Feit Electric has bought troubled smart lighting brand LIFX

There were two big names in the high-end smart bulb game a few years back, and they both worked over wi-fi. People hate hubs and bridges more than any other thing. LIFX went into administration earlier this year, whereas the Zigbee-based Hue went on to become a household name.

Good news for LIFX customers and the smart home as a whole. LIFX was snapped up by California-based Feit Electric, which said it would keep the business going.

Dana Knight, the senior director of global marketing at Feit Electric, said in an email that the company plans to expand the line with innovations. She said that the full line of LIFX products would continue to be manufactured and that the cloud platform would be maintained. The LIFX Downlight will be released this year and there are new products in the works for the years to come.

LIFX made its name selling high-quality, super-bright, color-changing light bulbs that connect directly to the internet and are compatible with a number of smart home devices. The company was founded in 2012 and quickly grew into a variety of light bulb shapes and light strip offerings.

LIFX wasn't able to execute by 2020. Light panels were the only products that made it to market, and we haven't seen anything since. New LIFX lights are on their way after this purchase.

Image: LIFX

You might not know that Feit Electric is a global lighting brand, but its products are likely to be yours. Every type of light bulb and light fixture is supplied by it. Its products are found in many stores. Knight said that the strength of the company has been in its supply chain, manufacturing prowess, and relationships with a long list of US retailers.

Knight said that the company will continue to develop both platforms and that its own smart home products will remain separate from LIx. She said thatLIFX will remain as its own line and distinguished by the superior user experience.

Many users had been complaining about issues with cloud connectivity over the last few months and expressed concern that their bulbs were heading for obsoletion.

The post reassured existing customers that they would continue to be supported. The employee wrote that they hope the move for the brand will assure users and customers who have been nervous in the last couple of months. Most of the LIFX team based in Australia will continue to work with LIFX, according to Knight.

LIFX has built a reputation for quality products and has attempted a number of innovations, but the smart lighting market is much more saturated than when the company started. There are hundreds of smart bulbs on Amazon that are less expensive than the A19 bulb. You can buy a four-pack for $50 from Meross.

The upcoming smart home standard will make every device work with every platform. HomeKit compatibility is a key selling point for LIFX. Knight said that the plan is to support Matter in the products. She said that not all products will be backwards compatible. We are in agreement with the goal and mission of the project.

If it's going to resurrect LIFX's fortunes, Feit will have to rely on innovation. There is an appetite for high-end smart lighting that needs to be backed up with a reliable platform and an innovative one.