The lighting is always flattering with the best smart bulbs — these are our faves

If you're not in the smart lights game for anything flashy and just want a standard-looking bulb, Cree Connected LED Bulbs(opens in a new tab) have your name written all over them. According to reviews, customers love these bulbs because, well, they look like lightbulbs. They aren't a unique, futuristic shape, they don't have a silver exterior, and they don't shine that super white, almost blue hue that many LEDs do — which is perfect for homes without a super modern aesthetic. 

Cree keeps things cheap, and don't even need a hub to work. Automation is fairly simple to set up and 1,600 lumens means everything is going to look surprisingly bright for the price.

If you're just dipping your toes into the smart home waters and want to make sure you're purchasing something you can count on, the Philips Hue Smart Bulbs(opens in a new tab) will be your life raft. 

A big hit at Amazon, customer reviews rave about the Amazon Echo and Alexa compatibility and about how insanely easy set up is. They are compatible with Apple HomeKit and Google Home as well so you have plenty of options. 

Once you set up the included Hue Bridge hub, the smartphone app can be used to communicate with the Bridge. Never come home to a dark house again by creating a recurring schedule or, if you come home later or earlier than expected, just manually flip lights on through the app. 

Name your lights for easy recognition, and control or dim single lights specifically or an entire room simultaneously. 

Each starter kit comes with a Hue Bridge which bumps up the price but means you have plenty of flexibility with what you can accomplish. 

Yet another highly-rated product, the Sengled Element Smart LED Bulbs(opens in a new tab) are the route to take if you're smart home-ing on a budget and only need Alexa voice support. At about $15 per bulb, the price of these puppies is relatively low compared to the rest of the market. 

The smartphone app allows you to monitor energy use, set light schedules or times, and turn off any lights you may have forgotten when you left the house. The bulbs also claim to last for 20 years, so constantly having to change dead bulbs is old news. With 800 lumens of light at your disposal, they look good too and there's the option of white light as well as colors too depending on your mood. 

While the bulb only supports Alexa, there are other options from Sengled if you're willing to pay more, but this one should be ideal for many homes. 

These smart lights don't just give off LED light and change colors. The Texsens Smart Bulbs also double as Bluetooth speakers, and they're awesome, even if they lack regular smart light bulb features.

Note: While one controller can operate multiple bulbs, only one Bluetooth device (like a smartphone) can be paired with one speaker at a time, so one person is going to have to be the designated DJ.  

While the Texsens Smart Bulbs may not be the loudest Bluetooth speakers you'll ever come across or the brightest lights either, the fact they achieve both is pretty good going.

TP-Link Kasa Smart Bulbs(opens in a new tab) are one of the popular no-hub smart bulb choices. 

Choose from dimmable, white light, and multicolor options with individual bulbs and multipacks possible to purchase. This could be a good or a bad thing, depending on whether you're powering an entire house or just one room in an apartment. An equivalent of 60W means they're good for the environment and still emit plenty of light. The TP-link bulbs use the Kasa app and are also compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

The main draw of these bulbs is that they're seriously a steal with individual bulbs well priced as well as bundle deals working out well. Not needing a hub makes it even cheaper.

These futuristic-looking bad boys are the LIFX Smart LED Light Bulbs. 

Similar to other multi-color bulbs, the listing claims that your choices of color exceed 16 million, with the LIFX app or voice commands allowing you to choose colors and set schedules and timers. These bulbs are compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit with Siri.

Because the LIFX Smart Bulbs are such a unique shape, they would make the coolest hanging, shadeless lights in a living space with super modern decor, but may prove challenging when pairing with a standard lamp, as they can be pretty bulky.

Tremendous value is the key to these Nitebird Smart Light Bulbs. A 4-pack is cheaper than some branded bulbs individually while still offering key features like voice control support courtesy of Alexa and Google Assistant, as well as app controls that work reasonably well. It's possible to set up scheduling and automation within moments.

The bulbs promise the equivalent of 75W and while we're not convinced they're quite as bright as the competition, they're still pretty good for the price. As expected, look out for the need for a 2.4Ghz wireless network as is customary with bulbs that don't require a hub.

Govee is a fast-growing name in the smart light bulb world and it offers a fairly comprehensive experience, even despite a garish app. With support for both Alexa and Google Assistant, you can always choose to prioritize voice commands with Govee allowing for the usual commands.

It's possible to group up bulbs via the app too as well as pick out certain schedules such as sunrises and sunsets, with plenty of presets also an option. The app isn't the most stylish but you can't deny there's some ambition here and at a good price.