Cync - A19 Smart LED Light Bulbs (4 Pack) - Soft White

Q: I am wanting to upgrade to smart lighting and can't decide between the C by GE 3 wire switch or light bulbs such as these. Does anyone know what the pros and cons are of one vs the other? Would there ever really be a reason to use them both together?

A: Jfree, 3 wire switch can use almost any type of bulb (don’t have to use smart bulbs which can save some money if you have several lights associated with a single switch as in my setup with several recessed ceiling lights controlled by one switch). Also, switch will control grouped lights together, whereas individual smart bulbs, even if grouped together in a “room” group, may have slight delays between them when turning on the “group”. Installation is a little more involved with wired switches but if you are handy/familiar with house AC wiring, not that big a deal (just observe all safety protocols). It helps to have deeper electrical boxes though as the switches are relatively deep and when placing in shallower depth boxes, especially when used in a multi-gang arrangement, it can be a little tough getting the wiring in place. I have self-wired about 50 switches in my home, so am familiar and comfortable doing this, but some installs were much more difficult than others. Cost to have an electrician do this work is substantial. If you own your home and expect to be in it awhile, it is nice to have switches hard wired. If you are renting, then the slight disadvantages of smart bulbs (the slight lag when grouped, cost per bulb being somewhat higher (although at the current deal price of $14.99 for 4 is getting close to many non-smart LEDS) etc may be outweighed by the fact that you can just take the bulbs with you when you move. BTW, unlike some brands where you must keep power to the bulb at all times so that it is powered to maintain the WiFi or BT connection (in other words, if you turn off the switch that controls the socket, you lose control via your smart app), with the CbyGE system, you can combine their switches with their bulbs (although I do not know why you would want to do this) and control the bulb (dim, turn on or off) without losing control via the App or via Voice control (Alexa Echo etc) even if you turn the bulb off via the switch. Overall, I think the decision comes down to 1) whether you rent or own, 2) if you just want to test the waters of home automation/voice control (bulbs indicated if just testing), 3) how many bulbs you are planning to replace with smart bulbs, and 4) how comfortable you are with doing home wiring at the switch box or how much you are willing to pay someone else to install the switches. Hope this helps.

Q: Can these bulbs be used outside on porch?

A: They probably can, as long as you have decent wifi signal there.

Q: do you need a internet connection just for around the house use, no remote connection? _______ Can I control these from my laptop?

A: Hi Antial, our direct connect light bulbs require wifi to pair and use with the Cync app, and are not able to be controlled via a laptop due to the app being available only on mobile devices. However we do also sell bluetooth only bulbs as well. Feel free to contact us at 1-844-302-2943 if you have additional questions. -Cync Support Team

Q: Does it work on 5G Wifi?

A: No it does not. It only works on 2.4gHz

Q: Is this compatible with the SmartThings hub?

A: These direct connect lights are not compatible with smart things hub. They are direct connect so they do not need a hub if using them directly with Alexa or google home. Feel free to contact us directly at 1-844-302-2943 if you have any additional questions. -C by GE Support

Q: If you turn off something thats plugged into the switch directly, does it also turn off the bulbs connected to it or are they independent of each other?

A: Hey Richt, If you are using the C by GE bulbs with a C by GE in-wall wired switch, the switch will know that you are using our bulbs (its a setting you choose at setup in the C by GE app) and you can turn on and off the switch like normal with no impact to the functionality of the bulbs. If you are using a C by GE plug, however, we do not recommend plugging a device that has C by GE bulbs installed in it. The plug cuts the power to the device and the bulbs need constant power to function properly.

Q: I have a ceiling fan in my living room. Will these work in that fixture? If so would I just keep the wall switch on and turn lights on or off with the app? Thanks

A: Yes. We purchased these because of a ceiling fan as well. I wanted to be able to dim the lights - and the electric isn't set up. Keep the light switch on and use the app or Alexa to dim the light. It's great. And if the lights are off we can still use the fan.

Q: Hi, will these work with 220v Volt? (I have the Philips Hue that I bought in America, 110v that work great with 220v) Thank You.

A: They work perfectly fine. I decided to test those and bought them a day ago at a good deal as I didn’t see them being rated just for 110V. Returned to Bulgaria and tested them. The app works, the bulbs work. We are at 220V here. Will see what their life will be, but already 4 hours no problem.