Smart Home Gear Review: The Misfit Bolt Smartbulb

the Misfit Bolt Smart Light Bulb ($49.99) is the latest innovation from the same people who brought us the Flash smartphone remote control and wearable fitness/sleep monitor. It’s a wirelessly connected smart LED bulb that’s controlled by your iPhone or iPad. With the Bolt, you can select from millions of easy-to-adjust color combinations. You can also set the Bolt to remember your last light level and color choice and return to that each time you turn it on.

The Bolt is a sturdy little feat of engineering. Although I’ve only been using one for a few weeks, I see how it could last a couple of decades, as the manufacturer claims. It has a thick glass half dome that provides 170-degree light diffusion and uses a proprietary light diffusion layer on the glass, resulting in zero hot spots and gallery-quality lighting.

The bulb body is constructed of durable aluminum that has rows of heat sink fins, which direct heat away from the bulb’s electronic components. The base of the bulb, where it screws into the lamp socket, is a standard size and will fit many household applications. It’s a heavy bulb, considerably heavier than a standard incandescent, and even heavier than a CFL, something to keep in mind when considering the appropriate style of lamp to use with the Bolt.

Pros:

• iOS app lets you control the color of the Bolt from over 30 feet away.
• Pairs directly with your smartphone (and will soon pair with your misfit Flash), no hub needed.
• The Bolt uses LED technology, which doesn’t use a lot of electricity or generate a lot of heat.
• I enjoyed being able to select a shade of light at night that was a muted amber, something that would sufficiently illuminate my work area without having the blue light spectrum that studies suggest can be disruptive to our natural circadian rhythms and melatonin production.
• With the Misfit app, you can connect multiple Bolts in different rooms and control them from your smartphone or tablet.
• You can save $20 if you buy three studs, which might be a better solution for someone looking to have a connected smart home lighting system. ($129.99)

Cons:

• Heavy for a light bulb, but not prohibitively so.
• I would have liked to see more synchronous automation, like being able to pulse to the beat of music or emulate the action on a TV with lighting effects. I wouldn’t be surprised if Misfit introduces more Bolt connectivity features in future updates.

final verdict:

The Bolt is a sturdy, well-built bulb, offering some convenient features, especially if you want to be able to change the lighting as often as you change your mood. At one cent out of $50, it’s an investment; but considering its estimated useful life, it certainly pays for itself over time.