I’ve recently taken the plunge into the world of smart lighting by purchasing 8 Philips Wiz bulbs. After living with harsher color temperatures for far too long, the warmer tones of these bulbs have been a breath of fresh air. Plus, the price point is incredibly appealing compared to their Hue counterparts.
The bulbs themselves are a breeze to set up using the iPhone app, and the fact that they’re Wi-Fi based means no hub is required. However, as someone who’s deeply invested in Home Assistant, I’ve been itching to integrate them into my setup for more seamless automation.
While the SmartThings Cloud integration works, it’s far from perfect. I can’t help but feel that these bulbs are crying out for a native Home Assistant integration. I’ve reached out to the manufacturer to inquire about an API, but so far, the response has been less than encouraging.
In the meantime, I’ve been experimenting with automations using the existing integrations. For instance, I’ve set up a system where the lights dim slightly when the room is empty, then return to full brightness when motion is detected. It’s a simple yet effective way to save energy without sacrificing comfort.
If anyone has any tips on how to advocate more effectively for a native integration, or has found creative ways to work around the current limitations, I’d love to hear them! Let’s keep pushing for better integration with devices like these.
Cheers, and happy automating!