Yes, it is safe to leave the light on if you are using a smart bulb.
These bulbs were designed to absorb and process electricity.
They need electricity all the time for their “smart” features to work.
According to experts, smart bulbs are not any safer or riskier than any smart device out there.
All bulbs are a fire hazard, and that I can say for sure.
However, all LED bulbs have a technology that prevents them from burning.
LED bulbs convert 90% of the electricity to light, which means that they do not heat up.
Today, I will answer some of the most common questions about smart bulbs when put on lamps.
In addition, I will also provide answers to other questions related to the use of smart bulbs.
Are smart bulbs safe in lamps?
Yes, smart bulbs are safe in lamps. Even photographers and YouTubers do this all the time.
The smart bulbs are designed to work in pre-existing light fixtures in your house.
They are just bulbs, with electronics inside of them.
Even if they work like normal bulbs, they still have special security features that prevent fire from breaking out.
In short, you can use a smart bulb in any traditional bulb socket in your house.
Here is the thing: where is the best place to put a smart bulb?
Well, it depends on the wattage of the bulb.
Why would you put a 22-watt smart bulb on a lamp fixture? That would be too bright.
If the smart bulb you have has a high wattage, you are better off putting that bulb on the ceiling.
For low-wattage bulbs like 5 watts, it definitely makes sense to put them in a lamp.
Of course, do not forget to ensure that the lamp and the bulb are close to a router.
Otherwise, they will not work. If the bulb cannot access the router or WiFi access point, its smart system will not work.
Do smart bulbs draw power when off?
Yes, smart bulbs draw power if they are off. It is why many people call these bulbs “electricity vampires.”
If you do not want them to draw power, you must turn off the physical switch that is connected to the socket.
For example, let us say that you turned off the bulb from your app.
The bulb is not emitting light. However, if the socket is still on, the bulb will continue to draw power from it.
It is the only way it can connect to the WiFi, allowing you to control it from afar.
If you really want to turn it off, you must go to the physical switch that is connected to the socket.
In the case of a lamp, you can unplug that lamp.
If you do this, no electricity passes through the wires anymore. Therefore, the bulb will not suck power.
However, there is a catch. Turning off the switch will also shut down the smart bulb entirely.
Without power, it can no longer function to connect to the WiFi.
So, if you do this, you have a guarantee that the lights are off and that the bulbs are not sucking energy.
However, you also cannot control them anymore from your app.
There is really no reason for you to turn off the switch.
The reason you have a smart home is so you can control the lights when you are not home.
Do smart bulbs drain WiFi?
No, smart bulbs do not drain WiFi. They use WiFi or internet data, but they use so little that they are negligible.
Smart bulbs do not consume high amounts of data. They are not streaming movies, you know.
You will only have a problem if you have something like 20 smart LED bulbs drawing internet data from the same router
Generally speaking, a smart bulb uses about 20 or 30 MB of data per month.
That is what it takes for the bulb to send and receive data from your WiFi router to the app on your phone.
So, how much does that translate to money? Let us say that you are using Google Fiber at $70 per month at 1 GB maximum data usage.
One smart bulb uses 30 MB from that 1 GB. If the price of 1 GB is $70, then it means that 1 MB of data costs $0.07.
If your bulb is using 30 MB per month, you are spending $2.1 for that bulb.
Is it better to have a smart bulb or smart plug?
There is no single answer to this, as it depends on how you want to use smart bulbs.
Use a smart bulb if it is available to you, as they come in all forms of sizes, wattage, and some of them even have colour.
A smart plug is merely a plug that you can control from an app.
The only thing you can do with it is plugging a bulb—any kind of bulb or appliance—and then you control that plug on and off from your phone.
As you can see, you can only use a smart plug for on and off purposes.
Therefore, you cannot use it to make the bulb colour red, green, or yellow.
If you want a light that has many types of features, you must choose a smart bulb, especially so because there are so many options for them.
If you want to control the on/off of appliances, you must use a smart plug instead, like for toasters and microwaves.
Summary
Technology has grown, and smart bulbs are now safer than bulbs used to be.
Today, LED bulbs can stay on all the tie, with little fire risk for you to think about.
Of course, make sure that you only buy smart bulbs from reputed manufacturers.
Do not buy cheap LED smart bulbs from names you have never heard of.
Finally, read the bulb’s manual and compatibility.
A reputable manufacturer will always tell you the limitations of their product.