Hue (or any smart) bulbs - Why?

[Ken_Fraleigh]

@kilowatts

Where do you see the A19 bulbs reaching 1700/1800?

I know that the Lightify hub also supports the lights going that low as well. I don’t think it’s advertised due to SmartThings compatibility. SmartThings only supports 2700-6500K.

[kilowatts]

Aha, fantastic. I might switch to those then. I'm sure my LIFX has richer colors, but there's too much in-and-out in the room to deal with WiFi sluggishness.

[Ken_Fraleigh]

If you have any can lights or strip lighting, then I recommend the Sylvanias, but the life span on the A19s is a crapshoot. They do honor their 2 year warranty though. Also, the rt 5/6 is a much better light (both in lifespan and color reproduction) than the BR30 or A19. There is also a high output rt 5/6 rgbw that is my favorite, but expensive if not on sale. Don’t forget to update the firmware.

[dcaton1220]

Thank you all for your responses.

@scottgu3

From my perspective, I wouldn't use "integrated" anything from the house brand of a big box store. Not saying that some of Lowes house brands aren't fine, but I've had poor experience with any of the "house-brand" LEDs in the past.

Personally, I'd install cans, and then buy some Philips, GE, or Sylvania dimmable LED potlights in the color you prefer.

You make a good point. Quality of some of those house brands isn't always the greatest. If one of them dies after a few years, I might not be able to replace it with the same model.

@morningz

So don’t buy them. Why do you require someone to talk you in or out?

Um, I never said I needed anyone to talk me in or out. I was looking for input on why smart bulbs might be preferable to dumb ones. I'm smart enough to know that I don't know what I don't know, and can learn from the experiences of others.

@Brandon

I have some color hue bulbs light red to indicate when the garage door is open.

Interesting. I could change the color of my backyard light to red if lightning was close and it wasn't safe to go into the pool. My wife would appreciate that. Lightning can sneak up pretty quickly down here in S Fla, especially in the summer. I have a lightning detector rule that plays an announcement on the patio Echo, but you can't always hear it.

@pietsnot

The big plus would be that you can control the six lamps independently (if you wish). You could also turn the light nice and bright, where you are playing with your organ while your audience can sit in dimmed lightning.

I hadn't considered controlling the lamps individually. That could be useful.

Thanks everyone for the input. I'm going to install cans instead, with an Innovelli dimmer and dumb led bulbs for now. That gives me badly needed light, without limiting my future options. Later when I have more time to tinker, I'll experiment with smart bulbs.

[danabw]

And that's a wrap!

Thanks, everyone, for helping us to get another round of "What should I do?!?" in the can.

Good choices...flexibility and options and time to think/adjust make for good end results.