When you’re spending a healthy chunk of change on a smart lighting system, you want to know that it will last. We’re here to break down expected timelines for a smart lighting system and figure out which components are likely to fail first.
Smart lights use LEDs, which reports show last much, much longer than incandescent bulbs. LEDs can last 30,000 to 50,000 hours of output until brightness decreases to 70% of what it initially had. Meanwhile, CFL bulbs will go for 8,000 to 10,000 hours, while traditional incandescent lamps only last 1,000 hours. Applying a little math shows that you could run an LED bulb eight hours a day for 17 years, and even then, you’d only be dealing with a slight diminishment of bulb brightness. If you’re really concerned about making sure your smart lights last long enough, you can always set a schedule so they’re only on exactly when they need to be.
LEDs will emit less light over time. Rather than burn out from overuse, it’s much more likely that they’ll become unusable due to a wiring fault or gradual decline in color quality before then.
The reason LEDs last so much longer than incandescent bulbs is because they don’t rely on generating heat in order to create light. Incandescent bulbs send their voltage through a filament that gets hot until it starts emitting light as well, but over 90% of that energy is lost as heat. So there’s a lot less stress on the materials at play in an LED, but it doesn’t mean they produce no heat at all. Improper materials that don’t account for the small amount of heat they do produce could result in a burnout. In that vein, LEDs that have been built with poor heat sinks are likely to burn out. Home wiring that’s running at too high of a voltage could equally fry a smart light bulb. There are outliers, however, and in general, you shouldn’t expect your smart lights to burn out in the same way as incandescent bulbs.
Smart bulbs do last longer than non-LED bulbs. One potential pitfall with smart lights versus “dumb” LED lights is software support. For example, Philips Hue light bulbs require a wireless hub to communicate with your phone. After a while, the mobile app stopped supporting voice commands to any Hue bulbs that were connected to the first-generation hub, requiring users to upgrade to the next generation. In these instances, the smart light bulbs themselves worked just fine, but the software backbone they needed had partially failed. Basic functions were still supported, but it should be expected that smart lights will lose some of their functions as software platforms evolve.
At worst, smart bulbs become less useful over time. Diminishing light quality is likely to happen with any LED bulb, and it’s unlikely manufacturers will provide software support for any given product for an indefinite amount of time.
With all of that in mind, hopefully you can pick up a set of smart light bulbs with a clear conscience. These bulbs last a long time, and should serve your home well in providing convenient, colorful lighting. There’s a lot more to LED lighting, though. We’ve got an all-encompassing guide to smart lights that should provide extra background on these products.
Outdoor security cameras are not always practical if you live in an apartment or rental. Drilling into an exterior wall may be off-limits, while pointing a regular indoor camera through a window can create another problem once reflections start showing up after dark.
Baseus is trying to solve both issues with the new PrimeSentinel W1, a $69.99 security camera designed specifically to monitor the outdoors through glass. It mounts directly to a window without drilling and uses a 4K Starlight sensor with an F1.0 aperture for full-color monitoring during the day and at night.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
Technology evolves every day, transforming how we live and work. Our devices are becoming more than tools we use. They are increasingly capable companions that help streamline day-to-day routines and spark creative ideas. If you have been waiting for the right moment to upgrade your tech setup, the Discover Samsung Shopping Event offers an opportunity to explore what connected, AI-powered living can look like.
With AI progressing so fast, it's only a matter of time before we start getting AI companions like the ones we used to see in movies like R2-D2, Wall-E, or Baymax. Now, Singapore-based OKA Technology has unveiled Mori, a cute little AI companion that looks less like a conventional home robot and more like someone turned the Pokémon Foongus into a table lamp.
Mori isn't meant to clean your house or control your smart home, but to serve as what OKA calls a "Nature Companion." It uses subtle movements, warm lighting, nature-inspired sounds, and small reactions to make its presence around the house feel calming rather than distracting. Mori can sit quietly while you read, sway along to music, welcome you when you enter a room, or encourage you to slow down for a moment without requiring a screen or a conversation.