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  • SPECS
  • THE GOOD
  • THE Non SO Good
  • Design, installation, what's in the box
  • Software
  • Should you buy it?
  • Buy information technology if:
  • Don't buy it if:
  • Where to buy

Nearly smart domicile products use i of four connectivity options — WiFi, Zigbee, Z-Wave, or Bluetooth Low Free energy. Bluetooth products are a little less popular, considering they can only be controlled locally via a smartphone, or remotely if the company makes its own Bluetooth to WiFi hub. Full general Electric's C-Life A19 bulbs employ Bluetooth also, just they're special considering they're one of the few products that can apply a Google Home speaker as their hub.The C-Life Smart Bulb has no separate business relationship to manage, no boosted hubs to plug into your router, and no Wi-Fi connections to deal with. All you need is a Google Habitation, the Dwelling app, and you're set.

SPECS

THE GOOD

Setup Using the Google Dwelling house app, the light seedling takes less than a minute to set up.
Functionality The seedling is dimmable, and routines tin can exist gear up with the Home app.
Price At the current price of ~$12.50 per bulb, this is price-competitive with other smart light bulbs.

THE NOT SO Expert

Resetting If you replace your Google Habitation, or need to reset the bulb for some other reason, the connection procedure is rather tedious.
Compatibility GE's Bluetooth bulbs tin simply be paired to a Google Habitation or Google Habitation Mini. If you make up one's mind to switch to Alexa, or you want to employ a third-party Assistant speaker instead, you'll need to buy GE'due south C-Reach span to go on using the smart seedling.

Design, installation, what's in the box

For this review, GE sent u.s.a. the $55 Smart Lite Starter Kit, which contains one C-Life Smart Bulb and a Google Abode Mini. In that location are no instructions or accessories for the bulb, except the 4 steps listed on the side of the box. If yous don't demand the speaker, you can also buy 2 bulbs for $25-xxx from various retailers.

At that place's not much to say near the seedling's pattern — it looks similar every other A19 low-cal. This one uses LED lighting, and has a warm tint (2700K). GE estimates it will last around xiv years and cost around $1.14/year, if you only use it three hours a day. Installation is as simple as screwing it into your favorite socket or lamp.

Software

This is one of the few smart dwelling house products that can be prepare up directly through the Google Home app — no other accounts or apps are necessary. Once you lot screw the bulb in, it should appear on the Discover tab of the Dwelling app. If not, y'all can scan for it by going to the Domicile tab > Add > Ready up device > Set up new devices in your abode. Bold you already accept a Google Abode speaker, the whole procedure takes effectually 30 seconds.

Once that's over, the bulb appears aslope all your other smart devices in the Dwelling app. You can assign it to a room, give it a name, add it to a custom routine, and change the effulgence level. Information technology can be controlled from a Google Home with commands like "turn the bedroom light off" or "set chamber light brightness to l%" (assuming the bulb's proper noun is 'bedchamber lite'). It tin also be controlled when you're away from abode, using Google Banana on your telephone or the Google Home app.

The C-Life Smart Bulb relies on a Bluetooth connection to your Google Home speaker, which has its own set of benefits and letdowns. The benefits include the Home app integration, not having to deal with a Wi-Fi connection, and the incredibly easy setup process.

The first letdown is that you can only pair this bulb to a Google Home or Dwelling house Mini (I assume a Home Max works too, but I tin can't personally test that). It won't directly connect to a third-party Google Assistant speaker (I tried a JBL Link ten), an Alexa speaker, or even a Samsung SmartThings Hub. Go along in mind that every bit long equally the Google Home the lite is paired to is continued to Wi-Fi, y'all tin can command the bulb from any other Google Assistant device.

If you decide to switch smart speakers down the route, GE does sell an optional 'C-Reach' hub, which allows yous to use the C-Life bulb (along with the visitor'due south other 'C by GE' products) with whatsoever Alexa/Google Assistant speaker. However, the accompanying mobile app has terrible reviews on the Play Store, with many users citing connectivity and account issues.

The GE C-Reach hub

While not necessarily a letdown, if you only have one Google Home, yous need to be aware of where you place it and how far abroad the smart seedling is. The Bluetooth connection between the calorie-free and your Google Home maxes out at effectually 60 feet, depending on wireless interference and how many walls/floors are in the way. If you have multiple Homes, the calorie-free will pair to the closest one when yous're setting it up.

If you lot have multiple C-Life Smart Bulbs, they tin can actually class a mesh network capable of re-routing commands to and from a Google Home. For example, if you accept a Google Habitation in your basement, one light on your primary floor, and 1 light in an upstairs chamber, the main floor seedling should exist able to act as a repeater for control signals. I was unable to exam this, considering GE just sent me one seedling.

Should you buy it?

Probably. The C-Life Smart Bulb is super easy to set upward and utilize, and if you only use Google Assistant speakers, you likely won't take a single complaint. Yous don't have to deal with more than apps, hubs, and accounts, and it worked perfectly in my testing. It's the closest affair to a Google-made light bulb.

If y'all don't want to use a Google Dwelling house or Domicile Mini, or if y'all remember y'all might want Alexa speakers in the future, you should absolutely get something else. TP-Link sells an A19 dimmable bulb for that connects to Wi-Fi, and information technology works with both Google Banana and Alexa. Philips Hue lights are too very popular, just the requirement of a hub adds some complexity to the setup.

In brusk, if y'all have a Google Abode and you're happy with information technology, this is a great smart bulb. If you haven't dived into the smart habitation world yet, the $55 'Smart Light Starter Kit' with a Home Mini and calorie-free bulb is an easy way to get started.

Buy it if:

  • Y'all only have Google Home speakers, or you're willing to buy one.
  • You want a elementary smart seedling.

Don't buy it if:

  • You use any Alexa speakers.

Where to buy

Best Purchase: 2-pack (.99), Abode Mini packet ()

B&H Photo: Home Mini bundle ()

Google Store: two-pack (.99), Home Mini bundle ()