Getting started with smart lighting is easier than it looks — and faster than you'd expect. Most beginners are up and running in under 15 minutes, with no hub, no subscription, and no rewiring required. This guide explains exactly what smart lighting is, which products make the most sense for your first room, and how to set everything up using the free Feit Electric app.
Whether you want to control your lights with your voice, automate them on a schedule, or simply stop getting out of bed to flip a switch, this is where to start.
What Is Smart Lighting? (Quick Answer)
Smart lighting is any lighting system you can control beyond a standard wall switch — using a smartphone app, voice assistant, or automated schedule. Smart lights can adjust brightness, change color temperature (from warm amber to cool daylight), turn on and off remotely, and react to triggers like time of day, motion, or sunrise and sunset.
The intelligence lives inside the device itself — in the bulb, the switch, or the plug. A built-in Wi-Fi chip connects it to your home network, so it can receive commands from the Feit Electric app, Amazon Alexa, or Google Assistant. No complicated rewiring. No control panel. Just a bulb, a switch, or a plug that does significantly more.
Why Smart Lighting Is Worth It: Real Benefits
Smart lighting isn't just a novelty. It changes how you interact with your home throughout the day — and the reasons people stick with it go well beyond voice control.
Convenience — Control Every Light from Anywhere
Turn off every light in your house from bed. Have lights come on automatically when you walk in. Create a "Movie Night" scene that dims the whole living room with a single tap. Smart lighting removes friction from the moments you barely think about — and that adds up fast.
Energy Savings That Add Up
Dim your lights to 70% instead of running full brightness all evening. Schedule them to turn off automatically when you leave for work. Set outdoor lights to match actual sunset times. These small, automated habits reduce energy use without requiring any willpower — and they show up on your electricity bill.
Ambiance and Mood Control
Light has a profound effect on how a room feels — and most homes have only two settings: bright or dark. Smart lighting gives you infinite options between those extremes. Dial in warm, low light for winding down at night. Switch to crisp, cool daylight for focused work. The right light at the right time makes every room feel intentional.
Home Security on a Schedule
Schedule your lights to turn on and off at natural intervals when you're traveling. A home that looks lived-in is a meaningfully better deterrent than one that's visibly dark for days. Smart lighting lets you automate this without a second thought.
3 Ways to Make Your Lighting Smart
There are three primary entry points into smart lighting. The right one depends on your fixture type, your comfort level, and what level of control you want.
1. Smart Bulbs — The Easiest Entry Point
What they are: Smart bulbs screw directly into your existing light sockets — no tools, no electrical work. They connect to your home's 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and are controlled through the free Feit Electric app or via voice with Alexa or Google Assistant.
Best for: Table lamps, floor lamps, pendant lights, and any fixture with a standard socket where you want full dimming or color control at the individual bulb level.
What to know: Smart bulbs are dimmed and controlled through the app or voice — not through a traditional dimmer switch. If your lamp has a standard on/off switch, you're set. If the fixture is on a wall dimmer, set that dimmer to full power and control brightness through the app instead.
Feit Electric options: White tunable, full-color RGB, and standard soft white — available in A19, BR30, PAR, and globe shapes. Shop Smart Bulbs →
2. Smart Dimmer Switches — Whole-Room Control
What they are: A smart dimmer replaces your existing wall switch and makes every bulb on that circuit smart — no need to replace individual bulbs. You get app control, voice control, scheduling, and dimming for the entire room from one device.
Best for: Overhead lighting, recessed cans, ceiling fan light kits, and any fixture where multiple bulbs are controlled by a single switch.
What to know: Installation requires turning off the breaker and swapping the switch — a 20-minute job for anyone comfortable with a screwdriver. Dimming functionality requires dimmable bulbs.
Feit Electric options: The Feit Electric smart dimmer works with the app, Alexa, and Google Assistant — no hub required. Shop Smart Dimmers →
3. Smart Plugs — Zero Commitment, Full Automation
What they are: Smart plugs turn any standard wall outlet into an app-controlled outlet. Plug in a lamp, plug the smart plug into the wall, and that lamp is now fully automatable — turn it on and off from your phone, set it on a schedule, or control it with your voice.
Best for: Floor lamps, string lights, desk lamps, or any plug-in fixture you want to automate without touching bulbs or switches. Also ideal for renters testing smart home automation before committing.
What to know: Smart plugs control on/off only — no dimming. But for scheduling, remote access, and voice control, they're the simplest and most affordable entry point in the Feit Electric smart lineup. Shop Smart Plugs →
How to Choose the Right Room to Start In
The biggest mistake beginners make is trying to do the whole house at once. Start with one room — ideally one where you'll actually feel the difference.
Bedroom
The single best room to start. A smart bulb in the bedside lamp, set to dim at 9 PM and wake gently in the morning, changes how you start and end your day. Use warm white (2700K) for sleep-friendly light. Add a smart dimmer for overhead whole-room control from bed.
Best for: Smart bulbs (bedside) + smart dimmer (overhead)
Living Room
Benefits most from layered light — bright overhead for everyday use, dimmed and warm for evenings. A smart dimmer handles the overhead circuit. A color-changing bulb in a floor lamp adds accent light you can adjust by mood or activity.
Best for: Smart dimmer (overhead) + color RGB bulb (accent)
Kitchen or Home Office
Color temperature matters most in task spaces. Warm light (2700K–3000K) is comfortable but can cause eye fatigue. Cool daylight (5000K–6500K) boosts alertness for cooking or focused work. Tunable white bulbs shift automatically based on time of day.
Best for: Tunable white smart bulbs that shift from warm to cool
How to Set Up Feit Electric Smart Lighting (Step-by-Step)
Feit Electric smart products are designed to pair in minutes — no hub, no account fees, and no ongoing subscriptions required.
Install your device — screw in the bulb, swap the switch, or plug in the smart plug.
Open the app and tap "Add Device" — follow the in-app pairing steps. Most devices pair in under 2 minutes.
Connect to your voice assistant (optional) — link your Feit Electric account in the Amazon Alexa or Google Home app. This takes 1–2 minutes and enables hands-free control immediately.
Set your first automation — try a simple schedule (e.g., dim to 30% at 9 PM) or create a scene that controls multiple lights at once.
Once your first device is set up, you can expand room by room — adding scenes like "Good Morning" or "Movie Night," grouping devices so one command controls multiple lights, and building routines around your actual schedule.
Step-by-step instructions for setting up your Feit Electric devices, creating scenes, and connecting to Alexa or Google Assistant.
View App User Guide →Troubleshooting guides, FAQs, and setup videos for every Feit Electric smart product — available on the Feit Electric help site.
Visit Help Center →
What to Know Before You Buy: Smart Lighting Buying Guide
- ✓ Check your Wi-Fi band. Feit Electric smart products connect to 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi. Most modern routers broadcast both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz — during setup, make sure your phone is connected to the 2.4 GHz network.
- ✓ Count your sockets before you buy. A ceiling fan with five bulbs needs five smart bulbs for full app and voice control.
- ✓ Color isn't always necessary. Full-color RGB bulbs are fun, but if your goal is convenience and scheduling, tunable white bulbs deliver everyday value at a lower price point.
- ✓ No hub required. Feit Electric smart products connect directly to Wi-Fi and integrate with Alexa and Google Assistant out of the box. No SmartThings hub or additional hardware needed.
- ✓ No subscription. The Feit Electric app is free to download and free to use — no monthly fees for scheduling, voice control, or automations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is smart lighting and how does it work?
Smart lighting refers to light bulbs, switches, and plugs that connect to your home's Wi-Fi network and can be controlled remotely via a smartphone app, voice assistant, or automated schedule. The smart component is built into the device itself — no hub or control panel is needed. Feit Electric smart products connect to 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and are controlled through the free Feit Electric app.
Do I need a smart home hub to use smart lighting?
No. Feit Electric smart bulbs, dimmers, and plugs connect directly to your home's Wi-Fi — no hub required. They also integrate with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant without any additional hardware.
What is the difference between a smart bulb and a smart dimmer switch?
A smart bulb replaces the light bulb in a fixture and is controlled individually through an app or voice command. A smart dimmer switch replaces the wall switch and controls every bulb on that circuit at once — no bulb replacement needed. Smart bulbs are better for lamps; smart dimmers are better for overhead lighting with multiple bulbs.
How long does it take to set up a smart bulb?
Most Feit Electric smart bulbs pair with the app in under 2 minutes. Adding voice control through Alexa or Google Assistant takes an additional 1–2 minutes. First-time setup from unboxing to working control typically takes 10–15 minutes total.
Are smart bulbs compatible with existing dimmer switches?
Smart bulbs should not be used with traditional wall dimmer switches. If your fixture has a dimmer switch, set it to full power and control brightness through the Feit Electric app or your voice assistant instead.
What Wi-Fi does smart lighting use?
Feit Electric smart products use 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi. Most home routers broadcast both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. During setup, connect your phone to the 2.4 GHz band to ensure proper pairing.
What is the best smart lighting for beginners?
For most beginners, a Feit Electric smart A19 bulb in a bedside lamp is the ideal starting point. It requires no installation, pairs in minutes via the free Feit Electric app, and works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant out of the box.
Ready to Start? Shop Feit Electric Smart Products
Smart lighting doesn't have to be a big project. One bulb, one room, fifteen minutes — and you'll understand why people don't stop at one.
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