Reviews

Review: Lifx Mini Day and Dusk (E27) and Lifx + Color and White (E27) LED lamps

Review: Lifx Mini Day and Dusk and Lifx + Color and White - are a nice models for anyone who is interested in setting up a smart home
4.6/5 - (60 votes)

In this review we look at two smart lamps from Lifx, namely the Lifx Mini Day and Dusk (E27) and Lifx + Color and White (E27) LED lamps. Both lamps offer different options at different price points: the Lifx Mini Day and Dusk is the manufacturer’s entry-level model, while the Lifx + Color and White is currently one of the most expensive versions.

Lifx Mini Day and Dusk and Lifx + Color and White – the products

When you set up a smart home, you have to take into account that you will have to deal with hubs: small, extra boxes that you connect to your router, so that the smart product in question can be connected to your network. There are advantages and disadvantages to this. The disadvantage is that you again get a product that uses power and fills a port on your router, but the advantage is that you can add a complete product group at once to external services, such as the Google Assistant, for example.

The smart LED bulbs from Lifx offer functionality without such an extra hub, unlike the Philips Hue bulbs. You do not have to take an open Ethernet port on your router into account, since the smart lamps are connected directly to WiFi. Here too, of course, there are advantages and disadvantages and in this review we take a closer look at both the Lifx Mini Day and Dusk (E27) and Lifx + Color and White (E27) LED lamps. Both bulbs are at the ends of the price ranges of Lifx smart LED bulbs.

Lifx Mini Day and Dusk and Lifx + Color and White – installation

Installing the Lifx lamps is a piece of cake. You unscrew the old E27 bulbs from the socket and screw in the new Lifx models. Actually, that’s it. However, the installation process on your smartphone is a bit more complicated. The advantage of a hub is that, perhaps with a few extra steps, you can install a lamp on your network in no time. Lifx’s approach requires a little more from the user, since you now have to connect them individually to your WiFi network. A clear explanation is unfortunately not provided within the app.

The intention is that you disconnect your smartphone, with the Lifx app installed, from your current WiFi network and connect it directly to the lamp. Then you go to the app and you can install the lamp in question. Then you need to connect to your own WiFi network again, so that the Lifx system and your smartphone can do their work. It is not an incredibly complicated process, but due to the lack of a good explanation, we spent more time than necessary. Fortunately, there is an explanation on the website.

In use

The capabilities of both Lifx lamps, the Lifx Mini Day and Dusk and Color and White, can be a bit overwhelming at first, especially when this is your first introduction to the brand. Compared to Philips Hue , the lamp system that normally lights up here at home, the application even seems to be complicated. You can see that as a disadvantage, but we prefer to see it as an advantage, since you have a lot of customization options available when you bring the lamps into your home.

Review: Lifx Mini Day and Dusk (E27) and Lifx + Color and White (E27) LED lamps

Admittedly, and again compared to Philips Hue, you probably won’t have found a light setting that you like very quickly. The Hue lamps app is simply much simpler. But of course this does not mean that you cannot find your ideal setting. Precisely because of all these possibilities, there is a good chance that at some point you will encounter the best setting that you like. The themes within the app can of course help you with that, but then you have access to some finer controls.

You can constantly adjust and adjust three things in total: the color, the hue and the brightness. If you really like that specific combination for a certain time of the day, you can save it as your own preset so that you can quickly set it when you need it. Obviously, you will have the best experience when using the official app. Integration is possible with, for example, the Google Assistant, but it never works as well as the experience that the app can offer.

Furthermore, lamps provide access to what Lifx calls Day & Dusk. This is a series of four settings during the day. You can enter a separate setting for each moment (waking up, part of the day, evening part, going to sleep). For example, you can say that you would like the lamp to switch on at seven o’clock, switch off during the day and only be activated again in the evening. Unfortunately, you can’t account for sunset and sunrise in this cycle, making the feature pretty useless as far as we’re concerned (unless you’re using the lights in an office).

Review: Lifx Mini Day and Dusk (E27) and Lifx + Color and White (E27) LED lamps

Fortunately, this can be set elsewhere within the application. You do this before you select the lamp in question, so on the start screen. There is a plus symbol with which you can enable routines. After setting you can still adjust that routine. However, you cannot set an end time here in the same way that you could with Philips Hue. For that you have to go back to the Day & Dusk option, where you can automate it, or you choose to set a different routine.

If we specifically look at the Lifx + Color and White, it is nice to know that you can also use the infrared light. If you have cameras with night mode at home, you can broaden the visible environment. In addition, a maximum of 1,100 lumens is available. The Lifx Mini Day and Dusk has a maximum luminous flux of 800 lumens. So when you go for the more expensive model, the Lifx + Color and White, you not only pay more for more light flux, you also get the infrared setting.

Application

As mentioned, the application can be a bit complicated, especially if you want to set up routines. This can be done in two ways and both ways work in a different way. You can keep it simple to yourself by using either of the two, as using both methods interchangeably creates unnecessary confusion. The big difference between Day & Dusk and the standard way is that Day & Dusk cannot take the sun into account, while you can set the whole day at once with standard times.

Review: Lifx Mini Day and Dusk (E27) and Lifx + Color and White (E27) LED lamps

Adjusting the lamps is done by swiping movements. There are two discs available for adjusting the colors and shades, which you can turn until you find the right settings. Then there is another method available with which you adjust the brightness. Fortunately, this all speaks for itself. The results of your adjustments are also immediately visible, as the lamps react very quickly to your actions. So this part works perfectly and very simple.

Integrations

Like many other smart products of the moment, the lamps from Lifx also offer integration with all kinds of services and other products. For example, via IFTTT you get access to a wide range of options and with the Logitech Pop you can take care of physical operation of the lamps (since there are no physical buttons, as is the case with Philips Hue, for example). The latter in particular can be a useful tool, especially if you simply want a physical button at home.

There is also support for Google Assistant , Amazon Alexa and Apple Homekit , so you can also control the lamps with your voice. With your voice you can switch the lights on and off and adjust the color, brightness and temperature. Unfortunately, adding the lamps can create a barrier. Because there is no hub, you have to add the lamps piece by piece. It is also true that the smart assistants do not have the more extensive operation, so you are still dependent on the app.

Lifx Mini Day and Dusk and Lifx + Color and White – Conclusion

Whether you take the more expensive or cheaper version, the lamps from Lifx are smart lamps that you can do a lot with. This applies to the official application, but also when we look at all integration options. Especially the Lifx Mini Day and Dusk, with a price of less than 25 euros, is a nice entry-level model for anyone who is interested in setting up a smart home and wants to start with the lamps. The more expensive version that we discuss here now costs sixty euros, but can also be a bit more of course.

With the products from Lifx you do not have to choose or invest in a complete system, because you can add the lamps individually to your WiFi network. This also ensures better accessibility, because you can exchange your dumb lamps whenever you want for a relatively low amount – even if it only has to be one lamp. However, the installation is not immediately clear and the lack of a physical button can also counteract, but in general we are very happy with the extensive possibilities of the lamps.

Pros 

  • Installation without hub
  • Extensive possibilities
  • Colors and shades 
Negatives 

  • Installation not clear at first
  • Day & Dusk at home has little added value
  • No physical button