Linkind and OREiN Smart Light Bulbs by AiDot

Matter is taking the smart home world by storm and for good reason. One platform helping lead the charge is AiDot, a smart home platform that now works with the Matter protocol. I recently had the pleasure of reviewing the Linkind and OREiN smart light bulbs by AiDot to see how easily they are to connect and control. I also got to see if they really were as easy to use with other systems as promised.

This is a sponsored article and was made possible by AiDot. The actual contents and opinions are the sole views of the author, who maintains editorial independence even when a post is sponsored.

Overview of Features

The Linkind and OREiN Smart Light Bulbs by AiDot are advanced RGBTW light bulbs that are highly customizable. They offer a wider range of control than many other smart bulbs on the market.

One standout feature is the temperature range, which is 1,800K to 6,500K. Plus, you have access to 16 million RGB colors, along with a color rendering index (CRI) above 90. In layman’s terms, this means rich, vibrant colors for everything from watching TV to holiday parties and everything in between.

For my review, I tested two brands of bulbs in the AiDot ecosystem: Linkind and OREiN. I tested A19 and BR30 bulbs in each brand.

The Linkind bulbs are rated to last up to 15 years when used for four hours a day and have a five-year warranty. OREiN are designed to last up to 25,000 hours.

Of course, these are LED bulbs which are made to be more energy efficient. The 9W versions are equivalent to 60W to 65W, and the 8W bulbs are equivalent to 60W.

All the bulbs are Matter-compatible and can easily be added to any Matter-enabled platform. This includes Amazon Alexa, Google Home, SmartThings, Apple Home, and more. Of course, you can also use the AiDot app to control these bulbs, along with any other AiDot supported products, such as security cameras and appliances.

While the bulbs themselves are feature-rich, you don’t really see the true capabilities until you use them with AiDot’s app. With the free app, you can sync the smart light bulbs to music, use a variety of preset scenes, enjoy 23 music modes, set up custom lighting, choose from the full range of colors, and set up schedules and routines.

In the Box

I received four sets of bulbs for a total of 16 bulbs. The Linkind and OREiN Smart Light Bulbs by AiDot were a combination of standard size bulbs for lamps and flood-light style bulbs.

Each box was packaged well and came with clear instructions on how to get setup. However, the AiDot app steps you through the entire process, too, so if you tend to skip instruction booklets, you’ll still be okay. Just remember, you’ll need the QR codes in the booklets to connect the bulbs to other smart home systems.

Getting Set Up

I started with the Linkind A19 bulbs in my tableside lamps. The instructions state you can only use the bulbs on a 2.4 GHz network. This means you need a router that supports 2.4 GHz. If it’s a 5.0 GHz only router, you can’t use them. I was pleasantly surprised that the bulbs connected with no problems to my dual-band router.

I can’t manually switch bands on my router to connect smart home devices. Usually, I have to go outside and walk beyond the 5.0 GHz signal just to connect a device. With these, they picked up the correct band, even with me standing a few feet from the router.

The AiDot app makes the process so simple. Just download the app, sign up for an account, and start connecting devices. I added the bulb to my first lamp and turned it on as directed. It flashed between several colors, then started lightly pulsing.

I used the app to locate the bulb, add it to the network, and assign it to a room. The entire process from downloading the app to adding my first bulb took around three minutes.

I tested whether the bulb was responding by changing the colors a few times, then went through the same process with the other Linkind bulbs.

I used two OREiN and two Linkind bulbs in my living room lamps. I honestly couldn’t tell any difference in the setup.

Controlling the Smart Light Bulbs by AiDot

The AiDot app is one of the easiest-to-use smart home apps I’ve ever used. Everything is highly intuitive, and the controls are well laid out.

After setting up six bulbs (4 A19 and 2 BR30), I could control them individually, all together, or by room. The only place I had to use the BR30 was in my kitchen, so I set them up in a separate room group.

I enjoyed syncing them to music and watching the colors gently change. Different music modes give you different colors and speeds.

My favorite were the scenes. These are presets for various needs, such as watching TV, holidays, reading, and throwing a party. The Linkind and OREiN Smart Light Bulbs by AiDot responded instantly to every command in the app. I also loved setting them up to turn off and on at specific times.

If you’re worried about energy usage, the app also gives you energy usage insights. Use these to make adjustments to lower your usage if needed.

Using With Other Ecosystems

I mainly use Amazon Alexa to control smart home gadgets in my home. The AiDot app actually works with Amazon Alexa. All I had to do was use the Alexa app to pull in the light bulbs from the AiDot app, and I was all set. When I tried to add the bulbs manually in the Alexa app, it had a hard time finding some of the bulbs but connected others with no issues. The QR code on the bulb itself also didn’t work for connecting. I had to use the code in the instruction booklet.

Of course, the Alexa app offers very minimal controls, such as adjusting brightness and choosing from a handful of colors and temperatures. But, I was able to use my voice to adjust settings, which is nice.

Personally, I’ll still keep using the AiDot app to handle most customizations. It even has an option to automatically adjust the bulbs based on the brightness and colors showing on your TV, if you have a compatible smart TV.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the Linkind and OREiN Smart Light Bulbs by AiDot work well. They were brighter than the bulbs I normally use, but you can easily tone them down for dimmer lighting. The bases get rather warm, but that’s normal for any LED bulbs.

The AiDot app gives you a simple and easy way to control all the bulbs in one place. Plus, the Matter-enabled bulbs are highly compatible with other smart home ecosystems.

They are pricier than some other smart bulbs, but you’re paying more for Matter compatibility and convenience. The normal prices of the Linkind smart bulbs are $54.99 (4 pack of A19) and $55.99 (4 pack of BR30), and the OREiN smart bulbs are just $49.99 (4 pack of either A19 or BR30). But MTE readers can get a 15% discount on all Matter products on the AiDot website with the code MT15.