Z-Wave Smart LED Bulb Review

Introduction

The modern home has seen a dramatic facelift over the course of the last few years, as more and more ‘smart’ connected devices have found their place throughout the home. One of the more relevant things we’ve checked out specifically, the all-in-one home security system in Piper, has shown us how peace of mind can be achieved when you’re away. Although it currently lays claim to an assortment of companion accessories, like door sensors and wall outlets, they’ve only recently announced a smart Z-Wave LED bulb that can be remotely accessed.

Design

What more can we say about its design? It’s nothing more than your simply looking light bulb, tucking away the internal components for its lighting and connectivity gear for Piper access – and nothing more than that! By comparison, it looks quite ordinary to say the least, especially when competing smart LED bulbs, such as the Misfit Bolt, stand out more with its added design touches. The Piper Z-Wave LED bulb looks just as generic as a bulb can get, however, it’s considerably lighter in weight.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how to get it situated, whether it’s with a side table lamp, or a ceiling mounted one, you just screw it into the appropriate socket. Of course, the advantage of an LED bulb, as opposed to your traditional incandescent one, is that it offers superior longevity – to the degree of 22.8 years on the average (based on 3 hours of use daily). This particular LED bulb emits a warmer color tone, somewhere around the color temperature level of 2700K, which gives it a noticeably yellowish hue. And for those of you wondering, this 9-watt LED bulb is equivalent to a 60-watt incandescent one.

Connectivity

Getting it connected to an existing Piper setup is a breeze, much like the other Z-Wave accessories in Piper portfolio that we’ve come across, like the Outdoor Smart Switch for example, which allows us to control our outdoor Christmas lights. For this particular setup, we’re using the Z-Wave LED bulb with your ordinary side table lamp in a living room. Using the companion app, the Z-Wave technology behind everything with this setup quickly sniffs out the LED bulb and adds it to our existing set of accessories connected to Piper.

Performance

First, let’s talk about the Z-Wave LED bulb’s brightness output. It obviously doesn’t achieve a potent punch at its highest setting, but rather, it’s meant to be used more as a reading light than anything else. Considering that its output isn’t as potent as a daylight bulb, it actually turns out to be better in being mood lighting – allowing its softer tones to gently light up areas. Of course, it’s very easy on the eyes and never overpowering to cause distraction.

Being connected to Piper’s system, it means that we’re able to remotely turn on/off the bulb when we’re away, which means that it’s good at warding off potential prowlers. Not only that, but the LED bulb is dimmable as well, allowing us to adjust its brightness through the slider tool in the app. While its features are basic, in comparison to how some other bulbs can change colors, the advantage here is that it can work in conjunction with other Z-Wave peripherals connected to Piper. For example, if motion is detected by Piper’s camera, the LED bulb can automatically be turned on – or conversely, turned off at a specified time.

Conclusion

In terms of pricing, the Z-Wave LED bulb is no different from the vast majority of alternative smart bulbs out there in the space. With an MSRP of $29.99, it’s exactly the same price as the color changing Misfit Bolt, but still cheaper than the Philips Hue Connected Bulb. Naturally, the main benefit here with this one is seen in how it achieves a higher level of utility with Piper’s ecosystem. Going beyond just being a standard LED bulb for lighting, it can be used as a deterrent when it’s incorporated into Piper’s security.

By itself, it’s pretty bland and boring, since its functionality is limited to just remote operation. Combined with Piper, however, it’s a nifty tool that serves its purpose in giving folks an added layer of peace of mind when they’re away.