LIFX, a company that makes a range of smart light bulbs and other lighting products, recently embraced HomeKit and introduced several HomeKit-compatible lights that are an alternative to the popular Philips Hue line of smart lights.
One of the new products that`s been updated with HomeKit support is the LIFX Z, a $90 light strip that`s comparable to the LightStrip Plus from Philips, which I was able to test this week. The LIFX Z is a multi-zone light strip that supports up to 16 million colors, and like the Philips Hue LightStrip Plus, it measures in at 6.6 feet. You can buy extensions to make it longer.
I`m deep in the Hue ecosystem with seven Hue lights in my office alone, so it was interesting to try an alternate solution. LIFX products, unlike Hue, connect directly to WiFi and thus don`t require a bridge for functionality. This is nice because it means there`s nothing to connect to your home router, but I did notice that the LIFX Z can be slower to respond to input than the Hue products.
LIFX Z bottom, Hue LightStrip Plus on top
Design wise, the LIFX Z looks a lot like the Hue LightStrip Plus. It`s a strip of LED lights with an adhesive backing that can be attached to cabinets, desks, walls, and more. At one end, there`s what I assume is a controller for HomeKit, which can also be attached next to the lights with adhesive, and a power adapter that needs to be plugged in.
The LIFX Z light strip is thinner than the Philips version, and it comes in two pieces that attach together with thin metal prongs. The Hue LightStrip is all one piece and is thicker, so it feels sturdier. I`m worried about the longevity of the LIFX Z, especially if I choose to move it sometime in the future because of the delicate prongs and the thinner design.
LIFX Z has two LEDs that are close together, a design that repeats, while Hue uses three repeating LEDs. In actual usage, both seem to output the same general shades with the same ...
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