Koogeek has officially released its new HomeKit-enabled Wi-Fi Smart LED Light Bulb, the latest in its ever-expanding line of Apple-friendly accessories. Its $37 price tag represents one of the lowest entry-points that we’ve seen when it comes to HomeKit lighting. Unlike Philips Hue, Koogeek does not require a standalone hub to deliver smartphone control thanks to its built-in Wi-Fi radio. More details below.
There are any number of ways to bring HomeKit-compatible lighting to your home. Koogeek already offers an add-on socket that while easy to install, isn’t as sleek as an individual bulb like the one announced today. Outside of a few other brands, there simply aren’t many viable options for LED lighting that works with Apple’s ecosystem.
Koogeek’s new Wi-Fi LED bulbs stand out in a few different ways. As we mentioned off the top, a built-in wireless radio eliminates the need for an add-on Hub like Philips Hue. This allows users to easily bring HomeKit control without the burden of purchasing additional accessories. And at $37, it’s a relatively affordable way to ease into the smart home lifestyle.
Features include support for over 16 million colors and a fully dimmable design. The free iOS app offers many of the manual controls that experienced HomeKit users will be familiar with, including scheduling and other automation features. Like Philips Hue, you’ll be able to set up ‘scenes’ that can be quickly referenced with Siri or at the push of a button within the app.
Like any dimmable LED bulb on the market today, Koogeek’s latest offers up to 25,000 hours of use at up to 500 lumens. It can recreate temperatures from 2,700K to 6,000K and uses just 8W of power. Aside from the HomeKit features detailed above, there’s also the added benefit of energy savings that comes with switching from traditional light bulbs.
Interested in starting your smart home journey, but unsure were to start? We recently put together a helpful guide with an introduction to many of the most popular mediums. Whether it’s HomeKit, Alexa or SmartThings, we have you covered with a concise explanation of each and a list of helpful accessories to get started. Check out the entire guide here for more.
