Smart lighting is probably 90% of what I do with my smart home. It's easy to install, and gives a dramatic visual effect to enhance any activity, from immersive board game nights to movie viewing. But not all smart lights are the same.
I’ve reviewed hundreds of smart lights—to the point that I’m running out of wall space to mount them on. I have a subscription on Amazon for socket adaptors. I need an epilepsy warning on the front door. Blackpool Illuminations pales in comparison to my office. My point is: I’ve got a lot of flashy lights. Most of which are now Matter compatible—and these are my favorites.
Keep it simple: Linkind A19 Wi-fi smart bulb
For the basic lighting fixture that you already have, nothing beats the humble smart bulb. The Linkind A19 runs off Wi-Fi (no Thread Border Router needed), and in my experience, they just work. They offer vibrant colors, a CRI (Color Rendering Index) of 90+, up to 800 lumens white output, and connect seamlessly to Matter. What more can you ask for? Oh yeah: they’re cheap, too, at less than $7 each when bought in a four pack. An equivalent Philips Hue bulb costs $40!
The AiDot app offers some dynamic scenes and music reactivity for these bulbs, but I've never felt the need to use it—just scan the Matter code on the side of the bulb, and you’re all set.
Linkind A19 Smart RGBW Bulb E26
The Leedarson Color Bulb A19 800lm lets you control your lights from anywhere in the world from your smartphone or tablet. The RGBW Retrofit produces beautiful, high-quality light that you can tune, dim, and create rich indirect light scenes in your home in thousands of colors and 1800-6500K white.
For the gamer and movie fan: Govee AI Sync Box 2
Some people like their lighting to provide a gentle wake-up, or naturally turn a warmer shade as bedtime approaches. I like mine to flash red when I’m getting shot in Call of Duty, or display a cornucopia of colorful effects when I inevitably win the award for MVP.
That’s where the Matter-compatible Govee AI Sync Box 2 comes in. It analyzes your HDMI input, then either duplicates the edges of the display to a strip of LEDs mounted on your monitor as well as two side lighting bars, or recognizes special in-game events to display custom effects. Since this all happens in hardware, you don’t drop any frames, and the latency is minimal.
It’s not limited to gaming either; there’s also a larger version for your TV, though it doesn’t come with the sidebars.
Even more magical is that AI Sync Box doesn’t just control the lighting it comes with; it can also connect to nearly any other Govee lighting you have in your room, giving you a magnificent synchronized lighting display. Gaming and movies never felt so immersive.
Govee AI Sync Box Kit 2 (for 27-34 inch monitors)
The Govee AI Sync Box Kit 2 syncs ambient lighting with your TV or gaming setup for an immersive experience using AI-driven color matching.
Want to give it a go without shelling out for the full AI Sync Box package? You can download the free Govee Desktop for PC and Mac app to do the screen analysis in software. Make sure the lights you want to connect to have “LAN Control” enabled, then you’re good to go. You won’t get the fancy AI effects that recognize in-game action, but you will get an Ambilight-style immersive experience.
Custom art piece: Govee Neon Rope Light 2
Who doesn't love a bit of neon? Suitable for everything from a cyberpunk dive to a cosy home bar, the Govee Neon Rope Light is infinitely customizable as you mold it to your dream design. It comes in various lengths, and in white or black. It just looks amazing, but the best results you'll need to hammer the clips into your wall, however, so renters should avoid.
The Govee Home app can even automatically recognize the shape you've made and apply effects like a gradient in the correct orientation. The only limit is your imagination—and it's DreamView compatible with the AI Sync Box or Govee Desktop app, so when you want to immerse yourself in the game, it'll seamlessly match up with on-screen content.
Govee Neon Rope Light 2 16.4ft
Version 2 brings upgraded clips, more flexible installation, Matter support, and automatic shape recognition using the app.
Light up your entire house: Govee Outdoor Flood Lights 2
Need the ultimate in dramatic neighborhood lighting? The Govee Outdoor Flood Lights offer up to 1000 lumens (white) output, and the six-pack should be enough to cover most of your house. They're perfect for Halloween and other holidays, with permanent or temporary mounting options—but please don't use them year-round, especially if you live in a designated Dark Sky Place.
Alternatively, consider the Permanent Outdoor Lights 2. Mounted to your eaves, they're bright enough to wash the entire wall, too, and can produce a stunning rainbow display thanks to individual pixel control—but you might not like the distinctive triangular pattern they produce.
Be aware of Matter limitations and Wi-Fi woes
Although all the lights on this list are Matter compatible, I should mention that the Matter definition of lighting is still very basic: a single color, brightness, and on/off. While that’s fine for a simple bulb, many of the lighting fixtures on this list are capable of so much more, with dynamic scenes, music-reactive modes, or color gradients. None of that can currently be controlled over Matter, so you’ll still need to use the manufacturer’s app for anything advanced.
However, Matter is perfect for turning off those lights; as long as you don’t change the color, the scene memory will ensure they power on in the same state you turned them off.
It's also worth thinking about your home Wi-Fi connectivity. While Wi-Fi lighting fixtures work best for me, I have an extensive, multiple-access-point Mesh-like system. Older routers may present problems, especially if you start swapping out all the bulbs in your home. If you already have good Zigbee coverage, you may find the combination of Zigbee bulbs and a Matter bridge (such as the Aqara Hub M3) give you better results.
Ready to light up your home?
If you’re thinking “this list feels a bit Govee heavy, James”—you’d be right. While Govee isn’t always the cheapest option on the market nowadays, it does offer the most comprehensive app and connected ecosystem, including immersive movie viewing with scene colors reflected by the lighting, and synchronized sound-to-light displays. Philips Hue offers a similar system (in fact, Philips created the original Ambilight immersive TV back in 2004), but having just raised their prices, I can’t recommend them.
I have some favorite Nanoleaf lights too, but sadly, Nanoleaf support for Matter is still limited, so they didn't make the cut. If you're keen on using Nanoleaf, the Essentials line is mostly Matter-compatible over Thread, and some even include a built-in Thread Border Router to ensure all your Nanoleaf lights have great Thread connectivity.
