GU10 Bulbs are a popular fitting size for downlights and spotlights. Traditionally these bulbs were halogen but now more and people are switching to LEDs. The good news is there is also a great range of Smart GU10 Bulbs.
With GU10 smart bulbs you’ll be able to set the white balance and dim them, plus they can be controlled with your voice or phone.
The Best GU10 Smart Bulbs
If you’re going to replace your regular GU10 bulbs with smart bulbs, these are the ones I recommend:
Philips Hue GU10 Smart Bulb – My Top Pick
I use Philips Hue bulbs as part of my smart home setup. I’ve tested a lot of smart bulbs and I’ve found Philips Hue to be the best quality LED Smart Bulb on the market. I’ve yet to find another bulb that lasts as long as the Hue and has as few (or zero) connection issues.
The Philips Hue Smart GU10 Bulbs are the best smart bulbs you can buy.
While it’s possible to buy cheaper smart bulbs, I’ve found it’s just not worth the hassle. It’s better to pay a little more to get a bulb that will last 5+ years (at the very least. My Hue lights are going on 7 years and I expect them to last much longer) and just work.
If you are going to use the Hue bulbs, I would recommend getting the Hue Bridge. While the lights can work without it, I’ve found that using the bridge eliminates pretty much all connection issues. A bridge will also let you control the lights remotely (great for when you’re away on holiday).
What I like about the Hue GU10 Smart Bulbs
- Reliable Connection – I’ve found the Hue system has almost no connection issues. Bulbs that connect directly to the Wifi tend to have more dropouts and require a strong signal. Although Hue bulbs can work without a bridge, I do recommend getting the Hue Bridge as this will ensure you can always connect to your lights.
- Bright Colours – Hue bulbs have the best colour brightness of any smart bulbs I’ve tested. Coloured led lights can often be quite dim but the Hue bulbs tend to do better than pretty much every other brand.
- Long Lasting – My hue bulbs have lasted over 7 years of nightly use. Cheaper bulbs will only last a year or two before needing to be replaced.
- Homekit Support – Hue bulbs work with Google Home, Alexa, and Homekit. They are also Zigbee compatible. This means no matter what devices you have, these lights will just work.
- Great App – The Hue app is well designed and gets regular updates.
Find out more about Hue GU10 Bulbs here
Other GU10 Smart Bulbs
While the hue bulbs are the best smart bulbs you can buy, they are also quite expensive. These are some other good options that are available in Australia:
Freshin GU10 Smart Light
Freshin sells a range of Smart Lights in Australia which includes a GU10 Smart Bulb. I tested out the bulb and found the colours aren’t as bright and vivid as the Philips Hue bulbs and they weren’t able to dim quite as much either. But overall these are pretty solid bulbs that are very competitively priced.
The Freshin Smart Bulbs are compatible with Google Assistant and Alexa. They won’t work with Apple Homekit. The smart bulbs connect directly to the Wifi. While this means you don’t need a hub or bridge, I’ve found this type of bulb to have more connection issues. Where as a bulb like the Hue which uses a Bridge and the Zigbee standard, have very few if any connection or dropout issues.
Find out more about the Freshin Smart Bulbs
Kogan GU10 Smart GU10 Lights
The Kogan GU10 Smart Bulbs are some of the cheapest smart bulbs you can buy in Australia. These smart bulbs don’t require a hub and instead connect straight to the Wifi. In my testing, lights that don’t have a hub or bridge tend to have more connection issues with more dropouts.
The Kogan GU10 Smart Bulbs are compatible with Google Assistant and Alexa and can be controlled via the SmarterHome App. These bulbs won’t work with Apple Home (Homekit)
Why Switch to Smart GU10 Bulbs
So what’s the point in switching out regular LED bulbs and replacing them with smart bulbs? Here are some of the pros and cons:
- Turn on Your Lights from Anywhere – You’ll be able to turn on or off the lights from the couch or from bed. Great for setting the scene when watching TV.
- Dim Lights – Smart lights can be dimmed without needing a dimmer switch. If you’ve got super bright overhead lighting but no dimmer, getting smart lights will let you set the brightness via an app or using voice control.
- Set White Balance – As well as dimming, you can also control the white balance of smart lights. During the early evening you might want brighter white light to read or cook, and then make the lights warmer for later on while watching TV. The Hue GU10 smart bulbs also support Apple’s Adaptive lighting and can automatically change colour based on the time and outdoor light.
- Setup Smart Automations – Setup automations that turn on or off your lights based on various settings. For example, I turn on all my living room lights when either I or my partner first comes home at night. This way I don’t need to fiddle around with lights in the dark.
If you replace your GU10 overhead lights with smart lights, you will no longer be able to use the switches to control your lights. While you can still turn them on or off at the switch, if they are turned off via a switch they won’t turn on via an app or using voice control. I use the Philips Hue Dimmer Switch instead of my old light switches. You can also replace your existing switches with Homekit smart switches (which will also work with Google Home and Alexa).
