After dipping the fingers in smart light switches, it’s only logical that Shelly would introduce their own smart lightbulbs. After all switches like Shelly 1 (review), Shelly 1PM (review), or Shelly 2.5 (review) are great, but may not suit all the circumstances. Sometimes a good old smart lightbulb is the way to go. And that’s how I got Shelly Duo bulbs. Two of them, to be precise. That’s probably the only justification for their name! Are they a stroke of brilliance or just your regular bulbs?
Shelly Duo in action
On the outside, there isn’t much to tell you. A typical smart-looking bulb with screw-in fitting (E27), white colour and a white, plastic dome. There is no revolution there. To find out what makes Shelly Duo shine brighter than the other ones, we have to get it connected.
I already have forthcoming expectations after using Shelly switches. A well-designed web server that works without an app and cleverly design app are strong arguments for using Shelly Duo over other choices.
Outstanding features are already visible in the web-based interface. A built-in “night mode” and power metering. Any home automation enthusiast appreciates features that work when everything doesn’t. Setting different brightness levels at night is possible with other lightbulbs, but the implementation is often done via the cloud. If you lose the cloud connection, the bulb won’t dim the lights.
With Shelly Duo, this is baked directly into the firmware. I welcome the move, even if realistically speaking, I don’t think it will happen all that often. I’m always in favor of any controls given to consumers without forcing them to use the cloud.
The built-in power metering feature is another option that Shelly embraces. Dedicated power metering contributes (optionally) towards the total power consumption of each room, painting a picture of how one uses their smart home. I cover the cost of using smart lights in this article. If you want to know how much the smart home costs you, you can read the article, or start investing in Shelly devices. Either way, it’s a feature I really appreciate.
Read the full article here.
