WiZ is a startup brand founded in 2017, and joined Signify in 2019. Signify is formerly Philips Lighting who launched the new company in 2018 and will continue to use the PHILIPS brand under license. On this article, I will be reviewing two products from WiZ Connected: the 2-metre LED Strip Starter Kit and the E27 Smart Colour Bulb, that are launched in July.
WiZ LED Strip 2M Starter Kit
This starter kit comes with a 2-metre strip light, controller and power driver. I like that all of them are separate components which can be replaced individually. It supports 16 million colors, adjustable from warm white to daylight. This is achieved with three LED – one daylight, one warm white, one colour, as you can see from below. These three LED will be combined to produce the needed colour combination,
Installation is so straightforward: just find a suitable area to stick the strip, then run the cables to the nearest power plug, install the WiZ app, and then follow the on-screen instructions to switch on the power, discover the device in less than a minute, and you’re done. The device run over Wi-Fi, so there is no hub required. I got the strip up and running within a minute, literally. Even if you do not have the app, you can also change the light colour by switching off and on the power, and it will cycle through the preset favourites which you can define from the app.
The starter kit comes with a 2-meter length LED strip, and additional strip comes in 1-metre length. You can cut the LED strip at designated sections (with a scissor icon). You can connect up to 10 metres per strip.
The smartphone app is clean, spacious, functional. You can select the type of light colour from the preset list. Sliding out the menu bar on the left, you can access other functions like Scenes, Rhythms and Schedules, as well as other setups like Rooms, Lights, Accessories, as well as checking the energy consumption of the WiZ products. It is possible to control the lights anywhere outside the house as long as the home network is connected online.
There are also a long list of integrations with other IoT platforms, including Google Home, Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, IFTTT. Apple HomeKit is not supported but there is workaround through other voice assistants like Google or Alexa. Once enabled, you can easily control the WiZ lights via voice.
There are also dynamic modes where the light changes colour automatically. For instance, selecting “Candlelight” will make the lights flicker, while “Party” will keep changing colours. You can set the speed of the transition, but there is no option to create your own dynamic light pattern from the app. There are two progressive light modes where the light will gradually brighten or dim.
You can also set timed changes throughout the day, which WiZ calls “Rhythm”. This allows the light to change to different lights throughout the day and night. Then there is also “Schedules” where you can specify a time to trigger a light mode.
I installed the light strip in my daughter’s room, and needless to say, she is elated. We can match the light colour to her bedsheet colour and dynamic patterns to create an ambience. I added her as a guest to the app so she can play around the controls.
The WiZ LED Strip Starter Kit retails AT $104.90. Additional 1-metre extension strip costs $27.90.
WiZ A.E27 Smart Color bulb
The smart bulb with E27 screw mount can be easily retrofitted into any lamp shade to create the ambience of your choice with 16 million colors as well as warm to cool white light (2200K – 6500K). It consumes just 8W, producing an equivalent brightness of 60W with a bright 806 lumens.
All the features explained for the LED Light Strip applies to the Smart Bulb. I simply replace my existing lamp bulb with this Smart Bulb, pair it to the WiZ smartphone app, and I’m ready to control the bulb. The WiZ Smart Bulb feels very lightweight compared to Philips Hue bulbs, and it does not need a Hub. On the other hand, Philips Hue offer more integration with third-party apps and supports multiple bulb synchronisation, so it’s not to be written off.
For normal lighting scenario, the WiZ smart lighting is easy to set up and control. Compared to other coloured smart bulbs, the WiZ smart bulbs come with a long list of preset light modes to enjoy dynamic lighting. Retails at S$31.90.
