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LIFX Mini Day & Dusk review

Adjustable white bulb type. Priced at $45.

CHOICE Expert Rating

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CHOICE Expert rating

This is the product's overall performance score, based on key tests conducted by our industry experts in the CHOICE labs.

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Good points

• Lights will still work over Wi-Fi in the event of an internet outage as long as you remain logged into the app
• Wi-Fi bulb that does not require a hub
• Very easy to set up and use
• Colour selection screens show the colour value in Kelvin in addition to the colour itself, which can give better control over scenes
• Has a mode to adjust the colour of the bulb to the time of day

Bad points

• Lights will not work in the event of an internet outage if you are not already logged into the app
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CHOICE Expert Rating View more details.

This overall score consists of: Ease of use (60%), App responsiveness (25%), Luminosity (10%), Energy (5%).

Ease of use View more details.

Ease of use score made up of Set up (25%), Remote access (20%), Documentation (20%) App layout and functions (25%), and Reset procedure (10%).

App responsiveness score View more details.

App responsiveness is evaluated in a same-room scenario (the router is in the same room as the bulbs), and we judge not only the responsiveness of the bulb turning on and off, but also its dimming and changing of colour.

Luminosity score View more details.

The lumens figure we obtain is compared against the claim on the box as a percentage, and a scale is used to assign a score based on that percentage difference.

Energy score View more details.

We measure each light bulb's energy efficiency, rated in lumens per watt & the amount of light put out per watt of electricity used.

Measured initial average light output (lumens) View more details.

Our measure of initial average brightness refers to each bulb being fresh out of the packaging. It's possible for bulbs to lose luminosity over time.

Recommended View more details.

We recommend smart lights that score 77% or more.

Availability View more details.

'Tested model' means you ought to be able to find this in retailers. We check availability every time we test, which is about 6-10 times a year.

Tested model
Price View more details.

Price for individual bulbs and kits

$45
Price per bulb View more details.

Price for individual bulbs paid

$45
Yearly power consumption cost View more details.

Assumes five hours of use per day and 19 hours in standby for the bulb only (disregarding infrastructure costs such as the router) at a cost of 30 cents per kilowatt hour; based on the out-of-box colour temperature (warm) of the bulb and maximum brightness; power consumption will vary depending on the colour temperature and brightness settings that are used. 

Bulb type View more details.

White: Non-adjustable tone. Warm white or cool white out of the box.

Adjustable white: Light temperature can be adjusted to warm or cool white, as well as colour tones in-between.

Adjustable colour: As well as the cool/warm white spectrum, bulb could be set to multiple colours such as red, blue, green - often up to 16 million tones.

Adjustable white
Stated light output (lumens)
800
Power rating (watts)
9
Incandescent equivalent (watts) View more details.

The power of the smart light LED bulb compared to that of a regular incandescent bulb.

60
Power consumption (kWh) View more details.

As tested, at full brightness, on the factory default colour setting, in kilowatt-hours.

Standby power consumption (kWh) View more details.

As tested, with bulb off, but connected to the Wi-Fi network, in kilowatt-hours.

Stated life (hours) View more details.

Number of life hours stated on product packaging.

25000
Heat emissions (ºC) View more details.

The hottest part of the bulb as measured with a thermal imaging camera after being on for at least one hour.

Beam angle (degrees) View more details.

This figure indicates the coverage you can expect.

250
Wireless technology View more details.

ZigBee: Smart lights connect to a bridge/hub, which in turn connects to a Wi-Fi router.

Wi-Fi, 2.4GHz: Smart lights connect directly to your Wi-Fi router and don't need a bridge/hub.

Wi-Fi, 2.4GHz
Connection to network View more details.

Some smart lights require a central bridge (or hub) to work, others don't. There are benefits and drawbacks to each approach but there is an initial extra cost when choosing a light that needs a bridge.

No bridge required
Dimensions (mm, width x height)
60 x 108
Weight (g)
139
Warranty (years)
2
Website
lifx.com.au
Android app
Yes
iOS app
Yes
Android widget support
Yes
iOS widget support
Yes
Amazon Alexa
Yes
Apple HomeKit (Siri)
Yes
Google Assistant
Yes
IFTTT View more details.

If This Then That (IFTTN) allows your smart devices to act in a group with one action prompting another. For example, if you turn on the TV, the smart display music in the next room may turn the volume down.

Yes
Scenes View more details.

Scenes are used to automatically change the brightness or colour of a lamp (or multiple lamps) to a setting that represents a task or event (eg: movie, or party).

Yes
Sunrise/sunset control View more details.

Works by using the regional setting of the device, automatically changing colour temperature to suit time of day.

Yes
Geofencing View more details.

Geofencing is a virtual barrier that can act as a trigger for a certain home automation action. For example, leaving your home (with your smartphone in your pocket) could trigger a network connected alarm to activate or the lights to turn off or on.

No
Away mode View more details.

Away mode simulates light activity, making it look like someone is home.

No
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