There was a time when PCs, LED TVs, and mobile phones were expensive, especially when they first came out. Then more manufacturers joined ranks which led to the drop of prices, even while the various devices became even more advanced. That’s what happened to LED light bulbs and smart light bulbs, which explains the Foreet Wi-Fi Light Bulb.
Yes, it’s ridiculously affordable. But its features put all traditional light bulbs to shame. That’s because it’s a smart light bulb that you can control with your smartphone. In fact, if you have a voice assistant system like Google Home Assistant or Amazon Alexa, you can control this light bulb (or light bulbs with other devices) with spoken commands.
Contents
Design
At first glance the Foreet light bulb already looks a bit strange compared to traditional bulbs. Its size and dimensions are quite common at about 5.9 x 4.2 x 2.9 inches (and 6.4 ounces), and it fits into a standard E27 or E26 base. But what’s strange about it is the rainbow array of colors on the LED bulb—this already hints that white isn’t just going to be its standard colors.
To use this, you need to make sure that your smartphone is either an iPhone or an Android. Another type may not be able to use the app that can control the smart light bulb.
If you plan to use this in conjunction with your other smart devices, then you’ll need a compatible hub (Google Home and Amazon Alexa counts) and IFTTT. You don’t really need a hub though, as it can connect directly to your Wi-Fi as long 2.4 GHz frequency is available. It doesn’t work with 5GHz.
Setup
Put the Foreet Wi-Fi Light Bulb in its socket, and wait until it starts to flash. This may take about 3 seconds. If it doesn’t, try turning it on and off twice (on-off-on-off-on) and that should do the trick.
Now you can look for the Smart Life app in Google Play or the App store, or you can use your smartphone to scan the QR code in the manual. Install it, then open it and register your smartphone number. The app then detects your light bulb and asks you to add it, which it will do whenever you buy additional Foreet light bulbs. Accept the “add” offer and they you’re now able to use your smartphone to control the light bulb.
The App
As this doesn’t need a hub, you can just use the app to control the light bulb. This uses the Smart Life app, which is unfortunately a generic app for several brands and not specific to the Foreet. While it has its advantages (you can get other cheap light bulbs from different brands), you may not see too many app upgrades frequently.
The app lets you control the light bulb, or even several light bulbs in groups. This means you can quickly set the settings for the lights in the living room, dining room, kitchen, and your bedroom.
The app also allows for multi-users, which helps when you’re not the only person in the house.
Energy Use
This can make use of input voltage ranging from 85 to 265 volts. In practical terms, it doesn’t matter if your electrical system uses 110 or 220 volts. This will still work.
As this is an LED light bulb it only uses up 7 watts. Yet it’s enough to emit light equivalent to a 60-watt incandescent bulb. That’s due to the inherent energy efficiency of the bulb, which converts the energy into light for the most part and not into heat. That’s also why when you touch an LED light bulb, it’s not as hot as an incandescent.
If you’ve been using incandescent lights before you’ve started your switch to LED light bulbs with the Foreet, then be prepared for massive energy savings. This light bulb uses up very little energy that you may end up with an energy cost of a dollar for each bulb—and that’s for the entire year.
Add the fact that this type of light is durable and you get even more savings. Even if you turn this in for 6 hours every evening and it can still last you for more than a decade. That means you won’t have to buy replacement light bulbs for worn down units anytime soon.
Brightness
Yes, it’s cheap. Yet its brightness can make you forget that as it reaches 600 lumens. That’s enough to light up a small room, and just a few can light up your living room or dining room.
Of course, sometimes you don’t want it to be too bright. It’s a good thing the Foreet bulb is dimmable, so you can tone it down through the app. Or you can tell Alexa to reduce the light bulb brightness to 50%.
Colors
Now we come to the part that explains the myriad colors on the light bulb. That’s because this light bulb can change colors, from white to any color of the rainbow. That doesn’t mean you’re limited to ROY G. BIV—instead, you can get any of the 16 million colors available.
That’s of course problematic when you want to specify a color with vocal commands. You may need to use the app to get the exact color you want, and then label that setting so that a single voice command gets you back that particular color.
Scene Modes
As you can change both the brightness and the color of the light bulb, you have the chance to set any mood you want with your lights simply by making specific adjustments to the setting. You can brighten things up for a lively time, or tone things down when you want a more soothing home environment.
You won’t have to start from scratch, since the app lets you chose from preset “scenes” that can match the occasion. These modes include Night mode, Leisure mode, Party mode, and Reading Mode. There are 8 of them, and a few are rather lively.
Scheduler
The app also lets you schedule when the Foreet Wi-Fi Light Bulb turns on and off automatically at a certain time. So you can have it turn on at 25% brightness level and a warm color in the morning to gently wake you up. You can set it to also dim significantly when it’s time for you to sleep, and then have it automatically turn off after an hour or so.
This also works as a security measure, as the lights can turn on in your room to imply that you’re home even when you’re not. Your activated lights may deter burglars from trying to get into your windows.
This is quite basic for a smart light bulb, as it can’t activate by synching with the sunrise or sunset. But it’s certainly something your regular incandescent light can’t do.
Pros
Here are the reasons why people like this:
- It’s cheap—ridiculously so, in fact. Let’s just say that you can buy 15 of these and pay the same price as another name-brand smart light bulb. That bunch of 15 light bulbs may be enough for 3 rooms, while a single name-brand light bulb may not be enough even for a single room.
- It offers the basic features you’d expect from a smart light bulb. You’ve got your smartphone app controls, dimmable settings, color changes, and timer schedules. You can set specific moods, too.
- You can also use this with other light bulbs, with other smart devices, and with your voice assistant.
- Just see if you can figure out the IFTTT system to get it working with other smart devices, while it already works with Google Home Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
- It’s easy to install for most people. There’s really nothing to it for the most part, and it ought to take you only a few minutes.
- As it’s an LED light bulb, you save a lot in energy costs and replacement expenses. It’s very energy-efficient and long-lasting.
Cons
So what can go wrong? Nothing’s perfect, of course, and that’s especially true with something as affordable as this.
- It may not work with some hubs. That’s why you need to ask the seller first to find out if it will work with your hub. If it doesn’t, it means that you’ll need to use the app separately.
- Its features are not as advanced as the other smart light bulbs. It can’t gradually dim the light over a period of time, and it can’t synchronize with the sunset automatically.
- Some people think that it’s too bright even when at its dimmest, so it can rudely wake you up in the morning.
- Its performance can be a bit spotty now and then, with some customers saying that their light bulb doesn’t connect with their Wi-Fi.
Conclusion
An affordable smart light bulb is a godsend for many people, who may not have the budget for the more expensive models. But now with the Foreet Wi-Fi Light Bulb, you can conceivably outfit your home with smart light bulbs without having to take a loan from the bank. Sure it’s somewhat inconsistent in its performance but then that may be a small price to pay for the benefits you get.