best smart lighting brands of 2025: review

top smart lighting brands of 2025

As smart home technology continues to evolve, smart lighting remains one of the most popular and accessible upgrades for homeowners. Smart lighting systems allow users to customize, automate, and control their home lighting remotely, offering a new level of convenience, energy efficiency, and aesthetic control. With so many options on the market, it can be challenging to determine which brand best suits your needs. In this article, we’ll explore the best smart lighting brands of 2025, focusing on their features, innovations, and what makes them stand out from the competition. We'll be covering some of the top players, including Philips Hue, LIFX, and TP-Link, and a few other noteworthy brands.

best smart lighting brands of 2025

1. Philips Hue: The Gold Standard for Smart Lighting

Philips Hue continues to lead the smart lighting market in 2025, solidifying its reputation as a reliable and versatile brand. Known for offering a broad range of products and seamless integration with smart home systems, Philips Hue is often regarded as the most comprehensive smart lighting solution.

Key Features:

• Wide Ecosystem: Philips Hue offers everything from standard smart bulbs to LED strips, outdoor lighting, and accessories like motion sensors and dimmer switches. Their ecosystem is one of the most expansive, making it easy to create a fully customized lighting setup.

• Excellent Integration: Hue lights work with all major smart home platforms, including Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, and Samsung SmartThings. It also supports IFTTT for advanced automation.

• Color and Ambiance: Philips Hue is well known for its full spectrum of 16 million colors and its ability to adjust white light temperatures (cool to warm), making it ideal for both mood lighting and functional use.

• Zigbee and Bluetooth: Hue lights primarily use Zigbee, which creates a robust mesh network that improves reliability, especially in larger homes. However, newer Hue models also support Bluetooth, allowing for easy setup without the need for a hub.

Why Choose Philips Hue?

Philips Hue is ideal for users who want a high-quality, reliable system with robust automation options. The only downside is that Philips Hue can be more expensive than other brands, but it’s a worthy investment for those seeking top-tier performance and compatibility.

2. LIFX: Best for Brightness and Color Quality

LIFX has emerged as one of the top contenders in the smart lighting market due to its superior brightness, color accuracy, and ease of use. In 2025, LIFX remains a favorite for users who prioritize vibrant lighting and high performance without the need for a hub.

Key Features:

• Brilliant Colors and Brightness: LIFX smart bulbs are known for being brighter than many competitors, with some bulbs producing up to 1,100 lumens. The color quality is rich and vivid, perfect for those who want more dramatic lighting effects.

• No Hub Required: Unlike Philips Hue, LIFX bulbs connect directly to Wi-Fi, eliminating the need for an additional hub. This makes installation quick and simple, especially for smaller homes or apartments.

• Full App Control: The LIFX app is highly intuitive, offering users control over individual lights or groups, color changes, dimming, and scheduling. The app is also integrated with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and Apple HomeKit.

• Advanced Effects: LIFX offers unique lighting effects such as flicker, pulse, and themes that can be customized for parties, movie nights, or ambient relaxation.

Why Choose LIFX?

LIFX is perfect for users who want vibrant, powerful lighting without the hassle of hubs or bridges. The lights are easy to set up, offer great flexibility, and are ideal for home environments where high brightness and color accuracy are priorities. However, LIFX can be more expensive than some other Wi-Fi-based systems.

3. TP-Link Kasa Smart: Best Budget-Friendly Smart Lighting

For those seeking affordability without sacrificing quality, TP-Link’s Kasa Smart lighting system continues to be a top choice in 2025. Known for offering reliable smart home products at budget-friendly prices, Kasa Smart provides a strong alternative for those looking to enter the smart lighting market without a significant financial commitment.

Key Features:

• No Hub Required: Kasa Smart bulbs connect directly to your home’s Wi-Fi network, making setup easy and eliminating the need for an additional hub.

• Affordable Pricing: TP-Link’s smart lighting products are some of the most affordable on the market, making them accessible to a wide range of users.

• Basic Smart Features: While not as feature-rich as Philips Hue or LIFX, Kasa Smart bulbs still offer key features such as remote control, scheduling, and voice assistant integration through Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

• Good Performance: While not the brightest, Kasa Smart bulbs provide reliable performance with 800 lumens of brightness, enough for most home applications.

• Kasa App: The Kasa Smart app is simple and intuitive, offering basic features such as grouping lights, setting scenes, and creating schedules. It also integrates seamlessly with other TP-Link smart home devices like smart plugs and cameras.

Why Choose TP-Link Kasa Smart?

TP-Link Kasa Smart is the best option for users who want basic smart lighting features at a fraction of the cost of more premium brands. It’s ideal for smaller homes or for those just starting to explore smart home technology. While it may lack some of the advanced features found in more expensive brands, it offers a solid balance of performance and price.

4. Sengled: Best for Easy Setup and Affordability

Sengled has been gaining momentum in the smart lighting market, thanks to its focus on easy installation, competitive pricing, and useful features. By 2025, Sengled continues to be a strong competitor, particularly for those looking for smart lights that are both affordable and easy to use.

Key Features:

• Multiple Connectivity Options: Sengled smart bulbs are available in Wi-Fi, Zigbee, and Bluetooth variants, providing users with flexibility depending on their home setup.

• No Hub (Wi-Fi Version): Like TP-Link, Sengled’s Wi-Fi smart bulbs do not require a hub, simplifying installation. However, for Zigbee users, Sengled bulbs can be integrated into an existing Zigbee hub.

• Affordability: Sengled is known for its budget-friendly pricing, often undercutting competitors while still delivering strong performance.

• Voice Control: Sengled bulbs work with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for voice control, making it easy to turn lights on or off, change colors, or adjust brightness using just your voice.

Why Choose Sengled?

Sengled is a great option for users who want affordable and easy-to-set-up smart lighting. It’s ideal for those who want multiple connectivity options and basic smart features without breaking the bank.

5. Nanoleaf: Best for Decorative and Modular Smart Lighting

Nanoleaf continues to shine in the smart lighting world, particularly for users interested in creative, modular lighting designs. Known for its iconic LED light panels, Nanoleaf offers a unique way to combine art and lighting into one smart system.

Key Features:

• Modular Panels: Nanoleaf’s key product is its modular light panels, which can be arranged in various designs to create custom wall art that doubles as smart lighting.

• Dynamic Lighting Effects: Nanoleaf’s lights offer stunning dynamic effects such as color transitions, music sync, and the ability to change color based on real-time visual inputs.

• Voice and App Control: Nanoleaf works with all major smart assistants, including Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant, as well as through its dedicated Nanoleaf app.

• Energy Efficient: Despite its flashy designs and effects, Nanoleaf’s lights are highly energy-efficient, using low power to create high-impact visuals.

Why Choose Nanoleaf?

Nanoleaf is perfect for users who want to combine functionality with aesthetics. Its modular design allows you to create stunning wall art that serves as both a light source and a decorative feature. If you’re looking for lighting that does more than just illuminate, Nanoleaf is the best choice.

Conclusion

Choosing the right smart lighting system for your home in 2025 depends largely on your priorities—whether it's color customization, ease of use, integration with existing smart home systems, or budget. Philips Hue remains the most versatile and feature-rich option, perfect for those who want a high-quality, expansive ecosystem. LIFX shines in brightness and color quality without requiring a hub, while TP-Link Kasa Smart offers a cost-effective entry point for basic smart lighting features. Sengled provides easy setup and affordability, and Nanoleaf stands out for users looking for decorative, modular lighting.

Whatever your needs, the best smart lighting brands of 2025 offer a wide range of options to enhance the way you light up your home.