"Switching to Zigbee or even Z-Wave in key areas made a huge difference."
Yeah, I've noticed the same thing. Had a client who insisted on Wi-Fi bulbs everywhere—looked great at first, but after a few weeks, half the bulbs kept dropping offline randomly. Switched the main living areas to Zigbee, and it was night and day. Still, I think Wi-Fi bulbs can be fine in smaller setups...but once you scale up, mesh-based bulbs just seem way more reliable.
Totally agree on mesh bulbs being more reliable, but honestly, Wi-Fi bulbs aren't always a disaster. I've got a small home office with just three Wi-Fi bulbs, and they've been rock solid for months. But yeah, once you start adding more rooms or floors, things get messy fast. Zigbee was a game changer for my main living spaces—no more random disconnects or laggy responses. Plus, the responsiveness feels way smoother...makes the whole smart lighting experience actually enjoyable rather than frustrating.
I've had mixed experiences with Wi-Fi bulbs myself. In smaller setups, like you mentioned, they're usually fine—my bedroom has two Wi-Fi bulbs that rarely give me trouble. But when I tried expanding to the living room and kitchen, reliability took a noticeable hit. Zigbee bulbs definitely improved things, but the upfront cost made me hesitate at first. Still, after dealing with random disconnects and delayed responses, the smoother experience was worth the extra investment...even for someone budget-conscious like me.
Totally agree about Wi-Fi bulbs struggling in larger setups. I've noticed that too, especially in open-plan spaces or rooms with thicker walls. Zigbee bulbs definitely help, but another thing I've found useful is placing a couple of repeaters strategically around the house. It boosts reliability without needing to replace every bulb right away. Still, I get the hesitation—smart lighting can quickly become an expensive rabbit hole...
"smart lighting can quickly become an expensive rabbit hole..."
I couldn't agree more—recently, I was working on a client's loft conversion, and we initially went with Wi-Fi bulbs for simplicity. However, the connectivity issues quickly became apparent due to the thick brick walls. Switching to Zigbee bulbs and adding a repeater or two solved most of our headaches, but it did stretch the budget more than anticipated. It makes me wonder if there's a sweet spot between affordability and reliability in these setups...
