When comparing Ilumi vs MagicLightSmart LED Light Bulb, the Slant community recommends Ilumi for most people. In the question“What are the best smart bulbs?” Ilumi is ranked 8th while MagicLightSmart LED Light Bulb is ranked 12th. 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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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 Easy bulb managing
You can select up to 5 bulbs to be part of a group, and a single bulb can be part of multiple different groups. This lets you manage the bulbs room by room, which is much easier than changing each bulb individually.
Pro Lighting modes for any occasion
Through the app, you have access to many lighting modes. From 'disco' which pulses in-beat with the music to timers and configurable color pallets to even selecting a color by using your phone's camera and looking at an object, these lights seem to have it all.
Pro Control the lights from anywhere
Because they use Wi-Fi, these bulbs can be controlled from anywhere as long as you have an internet connection. That means that you can turn your lights on from work if you are expecting a delivery, you can turn them on while you're on vacation to deter buglers and more. Also, it's convenient. You can turn your lights on at home when you leave from work, or by tapping your phone to a NFC tag (if you use third party software and set it up beforehand).
Pro Great at reproducing all colors
Instead of a typical RGB setup, this uses RGBW LEDs. That is, there is a red LED, a green LED, a blue LED, as well as a regular white LED. This allows for more natural whites - regular RGB bulbs try to mix a white color by turning all 3 LEDs on but depending on where you are standing you may be closer to the red LED, so the light will look a bit reddish. The dedicated white LED solves any potential issues.
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 No en mass controls
At most, you can adjust 5 bulbs at a time (if they are in the same group). That means that at night, you may have to go through the app and turn off 5-6 different rooms. There is no universal 'off' button to turn all the lights off, or change them all at once.
Con RGB or white
This bulb has a dedicated white LED, however you cannot use the white LED and turn on another LED to give it a splash of color - its either in RGB mode or pure white. You can attempt to re-create white using the RGB LEDs, and customize the color that way, however it is not possible to use all 4 LEDs at once.