Cync A19 smart bulb review

At the heart of any smart home is smart lighting. Upgrading lights to multi-color LED light bulbs that respond to voice commands is the first thing people should do. Smart lights are a great way to add style and set the mood for a movie or gaming night.

I’m reviewing the Cync A19 smart LED multi-colour light bulb. This is a full-colour smart LED light bulb that replaces an older 60watt incandescent. What makes the A19 interesting is the affordable price point. Should you retrofit all your light bulbs to the A19? Are smart lights a worthy investment? Those are the questions I’m looking to answer in this review.

Notable specs: Cync A19 smart LED bulb

• Energy-efficient LED technology uses about 85% less energy
• Lasts 15 times longer than a 60-Watt incandescent bulb
• Millions of colour options with voice control through Google Assistant and Alexa
• Easy installation into floor or table lamps

Design of the Cync A19 smart LED bulb

Why discuss the design of a light bulb? Having reviewed many smart light bulbs, there are a couple things I noticed. First, unlike other smart LED bulbs, the A19 has virtually the exact same dimensions as a traditional 60-watt incandescent bulb. This is important for ceiling fixtures that have a cover. Some smart bulbs fit into the socket but are considerably larger. As a result, sometimes the cover will not fit. I speak from experience. 

Second, I noticed the Cync A19 smart light bulb is incredibly light. I have some smart light bulbs from 2017 and they are noticeably heavier. Clearly, the technology has advanced over the last 5 years. The A19 also does not require a hub to connect to a home’s Wi-Fi network. That makes for a quick and simple install. 

Setting up the Cync A19 smart LED light bulb

How many people does it take to screw in a light bulb? In the case of the Cync A19, that’s a trick question. A single person can install this light bulb, provided they have a smartphone or tablet. After downloading the Cync app, I created an account and selected the device type from a list. The Cync app works with many smart products including light strips, wafers, plugs, thermostats, and more. If you haven’t already, read my review of the Cync Direct Connect smart LED light strip. These products work nicely together to transform any space with unique lighting options. 

The app provides easy-to-follow instructions. First, it instructs users to turn off the old lights and swap the old bulb with the A19. The user must be within 40 feet of the light to set up. After turning the lights back on, the Cync app locates the device and the light bulb begins to blink. From there, I gave the bulb a name, selected my Wi-Fi network, and the light was connected. 

The Cync app then provides step-by-step instructions to set up the A19 to Amazon Alexa and Google Home voice assistants. I like how that was all done in the app. Other brands require you to do it outside their app. This made the entire setup a seamless experience. It also ensures people don’t forget this step. To get the most out of these lights, you need to operate with voice commands. That’s almost non-negotiable. Nobody wants to open an app just to turn the lights on. 

Using the Cync A19 smart LED bulb

I have a small desk light socket that I installed the Cync A19 into. A deep dive into the Cync app demonstrates what the light bulb can do individually, and as a group of bulbs. I selected a range of colours to test the brightness. With 800 lumens, it was very bright in all colours. However, as a desk light, I would mostly use it as a standard white light There’s another tab for tunable white lighting. Here I could select from a variety of different light temperatures that mimic the lighting from the sun. Options include Natural White, Sunrise, Sunset, and Candlelight. These are nice colour temperatures to choose from. 

Finally, I tested out the voice commands. Using both Amazon Alexa and Google Home, I turned the lights on and off and changed colour and brightness with my voice. Since I was also reviewing the Cync smart LED light strip, I grouped them together to see if I could change both with my voice. It worked like a charm. I wish I could replace all my light bulbs and turn them on and off via voice.  

Is the Cync A19 smart light any good?

I’ve been using RGB LED lights since they first came out. I love having the ability to change colours at any time via voice. What I can say is that the Cync A19 was the easiest smart light bulb I’ve ever installed. I like how the Cync app integrated the voice assistant setup in the app. Non-tech-savvy users will appreciate this seamless setup experience. I also liked the ability to choose different types of tunable white lighting. Those are the lights I will use the most. Nobody wants to cook dinner in purple light. 

That said, the Cync app is pretty basic. This makes it user-friendly, but I do see room for improvements. For example, I hope a future update will include a circadian feature where the lights mimic the colour temperature of the sun outside. The colour of the lights would automatically change, depending on the time of day, the location, and the time of sunrise and sunset. Our bodies’ natural circadian cycle is triggered by the sun. This would help people who spend a lot of time indoors naturally fall asleep when the light changes to sunset in the evening.  

Final thoughts

I’ve been a big fan of smart indoor lighting since it first hit the market. They were, however, too expensive to retrofit an entire house. With GE’s Cync A19 Smart Bulbs, we finally have an affordable option. The ambiance that smart light bulbs provide gives users the best of both worlds: colour and tunable white lighting options. The right lighting and colour combinations transform any room and give it a unique vibe. 

If you are ready to transform your home with RGB smart lighting, I highly recommend you try out the Cync A19 smart LED multi-colour light bulb. It’s a good value, easy to install, and gets the job done.