We tested LIFX smart bulbs for HomeKit

While HomeKit-compatible accessories continue to proliferate, few brands get their products sold directly in the Apple Store, and LIFX is one of the privileged ones. With a wide catalog of smart lights compatible with Apple, Google Home, Cortana and Alexa platform, LIFX smart bulbs are a great option for those who want to enjoy automation and control of home lighting from their iPhone, Apple Watch, or via voice commands to Siri. We have tested their LIFX Mini and A19 models and we share our impressions below.

Two different models

There are usually not many models of smart bulbs within the same brand, but nevertheless LIFX does bet on different models that respond to different needs. This time we have been able to test two multicolored LED bulbs with different characteristics in each model:

LIFX-A19: Multicolor LED (16 million colors), dimmable, WiFi, with a power of 11W equivalent to 75W and 1100 lumens.
LIFX Mini: Multicolor LED (16 million colors), dimmable, WiFi, with a power of 9W that is equivalent to 60W and 800 lumens.

In addition to the differences in specifications, there are also in the design of the bulbs, being the A19 model larger and with a very original flat design. The LIFX Mini is smaller, very similar in size to a conventional light bulb and with a virtually identical design. This detail is one of its main virtues: you can place the LIFX Mini bulbs anywhere, you don't have to worry about whether it can protrude from the lampshade as it happens with other smart bulbs.

Configuration and operation

The configuration of the bulbs can be done from your own application in a very simple way. Like other models, its WiFi connectivity will make you have no problems with its distance to the HomeKit central, but also with these bulbs you will not have problems with your dual-band router. They are only compatible with 2,4Ghz WiFi networks but have no problems with networks that use the same name for 2,4 and 5GHz networks, which are causing many headaches for more than one.

The LIFX Mini bulb is compatible with HomeKit directly, but A19 model is after a software update, so you will have to first add it to the application, update it and then it will give you the HomeKit code so that you can add it to your devices in the iOS Home application. They are also compatible with all voice assistants: Google Home, Cortana and Amazon Echo. You will not have to marry an assistant and you can use different speakers around your house controlling your LIFX bulbs from all of them.

As is often the case with these devices, the manufacturer's own application offers us many more options than the iOS Home application. In this case, the functions are almost endless, with countless scenes and effects that are added to the traditional color changes.. Of course you can manage the temperature of the white light from the bulb manually, and even make use of the "Day and Dusk" function (day and darkness) that varies the intensity and temperature throughout the day.

This function had not been seen until now in any of the bulbs that I have been able to test, and it consists of programming a series of hours throughout the day so that the light in the room has different intensities (even off) and temperatures. Wake up with a certain lighting, which varies throughout the day and that at night it varies until it goes off to sleep. By spending some time on this function you can achieve a lighting in your room that is quite close to natural.

HomeKit, automations, Siri and HomePod

The strong point that interests us the most here is its integration with the Apple platform. HomeKit embraces all brands to offer us a unique protocol with which we can get products from different brands to interact with each other, creating scenes and automations that affect various accessories.

Although the control of the functions of the light bulbs is much more rudimentary in the Home application, the fact that its integration with HomeKit allows us to control it through Siri, our Apple Watch, iPhone, iPad or from the HomePod makes it its great attraction for users of Apple products. If the "Day and Dusk" show deserved to spend some time on it, HomeKit automations and scenes will make smart bulbs the accessory you'll want to put in every room in your home.

Activate them with motion sensors, which turn on automatically when the sun goes down, or only if there is someone at home, which turn off automatically when no one is home, or from a certain time ... the possibilities of HomeKit are endless and it is worth making the most of its possibilities.

Editor's opinion

Smart bulbs have become one of the favorite accessories for those who enter the world of HomeKit, and also one of the best to get started. With these two bulbs, LIFX Mini and A19, we have two similar products but with important differences regarding brightness and size. THE LIFX Mini is an ideal off-road light bulb almost anywhere in the house, while the A19 model I would recommend it for those places where its 1100 lumens are really necessary, taking into account its large size. Reliable and compatible with any current platform, they are two excellent alternatives for those who want demotic at home without having to marry anyone and use any type of virtual assistant.

The bulbs can be found on Amazon, with the A19 model priced at € 69 (link) and the LIFX Mini bulb for € 53 (link). You also have them available in the Apple Store online at very similar prices.