GE Cync good lighting evaluation: A worthy Philips Hue competitor
MSRP $19.99
Professionals
- Simple to arrange
- Simple to make use of
- App is uncluttered
- Nice number of lights
- App management is fast and responsive
- Works with all digital assistants
Cons
- May use a couple of ‘additional’ options
- Movement sensor was glitchy
As good houses change into extra dependable and highly effective, extra manufacturers are branching out into this house. Whereas merchandise like Ring and Philips Hue are well-known, there are positively much less well-liked manufacturers which can be additionally making waves. A kind of is GE Cync. The corporate’s good residence lineup features a huge number of devices from lights to thermostats to cameras. You possibly can say the Cync system (previously C by GE) is the darkish horse of the good residence world.
GE Cync good lighting evaluation
I lately had the chance to attempt a handful of GE’s lighting devices for a couple of weeks. On this evaluation, find out how the system works as a complete, and look in additional element at these merchandise:
- Cync Wire-Free Dimmer Change
- Good Movement Sensor
- Direct Join Shade Good Bulb
- Direct Join Gentle Strip
- Outside Good Plug
Whereas many good residence and lighting methods use hubs or bridges to attach these gadgets to your property’s Wi-Fi, GE Cync has chosen to make its gadgets direct-connect. Which means there’s no additional (and costly) elements to purchase; the lights are capable of talk with the Cync app on their very own, making for a extra streamlined system.
Organising GE Cync utilizing the Cync app
GE Cync is a refreshingly simple good residence system to navigate. The Cync app serves because the system’s management heart. The app is delightfully uncluttered, sleek-looking, and simple to navigate — even for brand spanking new customers.
The app permits distant management over gadgets, plus you possibly can arrange schedules and group lights into rooms and areas. You may as well use the app to hyperlink some gadgets collectively, comparable to a lightweight and movement detector.
Upon getting a Cync account, including gadgets is so simple as clicking the Add machine, ‘+’ signal, after which selecting the kind of product you’re establishing. Each single machine we arrange contained in the app went on-line in seconds. In brief, the Cync system is as simple and even simpler than different methods like Hue and Ring with regards to arrange.
Good lighting: GE Cync Direct Join Shade Good Bulb & Cync Wire-Free Dimmer Change
I arrange the GE Cync Direct Join Shade Good Bulb for use with the Cync Wire-Free Dimmer Switch within the bed room, making it simple to activate the bedside lamp from throughout the room. Organising each the lightbulb and the swap was extraordinarily simple utilizing the GE app, requiring simply a few faucets on the display screen. I created a room known as Bed room, then added every machine to it. A number of extra clicks, and I may assign the Wire-Free Dimmer Change to manage the sunshine bulb.
The sunshine bulb is a simple choice as a foray into the system — significantly in the event you’re beginning to construct a sensible residence. It modifications colours, and has totally different temperatures of white gentle, too; excellent for setting the temper. The Dimmer Change works nice with it, and offers extra management as a result of it lacked such a swap beforehand.
It’s additionally potential to set a timer for the sunshine bulb within the Cync app utilizing Scenes. I set my Scene to show the sunshine on dimly simply earlier than bedtime, then I might flip it off earlier than going to sleep. The Scenes function is intuitive to make use of and works nicely.
GE Cync Direct Join Gentle Strip
Subsequent, I arrange the Direct Connect Light Strip behind the couch, so it may act as a type of background ambient gentle in the lounge. I meant to arrange the movement sensor to activate the sunshine after I enter the room, however bumped into some troubles.
The movement sensor didn’t really appear to work, in that it will not journey the strip lights in any respect. In my troubleshooting, I re-connected it to the sunshine bulb within the bed room, and located it will flip that gentle on, but it surely took virtually a full 20 seconds for the sunshine to light up after strolling within the room. Not supreme. My guess is that there’s a glitch within the app or the firmware of this sensor (that I belief could also be remedied in some unspecified time in the future), so I set it apart and moved on.
GE Cync Outside Good Plug
Lastly, I attempted the GE Cync Outdoor Smart Plug, and this can be a nice machine for automating older patio or string lights, or one thing like a water fountain or bug zapper. The Outside Good Plug is a big oval-shaped block connected to a brief twine. Whereas the case is kind of massive, it feels nicely made, and there are two plugs below rubberized flaps that maintain issues weatherproof. You may flip the plug on and off with a press of the button on the highest of the unit, or use the app as a distant management. You may as well set every plug on a timer. There’s a mounting hook on the again as nicely, giving all of it a clear look.
My husband discovered the button function helpful to manage these lights, whereas I liked giving our terrace string lights, and placing a fountain on an automatic schedule so its lights would activate every night and switch off at bedtime.
The GE Cync Outside Good Plug labored like a dream and was tremendous simple to arrange and use; plus it appears sturdy sufficient to face up to the climate.
One factor I couldn’t determine learn how to do was hyperlink the gadgets collectively to create extra complicated Scenes. For instance, I couldn’t create a Scene to activate the lights when the movement sensor was tripped together with a GE Cync digital camera to begin recording (Ring can do that, for instance). It appears this kind of interconnectedness isn’t but accessible within the app.
The opposite function I like in a sensible lighting system is a dawn/sundown automated schedule that can mechanically flip lights on at sundown and off at dawn, adjusting to the solar cycle all year long. I didn’t see that choice within the Cync app, however I’m hoping will probably be an choice in a future firmware replace.
Management with Siri, Google, or Alexa
One other optimistic function of GE Cync is that it’s going to work together with your most popular digital assistant: It’s appropriate with Siri and Apple HomeKit, Google, and Alexa. I opted to attach my gentle to Google Dwelling and was capable of simply ask to show the sunshine on or off, or alter the colours — all with no need a telephone.
Our take
General, the GE Cync good lighting system is kind of spectacular. There’s a wide range of lighting gadgets, the ecosystem is straightforward to arrange and use, whether or not with the app or your voice.
Relating to the features of GE Cync good lighting that may very well be improved, it comes downs to the glitchy movement detector, that we want supplied help for dawn/sundown scheduling. In reality, these components don’t detract from the system as a complete. The GE Cync good lights are a must have for these trying to get began with a sensible residence and good lighting.
Is there a greater various?
Maybe a greater query can be, is there a unique various? Philips Hue is the granddaddy of good lighting, with different producers like LIFX and Sengled additionally making succesful good residence lighting. Philips Hue is certainly an amazing system (I’ve quite a few Hue lights at residence) however I might say the Cync model stands up towards it nicely.
To decide on which is greatest for you, ask your self what you need the good lights to do, the way you need them to look, and if it is advisable combine them with a specific good residence system. Value might also think about, and it’s in all probability honest to say Hue merchandise price greater than related variations of Cync lights. That stated, price can differ wildly in the event you purchase one gentle or a 4-pack, and the place you get it. Remember although, Philips Hue can be one of many methods that want a hub to function, although they do have some Bluetooth-only choices. Costs vary from about $25 for a 2-pack of lights to about $50 for the sunshine strip.
Ought to I purchase it?
Completely! Notably in the event you’re simply beginning out with a sensible residence ecosystem, this lineup of merchandise could have you eager to increase your package very quickly. If you happen to’re not bought on the GE Cync, you possibly can learn extra on our greatest picks for good lights for different choices.
Editors’ Alternative
