Where we live is very dark and after driving home it can be very difficult to see getting in the house.

I’m after a bulb that I can put in our exterior light that will switch on when for example I’m within 500m of home, and stay on for 10 mins or a determined time.

To work from iPhones

Sorry really don’t know my smart bulb technology 😁

Should be fine with a Philips Hue for that but will also need a bridge (either a standalone device or they’re often built into upper end model smart speakers). I know it can do geofencing (which it sounds like what you’re after) but although I have an external one I just have it on a timer as my routine is pretty set. Mine connects fine to my WiFi (from outside the front door to upstairs where my router is) but it’s a cheap build (thin walls) and small house so you might need an extender or mesh WiFi if you’re in a big house or have a lot of walls between it and the router.

I think some other makes can work without a bridge but no experience of those myself…

Or just go low tech and have a normal light linked to a PIR :p

I’m contemplating getting something like this…

Smart bulb

to do exactly the same thing.

Does sound more like a job for a PIR.

Be cheaper to just buy a wifi light switch for <£10 and fit that rather than a hub & bulb.

Can set timed schedules or just turn it on/off remotely via an app on your phone.

PrinceJohn has it just buy a generic smart bulb that don’t need hubs, I’ve not tried with geofencing though but you can easily set up schedules.

Lifx bulbs will be reduced in Black Friday (Usually are) This will do what you want and will be about £30.

PIR is out as it’s a decorative light housing.

Geofencing is needed as we don’t have a standard routine for coming and going.

Currently it’s a 60w equivalent LED, a lot of the smart ones appear to be 40w max

Don’t really want to get in to any hub nonsense as have no need for smart lighting elsewhere

I don’t know how good they are, but I was in ASDA the other day and noticed they’re doing smart bulbs now. IIRC they were about £18.

I’ve got Phillips hue for outside lights in bingley, they are triggered by IFTTT at about Keighley golf club. Then I have a widget on my phone to turn them off (it’s possible I could shout at Google mini, I’ve got gen1 bridge so assumed it won’t, gen2 does). I don’t think IFTTT is sophisticated enough to add the ‘for 10 mins’ at the end. Although there may be others that work (stringify?). Let me know if you work it out because I’d like mine to auto turn off after 20mins. Also I’m not sure that location based trigger commands are so accurate or quick enough triggering (mast trigger phone to server to bridge) that they’ll work to 100mbconsistently but 500m should be ok, Phillips hue is much more consistent at actioning quickly than say my Honeywell Evohome which can take up to 10 mins to trigger the heating.

Actually, looks like hue might now have it’s own geofencing option in the app.

Stringify is no more. Iftt could be used to switch on the lamp when your phone connects to the WiFi network. Yonami is touted as a stringify alternative but I haven’t got around to looking at it yet.

Yeah Hue has the location based turn on option in the app, plus you have Hue labs with loads more routines.

I’ve got 2 Hue bulbs, a bridge, and the remote switch for my bedroom lights, I have the full colour ones which (with an app called sunrise alarm) lets me have them turn on gradually from a deep red, to a bright, warm white over 30 minutes. Really helps me to wake up in the mornings when it’s still pitch black outside. And the switch sits on the wall next to my bed.

Get a hue pack, look for a deal on the bulb then look for a bridge on ebay, people often buy the bulb pack and bridge, and sell off the bridge.

For outdoor lights they also do motion sesnors.

You say you have no need for any other smart bulbs, but… 🙂 there’s also smart plugs too

 I have the full colour ones which (with an app called sunrise alarm) lets me have them turn on gradually from a deep red, to a bright, warm white over 30 minutes.

Oo might have a look at that, it’s a separate app rather than a Hue Labs routine? My current sunrise routine is a bit crap as it’s based on percentages which in turn relate to the brightness the light was last on at. So if, before I go to bed, I have the bedroom light at 50% before it goes off then the gradual sunrise effect works pretty well. If I have it at 100% though then it comes on much brighter initially and stops at full brightness