Hey Google, let's light this candle

If you’re looking for smart lights, there’s a good chance you want to control them with your voice. Sure, illuminating your home with an app is fun at first, but the novelty quickly wears off, and you’ll soon realize that it’s a lot easier to just hit the switch on the wall. Fortunately, with a companion like Google Assistant, you can activate your smart lights with a simple “Turn on the lights in the living room,” which is a lot faster than both of the previously mentioned options.

Still, not every smart light is compatible with Google Assistant and the accompanying Google Home app, which means you have to take special care when it comes to deciding on your future bulbs. We’ve collected some of the best smart LED lights that support Google Assistant, so you can get your smart home set up as soon as possible.

It’s hard to compete with what is considered the most reputable smart light brand on the market. Philips Hue offers the best overall experience when it comes to smart lights, with an easy-to-use set up process, a comprehensive mobile app, and a wide array of unique features like scenes and automations. These added features allow you to set up schedules for when your lights turn on (like automatically turning on at sunset) and create interesting environments with multiple lights (my favorite scene is Spring Blossom).

If you’re just getting your smart home off the ground, the Philips Hue Starter Kit is a great first step. It provides the Hue Bridge for setup and enough white and color lights to knock out a few rooms right away. And with seamless integration with Google Assistant and Google Home, your smart home will be ready to rock.

While Philips Hue is quite popular, it does require a Hue Bridge. You’ll have to connect it to your router and go through this whole “push button during setup” process, which is a bit of a hassle. The LifX Mini Bulb, on the other hand, connects directly to your Wi-Fi network, so you can plug it in, set it up, and hook it into Google Assistant-enabled smart lights right away.

As you may have guessed from the name, the LifX Mini Bulb is smaller than your average smart light, which is impressive considering it doesn’t need a hub to operate. Even better, you don’t lose any power, as this bulb still provides 800 lumens, which is comparable to other options. And, of course, it easily connects to Google Assistant, even without the hub.

Philips Hue really is our favorite option when it comes to smart lighting, and if you've got a bit of extra money to spend, the High Lumen Smart Bulbs from the popular provider are great. They provide some serious brightness for larger rooms, along with the plentiful Hue features, like scenes, automations, and out of home control. Yes, this bulb is expensive, as is the case with the majority of Philips Hue bulbs.

However, the price is more than worth it, as the Hue ecosystem represents the best of the best when it comes to smart home lighting options. And with lower lumen bulbs struggling to light up those big rooms, these high lumen bulbs can make a big difference when it comes to the overall functionality of your Hue-connected smart home.

Formerly C by GE, CYNC Direct Connect smart bulbs are a good option from a reputable company that was just a bit behind on the whole smart home thing. Now, though, with a rebranded image, an easy-to-use app, and out-of-box functionality, CYNC represents a great option for Google Assistant users. Yes, these lights are a tad dimmer than our previously mentioned options (only 750 lumens as opposed to 800 lumens), but the difference should be mostly negligible as long as you aren’t a lighting expert.

And with features like out-of-home control, set schedules, and saved scenes, there’s no reason not to consider CYNC lights for your smart home. Plus, these lights have the ability to connect via Bluetooth, which doesn’t really help with your Google Assistant, but it’s still an additional avenue to get connected.

As we mentioned, Philips is the best when it comes to smart bulbs, but the Hue ecosystem can become a bit expensive. Fortunately, you don’t have to compromise if you’re looking for a cheaper option. Philips offers another brand of smart lights, WiZ, which provides the same reliability as a more accessible price. Philips WiZ connected LEDs require no hub, and connects directly to your Wi-Fi network instead. That's a pleasant departure from Hue requirements. These lights operate independently of the Hue ecosystem, so you’ll have to download the WiZ app instead of the Hue app. You’re not able to pair it with other Hue bulbs, so make sure you aren’t trying to mix and match the Philips brands for your smart home.

Sure, Philips Hue is the standard for smart bulbs, but hub-less options rule this list, and Cree Connect Max is another alternative that works with Google Assistant. At an impressively low price (starting at only $15 for color-changing bulbs) these smart LEDs offer the same brightness and basic functionality you’ll find in other, more expensive options. They are missing some fun features you’ve seen on this list, but you will be able to automate schedules to wake up with a warm morning light or go to bed on time with sunset-mimicking hues. Cree Connected Max smart LEDs are a solid budget option, but they’re not without their downfalls, such as the absence of scenes and out-of-home control.

TP-Link doesn't just make great smart plugs. The team also has a solid selection of smart bulbs that can streamline your smart home setup. Most notably, these bulbs are very responsive to voice commands and don't require a hub to get set up. Additionally, the accompanying Kasa mobile app is extremely easy to use, providing simple activation and setup that are navigable for even the freshest of smart home novices. The only downside is that the ease of use comes with a notable lack of advanced features like scenes and automations, which can be a downside for those looking to really make your home as smart as possible.

Deciding between smart lights can feel like a moot point at times. After all, they're just light bulbs; how different could they be, right? Smart bulbs are a bit different, though, as each provider offers a wide range of different features, brightness, and multicolored options, so making the right choice for your home is more important than you think.

Scenes, automations, and other advanced features are not a given, so make sure that you pick a bulb equipped with those features if you want to take your smart home to another level. Wi-Fi versus Bluetooth connectivity is also an important aspect to consider. However, most options offer both depending on whether you have a hub connected to your router.

All in all, we'd recommend opting for more features over ease of use. Particularly with smart bulbs, they're going to be in your home for a long time, and while extra features may seem daunting now, you might want to take advantage down the line. Still, if you think ease of use in the long term is more important than features, we won't hold it against you.

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Conor Cawley is the Senior Writer for Tech.co and an avid defender of all things Android. His expertise in tech has been on display in Forbes and he has participated in events with SXSW, Tech in Motion, and General Assembly. He's also a stand-up comedian in Chicago who can't pronounce the word "colloquially." Twitter: @ConorCawley