Here’s the Deal

Ilumi vs Cree Connected

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When comparing Ilumi vs Cree Connected, the Slant community recommends Ilumi for most people. In the question“What are the best smart bulbs?” Ilumi is ranked 8th while Cree Connected is ranked 13th. The most important reason people chose Ilumi is:

There are 3 bulbs that are part of Ilumi's lineup - the regular A19 LED bulb which replaces a regular 60-watt bulb, BR30 Flood LED bulb which offers more light ideal for track or recessed lighting, as well as an Outdoor Flood LED which is similar to the indoor flood light, but it has been treated to be weatherproof.

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Common Questions

What are the best smart bulbs?

Ilumi

Cree Connected

Pros

Pro
Different bulbs available

Pro
Selective integration

The Ilumi works with Google's Nest Thermostat as well as IFTTT (If This Then That - an app and web service that lets you automate actions based on variables...it works like coding, without needing to know how to code). This allows for cool things like flashing the bulbs when you receive a call or text, turning on the bulbs when they sense your phone is near, etc.

Ilumi is also planning on opening its software to developers in the near future, allowing for even more unique uses, however that hasn't happened yet.

Pro
No central hub needed

Each bulb hooks directly up with your smartphone, removing the need for any central hub.

Pro
Inexpensive

At just $15, this is one of the most inexpensive smart bulbs available. It's great not only as a first step into smart bulbs, but also as an inexpensive addition into a Philips Hue or other compatible bulb system.

Pro
Many options for automation

Robots is an easy to use automation tool that lets you take control and create your own recipes for your bulbs to follow (flash blue when you receive a text, flash red when the door opens, etc). Shortcuts are also supported - you can setup a cluster of lights to all enter a pre-determined mode with the touch of a single button. Also supported is scheduled lighting - you can have the lights dim near bedtime, and start to illuminate in the morning to help ease the sleep process.

Pro
Compatible with many ecosystems

At launch it was only compatible with Wink, but since then has added Staples Connect, SmartThings, and Philips Hue Bridge support. This allows for a wide range of hardware (at varying prices), as well as your choice of ecosystem.

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Cons

Con
Limited to bluetooth range

The Ilumi bulbs only use bluetooth (no WiFi), but they work together through a mesh network so that if you are within bluetooth range of one of them, you are in range with all of them. Range is said to be about 150 feet away from the outermost bulb.

Con
Slow response

Two headlining features of the Ilumi are slow to react - Music Sync should change the color of the bulbs along with any music that is playing, however it lags behind and doesn't respond well. The same can be said for the Torch Mode which is supposed to turn on your lights when it senses your phone is near.

Con
Very expensive

$60 per bulb is very expensive, even for smart bulbs. They are energy efficient, and also rated up to 20 years of lifetime which can help justify the cost a bit.

Con
Below average color rendering

The colors that the Cree connected provides are just below average for smart bulbs. At 80% of the spectrum, they fall behind the GE Link (90%), Belkin WeMo (88%), and Osram (81%) but a hair ahead of the Philips Hue (79%).

Con
Hub required

You will need a hub, but at least you can pick your choice of hardware from cheap solutions ($30) that just control the lights to $50+ systems that can be the brains for your whole connected house.

Con
Poor lightswitch dimming

As with all smart bulbs with in-app dimming, dimming from a lightswitch provides less than optimal results. The two dimming systems both try to take control, which results in flickering and some buzzing.