If you have an iPhone and the smart lights you choose are HomeKit compatible for example Philips Hue and LIFX, you’ll be able to set them up through the Home app using the QR code that comes with the lights. Notably, LIFX is one of the few exceptions of Zigbee devices that doesn’t require a bridge to be controlled remotely as it offers its own cloud service to relay commands to its bulbs when you’re away from the house. However, newer iterations of the smart lights feature Bluetooth so they can be controlled when you’re in the house, and can be paired with an optional bridge if you want to control the lights remotely. When Philips first launched Hue smart lights they couldn’t be set-up without a bridge, which was supplied in starter kits with two or three bulbs. These hubs don’t have to be made by the same manufacturer as the smart lights, however for example, the Amazon Echo (4th generation) doubles as a Zigbee compatible smart hub. This means if you’ve left for the day but forgot to turn the bathroom light off, you can simply open the app and switch the light off remotely - no more wasting energy until you get home.

This relays commands from your smartphone to the cloud and back to the smart light, if you’re not connected to the same Wi-Fi network. However, they can’t be controlled when you’re not at home unless they are used with an optional hub (also called a bridge). Other smart bulbs use the wireless protocols Z-Wave or Zigbee, which are slightly faster than Bluetooth and allow several devices to be controlled at the same time.

Some smart bulbs use Bluetooth to pair directly to your phone, but as this is a point-to-point connection you won’t be able to control them when you’re not at home. Smart light bulbs work in the same way as many of the best smart home devices, by using wireless technologies to connect to your smartphone and allow you to control the bulb from an app.

How does the light bulb work