We have three halogen flood light fixtures, one which is on the garage for the driveway and two which light the backyard (we live on an acreage). The driveway one went out and I'm looking for a replacement, probably LED. While doing it I might also replace the two for the back yard. I wondering what people are using, either smart or non-smart?
Are you looking to replace the bulb or replace the fixture? (I'm not sure what part stopped working or if the whole thing is one unit without a replaceable bulb/tube/lamp, something I haven't seen except in LED fixtures.) If you don't have a preference, I'd say use whatever bulb or fixture you want, then use a smart switch, assuming the switch is inside where you can actually use one. If you don't need smart bulb features outside, this eliminates any worries about "did we turn the real switch off" and may be cheaper. You're also likely to get better "outside lights" since you can use whatever bulb/fixture you want (many smart bulbs aren't technically rated for outdoor use or use in enclosed fixtures, though some are now "outdoor" and many have used ones enclosed without much trouble).
If you're looking to make things smart, I'm not sure what you're looking for, but perhaps you could add a motion sensor? If you have a floodlight, the HomeSeer Flood Light motion sensor could fit in, but you'd need a fixture that could accommodate one (usually one that already had a "dumb" sensor). Otherwise, both Zooz and Philips/Hue make outdoor motion sensors (Z-Wave and Zigbee, respectively). If the area is reasonably protected from the elements, lots of us have even used "indoor" sensors outside with good luck. You could also add time-based, presence-based, or lock-based automations depending on what else you want or are already doing with Hubitat. (This is all do-able with either smart switches or smart bulbs, but I'd again encourage switches if you don't need bulb functionality; if you do want smart bulbs, be warned about most Zigbee bulbs if directly connected to Hubitat: How to Build a Solid Zigbee Mesh - Hubitat Documentation).
We have 3 sets on our house. All 3 are the type with 2 light "arms" and a center motion sensor. 2 came with halogen bulbs so I have not replaced those... But the 3rd uses regular sockets, and I have put LED bulbs in them.
I replaced all 3 of their motion sensors with the HomeSeer outdoor motion sensors, and they have worked very well. When the bulbs in the first 2 go, I will put regular sockets there. That way I can put RGBW bulbs in going forward. I like the brightness of the LED panel varieties, but I do not like how they are usually one unit with no replaceable parts.
Looking to replace the entire fixture. The current fixture uses halogen pencil bulbs and aren't flood lights.
