening. This approach syncs with my circadian rhythm, the body's internal clock that dictates when it's time to sleep, wake up, get energized or relax.
The Philips Hue system particularly shines in this regard. On the Hue app, I downloaded the preconfigured natural light cycle, which automatically adjusts the color temperature according to the time of day. Most of my lighting is Philips Hue, and my switches and accessories are programmed to switch to this natural light when activated.
The Hue app has various scenes, including a natural light scene, that you can download and save for future use.
No. 2: Have a smart switch to make overrides easy
Despite all the advanced tech, sometimes you just need a physical switch to turn your lights on or off. Whether you're on a call, entertaining guests or just in a hurry, tapping a button can be far easier than giving a voice command. I've found a few switches that work brilliantly with my Philips Hue, Nanoleaf and other smart lighting.
One of my favorites is the Flic button. This small button works with Apple Home, Alexa and a host of other smart home systems. I use Flic to control lighting scenes that involve products from multiple brands such as Philips Hue, Govee and Nanoleaf all at once. Each Flic button allows for three distinct actions: a single press, a double press and a press-and-hold. Plus, it comes with an adhesive backing, so you can stick it anywhere -- on a wall, under a desk or someplace else that's convenient for you.
The Flic button integrates with your smart home hub and lets you control products from many different brands simultaneously.
The Flic starter kit includes a hub and three buttons for $99 — a solid deal. There's also the Flic Twist, which adds a dial for dimming, brightening and even controlling audio. I haven't tried it yet, but am seriously considering it.
Another standout is the Philips Hue Tap Switch. It's incredibly versatile, with four programmable buttons, each of which can be customized to control a different scene. Its outer rotating dial lets you dim or brighten lights in a specific room or zone. You can even press and hold each button to turn off the lights.
Philips Hue remotes can be configured through apps like Apple Home or Amazon Alexa, allowing them to control devices from other brands. I'm not exaggerating when I say this accessory has changed the game for me.
The Philips Hue Tap Switch includes four programmable buttons and a rotating dial.
One thing I love about Philips Hue is the sheer variety of fixtures and switches available. From buttons to remotes, dials to motion sensors, there's a switch for every need. For more details on my favorite Philips Hue accessories and some installation tips, check out Justin Tech, my tech channel on YouTube.
No. 3: Let motion sensors help light the way
No smart lighting setup is complete without motion sensors. I've placed them strategically around my home to ensure my lights illuminate when I need them. For instance, my bedroom closet lacks built-in lighting, so I added a Philips Hue Lightstrip along the top and paired it with a motion sensor. The strip turns on automatically when I open the closet door and turns off after 5 minutes. It even adjusts based on the time of day – warm and dim in the evening, bright and energizing in the morning.
Use a Philips Hue motion sensor for areas that don't require lighting all the time.
I also have a sensor in the hallway for those late-night snack runs or bathroom trips. It triggers the hallway lights to 5% brightness – just enough to guide me without fully waking me up.
No. 4: Use smart plugs for your dumb fixtures
I was lucky enough to score an apartment with a terrace in New York, so naturally I had to deck it out with lighting. While I had outdoor string lights already, they weren't smart, so to fix that I connected them to a Lutron Caseta outdoor smart plug. Using the Lutron app, I set the lights to turn on 30 minutes after sunset, just when I need them. I also placed a Lutron Caseta smart switch near the terrace door for easy on-off control.
Use an adapter to add smart functionality to existing lights or fixtures.
Smart lighting should be seamless – it should work behind the scenes, allowing you to focus on your day without constantly micromanaging your lights. Take the time to learn about your options so you can create a work or living space you love.