BeOn's smart security bulbs add key fob controls
Want to arm and disarm your smart security lights without needing to open up an app? Here you go.
- 10 years product testing experience with the CNET Home team
The BeOn Key Fob.
BeOn's smart LED light bulbs already offer a compelling lineup of unique, security-minded features -- enough to land them on our list of the best smart home devices of 2016. Now, the company is doubling down on the security angle by adding key fob controls into the mix.
The idea is that you'll arm and disarm your lights as you come and go in the same way that you'd arm and disarm a security system. In away mode, the lights can "replay" your typical at-home lighting patterns to make it look like you're around. Click the home button when you return, and the lights will turn on to welcome you inside.
In addition to the fob controls, BeOn's Bluetooth bulbs can listen for the sound of your doorbell or your smoke alarm, then turn on automatically when they hear something. They'll work even if your lamps are switched off and even when the power's out thanks to the removable battery modules in the center of each bulb.
Additional modules have long been in the works, offering the promise of additional features, including support for smart home standards like Zigbee or even Apple HomeKit. There's still no update on when we can expect those to arrive.
Starting today, you'll find two key fobs in the three-bulb BeOn Family Pack, which sells online for $249. Existing users can also buy the fob on its own for $30.