Home lighting technology and whole home security have come a long way in the last decade. It used to be common practice to set timers for lights to go on at specific hours to simulate someone being home, but those systems were clunky and limited at best. There was also the more low-tech approach of simply leaving a light on or TV blaring when you weren’t home, again trying to mimic the appearance of someone being there. However, both methods are faulty.
It turns out that leaving a light on 24/7 is actually like posting a “Nobody’s Home” sign on your front door, and a light that pops on at the exact same time every day does not mimic normal behavior and is super easy to notice if a potential burglar is casing your house as a target.
Motion-sensor lights are a great innovation, and while definitely more helpful than leaving a light on, they are still easy enough to get around. Enter smart light tech. Now, lights can go on when you enter a room or an outdoor area is approached, but you can schedule the lights at more random intervals easily with app commands. Plus with certain types, the light can send you an alert or record video when motion is detected. Now at last we’ve got the lights working for us!
Which smart lighting is the best? There are many types to choose from and myriad configurations, both inside and outside. It all depends on how much tech you want to manage. Whether you want to install just a few smart plugs and bulbs or go with a fully integrated security system, smart lighting can significantly up your safety factor.
Did You Know? According to FBI stats,1 more burglaries are committed during the day than in the evening, so don’t assume that daylight brings safety. A top home security camera with built-in smart light can help to keep burglars away.
What Is Smart Lighting?
In the most basic definition, smart lighting is home lighting that you can control wirelessly through an app or voice commands. The lighting is usually integrated with existing home automation, such as Google Home, Alexa, HomeKit, or Ring. Philips Hue remains a popular stand-alone option, offering a broad suite of smart bulbs and accessories managed through its own app — though it also integrates with major home automation platforms like Alexa, Google Home, and Apple HomeKit for added flexibility.
Smart lighting can be as simple as plugging a few smart plugs into your existing outlets where your lamps live, or swapping in smart bulbs that you control from your phone. From there, you can go as deep as replacing all your home’s lighting — including outdoor walkway lights and flood lights — all managed through a central hub. Or, like most people, you can land somewhere comfortably in between.
From a home security perspective, any or all forms of smart lighting can be useful in deterring crime. The capability of being able to remotely turn lights on or off, plus scheduling lights and other devices at random intervals, can have the desired effect of making it seem like someone is home. Most smart lights have a vacation-type mode that turns lights off and on randomly so that a potential burglar can’t determine a pattern.
FYI: There is a free platform called IFTTT, or If This Then That, which connects many popular smart home devices. For example, if your Ring detects someone at the door, it can trigger your Philips Hue bulb in the kitchen to turn on.
Smart Plugs, Bulbs, and Switches
A smart plug is an easy and inexpensive way to begin your smart lighting journey. You can quickly transform an existing lamp into a smart home device that you control wirelessly. These plugs can be used with any appliance, such as a TV, which can be turned on and off remotely as an additional safety measure.
Smart bulbs work similarly, and with certain home automation systems, you can group lights by room and set up voice commands like “Turn on the living room lights.” Smart switches are a bit more involved to install and may require a professional electrician, but once they’re in, you get the same app and voice control convenience — just built right into the wall.
Smart Outdoor Lights
There are many choices in outdoor lighting, and motion-sensor capability is a must for crime prevention. But smart lighting can take it a step further by integrating it into your alarm system.
While there are simple outdoor smart lights you can install that can be scheduled and controlled wirelessly, companies like Ring allow you to connect floodlights and pathway lights to your existing Ring alarm system and be alerted to motion at the light point. It can also record video on your connected Ring devices when lights are triggered. Ring also offers outdoor camera/light combinations such as its Spotlight Cam. Ring Solar Pathlight is another popular outdoor smart light, as not only is it solar powered and integrates easily with their alarm systems, but it’s actually nice looking.
Amazon offers light and camera combinations through its Ring product line, including the Spotlight Cam suite. Defiant and Swann are other popular brands of smart outdoor lighting that integrate well with common home automation systems.
Final Thoughts
Starting small with a few smart plugs and bulbs is a low-risk way to see how smart lighting fits into your life — and your security setup. Once you get a feel for it, you’ll likely find plenty of ways to use the tech to your advantage and make your home a less appealing target for would-be burglars.
