10 Best Smart Home Lighting (2023): Decorative Panels, LED Strips, and Ambient Lamps

Nov 07, 2023

Simon Hill

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Light has the power to set a scene. Warm, subdued light can instantly create an intimate feel; bright, cool light can help you focus; and splashes of changing color can bring the party atmosphere. It doesn't have to be static. Synced or reactive lighting can enhance music, help movie action burst off the screen, and make gaming more immersive. Smart home lighting has grown considerably smarter in recent years; it comes in more shapes and sizes and is much more affordable than ever.

In this guide, we’re digging deep into the world of decorative or accent lighting, the kind of smart lighting that isn't designed to serve as your main light source but brings style and mood to your space. From panels to light strips, lamps to light bars, these are our favorites of the many we've tested. Be sure to check out our Best Smart Bulb, Best Smart Plug, and Best Smart Speaker guides for more smart home recommendations.

Updated January 2023: We added new smart lights from Philips Hue, Govee, and Wiz, plus several honorable mentions, and we’ve updated prices throughout.

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For versatile smart lighting, Nanoleaf is your best option. You can mix and match hexagon, triangle, and mini-triangle shapes with this modular system. The pieces are easy to slot together and install, provided you take your time, and you can choose from a vast array of colors and lighting effects in the Nanoleaf app. For parties, I love the built-in rhythm module that syncs the panels to your beats. The daylight option is also great for dark winter days. You can create your own effects and color mixes, but the lively community in the app is constantly adding to an already large library. These panels always draw compliments from visitors, and I usually control the lights with voice commands through Google Assistant.

The Shapes themselves are touch-sensitive, so you can swipe in four directions to make changes to the lights (this is important if you have kids), though they don't always work as they should. The whole package is also expensive, and you need a number of panels to create interesting patterns. I initially experienced frequent connectivity issues, but this improved enormously after Nanoleaf updated the firmware to add Thread support. When they’re powered off, I’m not wild about the white plastic look, and you are stuck with an unsightly power cable running down the wall.

Works with Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, IFTTT, and Razer Chroma

You get wonderfully colorful, bright, diffused light from these modular bars. They are fairly easy to fit, and they feel quite durable. Govee's app offers a wide range of colors, and you can apply them to individual segments of the bars. There are also some lovely animated scenes (I like the rainbow effect best) and a reactive mode that syncs to music. The app lets you create your own scenes, but the process is confusing. (There are plenty of preconfigured scenes to choose from.) I generally use Google Assistant to turn the light bars on or off and dip into the app to change colors or scenes.

The lack of physical controls is disappointing. These light bars are also pricey, and the potential configurations are limited unless you buy multiple sets. The Glide Wall Lights are translucent white plastic with visible seams between sections, so they don't look great when they’re turned off. And you’re stuck with a power cable running down the wall that connects to a control box and then to the power adapter.

Works with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa

If you want reactive, bright, and colorful lighting to accompany your gaming, the Philips Hue Play Gradient Lightstrip for PC (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is swift and accurate at screen matching. This flexible diffused light strip is easy to set up and slots into adhesive brackets that stick to the back of your monitor. Via the Hue Sync app on your desktop, the lights match up to the onscreen action, making games and movies more immersive (there are four intensity settings). The light strip also works as bias lighting to ease eye strain in a dark room, and there's a music mode. It comes in two sizes for 24- to 27-inch or 32- to 34-inch monitors. The smaller size puts out up to 800 lumens, and the larger goes up to 1,000 lumens.

Like the rest of the Hue range, this light strip is pricey, and you also need a Hue Bridge ($50), so it's an easier sell if you already invested in Hue lights for your home. It works best with fast-paced games and movies, but sadly it won't sync with streaming services like Netflix (their content protection blocks it).

Works with Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, IFTTT, Microsoft Cortana, Samsung SmartThings, and Razer Chroma

Smart lighting pioneer Philips has many excellent ambient options in its Hue range. This light strip is bright, offers rich colors, and is easily configurable in the Hue app. You can find the precise color or tone of white you want, and the Hue app offers a good range of preconfigured scenes. You can cut this light strip or extend it to fit any space. I recommend pairing it with a Hue Hub for the fastest operation and to unlock all the features (controlling the strip remotely, more smart home integration, and movie or music syncing with the Sync Box). If you are happy with one color at a time, save yourself a bundle and go for the single-color version ($88).

Functionally, there's not much to criticize here. It works as advertised, though my light strip did peel away from the back of my TV slightly after a few months—the adhesive could be a little better. But the real problem with the Hue range is that it's so expensive. This light strip is an obvious pick for anyone already invested in the Hue system, and it's an excellent option, but you don't have to spend this much to get almost all the same features.

Works with Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, IFTTT, and Microsoft Cortana

Jeremy White

Jeremy White

WIRED Staff

Medea Giordano

If you want an affordable LED light strip to install in a recess, behind furniture, or somewhere else that's hidden from view, this Govee strip is a solid bet. It's easy to install, and you can select colors by section in the Govee app and choose from a wide range of animated effects or make your own. This light strip can also sync to music, and it sports a handy physical control box with a power button, color cycle button, and a button for music syncing. I use Google Assistant to turn this strip on and off, and it works reliably well.

Govee has a bewildering array of light strip models. Each is slightly different. The cheapest option is a strip that handles only one color at a time and lacks a protective covering for the LEDs. We use a couple of them as under-bed lighting. Some RGBIC strips have more LEDs and IC chips than others, which impacts how spread-out color sections are and how smooth transitions appear to be. (With Govee products, IC stands for "independent control" and denotes a chip that allows multiple colors to show on one strip.) You’ll want to do your research if you’re buying a different model.

Works with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa

Most light strips work best when the LEDs are actually covered—the light doesn't look as harsh, especially when the LEDs can't be hidden from view in a recess. That's why I like this diffused light strip. I have it installed on my stairs, and it's great as a subtle night-light but can also cycle through colors and play animations from the Govee app. It stays put in your chosen position, thanks to adhesive-backed metal brackets. I’ve tested it with Google Assistant, and it works well, but there's a handy control unit with a physical power button, a button to turn music syncing on, and a button to cycle through colors.

Depending on the design you want, you may need more adhesive brackets. (There are 10 in the box.) The voice controls only work for turning the light on and off, changing brightness, and changing to solid colors. You have to load the app to change scenes. Some transitions in scenes look a bit blocky because the LEDs are segmented. It's also a shame that you can't extend this strip to make it longer.

Works with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa

This imaginative, relatively affordable, modular lamp is hypnotic. If you rent or just don't want to risk peeling paint off the wall with most ambient smart lights, this is a neat way to get a taste of this world without adhesives (though you can mount it). It's easy to set up, and you can reconfigure the 3-inch hexagonal panels into whatever shape you like. The app offers a range of solid colors or mesmerizing dynamic effects. The panels also react to music and voice commands.

The stone base from the original Pro version looks better, but the wider plastic base in this Plus model provides more support. My cat occasionally bumped the Cololight and knocked panels off (some configurations are more stable than others). The app is a bit confusing, especially the option to create dynamic effects, and it occasionally lost connectivity. While some of the dynamic effects impress, the quality is variable.

Works with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Razer Chroma

Jeremy White

Jeremy White

WIRED Staff

Medea Giordano

One of the trickiest things about smart lighting is the installation because most panels and strips are designed to be fixed permanently in place and require a nearby power outlet. Not so this portable lamp, which offers a multitude of colors and dynamic lighting effects wherever you want them. We love the Wiz Portable Light because it's so versatile. There's a handle on top for easy transport or hanging; touch controls to change the brightness, colors, and effects; and an app for wireless control from your phone. It's capable of putting out 400 lumens of tunable light, which is on par with a 40-watt bulb. It also works with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri voice controls.

Fully charged via the USB-C port, it can go for around six hours, maybe a little less if you crank up the brightness and choose animated lighting effects (there are tons to choose from, including candle flicker, fireplace, and multicolored party lighting). It's not waterproof, so this one is best kept inside. Signify owns the Wiz brand (the same company behind Philips Hue). While the Wiz Portable Light is quite expensive, a smart light you can take into any room is handy.

Works with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri (but not HomeKit), IFTTT, and Samsung SmartThings

Lighting behind your TV, usually called bias lighting, can help the picture pop, and color that syncs to the onscreen action can boost immersion. Philips pushed this for years with Ambilight TVs and the Hue Play Sync Box, but both are expensive. Govee made it affordable with the slightly flawed Flow Pro Light Bars (6/10, WIRED Recommends) and Dreamview Backlight, but the Govee Envisual T2 improves on them considerably. It still employs a camera pointed at your screen for reactive lighting, but the color matching and build quality are far better. The T2 light strip is impressively bright, enhances action movies and games, and works well in a dark room as a low-level light source that won't cause reflections on the screen. The dual camera has a hinge design (no adhesive needed), and there's a mic in the control box for music syncing.

Installation is a downside. It can be tricky to stick the light strip and power box to the back of your TV, depending on your stand design. It also takes time and concentration to complete the configuration process, and you will likely need to tweak the saturation and white balance in the busy Govee app and turn off any other lights in the room to enjoy accurate color matching. Transitions can still be a little jarring, especially when the action onscreen is frenetic, but the T2 is much smoother than the first-gen devices, and more affordable than the alternatives. If you have other Govee lights, you can group and sync them too.

Works with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa

Each of these Lily spotlights from Philips Hue contains an LED bulb capable of putting out 640 lumens, which is plenty to highlight a path, architectural feature, or garden ornament. Each bulb is wrapped in a tough, black, sealed aluminum tube with spikes for sinking them into the ground and mounting holes for fixing them to walls or fences. A simple thumbscrew on the side makes it easy to adjust the angle. You get 23-foot power extension cables for each light, a couple of T-shaped connectors, and a plug that fits in an outdoor socket, and they are IP65-rated (mine have survived wind, rain, and snow). Like the rest of the Hue range, you can choose the brightness, color, temperature, and theme you want in the app; schedule the lights; or link a trigger, like a motion sensor.

The price is the only obvious con here, and if you don't already have Hue lights, you must buy a Hue Bridge on top. That said, the Lily lights are high-quality, versatile, responsive outdoor lights capable of weathering rough conditions. They are an obvious pick for folks who already have some Hue lights. But if the Lily lights are a bit too pricey, skip to our honorable mentions section below to find more affordable outdoor lighting options.

Works with Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, IFTTT, Samsung SmartThings, and Microsoft Cortana

Jeremy White

Jeremy White

WIRED Staff

Medea Giordano

There are tons of smart ambient lighting panels. Here are a few we also like.

Moonside Lamp One for $65: This modern lava lamp looks gorgeous and boasts 120 dynamic color zones capable of displaying millions of colors and themes (animated effects). You can even design your own themes or have the lamp react to music. Sadly, the app is a tad clunky, and the lamp is made of lightweight frosted plastic, so it's a little too easy to accidentally knock it over.

Philips Hue Go 2 for $85: This bowl-shaped portable lamp has a ridge so you can angle it for reading, and it makes a good bedside lamp with dimming for nighttime and up to 520 lumens to wake you in the morning. You can tweak the temperature and choose from millions of colors. This newer version (2019) has Bluetooth, so you don't need a Hue Bridge. Battery life is limited; if you crank up the brightness, you’ll be lucky to get two hours, but dimmed, it can last around 10.

Nanoleaf Elements for $250: Plastic light panels can look ugly on some walls (especially turned off), so Nanoleaf offers this version of its larger hexagonal panels with a wood finish effect (they are still plastic). Like the rest of its panels, you can arrange Nanoleaf's Elements in whatever pattern you want, and they support touch controls and music syncing. Sadly, they only put out white light, but with a color temperature range of 1500 K to 4000 K, you can go from cool whites to warm orangey glows.

Mpowerd Luci Solar String Lights for $46: If you want lights you can take on the road or on camping trips, this clever gadget from Mpowerd can brighten up your RV or campsite. The canister pops open to unspool water-resistant string lights (IPX4). Press the power button to use them as a torch or cycle through the string light colors. There's a solar panel on top for recharging (but it's slow) and a port that goes both ways (so this can double as a power bank).

Govee Outdoor LED String Lights for $70: Festoon your backyard or balcony with these hanging bulbs to bring some atmosphere to BBQs and parties. You get 15 tough plastic bulbs on 48 feet of cable. The bulbs are IP65-rated and offer dimmable warm white or colored light. The control box is IPX5, but the power adapter is not waterproof, so you must run it inside or use a weatherproof box.

Govee Flood Lights for $100: Easy to mount and angle, this four-pack of flood lights offers a wide range of colors and scenes through the Govee app using Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. You can also dim or tweak the temperature. Each light can put out up to 500 lumens. They are IP65-rated and connected on a single 40-foot cord, but the power adapter is not water-resistant.

Nanoleaf Lines for $200: Our previous pick for gamers, the Nanoleaf Lines (8/10, WIRED Recommends) project light from the back of each line onto the wall, casting colors and creating a lovely ambiance. Even when turned off, the Lines look better than most decorative smart lighting because they cast shadows on the wall and could pass for sculptural art. They can also boast screen mirroring for PC to enhance gaming (Razer Chroma is supported too).

Govee Glide Hexa Panels for $200 : These offer a wide choice of colors and animated effects similar to the Nanoleaf Shapes, not to mention music syncing support. But the installation is fiddly, smart home integration is limited (no HomeKit or Thread), and they lack touch controls.

Lifx Lightstrip for $90: This isn't as bright as the Philips Hue Gradient Smart Lightstrip, but it offers rich colors, separate zones, and lovely animations. The app allows for scheduling and can gradually brighten a bedroom in the morning. There's also music syncing using your phone's microphone. Smart home integration is solid, and there's no need for a hub, but when I tested the previous version (the Lifx Z), it frequently disconnected from Wi-Fi and was unresponsive until reset.

Govee Lyra Floor Lamp for $150 : This is a tall, slim option that's designed to splash colored light onto your walls. It has eight sections that can be controlled separately, supports animations, and can sync to music or other audio. It also comes with a handy remote control.

Philips Hue Play System: I haven't tested this system yet, but it's got a good reputation if you’re looking to add bias lighting around your TV. It consists of the Hue Play Sync Box ($250) paired with Hue Light Bars ($69 each) or Hue Gradient Light Strips ($226 for a 55-inch TV), and you also need a Hue Hub. It's just so darn expensive and only works with limited content, which must come via HDMI into the Sync Box (ruling out anything playing through smart TV apps).

Shopping for smart lighting and installing it can be confusing, so we have some tips for you here. We also have a separate guide on how to use smart lighting to transform your kid's bedroom.

Finding the ideal placement for your smart lighting will maximize its impact. Consider potential reflections, especially if you are installing them in a living room or office, as you don't want your smart lights reflected on a TV or display. You always need to run a cable to a power outlet, so consider cable management to hide it as best you can. Plug the lighting in and connect it via the app before you install it. With panels, make your design first and ensure you are happy with it before you try to put it on your wall.

Most smart lighting panels and strips come with adhesive on the back. You must prepare them properly before you start sticking. It's crucial to clean the wall before installation and follow the instructions to the letter to ensure it sticks and stays (if it says "press for 30 seconds," do it). Make sure to shut your curious cat or dog in a different room while you install it!

Removing panels and strips may damage your walls. I have suffered cracked paintwork and divots in plaster when removing some smart lighting. Going slowly and applying heat with a hair dryer can help reduce the risk of damage, but the difficulty of this process is a solid reason to be careful with your installation.

The brightness of lighting is measured in lumens. A standard 60-watt light bulb, for example, puts out around 800 lumens. Because most decorative smart lighting is not designed to be the main light source, it is often quite limited in brightness, so keep this in mind.

RGB (red, green, blue) is standard and mixes those three to make other colors. RGBW includes a proper white alongside red, green, and blue, which offers greater flexibility and is important if you want high-quality white light. Color temperature is measured in Kelvins (K) and listed as a range (for example, 1200K–6500K). This range dictates how warm or cool your lighting can get. Perhaps counterintuitively, reds and oranges are at the lower end of the scale, and blues are at the higher end. The last thing to keep in mind is the Color Rendering Index (CRI), a score out of 100 indicating how effectively a light can mimic daylight. It impacts how the colors of lit objects appear. With low CRI scores, for example, reds can appear brown. A score of 80 or above will work fine for most situations.

Most smart lighting connects via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi and is controlled by an app on your phone. You need a decent Wi-Fi signal or to be within Bluetooth range. While it might seem desirable for simplicity to have lighting connected directly to Wi-Fi or to use Bluetooth, there are advantages to systems with dedicated hubs. With Philips Hue, for example, lights are much faster to connect and react to commands using the Hue Hub than through Bluetooth in the app. Most smart lighting can be controlled by smart voice assistants, like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri, but ensure you check compatibility before you buy. You will likely want a smart speaker or smart display in the same room as your lighting.

Consider physical controls. Smart lighting must be plugged into power and on all the time to be responsive. If it is only app-controlled, it may be tough for kids in the home or visitors to turn the lights on or off. Many light strips and panels also come with a control unit with physical buttons and sometimes a button to cycle through colors or effects—this is worth looking for if you have kids in the home.

Check how many zones your smart lighting supports. Smart light strips at the cheap end of the market may only have a single zone, which means the entire strip can only render one color at a time. If you want multiple colors or animated effects, you want multiple zones (the more, the better).

For light strips, verify the length and measure it out in your space before you buy. Cheap light strips may lack protective coverings for the LEDs, which will impact longevity. If you want to cut a light strip to a specific length, make sure your preferred option allows for this, and be very careful to follow the instructions. Some light strips are also extendable, but always check before you buy.

There can be some privacy concerns with smart lighting. The ambient lights here that offer a reactive mode that changes the lights to the beat of the audio in your space have microphones for this function to work. It's something to be aware of, though the companies claim they don't record audio or send it anywhere, and that everything stays on device.

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