Even if you have cool furniture and a high-tech grill, lighting can make or break the ambiance of your patio. To address this, two University of Texas graduates have developed an outdoor smart bulb designed to withstand the harshest weather conditions, and to transform your outside space.
The iLumi BR30 Outdoor ($70 at Best Buy) is a 15-watt smart light bulb that can be controlled via Bluetooth through your smartphone via the ilumi app, available on Google Play and the App Store. Among other uses, you can use the app to set a schedule to illuminate the bulb when you’re out for the night or on vacation. Want to set the mood? You can set a scheduled reminder for sunrises or sleeping times or choose from a wide range of colors to switch things up. Users can also sync a music playlist to the smart bulb, making the lights flash to the beat of the songs.
Though the company says it’s a 75-watt equivalent, its 1,000-lumen output is a shade under the Energy Star’s replacement guideline, which describes a 75-watt bulb as equivalent to 1,100 lumens. Ilumi is also equipped to withstand strong winds and rain. The bulb has an IP64 rating, meaning it’s completely protected from dust and water spray in any direction. The Bluetooth technology allows you to control up to 50 smart bulbs within a range of 150 feet without a hub or Wi-Fi router, but this limits the possible integration with something like the Amazon Echo.
While iLumi is billing this bulb as the “first and only outdoor-rated” smart bulb, Sengled does have the Snap, which is a $150 LED floodlight. While the Snap doesn’t change color, it does have an integrated camera.