TP-Link's new Wi-Fi light bulbs shun smart bridges for easier, cheaper setup

TP-Link's new light bulbs don't require a smart home bridge to control them, letting you get up and running quickly.

Smart lighting is a tantalizing idea, but many models require an up-front investment in “starter packs” that usually require an additional piece of hardware beyond the light bulbs themselves. These devices—known as a gateway, hub or bridge—often price smart bulbs out of the grasp of many potential users. TP-Link is joining a small list of smart light bulb companies offering products that are trying to change that.

TP-Link recently announced the LB100, LB110, and LB120 smart Wi-Fi LED bulbs. All three bulbs can be controlled by TP-Link’s Kasa app for Android and iOS without the need for additional hardware. These bulbs can, however, be controlled by Amazon’s Alexa personal digital assistant via voice commands if you are using a device like the Amazon Echo smart speaker.

lb120us1.0 01 1473153047839a

TP-Link’s LB120 smart Wi-Fi light bulb.

The impact on you at home: The new bulbs offer a variety of features you’d want in a smart bulb, including the ability to set brightness levels and create lighting schedules, timers, and countdowns. As these are basic white light smart bulbs you won’t find some of the extra goodies you might find in more advanced products such as Philips Hue color-changing bulbs. Nevertheless, for someone who’s just looking to get started in smart lighting TP-Link’s new bulbs could be a good choice. Since they don’t require a hub, you could just buy one or two bulbs to start, and then add others over time if you’re satisfied with their performance.

Lumens and Watts

The LB100 offers 600 lumens worth of light, which TP-Link says is equivalent to a 50 Watt incandescent bulb—but the LB100 actually only draws 8W of power. The LB110 offers 800lm, which equals a 60W incandescent bulb but only draw 11W of power. The LB120 has a similar power rating, but includes “tunable white light” capability. This means you can change the bulb’s light output from a traditional soft white appearance to a glaring “daylight” bulb. All three bulbs also draw a maximum of 0.55W of power when they are turned off.

The three bulbs are available now directly from TP-Link, as well as Amazon and Home Depot. The LB100 costs $20, the LB110 is $25, and the LB120 is $35—though the prices are running high on Amazon right now.

Join the newsletter!

Or

Sign up to gain exclusive access to email subscriptions, event invitations, competitions, giveaways, and much more.

Membership is free, and your security and privacy remain protected. View our privacy policy before signing up.

Error: Please check your email address.

Tags TP-Linklight bulblight bulbs

Keep up with the latest tech news, reviews and previews by subscribing to the Good Gear Guide newsletter.

Ian Paul

TechHive (US)
Show Comments

Most Popular Reviews

Latest Articles

Resources

PCW Evaluation Team

Cate Bacon

Aruba Instant On AP11D

The strength of the Aruba Instant On AP11D is that the design and feature set support the modern, flexible, and mobile way of working.

Dr Prabigya Shiwakoti

Aruba Instant On AP11D

Aruba backs the AP11D up with a two-year warranty and 24/7 phone support.

Tom Pope

Dynabook Portégé X30L-G

Ultimately this laptop has achieved everything I would hope for in a laptop for work, while fitting that into a form factor and weight that is remarkable.

Tom Sellers

MSI P65

This smart laptop was enjoyable to use and great to work on – creating content was super simple.

Lolita Wang

MSI GT76

It really doesn’t get more “gaming laptop” than this.

Featured Content

Product Launch Showcase

Don’t have an account? Sign up here

Don't have an account? Sign up now

Forgot password?