Choose the best smart light

by Maximilian Von Stroheim

Overall, these SHUNLEE acoustic wall panel lights are good at one thing: adding RGB accent lighting to slat or acoustic panel walls. In that context, the dimensions, black aluminum body, and central controller all make sense. Once installed with screws, they feel stable, the colors are decent, and t...

Echo Hub (Newest gen) Review: a decent wall panel that feels like beta software at full price

31/05/2026

Echo Hub (Newest gen) Review: a decent wall panel that feels like beta software at full price

by Maximilian Von Stroheim

The Echo Hub does what it says on the tin: it puts smart home controls on a wall so you don’t have to keep reaching for your phone or shouting at Alexa. For simple setups and Alexa-heavy homes, it’s genuinely handy. The screen wakes when you walk by, you tap a few tiles, and your lights, plugs, or r...

LIFX Color 1100 lm Review: a bright, flexible smart bulb that’s powerful but a bit fussy

31/05/2026

LIFX Color 1100 lm Review: a bright, flexible smart bulb that’s powerful but a bit fussy

Overall, the LIFX Color A19 1100 lumens bulb is a strong smart bulb in terms of brightness and flexibility, but it’s held back by a slightly clunky app and some question marks around reliability. When it’s connected and behaving, it’s genuinely useful: it’s bright enough to replace a normal 75W bulb...

Lightwave LP21MK2 Smart Dimmer Review: solid smart control if you’re ready to commit to the ecosystem

by Aurélien-Philippe Montvillard

After living with the Lightwave LP21MK2 for a while, I’d sum it up like this: it’s a pretty solid smart dimmer for people who are serious about building a Lightwave-based smart home, but it’s not the simplest or cheapest way to dip your toe into smart lighting. The hardware feels decent, the stainle...

Nanoleaf Matter Essentials GU10 Review: colourful smart spots that are great when they work, annoying when they don’t

16/04/2026

Nanoleaf Matter Essentials GU10 Review: colourful smart spots that are great when they work, annoying when they don’t

Overall, the Nanoleaf Matter Essentials GU10 bulbs are good value for tech‑savvy users, but not a simple plug‑and‑play solution for everyone. The light quality is decent, colours are fun, and whites are very usable for daily living. Once you get them running on Thread with a proper Matter hub, they...

Nanoleaf Matter Smart Permanent Outdoor Wall Lights Review: flashy garden lights with a few smart home headaches

After a few weeks of use, I’d summarize these Nanoleaf Permanent Outdoor Wall Lights like this: the hardware and visual result are good, the app is decent, but the smart home integration (especially with Apple Home) is not as smooth or complete as the Matter logo on the box suggests. As permanent ex...

Nanoleaf x Umbra CONO Lamp Review: a fun portable mood light with a few annoying quirks

The Nanoleaf x Umbra CONO lamp is a nice little smart mood light with a playful design that actually changes how you use it. As a portable accent lamp for a bedroom or living room, it works well: easy to move, flexible positioning, decent colors, and smooth integration with smart home systems once i...

Nanoleaf Lines 60 Degrees Starter Kit Review: flashy wall lights that look great but can be fussy

Overall, the Nanoleaf Lines 60 Degrees Starter Kit is a good-looking piece of wall decor with a smart side that doesn’t always live up to the price tag. The colours are strong, the backlit effect is genuinely nice, and the ability to create custom shapes and scenes gives you plenty of room to play....

Philips Hue Smart Wall Switch Module Twin Pack Review: finally make dumb switches work with smart lights

After living with the Philips Hue Smart Wall Switch Module Twin Pack and bridge for a couple of weeks, my overall feeling is that it does exactly what a Hue-heavy household needs: it stops dumb wall switches from killing your smart lights. The response is fast, reliability has been solid, and once i...

Philips Hue GU10 Starter Kit Review: smart spotlights that are great… if your wallet can take it

Philips Hue Essential GU10 Starter Kit Review: solid smart lights if you’re ready to commit to a bridge

After using the Philips Hue GU10 Starter Kit daily, my conclusion is pretty clear: technically, it’s a solid piece of kit, but you have to accept the price. The bulbs light well enough for a living room or small kitchen, colours are clean, and the whole system (bridge, app, voice control, Smart Butt...

by Nigel Pendragon

16/04/2026

Philips Hue Essential GU10 Starter Kit Review: solid smart lights if you’re ready to commit to a bridge

After living with this Philips Hue Essential GU10 starter kit for a few weeks, my feeling is pretty clear: it’s a solid, no-drama smart lighting setup, but you need to be the kind of person who actually uses the extra features. The bridge + bulbs + dimmer combo gives you stable control, smooth dimmi...

Philips Hue Lily & Calla Outdoor Kit Review: pricey smart garden lights that mostly get the job done

Overall, this Philips Hue Lily and Calla outdoor kit is a good but pricey way to add smart lighting to your garden. The light quality is decent, the colours are fun, and the hardware feels solid enough for normal outdoor use. The integration with the Hue Bridge and the app works well, and voice cont...

Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance Starter Kit Review: the smart bulbs that finally behave like they should

After using the Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance Starter Kit for a bit, my take is pretty clear: it’s solid, reliable smart lighting that does what it says, but you pay for that stability. The two bulbs and Hue Bridge combo give you a strong base: fast response, good colors, solid white light fo...

Philips Hue Smart Light Starter Kit Review: pricey, polished, and not totally hassle‑free

by Chloé-Madeleine Lambert

After using the Philips Hue Smart Light Starter Kit for a couple of weeks, my feeling is pretty clear: the bulbs and bridge are solid, the ecosystem is strong, but the smart button and packaging issues drag the overall experience down a notch. If you mainly care about bright, reliable, color-capable...

Philips Hue Dymera Review: dual-beam smart wall light for people already deep in the Hue ecosystem

22/03/2026

Philips Hue Dymera Review: dual-beam smart wall light for people already deep in the Hue ecosystem

After using the Philips Hue Dymera for a while, I’d sum it up like this: it’s a well-built, good-looking smart accent light that fits nicely into a Hue setup, but it’s not a powerhouse and it’s not cheap. The dual-beam control is genuinely useful – being able to set different colors or whites for th...

Philips Hue Datura Smart Panel Light Review: a neat ceiling panel for Hue addicts, pricey for everyone else

by Chloé-Madeleine Lambert

Overall, the Philips Hue Datura 60x60 panel is a good fit if you’re already into the Hue ecosystem and want a clean, smart ceiling light with both main and ambient lighting. The frameless design looks modern, the backlight gives a nice halo effect, and the integration with the Hue app, Bridge, and v...

Philips Hue GU10 Starter Set Review: coloured spotlights that are cool but not cheap

22/03/2026

Philips Hue GU10 Starter Set Review: coloured spotlights that are cool but not cheap

After a couple of weeks using the Philips Hue White & Colour Ambiance GU10 starter set of 3, my feeling is pretty clear: it’s a good product, but not magic, and you pay a premium mainly for comfort and ecosystem. The bulbs do what they promise: solid white light range, fun colours, reliable dimming,...

Philips Hue Amaze Pendant Review: bright smart light that’s cool, but not cheap and not perfect

Overall, the Philips Hue Amaze pendant is a solid smart ceiling light that does what it promises: it’s bright, the white colour temperature is very flexible, and it integrates nicely with the Hue ecosystem and voice assistants. As a main light for a kitchen or dining room, it works well: the light i...

Philips Hue Fair Ceiling Light Review: a solid smart lamp with a few annoying quirks