The Glow can display 16 colors, including a warmish
white (2600K) and variations of blue, green, orange,
red, and yellow—even salmon. The dimmable bulb puts
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bright enough to illuminate a room. There are several
ways to change colors; through the mobile app, with
Alexa voice commands (if you connect it to another
Echo device with a microphone) and using Alexa
routines. You can also simply tap the lens; each time
you tap it, the Glow cycles through to the next color in
the palette.
Despite its name, the Amazon Echo Glow isn’t an Echo
speaker. You can control it with the Alexa app, but it
doesn’t have a microphone. And even if it did, it lacks
the technology that would allow you to control it
directly with your voice. It does have a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi
radio that lets you connect it to an Echo speaker or
other Alexa-enabled device, so you can control it using
voice commands in that way.
The lamp supports the kid-friendly FreeTime
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uses colors to help motivate kids to complete tasks such
as homework and brushing their teeth on time. It also
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other smart home devices that are linked to your Alexa
account, including indoor/outdoor cameras,
thermostats, and video doorbells. Apple HomeKit,
Google Assistant, and IFTTT applets aren’t supported.
The Glow uses the same Alexa app all other Alexa
devices use. When you launch the app, tap Devices at
the bottom of the screen, tap Lights, then tap the tab
with the name of your Glow lamp. This opens a screen
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Amazon
Echo Glow
PROS Easy to install
and use. Dimmable.
Tap control. Interacts
with other smart
devices via Alexa
routines.
CONS Light could be
brighter. Requires
Echo device for voice
control. Lacks IFTTT
support.
BOTTOM LINE The
Amazon Echo Glow, a
small Wi-Fi-enabled
night-light designed
for kids, offers 16
colors and touch
control, but it doesn’t
have a microphone or
speaker and depends
on another device for
voice control.