When I started planning for a smart home, it was the first question that popped up in my mind. How long do those expensive smart bulbs last? While the price can be scary, some of the facts and statistics we are going to share here today might ease it up a bit for you.
Here's what we cover:
- Average Lifespan of Smart Bulbs
- How Smart Lights Compare to Incandescent and Fluorescent Lights
- How Long Do LED Bulbs Last?
- How Long Do Philips Hue Bulbs Last?
- How Long LIFX Smart Bulbs Last
- Lifespan Chart of 10 Different Smart Light Companies
- FAQ
- Conclusion: Does the Life Expectancy of Smart Bulbs Cancel Out the High Price?
Average Lifespan of Smart Bulbs
On average, and in an ideal environment, smart light bulbs last 23,000 hours. It is equivalent to 10 years of daily 6-hour usage. The warranty period averages two years.
This data is based on our small research of 10 different smart light companies. If we take the fluctuations out of the equation, the figure looks slightly better standing at 25,000 hours of runtime. The details of this research can be found later in this article.
How Smart Lights Compare to Incandescent and Fluorescent Lights
The main difference is in the construction. Smart bulbs use the latest LED technology, whereas incandescent use the traditional Thomas Edison patent, and fluorescent use fluorescent-coated tubes.
LED technology is superior in every segment, including performance, life expectancy, and efficiency. If we compare the oldest technology with the newest one, LED lights use 75% less energy and last 25 times longer than incandescent lights.
There is one small thing to point out, though. The smart lighting we are talking about modifies the LED framework and tries to fit in some smart wireless technologies. Although they are miles better than the old-fashioned bulbs, they lose a great deal of life expectancy in the modification process when compared to pure LED bulbs.
How Long Do LED Bulbs Last?
LED bulbs, or light-emitting diode bulbs, have been hailed as the future of lighting. They are more energy efficient than incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs and have a much longer lifespan.
While the initial cost of a bulb is higher than an incandescent light bulb, the savings on electricity costs will quickly cover the difference. A typical lifespan of an LED bulb is 50,000 hours or more, depending on the manufacturer and model.
This is just one of the reasons that smart bulb companies use LED technology.
How Long Do Philips Hue Bulbs Last?
Philips Hue has a long timeline of producing lighting systems for homes starting in 2012. They have iterated their product line many times over the years, improving the product and increasing its lifespan with each iteration.
Their first-generation products from 2012 were rated at 15,000 hours of use, but it got bumped up by their second-generation products in 2015 to 25,000 hours. Since then, they integrated many new technologies into their lights, but the longevity remained constant.
| Features | 1st Gen. | 2nd Gen. | 3rd Gen. | 4th Gen. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Released | 2012 | 2015 | 2016 | 2019 |
| Brightness | 600 lumen | 800 lumen | 800 lumen | 800 lumen |
| Lifespan | 15,000 hours | 25,000 hours | 25,000 hours | 25,000 hours |
| Bluetooth | No | No | No | Yes |
| Works without Bridge | No | No | No | Yes |
How Long LIFX Smart Bulbs Last
Similar to Philips Hue, LIFX has also gone through a lot of changes throughout the years after starting in 2015. Now they are shipping the 4th generation products with many cool features complementing their hub-free smart system.
Since the beginning, LIFX products were rated at 25,000 hours of runtime, which is equivalent to 11 years of daily 6-hour use, and they are still holding the numbers.
Lifespan Chart of 10 Different Smart Light Companies
We took some of the most popular companies and analyzed their data. While different companies calculate years differently, we standardized it with 6 hours of daily usage, which according to us, is the most realistic number.
All the data presented in the chart below are the officially certified data provided by the company for their A19 smart bulbs.
| Companies | Hours | Years (6 hours a day) | Warranty (Years) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philips Hue | 25,000 | 11 | 3 |
| LIFX | 25,000 | 11 | 2 |
| Nanoleaf | 25,000 | 11 | 2 |
| Sengled | 25,000 | 11 | 3 |
| Wyze | 20,000 | 9 | 1 |
| eufy | 20,000 | 9 | 1.5 |
| Ring | 25,000 | 11 | 3 |
| TP-Link Kasa | 25,000 | 11 | 2 |
| Yeelight | 15,000 | 6.5 | 1 |
| IKEA | 25,000 | 11 | 2 |
| Average | 23,000 | 10 | 2 |
FAQ
Do smart bulbs burn out?
Yes, electrical equipment of any sort is prone to burnouts, but smart bulbs usually last a very long time and do not burn like incandescent bulbs unless there is a power surge.
How long do Merkury smart bulbs last?
Merkury smart bulbs last a standard 25,000 hours or 11 years (6 hours daily), or whichever comes first.
How long do Sengled smart bulbs last?
Sengled smart bulbs last 25,000 hours of runtime or 11 years of daily 6-hour usage or whichever comes first.
Do smart light bulbs last longer than incandescent light bulbs?
Smart light bulb lasts 25 times longer and consumes 75% less energy than an incandescent bulb.
How long do T8 bulbs last?
LED smart T8 bulbs last an average of about eight years or around 25,000 hours.
Conclusion: Does the Life Expectancy of Smart Bulbs Cancel Out the High Price?
Smart lights are generally quite high in price. If you try to justify that price only by its lifespan, your equation would always result in a no. But if you bring features, efficiency, and comfort to the game, the picture would be different.
These are a lot more than just a thing that lights up. You can change the ambiance by throwing on some ambient lights, make them function without light switches, or automate them to perform certain tasks at certain times. After all, if you really want to have a smart home, smart bulbs are the starting point.
