Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.
TP-Link Tapo L535E comes out ahead by a narrow margin (4.5 vs 4.6). The gap is mostly about value buyers who need bright color smart bulbs — read the strengths below before deciding.
The Essentials A19 is the Matter + Thread pick — Nanoleaf's smart bulb with both Matter and Thread support.
The L535E is the bright value pick — Tapo's 1,100 lumen bulb at $15. Best for bright rooms on a budget.
Best Thread support. Matter. Smaller brand than Hue.
Bright at low price. Matter. Less app polish than Hue.
| Spec | Nanoleaf Essentials A19 Matter | TP-Link Tapo L535E |
|---|---|---|
| Protocol | Matter + Thread | Matter + Wi-Fi |
| Colors | 16M | 16M |
| Lumens | 1,100 | 1,100 |
| Ecosystems | Alexa, Google, HomeKit | — |
| Hub | — | Not required |