Classic light bulbs and switches are a thing of the past. Whether you are single or in the honeymoon phase, an early riser or a night owl, smart bathroom lights add a touch of luxury to any bathroom.
Upgrade your bathroom by using smart bathroom lights. Smart bathroom lights elevate your interior lighting by offering more customization and controllability. You can choose from thousands of shades of white light and millions of colors. Smart lights respond to voice commands, are energy efficient, and last much longer than regular bulbs.
Better yet, smart bathroom lights are great for the environment, easy to control, and easy to install.
In this post, I’ll discuss how smart bathroom lights work, the advantages of smart bathroom lights, and the differences between smart lights and smart light bulbs.
For other smart bathroom ideas that can transform your life, don’t miss my post on the 9 Coolest Smart Bathroom Ideas of the Year.
How Does a Smart Light Work?
With smart bathroom lights, you can use a compatible remote control or downloadable app, to turn them on, off, or dim from anywhere.
As long as your lights and app are properly connected to Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, you will be able to control your smart lights from anywhere, not just from your bathroom. Depending on the brand you get, certain smart lights are designed to respond to Alexa voice commands.
Smart bathroom lights can come with many features, including dimmability, multiple light colors, voice commands, music sync, and more.
Just by downloading an app to your phone and installing smart bathroom lights, you can create a luxurious and customizable lighting experience for your bathroom.
Using a smart bathroom light is advantageous for many reasons. Here are the most notable advantages of smart bathroom lights.
- Affordable
- They are easy to dim
- You get millions of color options
- Smart bathroom lights are energy efficient
- You can automate them
- Apps
- Wi-Fi or Bluetooth capable
- Easy to use
The list goes on. Needless to say, smart bathroom lights have many advantages that can help transform your drab bathroom into one that fits your exact mood.
The features you get with your smart lights will vary depending on the model you choose.
Affordability
Smart lights are even great for serious savers. Despite having so many more features than standard lights, these products are still affordable. And when you consider how much longer they last than regular bulbs, it’s worth it.
Dimmability
Many smart lights are dimmable, but some are not. If you are looking for dimmable lights, be sure to read the features that come with your lights before purchasing.
It’s no secret that lighting dramatically impacts how awake or tired you feel. That’s because the presence of light impacts our natural melatonin production. Certain lights awaken us and hinder melatonin production, whereas other lights incite it. It’s important that the lights in your home can help your body to wake up or fall asleep.
The beauty of smart bathroom lights is that they can do both. In the mornings, you can dim the lights as you shower, then turn them up slowly as you apply makeup or shave.
When nighttime rolls around, you can change the color and brightness again as you soak in the tub and relax before bed.
Colors
The vast majority of smart lights come in different colors. The most common colors include bright white, warm white, and colors. (To learn much more about how color temperature can impact the ambiance in your bathroom, read What’s the Right Color Temperature for YOUR Bathroom?)
Many smart lights come with millions of shades to choose from. You can even adjust the brightness and warmth of nearly any color using the app.
Still, it is possible to find smart lights that do not offer different colors, be sure to check the model you are considering.
Are Smart Lights Energy-Efficient?
One of the best things about smart lights is that they are energy efficient. The majority of smart lights have a 60,000 hour lifetime.
This lifetime, as well as the integrated LED light source, allows the battery to save up to 80% of energy.
Even if you are diligent in turning off lights every time you leave the house, there are times when you might forget to do so. With smart lights, you can simply press a button on your app and turn out all of them at once.
Although how much energy you save depends on your usage, you can expect your smart lights to be highly efficient and great for the environment.
For other ideas on how to make your bathroom eco-friendly, be sure to read my post 16 Tips to Make a Bathroom Energy Efficient (& Save Money).
Automation
Because these lights are smart, you can set them on a schedule so that the lights automatically turn on or off at a particular time. You can even select the ideal color or brightness using the schedule.
If you decide to place smart lights elsewhere in your house, you can also program them to turn on and off based on your daily schedule. (People especially like this function for outdoor spaces.)
Voice Command
In the age of Alexa, many individuals are looking for smart devices that respond with voice. Luckily, many smart lights do.
What differs from product to product is how the lights respond to voice commands. Some products are designed to be connected through Alexa, whereas others are designed to work through Cortana. You must select a smart light that integrates into your preferred voice command platform.
Apps
Virtually every single smart light comes with smartphone apps. Of the many smart lights we looked at, we could not find a single one that did not integrate with your smartphone. That’s because you control the light using a downloadable app.
By downloading the app, you can control your lights from anywhere. Although some smart lights come with remote controls too, virtually every smart light in existence comes with a downloadable app that works seamlessly with smartphones for convenience.
Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
You will need some form of Wi-Fi in order to control your smart lights through your phone.
There is an exception to this statement. Many smart bulbs and lights today are designed with backup Bluetooth technology. The Bluetooth technology allows you to control the smart lights using the app. The only difference is that it is Bluetooth that connects your phone to the lights, not Wi-Fi.
You can get a bathroom mirror with built-in smart lights and Bluetooth technology. Read my post about Bluetooth bathroom mirrors.
What Are Smart Light Bulbs?
The only difference between a smart bulb and a smart light is that you are only getting a bulb, rather than an entire fixture or a strip. If you aren’t quite sure how often you will use smart lights, smart bulbs are a great place to start. Also, smart light bulbs are just as easy to install as regular light bulbs.
The beauty of smart light bulbs is that you can put them into any fixture in your home. Simply remove your old light bulbs and screw the smart ones in their place. Your smart light bulbs will work just like your old ones, but you’ll also be able to control them remotely.
Smart Bulbs and Lights for Bathroom
If you’re interested in getting bathroom smart lights and bulbs, you might be curious about which brands are the best.
All three of these products work great, are easy to set up, and are fairly priced.
1. Smart Bathroom Mirror with Color-Changing Lights
If you’ve got a modern bathroom and are looking to add a cool factor, look no further. This LED bathroom mirror covers the basics since it’s waterproof, shatterproof, and rustproof. But then it goes far beyond.
Set your color-changing mirror to rotate through your favorite color palette from behind the glass. Your mirror will remember the last settings used. Then adjust the dimmable front light to the brightness that you desire.
The front mirror lights can be adjusted for warm, white or cool light. The backlight has eight color choices: pink, red, green, blue, multi-colored, warm light, white light, and cold light.
This mirror can help you wake to a party or soothe your senses before bed simply by using color to your advantage.
2. Sunco LED Lighting Smart Globe Bulbs – Best Smart Bathroom Light Bulbs
If you are a fan of smart light bulbs, we recommend the Sunco LED Lighting Smart Globe Bulbs. These bulbs are highly affordable, yet they are compatible with Alexa and Google, as well as offer millions of colors and 50,000 shades of white light, music sync capabilities, and a five-year warranty. These bulbs work great in bathroom pendant lights.
3. Govee Waterproof LED Strip Light – Best Smart Strip
Another smart light to check out is the Govee Waterproof LED Strip Light. Unlike the other products, this one is designed for outdoor use, making it waterproof and highly safe. Even though it is designed for outdoor use, you can easily use it inside your bathroom to set a mood. Run a strip under the vanity to set a great mood. This smart light is waterproof, has 16 million colors, music sync, and more.
Is It Safe to Put Smart Lights in the Bathroom?
You can safely install smart lights in your bathroom by following basic safety guidelines. As long as the lights are damp or wet-rated, they should be safe to use in a humid bathroom.
For extra safety, opt for recessed lights and check the bulbs’ IP ratings before installing them close to a showerhead.
Lightbulbs are rated for different humidity levels using a universal IP rating. Unlike with other measurements, IP ratings are standard around the globe, so you know that your lightbulbs are safe regardless of where you buy them. This includes smart light bulbs.
Light bulbs with high IP ratings—anything above IP 65—are safe to use outdoors or in a humid environment, such as in a bathroom. They are built to withstand exposure to moisture and dust and won’t short out if dampened.
Although IP 65 light bulbs are considered waterproof, IP 66 light bulbs are even more durable and can withstand direct exposure to water. Do not submerge these lights, though, as they cannot withstand pressured exposure to water. Instead, consider installing them above a shower or sink.
For much more about using light bulbs and fixtures read How to Safely Use Smart Lights in the Bathroom.
Smart Bathroom Lighting – Just the Beginning
If the rest of your home is decorated and enhanced with features from the 21st century, why is your bathroom still stuck in the 19th century? Smart lights will help you set the mood in your bathroom, while saving energy.
And while you’re at it, perhaps consider upgrading other bathroom fixtures, especially if you’re planning a bathroom remodel. Read my posts on touchless bathroom faucets, steam-free bathroom mirrors, smart showers, smart bathroom fans and smart toilets.
Enjoy convenience and energy efficiency when you join the smart bathroom revolution!
Tags: best bathroom smart light, dimming, energy efficient, IP Rating, LED, smart bathroom light, smart home, smart light bulb, smart light fixture