Wiz is a manufacturer that promises connected bulbs as intelligent as those of the sector leader, while being less expensive. We therefore scrutinized the Wiz Colors E27 8W, its lighting qualities of course, but also the effectiveness of its motion detection function.
Wiz, owned by Philips, offers a range of connected bulbs that are more financially accessible than the Hue range, while taking advantage of an ecosystem that has its share of good ideas.
With the Wiz Colors E27 8W, the manufacturer offers a connected LED bulb capable of diffusing up to 16 million different colors. We therefore tested its light potential and its other strengths such as motion detection.
Design and functionality: stylistic commonality in action
It’s hard to get more common than this 6 x 12.2 cm connected bulb. Only the Wiz Colors inscription affixed to the side allows you to know its origin and betrays its connectivity. We therefore have a basic product in form, yet benefiting from a simply impeccable level of finish.
This bulb (8 W equivalent to 60 W) has a maximum brightness of 806 lumens and a color temperature ranging from 2,200 to 6,500 K. Which allows you to enjoy numerous shades of white and colors (16 million in theory). The energy efficiency announced by the manufacturer is 100 lm/W and it promises a lifespan of 25,000 hours and 50,000 ignition cycles, very positive figures.
Installation and configuration: child’s play
The Wiz V2 application is essential for installing, configuring and controlling the brand’s products.
Before installing the bulb, you will need to join a Home existing, or create one by clearly specifying the number and name of the pieces which compose it.
You can then add your new bulb. Before doing so, you will need to connect it and turn it on and off four times in a row to activate the pairing mode which is done via Bluetooth.
The installation process works perfectly, you will mainly have to enter the code of your Wi-Fi network.
Once your bulb is installed, Wiz V2 offers a sort of little tutorial that allows you to configure the bulb’s behavior, such as its reaction when you turn it on (resume the last state in memory or the pre-programmed default shade), or even the duration of the fade on and off.
The application offers a rather attractive and above all very clear interface. On the home page the rooms of your house are grouped together and you can turn the bulbs on or off in each room.
Tap on a part to have finer control of its bulbs. On the page that appears, the line Quick check applies your favorite lighting effects to all bulbs. The section Devices brings together the Wiz products associated with the room. Select a Colors bulb (here the A1) to access more functions.
In addition, each Wiz bulb, individually or in groups, can be integrated into pre-recorded light scenarios and you can of course create your own. They are distributed over the tabs Static And Dynamic. The first brings together fixed lighting ambiances and the second gives access to dynamic ambiances, with changes in brightness and colorimetry.
Please note, unlike many Philips Hue products, it is not possible to synchronize the light with music, video or video games. Finally, the tab Custom allows you to define the power and type of diffused light (white or color).
Going through the menu of SettingsWiz products provide access to a huge number of integrations with third-party services, from IFTTT to SmartThings, including Enki and voice assistants.
Still in the Settings menu, the application provides access to a function for monitoring overall energy consumption, room by room and bulb by bulb.
In use: effective and practical
The bulb announces a maximum light output of 806 lumens, which is lower than the Nanoleaf Essentials Matter Smart Bulb E27 and its 1,100 lumens, but at the same level as the Philips Hue White & Color Ambiance.
There are many shades of white, as many as with the Wiz Whites E27 8W. Whether you need soft light for watching a movie or powerful light to accurately build a model, this product delivers. As long as you stay above 40% to 50% power, you will be able to read comfortably in a 20 m² room.
The color mode offers beautiful nuances and the brightness is at a good level. However, it remains approximately 40 to 50% less bright than in white mode. It is therefore only there to create atmospheres and does not allow you to read comfortably, even at full power.
Wiz bulbs incorporate in-house motion detection technology. To do this, they use variations in the Wi-Fi signal in the presence of an animal or a human being. Two bulbs are necessary to ensure its proper functioning and we must admit that the result is simply stunning. As soon as we enter a room, the bulb turns on with, at worst, a delay of 2 to 3 seconds.
You can improve this result by setting a higher detection level, and thus make it more sensitive. You will certainly do the opposite if you have pets, otherwise you will consume power every time your furry friend wanders into a room.
Price and availability of the Wiz Colors E27 8W
The Wiz Colors E27 8W is available at the price of 19.99 euros on the manufacturer’s website and at partner resellers such as Amazon.