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Smart LED Bulbs join Belkin's WeMo lineup

These smart LEDs are the latest members of the quickly growing WeMo family of connected devices.

Ry Crist Senior Editor / Reviews - Labs
Originally hailing from Troy, Ohio, Ry Crist is a writer, a text-based adventure connoisseur, a lover of terrible movies and an enthusiastic yet mediocre cook. A CNET editor since 2013, Ry's beats include smart home tech, lighting, appliances, broadband and home networking.
Expertise Smart home technology | Wireless connectivity Credentials
  • 10 years product testing experience with the CNET Home team
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Ry Crist
2 min read
Belkin

Belkin is adding LED bulbs to their rapidly expanding WeMo family of smart devices, the company announced today at CES.

The Belkin WeMo Smart LED Bulb is an 800 lumen 60-watt replacement that you'll be able to control remotely on Android and iOS devices using the free WeMo app. Each bulb features a warm white color temperature of 3000K along with a lifespan of 25,000 hours. You'll be able to automate the bulbs to turn on and off at certain times, or trigger them with another WeMo device, like a motion detector.
IFTTT can use the GPS in your iPhone to trigger your WeMo lights on or off whenever you enter or leave a designated area. Screenshot by Ry Crist/CNET

Like the light switches and plug-in modules that already bear the WeMo name, the WeMo Smart LED Bulbs will be fully compatible with the free web service IFTTT, which allows them to be triggered using nifty things like iOS location and Foursquare check-ins.

Unlike other WeMo devices, however, you'll need a separate accessory -- the "WeMo Link" plug-in hub -- in order to use them. That means you can't simply buy a $39 bulb and start automating it right out of the box -- you'll need to purchase the two-bulb WeMo LED Lighting Starter Set for $129, which comes with the WeMo Link.
The only other IFTTT-compatible bulb is the color-changing Philips Hue. Colin West McDonald/CNET

Still, the only other bulb that's directly automatable through IFTTT is the Philips Hue, with a starter kit that costs $199. If you're interested in IFTTT-controlled lighting (and not so interested in bulbs that change colors on demand), then the Belkin bulb is probably pretty intriguing. If IFTTT doesn't tempt you, and simple automations will do just fine, then you'll probably want to consider the Connected by TCP Wireless LED Lighting Kit, which offers three automatable LEDs, yet costs $20 less than Belkin's kit.