I stumbled upon this brand while browsing Amazon for some smart bulbs. I am considering them as an alternative to Philips Hue, due to the lower cost. Unfortunately, they’re ZigBee. With all the issues the Vera Plus has with ZigBee, I’m leery of buying them. I really doubt they’ll work without a separate hub, but thought I’d see if anyone has tried them? I’m ok buying a separate hub, but really want it to tie into Vera as well. I’m not sure if there’s an existing plugin under a different name that can be made to work either?
Honestly, I went out to buy a Hue starter kit today, but after visiting a Best Buy, Sam’s Club, Home Depot, Target, and a Bed, Bath, & Beyond without finding a single kit under $130, I got a little frustrated. The shelves were mostly empty and not like they were selling a ton. More like the retailers were giving up on them. Makes me wonder about the Hue’s future.
Anyway, if anyone has any experience with the Sengled bulbs, I’d appreciate some feedback.
Well, I purchased a pair of Element Plus bulbs and the hub that comes with. I should be able to post if I get them to work with Vera over the weekend. They just got Alexa integration, too. Saved a ton over Hue, but we’ll see if they actually work.
I thought I’d follow up and note that I now have 4 of the Element Plus bulbs and they work fantastic with their own hub. Setup of the hub was the toughest part because it wouldn’t work on an Ethernet setup. I couldn’t get it to connect by WiFi either until I used the WPS button.
I tested the bulbs on my Vera Plus and they will link up within a second. I was really surprised that I can control the on/off setting and the dimming from 0% to 100% with no trouble. Unfortunately, I cannot get it to adjust the hue. If anyone has a suggestion, I’d love to try it. Otherwise, I’ll be using a separate hub from my Vera for lighting.
On another note, It works very well with Alexa. Hue changing is not available there either, but it recognizes other commands.
Ran into a lady selling the Sengled items at Sam’s today. All the stuff she had required iOS or Android app to control, but I have a Windows phone and plan to keep it that way. ;D Also I was looking for a color temperature changing bulb and nothing she had on display would do that. So I came home and did some web surfing, and I am interested in this: https://www.amazon.com/Sengled-Z01-A19NAE26W-Element-Hub-Controlled-Dimmable/dp/B01MQVYNFL/. Does anybody have experience with this? Specifically, I don’t want it to have to work with the cloud, prefer the local processing like with the Veraplus hub. I actually may not even need the hub if the bulbs work directly with Vera, but probably want it for now to do color temperature changing.
As for color temperature changing, my understanding is that the ZigBee that Vera supports doesn’t currently do color temperature, which is a real shame. I think color temperature bulbs are the wave of the future. I have 4 Osram Lightify bulbs that currently I can only do on/off/dim. For now I have a Lua script to dim them depending on the time of day and would like to also add the color temperature changing. Hopefully soon Vera will be updated to support color temperature.
[quote=“dagrider, post:4, topic:195477”]Ran into a lady selling the Sengled items at Sam’s today. All the stuff she had required iOS or Android app to control, but I have a Windows phone and plan to keep it that way. ;D Also I was looking for a color temperature changing bulb and nothing she had on display would do that. So I came home and did some web surfing, and I am interested in this: https://www.amazon.com/Sengled-Z01-A19NAE26W-Element-Hub-Controlled-Dimmable/dp/B01MQVYNFL/. Does anybody have experience with this? Specifically, I don’t want it to have to work with the cloud, prefer the local processing like with the Veraplus hub. I actually may not even need the hub if the bulbs work directly with Vera, but probably want it for now to do color temperature changing.
As for color temperature changing, my understanding is that the ZigBee that Vera supports doesn’t currently do color temperature, which is a real shame. I think color temperature bulbs are the wave of the future. I have 4 Osram Lightify bulbs that currently I can only do on/off/dim. For now I have a Lua script to dim them depending on the time of day and would like to also add the color temperature changing. Hopefully soon Vera will be updated to support color temperature.[/quote]
I’m using 4 of these bulbs and love them. I linked them to Vera, but on/off/dim is all you can do, so I’m using their own hub not linked to Vera. Color changes must be done by app. Even using Alexa won’t change the temp of the bulb, but they work great with Alexa otherwise.
I wish these had more Vera support, but not yet. Much less expensive than Hue lighting. Honestly, the Sengled hub is not great, but the company is pushing updates to it that now let it work with more of their own products. At first, only Element Plus bulbs worked with it, but the Classic does now, too. Also no IFTTT or Yonami support yet.
I had a Windows Phone and it was great with my Vera Plus. Lack of apps and a worn out phone eventually caused me to move to Android. There’s no officially supported Sengled app for Windows at this time. The app for Android or iOS is required to setup the hub. An Android tablet or iPad would do the job.
[quote=“Nameless, post:5, topic:195477”]I’m using 4 of these bulbs and love them. I linked them to Vera, but on/off/dim is all you can do, so I’m using their own hub not linked to Vera. Color changes must be done by app. Even using Alexa won’t change the temp of the bulb, but they work great with Alexa otherwise.
I wish these had more Vera support, but not yet. Much less expensive than Hue lighting. Honestly, the Sengled hub is not great, but the company is pushing updates to it that now let it work with more of their own products. At first, only Element Plus bulbs worked with it, but the Classic does now, too. Also no IFTTT or Yonami support yet.
I had a Windows Phone and it was great with my Vera Plus. Lack of apps and a worn out phone eventually caused me to move to Android. There’s no officially supported Sengled app for Windows at this time. The app for Android or iOS is required to setup the hub. An Android tablet or iPad would do the job.[/quote]
Thank you for the info! I will probably hold off buying the Sengled for a little while…I have 4 lightify bulbs and a Centralite thermostat that are ZigBee, and for some reason I am unable to add the 4th lightify bulb. It always looks like it is working but then just sits at the add page. I read elsewhere on the forum that some people couldn’t add more than 6 ZigBee devices, but I’m just trying to add a fifth :-. If Vera can get ZigBee color temperature working then I may not need any additional bulbs quite yet.
Did you find that the color temperature works well on the Sengled bulb? Does the clear bulb vs frosted bulb bother you? I’m really pleased with the lightify bulbs, but the Sengled is a better price.
I don’t blame manufacturers for not doing Windows phone apps, but I would think there is a big market for if not a PC app, then at least a web app. Vera got it right by creating a UWP app so it runs on the Windows phone and Windows PC. I’ve run both and works great. The lady at Sam’s said that Sengled is working on a Windows 10 app but not sure if she said that just to get a sale.
I’ve been very pleased with the temperature adjustments of the bulbs. That was the reason I chose them, thinking I’d like a different appearance while reading or at different times of the day. An unexpected benefit is that I found different lamp shades influence the color, so I’ve been able to tune them all to appear the same, regardless of shade used.
I was also concerned with the clear lenses, but found they appear high-end when viewing them off. The clear lenses seem to aid in allowing the color swings, too. The 4 I have are all in the same room and I can tune them from Edison to space station white.
I did reach out to Sengled support today to see if their hub is capable of receiving web commands. I’d like to have Vera send commands to it if possible, even if they can’t be linked with a plugin. Support emailed within in an hour that the individual replying wasn’t sure, but it sounded like exploring. He said he’s reaching out to his team to get an answer. I’ll post here when they let me know.
I, too, hope they offer a Windows option or the use of a browser for adjustments. I use a Windows tablet frequently and it would be a nice option.
Now I am really getting interested in these bulbs! But still I am disappointed with the impossibility of doing bulb color temperature change from within Vera :(. I sure hope Vera will support the zigbee color temperature command soon.
I fired off an email to Sengled support asking about a web app or Windows 10 app. The response (he ignored the web app part ;)):
Currently we have no plans to add a Windows app for our Element line, however if you happen to have an Amazon Echo and a friend with an iOS or Android device you could use for setup it would still be possible to install and use an Element system. If you did go this route all of your commands would need to be routed through the Echo.
That might work…but probably not unless I can still use the wall switch to control the bulbs, and when they come on their color temperature is set properly based on the schedule set up through the Element app. I don’t use Alexa to control lights all that much.
Anyway, looking forward to finding out if we can send commands to the Element hub from the Vera hub…
Well, I heard back from Sengled support and their hub won’t accept commands over LAN. Sounds like their bulbs do work with some other hubs, though. Their website has some info on that.
I just wanted to chime in here, I bought 4 of the Sengled classic bulbs (on/off/dimming only) which are $10 individually or 4 pack for $35 on Amazon. My Vera+ added them as Generic Zigbee devices almost instantly and they’ve performed perfectly so far for the couple of weeks I’ve had them in. No Sengled hub needed, just Vera+ calling the shots.
Previously I had some GE Link (also Zigbee) bulbs that kept dropping off and having to be manually re-added to Vera. Sometimes they’d only last a few hours before needing to be manually reconnected, which was infuriating and meant they ended up being used as “dumb” LED bulbs instead of smart bulbs. But so far the Sengled’s are performing perfectly, and are perfectly controllable in Vera for on/off/dimming. As far as I have found, there isn’t a better/cheaper bulb to just get the basic smart functionality going. If Vera could add support for the temperature control I’d definitely go for some of the temperature-controllable “element plus” ones also.
I have a Sengled (dimmable only) zigbee bulb. Having a heck of a time connecting… Any tips on how to do it. My GE’s were absolute terrible also. I would love to have this work. (The best part… only $9 on Amazon when I purchased and still are! )
Make sure to get your bulb factory reset before trying to pair it to Vera. I’m assuming you’re using a Vera Plus because I don’t know if it works with any other Vera hubs. You can then pair it as a generic device or act like it is one of the ZigBee devices on the possible device list that are guaranteed to work. The Vera will do the rest.
I have the Plus, but I assume its the same process. Turn the light bulb on and off 10 times very fast by light switch or lamp switch. You’ll know it worked when it starts flashing. End the 10 times with the bulb powered on. That resets the bulb and allows for pairing to a hub.
Following up on the Sengled bulbs - has anyone had any success using these bulbs with an “add-on” switch through the Vera.
I’ve got a few of the Sengled Classic bulbs that I use in bedroom lamps. They work well and I’ve had no problem pairing and using them with the Vera Plus controller. The challenge comes when my wife and/or kids reach over to the lamp and turn it off the old fashioned way - which removes it from smart-use until it is turned back on manually. Wife just can’t get used to turning lights on/off with her phone.
I imagine being able to use one of the many “add-on” switches that are advertised - but I’m a little concerned that I might not fully understand how these add-on switches actually function.
I’ve also looked at using the Fibaro “button” - which are cool, but are far more expensive than the add-on switches that I’ve seen advertised.
An add-on switch is slave device that is mated with an in-wall switch such as the GE In-Wall Smart Switch, creating the equivalent of a traditional 3-way switch configuration. It doesn’t sound like it will help you based on your explanation of the issue. The Fibaro “button” you mention is just a remote control with only one button and would work, but as you say is quite expensive for what it does. I have 4 of the Sengled Element Classics in lamps in my living room that I used for a time with an Aeon Labs Minimote without issue (4 buttons). You could set it up with separate lamps on separate buttons and/or multiple on one button via a scene. Each button can provide separate function for short and long presses, effectively making it an 8-function remote. The trick will be getting the fam to use the remote rather than the lamp switches.
You may need to reset the bulb before trying to pair it. Turn it on and off quickly 10 times until it starts flashing or pulsing. Then try pairing it right away.
You may need to reset the bulb before trying to pair it. Turn it on and off quickly 10 times until it starts flashing or pulsing. Then try pairing it right away.[/quote]
Thanks for the reply. I’ve been unable to get any of my Sengled Class LED’s to communicate with Vera. I get the same message as above. I’ve tried with 5 different bulbs. I went and bought a bulb socket with a cord just so I could put it right up next to the VeraPlus when it’s trying to pair just to make sure I wasn’t too far away and still the same.
I’ve reset the bulbs (on and off 10 times, then it will flash 5 times to let you know it’s reset) and still the same.
I’m thinking maybe I have a faulty Vera because I’ve seen where other people have been able to add zigbee devices, and even this same bulb to their VeraPlus. I’ve sent an email off to Vera Support, and they just recommended that I move it closer while pairing, which led me to go purchase a light socket on a cord.
[quote=“Tubal, post:19, topic:195477”][quote=“Nameless, post:18, topic:195477”][quote=“Tubal, post:17, topic:195477”]Anybody having any more luck with the Sengled Classic bulbs?
I can’t get them to pair with my VeraPlus. The log shows:
You may need to reset the bulb before trying to pair it. Turn it on and off quickly 10 times until it starts flashing or pulsing. Then try pairing it right away.[/quote]
Thanks for the reply. I’ve been unable to get any of my Sengled Class LED’s to communicate with Vera. I get the same message as above. I’ve tried with 5 different bulbs. I went and bought a bulb socket with a cord just so I could put it right up next to the VeraPlus when it’s trying to pair just to make sure I wasn’t too far away and still the same.
I’ve reset the bulbs (on and off 10 times, then it will flash 5 times to let you know it’s reset) and still the same.
I’m thinking maybe I have a faulty Vera because I’ve seen where other people have been able to add zigbee devices, and even this same bulb to their VeraPlus. I’ve sent an email off to Vera Support, and they just recommended that I move it closer while pairing, which led me to go purchase a light socket on a cord.[/quote]
That’s strange. I added my Element Plus by pairing it like it was a different brand, Sylvania I believe. Vera’s Zigbee seemed a bit flakey for me, sometimes losing communication with the bulb I was using only 1 room away from the Vera Plus. I ended up buying a Wink Hub 2 and paired 4 bulbs to it with ease. Pretty sure I’m done buying anything Zigbee to pair with Vera. I’ll let my Wink handle that load.
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