U-tec, maker of the excellent Ultraloq Bolt series of smart locks, branches out to lighting with the $17.99 Bright A19 Color. This versatile light bulb integrates seamlessly with the Alexa, Google, and SmartThing ecosystems and works with a host of other smart home devices using the U home app and IFTTT applets. It puts out 1,100 lumens of brightness, displays rich colors and warm or cool whites, and it works as a Wi-Fi extender for other U-tec devices. That said, it doesn’t support Matter or offer special lighting effects like our Editors’ Choice winner, the $16.99 AiDot Linkind Matter Smart Light Bulb.
Design and Features: Lives Up to Its Name
Aptly named, the Bright A19 is an A19-style bulb that measures 4.5 by 2.3 by 2.3 inches (HWD) and has a standard E26 screw-in base. It’s a dimmable LED bulb with a brightness range of 30 to 1,100 lumens. That’s brighter than the AiDot Linkind Matter Smart Light Bulb (800 lumens) and equal to the output of the Roku Smart Bulb SE Color ($9.88). The Bright A19 is available on its own for $17.99, in a pack of two for $31.99, or a in a pack of four for $51.99.
The Bright A19 can display 16 million colors and has a white color temperature range of 2,700K to 6,500K. It has an expected lifespan of 25,000 hours and is equipped with Bluetooth and 2.4GHz Wi-Fi radios for connectivity. As with the company’s smart plug, the Bright A19 bulb uses U-tec’s Wi-Fi Mesh technology to act as a Wi-Fi extender for other devices from the brand.
You can control the bulb and other U-tec devices with the U home mobile app (available on Android and iOS), or you can use Alexa, Google, and SmartThings voice commands to turn the bulb on and off, dim the brightness level, and change color settings. You can have the bulb react to triggers from other devices using Alexa routines and IFTTT applets and create automations from within the U home app to have it work with other U-tec devices. Unlike the AiDot Linkind Matter, the Bright A19 bulb does not work with Apple HomeKit, nor does it support the Matter connectivity standard or offer special lighting effects and energy usage reports.
The bulb appears on the U home app’s My Devices screen in a panel that displays the name of the bulb and its current status (on/off). You can adjust the brightness by swiping left or right on the panel. Tap the panel to open a screen with a circle for selecting a white temperature or a color. There’s also a brightness slider and a Scene button. Tap the Scene button to open a screen where you can select one of four preset lighting options (Day, Night, Relax, Sleep) or create your own.
(Credit: U-tec/PCMag)
When you tap the gear icon in the upper right corner, you are taken to a settings screen where you can view device information, enable Away mode (which has the bulb turn on and off at random times to give the appearance that someone is home), create on-and-off schedules, configure Wi-Fi, and share access with other users.
To create automations that let the bulb work with other U-tec devices, tap the plus icon on the My Devices screen and select Automations. Here, you can also create Groups, Shortcuts, and Rooms to control several devices at once.
Installation and Performance: Vibrant Colors on Command
Installation is as easy as screwing in the bulb and adding it to the app, which I already had on my phone from testing other U-tec devices. If you’re new to the brand, you must download it and create an account to get started. I tapped the plus icon in the upper-right corner of the My Devices screen, then tapped Add Device and selected Lighting. I tapped the A19 Color icon, entered my Wi-Fi credentials when prompted, and the bulb was immediately added to my U home and Alexa accounts.
The bulb delivered bright, vibrant colors in testing. Low-temperature whites were yellowish and warm, while high-temp whites had a definite blueish hue and were much more brilliant. The bulb instantly responded to app commands and had no trouble following the schedules I set. Alexa voice commands to turn the bulb on and off and change its color worked perfectly, as did my Alexa routine to have the bulb turn red when a Eufy Floodlight Cam detected motion. I also created an automation in the U home app to have the bulb turn on when an Ultraloq Bolt Fingerprint was unlocked and it, too, worked as intended.
Verdict: Super-Bright Smart Lighting
With the U-tec Bright A19 Color, you can create a mood or brighten a room with voice commands or with the U home mobile app. It not only integrates with other U-tec products but also works with numerous third-party smart home devices via IFTTT applets and routines. Moreover, it’ll fit seamlessly into your Alexa, Google, or SmartThings home automation ecosystem. That said, you get more platform compatibility with the similarly priced AiDot Linkind Matter Smart Light Bulb, which works with Apple HomeKit and Matter. It also offers fun lighting effects and tells you how much power it is using, so it remains our Editors’ Choice winner.
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The Bottom Line
The U-tec Bright A19 is a highly radiant color smart bulb that supports voice control, works with lots of other devices, and acts as a Wi-Fi extender.
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About John R. Delaney
Contributing Editor
