Can’t control your lights while away from home.

Short range, you’ll need to be close to the lights in order to control them.

No access to some really useful automations.

You’ll be giving up a lot of automation options, which really makes a home feel smart. Smart lights that connect through Bluetooth can’t take advantage of the more preferred wireless technologies like Zigbee or even WIFI.

Setup of lights is pretty straight forward.

No additional hardware needed to work (like a hub).

Will connect to most Google and Amazon smart speakers (if they have Bluetooth built-in) for voice control.

Easy to connect to via app on your phone.

For most people who only want to control their lights via a phone, or through a voice assistant like Alexa and Google Assistant - they can be a great option. Benefits of Bluetooth connected lightsīluetooth is a relatively stable wireless option, and it generally just “works”.

That’s not to say lights that connect via Bluetooth are the best choice. So you can easily connect and control any Bluetooth enabled lights with your phone.

While Bluetooth has a few limitations like its short range, almost every modern laptop and more importantly phone, has Bluetooth built-in. When Bluetooth was created, smart lights didn’t even exist, so why did smart lighting companies start to adopt Bluetooth as a way to connect? Let’s start with a popular connection you’ve probably heard of. We’re going to be breaking down the main ways you can connect your smart lights, so you can make sure you’re buying the right lights. You’re interested in smart lights but just a little unsure what this Zigbee is, why something is Z-Wave compatible and how a light can connect via bluetooth or wifi.

Wifi vs bluetooth smart light