HiveLights Dimmable B22 Bayonet Smart Bulb, Works with Amazon Alexa, 9 W, White, Energy Efficient, F

If you are happy with the Hive ecosystem, then these bulbs are excellent. You don't need to have Hive heating (I don't), but if you haven't got that installed you do need to buy the Hive Hub for the Active Lights to work - have a look at some of the "starter packs" for best value on this. These bulbs are really easy to set up, and once connected to the Hive Hub they can be voice-controlled via Alexa through your Echo or Echo dot. This actually provides a bit more functionality than the Hive smartphone app, as with Alexa you can group bulbs together. In my setup I have 3 uplighters in the lounge, all grouped under one voice action. Similarly, the landing and hallway lights can be controlled individually using the names "hallway" and "landing" but I've also grouped them into one called "stairs". You can therefore simply say "Alexa, stairs on" to turn on both at the same time. I've also grouped every bulb in the house into the group "house" so when you leave home you can say "Alexa, house off" to turn everything off. The lights can also be used with IFTTT to allow even more flexibility - although at the moment, IFTTT triggers can only turn individual lights on or off.Using the Hive smartphone app you can set up schedules for each individual bulb which is very useful when you are away to make the place look occupied, and these timings persist even if you make manual changes until the next timer period. If you don't have an Echo then the control method is via the app, with a simple graphical control for on/off and dimming. There isn't too much flexibility in terms of grouping the bulbs at the moment, though - however given that you can add window/door and motion detectors you can get creative with triggers.The bulbs themselves are solidly made and have a quality feel about them. The light they produce is a pleasant warm white, and they are nice and bright when on full. They can be dimmed in increments of 5%.

A great light bulb easy to install and connect to devices. Haven't had any issues with it as yet.Note: You can only use this bulb if you already have an Hive hub and account. If you don’t have either then this will just work as a regular light bulb.

Brilliant & very easy to set up with both Hive & Alexa

REVIEW COVERS THE HIVE BULBS *AND* ACTIVE PLUGSIf you already have the Hive system installed at home, these bulbs and plugs are a good addition, but if you don't have Hive these aren't for you.BULBSThey are the same size as "normal" light bulbs and come in bayonet and screw fittings, so make sure you choose the correct ones for your lamps. The bulbs are made of a plastic material rather than glass so they're lightweight, and are fitted in the same way as you'd fit a standard bulb. You can obviously use them in table lamps, wall lights, ceiling lights etc. but they can only be used indoors according to the instructions. I have mine in coach-style lanterns in an enclosed porch.Once installed, turn the power on and the bulb will flash as it searches for your Hive hub. Open the Hive app or website and hit Install Devices, select Add Another Device, and the system will search for new devices. Your bulb will appear after a few seconds. You can rename the bulb if you wish, for example I could name mine "porch", and then in your Hive dashboard you can click the bulb to turn it on or off, as you can with your central heating, and you can also select a brightness setting as the bulbs are dimmable. The bulb operation can also be scheduled, and within the schedules you can also set a brightness level. They're great in our porch as we can now have the bulbs automatically switching on in the evening, off at around midnight, and if we go out in the evening and are coming back late we can turn the lights on via the app so the driveway is illuminated.One slight niggle is that there is no way to manually operate the bulbs without using the app. If for example you want to use them in a bedside lamp you will have to turn the lamp on and off via the app, as if you turn the lamp off via its power switch the bulbs will apparently "unpair" with Hive (according to comments I've read online, where people have said that after power cuts the bulbs just come back in "on" status as soon as the power returns), so in future a manual operation button or similar would be handy.Yes they're expensive, but as the bulbs use LEDs (they light up straight away - no slow warm-up) they will last for a long time. All in all we're pretty pleased with the bulbs, but I wish they made them in different sizes and shapes as well, eg candle style.PLUGSThese are essentially the same kind of thing as regular time plugs but in this case they're controlled via Hive. Pairing is the same process as with the bulbs as described above, and is very simple. To use, simply plug your device - we use a few table lamps with ours - into the front of the Hive plug, turn the device on, and the schedule you set via Hive will turn the device on and off. As with other Hive products, you can manually override the schedule via the app or website, so if I wake up very early for work one morning and want to make a cup of tea, I can turn the kitchen lamp on via the Hive app rather than blunder downstairs in the dark and fumble around for the light switch. In addition, the top of the plug has a large, flat button which you can press to manually override the schedule from the plug itself, which is very convenient.Easier to schedule than time plugs and easier to operate, these have been a boon for us. We think they're great.