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Add to SafariWhen comparing Ilumi vs Osram Lightify Classic, the Slant community recommends Ilumi for most people. In the question“What are the best smart bulbs?” Ilumi is ranked 8th while Osram Lightify Classic is ranked 11th. 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.
Question Ranking
Pros
Pro Different bulbs available
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.
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 Choice of hardware
Linked above is the classic bulb style, but Osram offers a few different products that fall into its Lightify family of products. These include an RGB flexible strip of LEDs (really cool desk/counter/home theatre accent lighting), and two other cheaper bulbs that don't offer RGB lighting (one has adjustable color temperature, the other doesn't).
Pro Access to 2 major ecosystems
These bulbs aren't attached to their own proprietary ecosystem - they are built to be compatible with Wink and WeMo which are already established ecosystems which allow for third party automation as well as other features.
Pro Very efficient
While any LED will be more efficient than incandescent bulbs, the Osram Lightify is one of the most efficient smart bulbs currently available, providing 89 lumens per watt (beating WeMo at 87, Philips Hue at 81, and GE Link at 78).
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 Lacks polish
The app isn't as intuitive as the other higher-end competitors, and lights have a slight delay when turning on.
Con Short lifespan
While virtually every other smart bulb is rated at 25,000 hours, the Osram Lightify is only rated at 20,000 hours. While it isn't certain these lights will clunk out before the others, it seems more likely.
