Not so long ago, if you wanted to change the lighting profile of your home, you had to be ready to smash your piggy bank and then some.
You’d either be forking out for expensive lamps, or paying out the nose for new overhead fixtures and installations.
And after all this expense, other than perhaps a dimmer, you had no way of customizing the lights.
Humans are mercurial in nature, and what suits us one day, won’t the next, meaning these rudimentary lights never truly satisfy.
Thanks to LED lighting, however, we no longer have to fork out for expensive home renovations to create our perfect, chameleonic space that constantly evolves to suit our mood.
If that sounds good to you, read on for my list of the 6 best examples of LED lighting for your home.
Essential Considerations Of LED Lighting
LED lighting is all about expansive customizability, and letting your creative side run free; however, as boundless as this technology can be, there are some common guidelines to follow when selecting your products.
Some essentials include…
- Extensive Battery Life
Many LEDs are completely wireless, meaning they’re powered by batteries. This is both their greatest advantage and disadvantage, as although it makes them easy to install and live with, the batteries will run dry eventually.
Some are rechargeable, but you still want them to have a long battery life — I’d recommend 50 to 100 hours.
- Color Temperature/Color
If you’re opting for a single color LED, you’ll still have to select a color temperature for said color. Measured in Kelvins, color temperature spans from cozy yellow-tinted lights, through to cool and clinical blue tinted lights.
Color temperature isn’t relevant to RGB LEDs, as they give you the power to choose from millions of different colors.
- Lumens
Lumens are a unit used to express the brightness of a light source. You’ll want your chosen lights to be luminous enough for the application you have in mind.
- Size & Quantity
Alongside lumens, you should consider how many lights you’ll need to get a decent spread throughout your living space.
- Control Method
Some LEDs are managed using a remote control, while others with more adjustability can be controlled via a companion app on your phone. Which would you prefer?
Don’t Neglect Your Bedroom
If there’s one area of the house that LED lighting can really take to the next level, it’s the bedroom, and no I’m not just talking about sexy mood lighting (I’m also not not talking about sexy mood lighting), but our physiological relationship with light.
Using certain LED colors in our bedrooms, we can facilitate a better night’s sleep, and a more peaceful environment, something that we can all benefit from in today’s million-miles-an-hour world.
In terms of the type of LED lighting you should use for your bedroom, the sky’s the limit. If you have shelves, some bar or strip lights can make them pop.
Strip lights can also be used as an under-bed frame to create an amazing ambient snoozing spot, and a smart bulb will give you articulate control over primary lighting.
Don’t Forget Your Outdoor Spaces
Did you know you can buy waterproof LED lights? Well you can, which means you can beautify your outdoor spaces with highly customizable lights.
These products can really take your patio, deck, balcony, or even your entire yard to the next level, visually speaking.
Chase Away The Shadows
Shelving and cabinets are fantastic, but they gather some shadows. LEDs can fix this issue too.
A sleek, small cabinet light will stick to the underside of your furniture, and illuminate whatever’s beneath it.
What Can I Expect From Wireless LED Battery Life?
It’s hard to give you a concise answer here, as battery life is subject to a number of variables. Certain fixtures will use more or more powerful batteries than others, and others still will be more energy efficient in their circuitry.
Then you have to consider how often we use our wireless LED lights. The more we turn them on, the more power they’ll use, and the quicker the batteries will run dry.
Lighting mode is another contributing factor. Those with eco functions or timers will make the most of their battery life by conserving energy, while those that can only be on at full capacity will typically run out of juice at a much faster rate.
To give you a general range, you can expect the batteries in a wireless LED fixture to last between 25 and 100 hours.
If they’re constantly on, you’re looking at something more to the tune of 6 to 12 hours, and a full recharge can take anywhere between 2 and 7 hours.
For a beefy battery life, I’d keep an eye out for products with 3800 mAh batteries. 2500 mAh will serve you just fine if you use the fixture sparingly, but the higher the mAh, the better.
The Best Wireless LED Lights For Your Home For Those Tightening The Purse Strings
One of the best things about LED lighting is that it doesn’t have to break the bank, and you don’t necessarily have to sacrifice quality for a more reasonable price tag either! Functionality? Yes, a little, but not everyone is after an all-singing-all dancing light show in every room of their house.
OUR TOP PICK
Brilliant Evolution LED Puck Lights
EDITORS CHOICE
BEST VALUE
Power Practical Luminoodle String Light
OUR TOP PICK
Brilliant Evolution LED Puck Lights
These puck lights are designed to be fitted beneath cabinets in kitchens or garages, but nothing’s to stop you using them under shelving, as wall lights, or, well… anywhere really.
They have a warm 3000K glow that goes well with earthy tones and wooden furniture, and during my tests, as expected, they were a total cinch to install.
I chose to use the adhesive tape, but it comes with screws if you want more of a permanent fixture; batteries are also included.
Each light gives off 55 lumens, which makes them more of an aesthetic choice than a task-oriented one, but you do get some pretty advanced features, such as dimming, remote activation, and various auto-off timings, all engaged with using the included remote control.
But in my opinion, the real win here is the stacked battery life. These lights will keep on glowin’ for approximately 100 hours of usage, which is certainly nothing to sniff at!
Pros
- Feature-rich — Great appointments for the price
- Battery life — 100 hours if used strategically
- Easy setup — Installation takes seconds
Cons
- Not rechargeable — I’d advise investing in rechargeable batteries and a charger.
Also available from…
EDITORS CHOICE
Govee LED Smart Bulb
If you’re hoping to replace your existing bulbs with LEDs rather than augment your current setup with extras, you need something like the Govee LED Smart Bulb.
With an 800 lumen output, it’s powerful enough to take over from any of your established bulbs, and the dimmer function allows you to bring that luminosity down to match the ambience you’ve grown accustomed to.
It’s also compatible with the major smart home assistants, so you can unlock voice commands, which is very handy indeed.
At 2700K, it’s a particular warm light, which is why I mostly used it in my bedside lamp during my tests. It’s perfect for curling up and reading a good book before drifting off to sleep.
As this light comes with a companion app, you get all kinds of fun features to play with, including scenes, schedules, and various timers, and all while being as much as 90% more efficient than older technologies.
Pros
- Works with smart assistants — Voice commands make for effortless use.
- Price — Smart bulbs rarely have a price tag this good.
- Companion app — Unlocks tons of cool features.
- 800 lumens — Powerful enough to take over primary lighting duties
Cons
- Set Kelvins — Adjustable color temperature would be the icing on the cake.
Also available from…
BEST VALUE
Power Practical Luminoodle String Light
Besides having an awesome name, the Luminoodle is one of the best options for beautifying your shelves.
They combine the twinkly aesthetic of fairy lights with the task-oriented luminosity of typical LED string lights, giving you the best of both worlds.
I tested the Luminoodle out on my bookcase, and as soon as I saw that one shelf gloriously illuminated, I instantly reached for my computer to buy another 4 noodles — one for each of the other shelves.
If I’m being picky, the battery pack is a little bulky, but you’ll rarely notice, as the lights draw your attention magnificently, and if the pack is tucked away right at the back of a shelf, you’ll never see it.
I kind of wish it had recharge facilities, but I own a battery charger, so it wasn’t an essential criterion for me, though it’s something you may need to factor into your decision.
Pros
- Style — I love the fairy light twinkle factor
- Battery life — It’s been a while now, and mine are going strong!
- Easy installation — Stick and go
Cons
- Not rechargeable — Stock up on AAs.
Also available from…
The Best Wireless LED Lights For Your Home For Those Who Neither Want To Skrimp Nor Splurge
Got a bit of a budget, but don’t want to go overboard? No problem! Here are the best mid-range wireless LED lights on the market.
RUNNER UP
Lightbiz Closet LED Bar Lights
Even though closets are one of the best spaces to implement wireless LED lighting, it’s not something you first think about, but once you’ve witnessed these Lightbiz bars in action, you’ll never want the darkness to return.
With a 150 lumen output and pure white 5000K color temperature, they certainly shake the cobwebs loose in the morning as you’re picking your outfit, but they don’t hurt your eyes.
Plus, the absence of yellow or blue tint makes for some pristine color rendering, meaning you can see the true colors of all your clothes.
They can also be dimmed if you want something a little more subdued, and during my tests, I found the timer functions to work spectacularly, helping to save battery when I inevitably forgot to turn them off.
Pros
- Pure white — Awesome color rendering
- Dimmable — Sensitive eyes in the morning? No worries!
- Timers/motion sensor — Help conserve battery life
- Rechargeable — No need to panic buy batteries
Cons
- 800 mha — Charge life could be longer.
Also available from…
RUNNER UP
Goodland LED Closet Light Bars
If you’re happy to pay just a little more, instead of the Lightbiz bars, you can pick up this pair of Goodland closet bars. Conceptually, they’re very similar, but the devil is in the details here.
They have much larger 3600 mAh batteries, leading to a much longer charge life, and they are, of course, rechargeable – saving you money on replacements over time.
Another little upgrade to mention is the adjustable color temperature. You can choose between warm white, pure white, and cool white to suit the situation.
Additionally, the dimming function is completely stepless, meaning it can be precision adjusted to create your perfect closet light.
I’m not sure if they can quite emit 300 lumens (as advertised), but I was never anything but impressed by these lights during the testing phase.
My only qualm is that you only get two of them in a pack — I want more… lots more!
Pros
- 3600 mAh — That’s one beefy battery!
- Motion sensor — Keeps said beefy battery going longer
- Magnetic installation — Convenient for recharging
- Adjustable color temp — Tailor the tone to your tastes
Cons
- Lumens — 300 doesn’t sound right.
Also available from…
RUNNER UP
Philips Hue Smart LED Bulbs
These LED light bulbs from Philips are some of the best lighting you can get, mainly because you can control them to suit whatever mood you’re in.
By using their remote, you can dim the lights or change their color accents, offering 16 million colors! On top of that, you can even set a timer – perfect for turning the lights off before bed.
Thankfully, they come in the A19 size, meaning that they should fit right into your regular light fixtures.
This way, you won’t have to spend on installing them! On top of that, they offer 10 watts, which can produce up to 900 lumens.
This wattage is one of the best and most energy efficient, saving on your electricity bills too.
It shouldn’t need replacing either, coming with 25,000 lifetime hours of use. This means that it shouldn’t wear down quickly! Just in case, though, it comes with a handy 3 year warranty.
Pros
- 16 million colors – loads of variety!
- A19 size – fits right into your home
- 10 watts – efficient and powerful
- 25,000 lifetime hours – should last a long time
- 3 year warranty – free replacement
Cons
- Cost – admittedly more expensive than others, but worth it!
Also available from…
Final Thoughts
There you have it! If you’re looking to buy high quality wireless LED lights, our guide should have given you a good idea of what to look for in them before you buy. On top of that, you can follow our list, making the decision for you!
