Smart lighting is one of the cornerstones of the modern smart home, with hundreds of solutions readily available that can brighten up the darkest of spaces and enhance the overall ambiance of a room. However, most of the Matter-compatible smart light bulbs, lamps, and strip lights on the market today aren't well-suited for other areas that are equally important in the home, like hallways and bathrooms, or are simply too bright for use in a bedroom at night.
For these areas—and others—consider investing in a Matter-enabled night light. These smart wonders come in all shapes and sizes, from mini plug-in units to portable lamps, and many add additional home automation capabilities that go above and beyond just lighting up a pathway at night.
Matter-compatible night lights: what to look for
As we just mentioned, Matter-compatible night lights are available in a wide variety of designs, each with its own unique flair that can make choosing the right one difficult. To help narrow your choices down, start by reviewing your home's specific needs by answering the following:
- How bright do you need the light to be?
- Do you need a light that you can carry easily to other areas?
- Do you need something for the bedside?
- Do you need a light for a pathway?
- Do you want something that can also display colors?
- Do you want additional smart capabilities like motion or light detection?
You can also narrow down the field rather quickly by taking your home's existing size and smart home network into consideration. With Matter, you no longer need to worry about whether it will work with your preferred ecosystem, as all the major platforms are supported: Alexa, Google Home, SmartThings, and Apple Home, so you can turn your attention to how they will connect to your home.
If you have a smaller home and a wireless network with just a few devices, then you can keep things simple by choosing a night light that relies on tried-and-true 2.4 Ghz Wi-Fi connectivity. For larger homes and networks, Thread-based night lights may be a better fit as they utilize the latest mesh networking technology that grows stronger and more reliable by expanding its reach as more devices are introduced—if they are always plugged in.
As with Wi-Fi, Thread has its own share of downsides to carefully consider. One is that Thread may require additional expenses if you don't already have a Border Router in your home—like an Apple HomePod or Nest Hub. Another is that Thread is still a relatively new protocol, and as such, night lights and other smart devices are hard to come by, so your options will be limited.
The best Matter-compatible night lights
THIRDREALITY Smart Color Night Light
THIRDREALITY's Smart Color Night Light is a versatile 3-in-1 solution that combines fun, RGB lighting, motion tracking, and illumination sensing all into one incredibly compact device. Its small footprint and AC plug-in design make it perfect for hallway path lighting, bathrooms, kitchens, and of course, the bedroom without sacrificing precious space on the nightstand.
This night light's multi-functional capabilities also open the doors to a wide range of Matter-powered automation possibilities—use it to monitor the status of a garage door by setting the light's color to red whenever it is open, or set up alerts at night when motion is detected. The best part is that it doesn't require a hub; just give the included QR pairing code a scan, and Matter will take care of the rest over Wi-Fi.
ThirdReality Smart Color Night Light
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Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL
This unique hybrid Wi-Fi RGBIC lamp/night light from Govee features an integrated 360-degree, 2.5-inch full-range speaker through a collaboration with JBL. Govee's lamp has 16 music modes and dynamic tuning provided by JBL, and since it supports stereo pairing, you can experience immersive sound and synchronized light effects in your own little private bedroom theater if you add a second lamp to the mix.
When it comes to lighting, the Govee Smart Table 2 Pro has over 210 high-density LED beads capable of supplying 600 lumens of color and adjustable white light. And, if all that wasn't enough, it is also portable with a built-in 5,200 mAh battery capable of keeping the tunes and light flowing for up to 4.5 hours.
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Linkind Matter Smart Plug with LED Night Light
If you don't need flashy colors or a full-fledged lamp on the nightstand, Linkind's Matter Smart Plug with LED Night Light may be the one for you. Not only does it provide 30 lumens of path and ambient lighting, but it also serves as a Matter-compatible smart plug that turns any old "dumb" appliance instantly smart.
Both the night light and the plug function independently over Wi-Fi through Matter, enabling scenarios like only having the light portion turn on at sunset. Or, if you prefer a more hands-off approach, you can set the light to automatically turn on based on the brightness level of the room with its integrated light sensor.
Linkind Smart Plug with Light
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LIFX SuperColor Luna LED Lamp
Although it may not look like a traditional night light, LIFX markets the SuperColor Luna LED Lamp as the "ultimate sleep companion". That's because the lamp supports sunrise and sunset effects, full-range 1-100% dimming, and LIFX's Polychrome Technology, which allows color and lighting control based on a grid of zones throughout.
The Luna is plenty bright too, with the lamp producing up to 1,000 lumens of light, but don't worry about it keeping you up at night, as you can place it face down for a gentle glow at bedtime. Getting it connected is simple, too, as it uses Wi-Fi, and it supports the Matter 1.3 specifications, so you'll get guaranteed compatibility with all the major smart home ecosystems right out of the box.
LIFX Luna LED Lamp
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SmartSetup Ambient Night Light
The SmartSetup Ambient Night Light is an excellent choice for a bedside companion, featuring easy-to-use capacitive controls and Matter-over-Thread connectivity. This small but mighty dimmable night light produces up to 2,000 lumens of bright light, supports white color temperature adjustments between 2700k-6000k, and it even sports a handle for effortless portability.
With Thread baked in, all you need to get this night light up and running is a Thread Border Router and a Matter Controller for your favorite smart home ecosystem. Once connected, SmartSetup's night light offers ultra-fast response on par with Wi-Fi and rock-solid reliability thanks to Thread's wireless mesh networking technology.
Light the way with the best Matter-compatible night lights
Whether you are looking for a simple plug-in unit to light the way at night or a lamp that can help promote sleep, there's a Matter-compatible night light for almost any need. For halls, corridors, and other path lighting, we recommend the THIRDREALITY Smart Color Night Light as it provides just the right amount of illumination, and its motion sensor can be set to trigger it automatically when presence is detected.
However, if portability is paramount, then we suggest taking a look at the Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL. This clever combo runs for hours completely wire-free, and it can also provide soothing tunes through its speaker.
