I just wrapped up testing over 150 different smart lights… here’s everything I found!

You can check out the database here
So far we’ve tested just about all of the lights from the following brands:

  • Philips Hue
  • LIFX
  • Wyze
  • Nanoleaf
  • Amazon Basics
  • innr
  • IKEA
  • GE Cync
  • Geeni
  • Govee
  • TP-Link
  • Sengled

We still have a lot more to do but I thought this was enough to share finally :slight_smile:

If there are any lights you’d like tested next please let me know!

There’s a learn more section at the top if you want to brush up on some terminology, but for the most part, I think it’s pretty easy to use if you want to play around with it and compare lights or just see what’s available.

This is seriously impressive. The detail you’ve put into this is amazing.

Alby said:
This is seriously impressive. The detail you’ve put into this is amazing.

Thanks a lot! Took quite a bit of effort to get everything laid out clearly, so I’m glad you enjoyed it.

@Darcy
I was almost ready to give up when I saw the Ra data, but I kept reading and it just got better. I’m not even big on smart bulbs, mostly because of the whole proprietary ecosystem thing, but I’ll definitely use your data if anyone asks about CRI. Really, thanks for making this info so accessible!

@Mal
Haha, another Ra skeptic! :joy:

Yeah, smart lighting tech has a long way to go, but with stuff like Matter and Thread coming up, things seem to be heading in a better direction. Just gonna take time!

@Darcy
It’s just too easy to manipulate.

I’m sticking to smart switches with regular lights for now. I’m working on a CCT tunable controller with phase dimming. It’s been a tough project but I hope to have something ready for testing by the end of the year.

@Mal
That sounds amazing; I’d love to check it out when it’s ready!

And yes, totally agree about Ra. Re is better but still has its issues. Wish it was more widely used.

Darcy said:
@Mal
That sounds amazing; I’d love to check it out when it’s ready!

And yes, totally agree about Ra. Re is better but still has its issues. Wish it was more widely used.

Re is just for color reproduction, and without knowing DUV and CCT, it doesn’t mean much. All data will be available once I publish. We’re testing with known brands like LTF and Cree.

Right now, the challenge is getting the time clock to hold a charge long enough. Trying to keep things modular and upgradable for future use, with minimal modifications.

@Mal
Sounds like a big project! Wishing you all the best with it!

@Mal
> Biggest challenge is keeping the time clock charged

Normally an RTC runs on a coin cell battery that lasts for years. You could use a capacitor too; it’d be bigger but has its own advantages.

@Bayley
Trying both, but I keep hearing that commercial use might mean replacing thousands of coin cells isn’t practical.

The current setup is about 2" x 2.5" for the driver and controller. We’re hoping to cut that in half and keep it modular for easier repairs and upgrades.

@Mal
Nobody wants to change that many coin cells, I agree. But RTC coin cells can last up to 10 years, depending on the setup.

In our case, a rechargeable coin cell lasts around 3 months off power, which could work for you. Supercapacitors are an option, but I think the coin cell might be the way to go for practicality.

This is incredible! I wish you’d tried a few Wiz lights though.

Bennet said:
This is incredible! I wish you’d tried a few Wiz lights though.

They’re on my list, don’t worry!

Wow! This is a huge amount of info. You should promote this as a standard resource for others!

Van said:
Wow! This is a huge amount of info. You should promote this as a standard resource for others!

Thanks! Part of my goal was to raise the bar for this kind of data in the industry :blush:

Amazing work. Can I send you some of my smart lights to test? I’m in the business myself.

Koa said:
Amazing work. Can I send you some of my smart lights to test? I’m in the business myself.

Sure thing! Just DM me or send an email via my website and we’ll figure something out.

As someone with a background in testing, this is fantastic. The only downside is that some of this info might be outdated within a year or so as manufacturers update their lines.

Just a thought! Any chance you could expand the display to show more products at once? I’d like to see some broader comparisons, like the lowest TM-30 across all products instead of just 20 at a time.