Cree’s always impressed us with good-looking LED lightbulbs at wonderfully affordable prices. Now, the North Carolina company is raising the stakes with a new connected bulb that’s not only dimmable and programmable; it also lasts for 25,000 hours, just like its less-smart sibling. The best part? It’s still a bargain.
The new Connected Cree LED Bulb comes in a 60W replacement option for just $US15. That puts it neck-and-neck with the GE Link bulb for the cheapest, most feature-packed smart bulb on the market. Both work with the Wink and Zigbee ecosystems, so you can connect them with other connected devices to create your very own smart home. However, there are a couple reasons you might decide the choose Cree over GE.
The Cree bulb is designed to stand up to a little bit of rough-housing. The durable, shatterproof housing ensures that the bulb can take a hit, although you surely won’t need to jostle it around too much since it won’t go dark for years and years. It’s not quite as futuristic-looking as the GE Link — which kind of looks like an alien death ray — but the natural light and nondescript design means you can enjoy all the benefits of a connected LED bulb without putting an alien death ray into your light socket.
The Connected Cree LED Bulb will be available online later this month and in Home Depot stores next month. Again, each bulb is a cool $US15. And as always, Cree makes the dream of a programmable light bulb that you don’t have to change for years is as affordable as ever. [Cree]
Picture: Cree