Freelance Contributor, So the Tunable White bulbs have three different gradients of white from Candlelight (a very orange color) to Daylight (a very bright blueish white). That’s not out of line against other Bluetooth bulbs, and if the Alexa functionality worked, it would be a great deal. During setup, Amazon’s Alexa claimed to automatically discover both bulbs without any intervention; however, once I located the bulb in the Alexa app, I was invariably given a “There was a problem” error—and my Echo smart speaker would always say the bulb was not responding. TechHive |. Whichever way you choose will be the way you control your bulb going forward - you can't use both. C by GE’s Tunable White Smart Bulbs can make every room merry and bright with any white scale temperature you want – from warmest, to coolest, to … Paired with a Google Home speaker, you can control your bulbs with voice, through the app, and with Google's Routines. Select locations now offer curbside pickup & home delivery The Ring A19 Smart LED bulb is an inexpensive, white smart lightbulb that's easy to set up, including the bridge. As it stands, though, the C-Sleep was the best bulb for white light when it came to being… well, a light bulb. PRODUCT FEATURES. Christopher Null / iDG. These may include fit and finish flaws. But as there aren't any specific lighting-based routines in Google's Home app - no sunset/sunrise, fade times or sleep/wake routines - so your options are limited. NFM cannot provide service or exchange as a result of manufacturer’s imperfections. Best for cheapskates (or if you like physical remotes) ... Tunable white light ... the Sylvania Smart Plus LED. Replace indoor floodlight bulbs with the adjustable white light and enhanced control of C by GE Tunable White Indoor Floodlight smart LED bulbs. It makes it so nice and easy to automate and protect our home. You have to be pretty specific with your commands, "Hey Google, turn light on, "Hey Google, make lights brighter," "Hey Google, change lights to [color]," but it does it right away. Ultimately GE blamed Alexa for this issue, and the company was still troubleshooting the issue as of this writing. They're not the same bulbs, the Tunable White was called the C-Sleep, and the C-Life is now the Soft White. The C by GE Tunable White Smart Bulbs BR30 (2 pack) in action. I’ll talk about each bulb in more detail below, but first let’s look at the commonalities between them. Note: When you purchase something after clicking links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Enhance your bedroom with this 2-pack of C by GE Turntable White LED bulbs; The transition from clear, vibrant lighting during the day to warm, calm lighting at night helps you slumber and wake up on time Just like the old days pairing GE Link bulbs with Wink. Reviews. Alexa auto-discovered each bulb and provided messages like this, but the bulbs never worked in the Alexa environment. These bulbs provide the perfect white light for every room by adjusting the white tone from warm to cool. These general purpose bulbs provide the perfect white light for every room by adjusting the white tone from warm to cool. Once you've decided which way to go, setup is fairly straightforward. To the eye, the light it emits is clearly dimmer than the tunable-white bulb when in white-light mode, but the colors it puts out in full-color mode are bright and vivid. While C by GE touts itself as hub-free, that's not entirely true. If you set up through the C by GE app, you can pair with Alexa, Google Assistant, and HomeKit. But when it came to colors, Hue won hands down, with a deeper range of shades, richer colors, and more nuance in those colors.Price when reviewed$24.99 Shop C by GE Tunable White Smart LED A19 Light Bulb, 60 W - compare prices, see product info & reviews, add to shopping list, or find in store. Able to set the mood no matter the time of day. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for C by GE A19 Smart LED Bulbs - A19 Tunable White Light Bulbs, 2-Pack, Smart Light Bulb Works with Alexa and Google Home, Bluetooth Light Bulbs, Cool and Warm White LED Light Bulbs at Amazon.com. In a face-off with a Philips Hue color bulb C by GE had brighter, crisper whites. Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or in-store pick-up. Update: We first reviewed the C by GE bulbs on October 29, 2016. Will these Bluetooth smart bulbs fare any better? However, response time when paired with a Google Home speaker was impressive, pretty much instant. These are dimmable, smart bulbs controlled over Bluetooth; there's no Zigbee or Wi-Fi here. Alexa auto-discovered each bulb and provided messages like this, but the bulbs never worked in the Alexa environment. Set schedules and scenes, change color and dim from your smart phone. Read honest and unbiased product reviews … If you click through using links on the site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Then, we created another automation to fade the lights in on a warm setting at sunset, then a scene called Good Night to fade those lights off over 30 mins, until they’re completely off at 9pm. Changes were nearly instantaneous in the C by GE app, but they’re clunkier in the Google Home app. We were also able to connect to Alexa using the C by GE app and control the bulbs with voice and Alexa Routines. It's a pretty seamless experience, although we did get stuck with the lights blinking to show they're connected and not stopping, until we forced closed the app and re-opened it again. I looked at two: The C by GE Tunable White Smart Bulb and the C by GE Full Color Smart Bulb. (For HomeKit you have to have the C-Reach). Now let’s dig a bit deeper into each bulb’s specifics. Way back in 2013 when I first set up my smart home, the company's Wink-branded Link LED bulbs were the only affordable option, and I blanketed my house with them. On each bulb’s details page, tapping the bulb icon turns it on or off, a separate tap brings up the dimmer, and a third tap brings up a color wheel for the former and a color temperature slider for the latter. If you want to control it with a voice assistant, add it to your smart home or control it remotely, you need a hub - either one of C by GEs or a Google Home speaker. Shop C by GE Tunable White Direct Connect Light Bulbs (2 A19 Smart LED Light Bulbs), 60W Replacement Adjustable White at Best Buy. I was able to add each bulb to Google Home after linking it to my GE account, manually adding the bulbs, and then waiting for Google Home to (slowly) discover them. The C by GE Tunable White Smart Bulbs and Smart Plug provide whole room smart control for lights and electric devices. If turning your lights on and off with voice is the main function you want - then you'll be happy with these bulbs. This bulb provides the perfect white light for every room by adjusting the white tone from warm to cool. I had relatively similar problems here with voice-assistant setup (Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa) that I did with the C by GE Smart Plug. Price Match Guarantee. This bulb might look familiar, because it’s essentially the same as the C-Sleep bulb I reviewed in September 2017. Get more from your lighting with this C by GE Turntable White BR30 Bluetooth Smart LED Light Bulb (2-Pack). Set schedules and scenes, change color and dim from your smart phone. If the voice assistant features were more capable (or can be remedied through updates), it might be a contender. Primary setup can be performed in the C by GE app, and as with the C by GE Smart Plug, this was seamless for both bulbs. Read our Wyze Bulb review. Tap Add > Set up device > Set up new devices and the app will find your new bulbs and walk you through connecting them to your home. C by GE Tunable White Smart Bulb Super easy to set up and now we wish we had the whole house set up this way. The smart light bulbs help optimize and support your sleep/wake cycle. $8 at Wyze. With C by GE Smart Bulbs, it's as easy as Twist, Pair, Speak. None of this is possible, yet, in the Google Home app. For example, we created an automation to turn lights in our hallway on at full daylight brightness at 6am, then another one to turn them off at 9am. Read our, [ Further reading: The best LED smart bulbs ], C by GE app has taken significant steps backward, Easy setup—at least within the official app, Could not get the bulb to work with Alexa, Bulbs are priced about the same as trouble-free color Philips Hue bulbs (although you'll need to purchase a Wi-Fi bridge for those). There are two ways to set up C by GE bulbs: through the companion app or through the Google Home app using a Google Home smart speaker. TechHive helps you find your tech sweet spot. The C by GE smart bulbs integrate easily with the Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa … Select locations now offer curbside pickup & home delivery NFM cannot provide service or exchange as a result of manufacturer’s imperfections. Control your lights with just your voice and away from home when paired with the Google Assistant or C-Reach bridge + Amazon Alexa Screw the C by GE BR30 smart bulbs into existing light fixtures, just like regular bulbs. The best news is that at just $16 for a single bulb, the C by GE Tunable White is priced to move, coming down from a $25 street price two years ago. These general purpose bulbs provide the perfect white light for every room by adjusting the white tone from warm to cool. However, if you want more than the basic control that platform offers, you’ll want to go the C by GE app route and pair with a hub - that does double duty as a switch or plug - but honestly, there are better options out there. C by GE bulbs clock in at 800 lumens for the tunable while, with color temps between 2000k and 7000k. For more functionality, including sleep/wake options, scene setting, and more robust automations, go with the C by GE app. Simple set up, super responsive, they will fit right into your Google Home and its smart home Routines. GE seems to be stepping away from that name (never mentioning it on the product page), and C-Sleep’s “Follow the Sun” auto-tuning feature is nowhere to be found in the latest version of the app. Adjust your white light from warm tones to cool tones, set schedules and scenes, or use optimized settings to … Synced with your sleep/wake cycle, these bulbs go from a warm calm light at night to a crisp, to vibrant light in the morning. Spoiler alert: not much has changed. The bulb feels plenty bright and accurate at each of these temperatures. Replace traditional bulbs with the adjustable white light and enhanced control of C by GE Tunable White smart LED bulbs. Both bulbs are identical in shape and size, with a traditional Edison globe atop a moderately large heat sink. The catch is that the C by GE bulbs are limited in their tenability; as noted, C-Sleep offers just three settings, and C-Life isn’t tunable at all. C by GE Bulb: Setup and quality. So, when GE resurrected its smart lighting efforts, I was super excited to try them out. You'll find our original opinion here . Reviews. Q & A. However, manufacturer’s warranties do apply. C by GE Tunable White Smart Bulb Christopher Null / iDG Alexa auto-discovered each bulb and provided messages like this, but the bulbs never worked in the Alexa environment. But you have to have a C by GE switch, smart plug or the C-Reach bridge if you want to use voice or out-of-home control. GE’s “Made for Google” certification was supposed to enable the Google Home app to automatically discover each bulb immediately after it was screwed into a socket, but this one-step connection didn’t work for me either. The C by GE Full Color smart LED light bulb helps create the perfect mood or vibe in any room. It doesn't work with other voice assistants such as Google Home or Apple HomeKit. Customize your lighting to fit with your life with this C by GE Turntable White A19 Bluetooth Smart LED Bulb (2-Pack). We've been living with the C by GE lights for a few weeks now, read on for our verdict. With these C by GE Tunable White Smart Bulbs BR30 (2 pack), go from unboxing to fully functioning smart lighting within minutes. GE’s Full Color Smart Bulb casts some gorgeous hues. Voice and out of home control with the Google Assistant: C by GE bulbs are made to work with your Google devices. There is a special place in my heart for GE's smart light bulbs. C by GE Tunable White Smart Bulb This light is super easy to set up and control with Google home. Replace traditional bulbs with the adjustable white light and enhanced control of C by GE Tunable White smart LED bulbs. Pairing with Google is the easiest: just screw in the bulb in the same room as a Google speaker - we used a Mini - and open the Google Home app. Hue supports the most … PRODUCT FEATURES. Create the perfect white light with C by GE Tunable White Smart Bulb. They're powered by Bluetooth not Wi-Fi or Zigbee; and they are the first smart home product to carry the "Made For Google" label. C by GE bulbs are also compatible with HomeKit when using the C by GE app, but you need the $49.99 C-Reach bridge for this, and we weren't able to test this. GE’s latest C by GE smart bulbs are part of its big push toward easier-to-use smart home devices, this time with a “Made for Google” certification highlighting how easily they integrate with Google Assistant and Google Home smart speakers. The new bulb nevertheless carries the same “Sleep” logo and shows up as such in the app. Tune and pick from a range of warm to cool whites (2000K-7000K), for perfect lighting throughout the day. Confused? Two things make these new bulbs stand out from the crowd. Buy on Amazon. If you are a Google Home devotee, these bulbs are the perfect pairing. The full-color bulbs are a little less bright, only reaching 760 lumens in A19 and 700 lumens in the BR30 form-factor. It's not a pleasant experience - and feels very much like it took a page out of Wink's early software playbook - but it works. In a face-off with a Philips Hue color bulb C by GE had brighter, crisper whites. So connect your Tunable White Smart Bulbs right out of the box, download the Google Home app, and control your Tunable White Smart Bulbs from anywhere—yes, even from bed. This bulb is pretty, but difficult usability render it a second-tier option. Group your plug and bulbs together to create schedules and scenes around your daily routine. We've been living with the C by GE lights for a few weeks now, read on for our verdict. This bulb might look familiar, because it’s essentially the same as the C-Sleep bulb I reviewed in September 2017. The bulb retails for a suggested $40, which is significantly higher in price compared to generic color bulbs, but it’s on par with bulbs like Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance (which cost about $42 on Amazon). Each set up option gives you different control options: If you set up with a Google Home speaker you can only use the Google Home app and Google Assistant to control your bulbs, but the speaker acts as a hub and lets you control the bulbs remotely. As expected, the color bulb includes all the features of the tunable white version (including the same white light temperature range options), and it adds RGB color. Copyright © 2021 IDG Communications, Inc. These are dimmable, smart bulbs controlled over Bluetooth; there's no Zigbee or Wi-Fi here. These may include fit and finish flaws. Customers Also Viewed. Select from millions of colors, including tunable white light that's synced with your body's sleep/wake cycle. The bulb is slightly dimmer—760 lumens—and it draws 10 watts of power. From a features standpoint, the 800-lumen, 9.5-watt, tunable-white bulb is solid, supporting a wide range of color temperatures from 2000K to 7000K. ADJUST SMART LIGHTS FROM WARM TO COOL: The C by GE smart LED light bulbs can create white light between warm, amber light tones (2000K) and cool, bluish tones (7000K). But that was only after I updated the bulbs’ firmware, a process that must be performed in the C by GE app. The lineup includes a new full color bulb, a tunable white bulb, and a soft white bulb - all three come in A19 and BR30 sizes and range in price from $19.99 to $39.99, although deals can be found on two-packs. However, we couldn't get the bulbs to pair with Google Assistant through the app, even after resetting them. And while C by GE has a switch with a motion sensor in it, it is not a Made for Google product, so you would have to set up your bulbs through the C by GE app to use it. And voila, blinking stopped and there the bulbs were in the app, all paired and happy. Site powered by Upfeat Inc. How to connect your Ikea Trådfri smart bulbs to Apple HomeKit, Best smart light bulbs: white, color and budget options, Best Edison-style filament smart bulbs to make your home glow, The best Philips Hue apps to shake up your smart lighting, How to set up your Philips Hue lights without a Bridge, Philips Hue Cyber Monday 2020: Smart light bulb discounts and savings galore. The color wheel is nice, but you’ll need to use separate screens to dim and power the bulb on and off. Google Nest allows you to turn your C by GE devices on and off and control bulb brightness remotely by using voice commands, the Google Home app, or a visual display like the Google Nest Hub. The Ambient is reader-powered. Hue’s bulbs can be paired with a wide selection of other Hue lighting devices, all of which communicate wirelessly with one another to prevent range issues. They're now just simply C by GE. C by GE is the company's newest line, following a brief, confusing branding period when the bulbs were called "C-Sleep" and "C-Life". The process in the C by GE app is remarkably similar to the Google set up, but the extra step of having to pair a C by GE plug, C-Reach or install a wired C by GE Switch definitely makes the Google setup the easiest. A solid price for this tunable white bulb doesn’t quite make up for a difficult app and problematic voice assistant connectivity. Yes, you could set up a bulb with just the C by GE app, but you wouldn't be able to do anything other than control it with your phone and set routines. Shop C by GE A19 60-Watt Tunable White Smart LED Light Bulbs - compare prices, see product info & reviews, add to shopping list, or find in store. All C by GE plugs and bulbs, including Soft White and Tunable White bulbs, can be paired with your Google Nest or Google Home speaker or display. Select from millions of colors, including tunable white light that's synced with your body's sleep/wake cycle. Why these couldn’t all be on the same screen is a mystery. You'll need the bridge, which uses a simple USB plug and brick in an ordinary outlet, to control the light from the app or connect it to Amazon Alexa. Due to the mass production process, this item may have imperfections. He contributes regularly to TechHive, PCWorld, and Wired, and operates the websites Drinkhacker and Film Racket. GE overhauled its smart lighting strategy with a brand new line of simple smart bulbs called C by GE, and the company promises a wider range of features (like remote control) sometime in the near future. But you get a lot more functionality through this set up - see Smart Home Abilities below. Copyright Wareable Ltd. All rights reserved. Q & A. Using this app to make lighting changes, however, is more complex than it needs to be. We steer you to products you'll love and show you how to get the most out of them. Due to the mass production process, this item may have imperfections. Customers Also Viewed. Christopher Null is a veteran technology and business journalist. Brighten up your home with these C by GE Tunable White Smart Bulbs A19. The C by GE Smart Plug I reviewed last week is also part of that plan, although GE admitted it wasn’t quite ready for “Made for Google” certification, and I had difficulty getting it to work with that platform as well as with Amazon Alexa. Later in my testing, however, this process also stopped working, and new bulbs did not appear in the Google Home app. Replace indoor flood light bulbs with the adjustable white light and enhanced control of C by GE Tunable White smart LED indoor flood light bulbs. Also, there are no sensors compatible with Google's home ecosystem, so you can't have your lights turn on automatically as you enter a room. 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