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This article has a cynicism that feels born of a ton of experience. I’ve only gone as far as a couple different colored lights (Hue and LIFX). And I think I might be replacing most of them with dumb bulbs when I move to a new place in a couple months. They’re just not worth the hassle.

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Yeah, I went all-in on smart bulbs (Philips) and they are just impractical. I do however recommend dimmable dumb bulbs along with smart switches like Lutron. They are easy to install, "just-work" and give you 90% of what you need.

Why are the Philips smart bulbs impractical? I was thinking of buying a bunch of them for use with google home.

Good question. I've never had any problems with mine. The official Phillips app has some limitations, such as insisting on using their cloud when you're not on your own LAN. But there are many alternative apps and it's easy enough to write your own. I like one called Hue Pro, which does let you connect from outside without using the cloud.

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