Smart Home September – My Journey Into Home Automation (Part 3 of 4)
Sleepytime for Alton by Amanda Laine
A light goes on…
After Christmas, I decided to burn a Lowe’s gift card I received on a second Google Home Mini, so I could have one out in my workshop and the other on the piano in the house. When I went to pick it up, I realized that for an extra $5.00, Lowes had a Smart Lighting starter bundle that included a Google Home Mini and a GE C-Life smart bulb. Another piece of tech to try out? Sure, why not.
Different roads to the same destination…
There’s a couple of options that will allow you to bring your grandmother’s vintage Tiffany lamp into the 21st century:
- Smart plugs, like the Geeni ones I demonstrated last week, can be inserted plug side (between the outlet and the lamp) to make a lamp smart. You leave your lamp switched “on” then control the flow of power at the smart plug instead. We use this in a few spots around our house, most notably my wife’s craft lighting, my shop lights, and Christmas lights.
- Smart Bulbs like the GE C-Life bulb includes with the Google Home Mini starter kit I bought. Instead of controlling the flow of electricity between the lamp and the wall, a bulb solution is controlled directly inside the bulb.
Which solution is better? It’s a matter of preference. My current preference is the smart plugs, because bulbs are consumable–eventually you’ll have to replace them, so the cost over time can be higher, and smart bulbs are more expensive than standard LEDs.
That said, it’s not that I’m completely opposed to the idea of smart bulbs, either. The GE C-Life bulbs are dimmable, meaning you can say “Hey Google, dim the lights” and it will respond in kind. And while I haven’t tried them yet myself, the Phillips Hue system is pricey, but something I would love to try out simply because of the sheer customization aspect to it. (Maybe when I redo the living room I’ll look into it some more…)
From the manufacturer
Get the helpfulness of Google Home Mini combined with a smart light bulb from GE. It’s a simple and affordable way to start your connected home that lets you turn your lights on or off with just your voice Just plug in Google Home Mini, screw in the GE C-Life light bulb and download the Google Home App. Set the mood Dim the lights for a family movie night without leaving the couch. Say goodnight Create a routine so you can turn off the lights while staying cozy in bed.
My thoughts
This was a nice little starter pack — you’re not going to go full automated home with a single light bulb, but it was nice to be able to dip a toe in the smart bulb arena, and it went right to work in one of our floor lamps downstairs. The setup process was specifically outlined for connecting the bulb with the Google Home Mini, and it was a simple setup.
The GE C series are nice bulbs, though the selection of bulb types is much more limited–the C Life (Advertised as “Optimal Daylight”) and C Sleep (Uses a “Tailored light spectrum” with a blue “energetic morning light,” a soft white “daytime light,” and a low blue “calm evening light” setting. It doesn’t contain nearly as much customization as the Phillips Hue, but isn’t terribly priced if all you’re looking for is a bulb to make your end table lamps smarter.