[NewsPoster]

It's that time again, folks: we're back with another LED smartbulb to check out. This time the offering comes from Elgato, with a reasonably-priced little number called the Avea. We're here to find out if the Avea holds a candle (heh, light joke!) to our former favorite, or if it ends up as another failed attempt at a cool idea.


Like all smartbulbs, the Avea is designed to work with its own app. It's quite a bit like the Misfit Bolt app, with various moods you can pick, as well as some predefined color swatches to check out. It's easy to navigate, and linking the bulb to the app happens very quickly -- basically as soon as you turn on the bulb and then open the app. We love when there's no hassle, and to date, we've not had a smartbulb that has been easier to set up than the Avea.

There's a lot we like about the Avea. As far as mood lighting goes, we feel like the Avea is one of the better ones we've come across. There's an extremely realistic fireplace-simulating mode called "cozy flames" that boasts the perfect amount of reds, oranges, and yellows gently flickering from your favorite lampshade. As far as whites go, the Avea features some of the nicest white shades -- either being slightly warm or slightly cool -- that we've encountered as well. If you're looking for an smartbulb that doesn't take a lot of fussing, the Avea might be what you're looking for.

Of course, it's not all Skittles and sunshine, either. Avea is missing a lot of features we've come to expect from a smartbulb as well. There's no color picker -- just preset colors, and color scenes, that you can pick through. The vibrancy feature also seems a bit lacking, as most colors tend to be extremely vivid, especially yellows and greens. If you want something that is going to provide a subtly-colored or highly-customizable experience, we'd suggest checking out Satechi's smartbulb, the Spectrum, which had some of the best subtle "blending" capabilities we've come across.

We also had one other minor problem, and that was that after being on for several hours, the Avea became unresponsive to the app. The solution? Turn off the light, and turn it back on again. Not particularly bothersome, but if you're just looking to dim the lights or switch to another scene, it is a bit of a concern. That being said, we didn't think that it was enough to completely deter us from using it.

Still, when weighing the good versus the bad, we actually enjoy the Avea. The app is solid, the bulb provides nice light, and overall it was one of the better experiences we've had. We still prefer the Misfit Bolt that we'd checked out a few months prior, but only by a slim margin. Again, it all comes down to the type of smartbulb you're looking for. If you're interested in snagging your very own Avea, you can get it from the Elgato website for $40.

Who the Avea Smartbulb could please:
If you want a smartbulb that can be used as normal, bright white lighting, as well as the occasional mood lighting for special occasions, we think that this is the bulb for you.

Who might not like the Avea Smartbulb:
If you're looking for a robust app to control your smartbulb, we're still going to have to recommend the Misfit Bolt -- the lack of a color picker ended up hurting the Avea bulb in the long run.

-- Amber Neely (@SurferAmber)

Readers: do you have an app or product that you'd like to see us review? Developers and designers: do you want us to take a look at your app or product? Send your suggestions to our Tips email.

[davoud]

No mention of the wattage equivalent?

[Amber Neely]

David,

This bulb is a 7w LED with a lumen output of about 430, which makes it comparable to a 40w incandescent which have around 430-450, depending on manufacturer, but you can also dim the Avea as needed.

The issue with wattage is that it's actually not a measurement of light, so the output of light vary from bulb to bulb. Good comment, though!

-Amber

[Steve Wilkinson]

I think the big question would be compatibility with other software... like Home Kit? I don't want each device to be controlled from it's own app. Also, for a bedroom, it would be nice to have the sunrise programs and such for wakeup.

But, I'm glad to see this stuff coming down in price. I got into LED bulbs fairly early (our whole house is LED bulb-based), and a number of earlier bulbs were just horrible in light quality. My favorite have been the Philips, though I've not tried the color ones yet. We'd like to get a few for the bedroom to cut night-time reading blue-hues and do wakeup programs and such.

[Amber Neely]

The Avea isn't bad, honestly, but I still prefer the Bolt. It's dropped in price to $30 a bulb (still expensive!) has sunrise features, and has a lot of nice presets. The app is pretty decent as well, but I totally get the whole "I don't want to have multiple apps controlling multiple lights," which is my situation right now. It is a pain. I plan on getting a few more Bolts in the future, though, because I really do think they're a great product.