I have been a Philips Hue user for a number of years. They are rock solid, but they aren’t cheap. Recently, one of the bulbs in my hallway finally gave up the ghost. Instead of dropping $45 on a replacement, I decided to look at what the “Matter era” has brought to the table in terms of Wi-Fi only bulbs. I found a Matter-native option that costs less than $10 per bulb. It connects directly over Wi-Fi, requires no hub outside of a HomePod/Apple TV, and works with Apple Home right out of the box.
