Cree Sells Smart Bulbs at Lowe's, Adds SmartThings Compatibility

Cree Lighting is selling its Connected Max smart home LED bulbs at Lowe’s, said the company Tuesday, including new full-spectrum tunable-white smart bulbs ($12.99) in A19, ST19 candelabra and globe designs, and a 75-watt equivalent 6-inch downlight, which also has color-changing capability ($19.99). The company’s Connected Max app was updated to add SmartThings compatibility and routines such as “dusk to dawn,” which automates lights to turn on at night and off during the day, and "vacation mode," which turns lights on and off in a random pattern to make the home appear occupied. Cree Lighting retained much of its lighting-related IP after Cree Inc. sold off the lighting division to Ideal in May 2019, a spokesperson told us. A company goal is to deliver easy-to-use products, which spurred development of bulbs controllable via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi without the need for a hub, she said. Cree’s “follow the sun” feature has guided setup for consumers who want the color temperature of their lights to gradually shift over the course of a day to mimic natural sunlight, she said.