Tapo L530B TP-Link Smart Wi-Fi Light Bulb

Features and specifications in this description are as the brand describes them.

This is a B22 smart bulb that connects directly to your Wi-Fi network with no hub required. You control it through the free Tapo app on Android or iOS, where you can change colours, adjust brightness, create schedules, or set up sunrise and sunset automation based on your time zone. The brand describes the app as letting you track real-time energy consumption.

Voice control works through Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, letting you call out commands to turn the light on, off or adjust brightness. The brand also highlights Away Mode, which it describes as simulating occupancy by automatically turning the light on and off to deter intruders when you're travelling. You can save your favourite lighting settings as presets for different scenarios.

The brand describes it as reducing energy consumption by up to 85 per cent compared to traditional bulbs, though it doesn't specify what it's measured against. Note that the manufacturer description doesn't detail setup difficulty, actual colour accuracy, range, or how well the voice control performs in practice. The bulb runs at 9 watts according to the catalogue specs, with a colour temperature range of 2500 to 6500 Kelvin.

Key features

• Multicolour lighting controlled via app or voice commands
• Dimmable brightness with preset scenes for different moods
• The brand describes Away Mode as simulating occupancy to deter intruders
• Sunrise and sunset automation based on your time zone
• The brand describes it as reducing energy use by up to 85 per cent

Setting it up

1. Download the free Tapo app to your Android 4.4+ or iOS 9+ device
2. Install the L530B bulb into a B22 socket and power it on
3. Follow the in-app pairing process to connect the bulb to your Wi-Fi network
4. Add it to Alexa or Google Assistant for voice control if desired

Good to know

• Requires a Wi-Fi connection; no separate hub is needed but your Wi-Fi network must reach the bulb location
• The brand markets this to households wanting to reduce energy bills and simulate occupancy while away
• Works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, but check compatibility with other smart home ecosystems if you use them
• The catalogue lists it as energy rating F, which is not a statement on efficiency class but rather the scraped data; the brand's 85 per cent claim and the 9-watt consumption are what matter for running costs
• Colour accuracy and rendering index are provided by the catalogue (80 CRI) but the manufacturer description doesn't address colour quality or performance
• Device sharing lets family members control the lights through the app