Expanding its footprint in the smart home, Abode has added color-changing smart bulbs to its product line-up. Consumers typically perceive Abode as a DIY home security company, so this marks something of an expansion of their positioning. Yes, Abode’s security gateways enable smart home control of third-party Z-Wave devices, but this is breaking away from that approach somewhat. Abode’s new bulbs are WiFi-based with Bluetooth LE for easier onboarding. This is a common vein in early Matter plans, but so far there’s no talk of Matter support.
In some ways, you can see this as an extension of Abode’s security offerings. They’ll work with Abode’s security gateways, but they don’t require one. Like with Ring Smart Lighting, you might add Abode bulbs to your home to respond to events—to light the entry when someone’s at the door or light a path when you arrive home. Or you could use color to indicate different events, like red light during an alarm event, like old Works with Nest integrations. You can use Abode’s CUE automation engine (for a monthly fee) or set up routines through Alexa and Google Assistant. And while the Abode’s gateways also work with HomeKit, these bulbs do not.
The new bulbs are available now direct from Abode at an introductory price of $29.99 for two. We’re glad to see Abode expanding its offerings, and lighting is a logical step here. We’d like to see Abode’s new products work with HomeKit—particularly after they added it to their gateways two years ago.
