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Chroma The Bulb, 3-in-1 Circadian Light Bulb V1 (SKU CHROMA-BULB-V1)

A $30 A19 screw-in bulb with a 660 nm red night mode, a 1600K amber mode and a 3800K day mode, all switched from the wall switch with no hub or app.

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Chroma The Bulb, an A19 LED bulb standing in a black socket base on a wooden surface, the wall behind it washed in deep red Night Mode light, a still from the brand product animation

QUICK VERDICT

The Bulb is a $30 A19 LED that cycles through three fixed modes, 660 nm deep red, 1600K amber and 3800K day, every time you flip the wall switch. Leave it off for more than six seconds and it always comes back on red. Chroma publishes a flicker index of 0.0036 at 2 feet and a melanopic ratio of 0.002 for the red mode, but no lumens, no rated life and no CRI.

PRICE
$30
Listed price · Verified 2026-09-03
Best for
Anyone who wants a red-by-default bathroom or bedside bulb at $30 and is happy to flip a switch instead of opening an app.
Skip if
You need a dimmable bulb, a published lumen figure, or a fixture that stays on day mode after any power interruption, because The Bulb restarts on red every time.
Tier
Entry
By Ryan · Founder
Published Sep 3, 2026 · 3 min read
✓ Pricing Verified 2026-09-03

The Bulb is the only screw-in bulb in Chroma's live catalog as of 3 September 2026, published on getchroma.co on 1 September 2026 at $30 for a single bulb. It is a standard A19 shape with an E26/E27 base that runs on 100 to 240 VAC, so it fits any standard E26/E27 socket you already own. There is no hub, app or remote. Flip the switch off and on within six seconds to move to the next mode; the three are Night Mode (660 nm red, 7 W), Amber Mode (1600K, 7 W) and Day Mode (3800K, 9 W), and Chroma does not publish the order they cycle in beyond always starting on red. Chroma publishes melanopic daylight efficacy ratios of 0.002 for red, 0.153 for amber and 0.81 for day, and states the day channel measures SSI 80, TM-30 Rf 87.4 and Rg 93.7. The brand says the amber mode mimics the tones of a natural sunset and the red mode has no artificial blue light, and that the red default exists so a 2am bathroom trip never starts on the day spectrum.

Where it gives ground. Chroma does not publish lumens, rated life in hours, CRI, beam angle or physical dimensions, so you cannot compare brightness or longevity against a hardware-store LED on paper. The V1 does not dim; in a dimmer socket it only works with the dimmer at full power, and the amber and red modes are pre-dimmed by design. The 3800K Day Mode is warmer than the 5000K and up that most bulb makers label daylight. Every flicker-free, zero EMF and circadian claim on the page is the brand's own; the flicker index is brand-published, not third-party certified, and the listed compliance marks are CE, RoHS and WEEE with no UL or ETL stated. The 5-year warranty page names nine Chroma devices, Ironforge through Skylight, and not The Bulb; the product page cites only the 100-day money-back guarantee, and the refund policy page's own covered-products list has not been updated to name The Bulb either. And as of 3 September 2026 the product page shows The Bulb as sold out with a notify-me form in place of the add-to-cart button, and the homepage teaser for it reads Get on the waitlist, even though the Shopify variant still reports as available, so treat it as a waitlist until Chroma reopens orders.

This is for someone who wants Chroma's day, amber and red logic in a hallway, bathroom or bedside lamp without paying $290 for a Sky Portal 2.1 or learning an app. Chroma's range runs from this $30 bulb through the Sky Portal 2.1 at $290 and the Ironforge red and near-infrared light at $1,250 to the Trinity all-in-one light system at $3,300. The math favors multiples: 1 bulb is $30, 3 are $75 ($25 each), 6 are $120 ($20 each) and 12 are $234 ($19.50 each), though the tiers appear only in the product page tier selector with no end date stated, and the Shopify variant carries only the $30 single price. A lone bulb pays shipping because free US shipping starts at $350. In the Vault sleep category it sits under the Hatch Restore 3 at $169 and the Loftie Lamp at $279.99, both complete bedside devices with sound and alarms; The Bulb only changes the light. The product page states The Bulb is included in the 100-day money-back guarantee, though Chroma states free return shipping two ways: the refund policy page dated 1 September 2025 says contiguous US and Canada orders over $200 qualify, while the Returns and Refunds page the product page links to, dated 1 February 2026, says contiguous US orders over $200 qualify and does not mention Canada.

Editor's pick you can buy
We're not currently partnered with Chroma, so buying direct doesn't support our reviews. A comparable Sleep pick we rate and you can buy through us: Hatch Restore 3.
Shop the Hatch Restore 3 →
Best for

Anyone who wants a red-by-default bathroom or bedside bulb at $30 and is happy to flip a switch instead of opening an app.

Skip if

You need a dimmable bulb, a published lumen figure, or a fixture that stays on day mode after any power interruption, because The Bulb restarts on red every time.

Specifications

Form factorA19 bulb, E26/E27 screw base, fits any standard socket
ModesNight 660 nm deep red; Amber 1600K; Day 3800K; stepped by power-cycling within 6 seconds, always restarts on red; cycle order not published
Power draw7 W red, 7 W amber, 9 W day
Input100 to 240 VAC, 50/60 Hz
Melanopic DER (brand-published)Red 0.002, Amber 0.153, Day 0.81
Day Mode color metrics (brand-published)SSI 80, TM-30 Rf 87.4, TM-30 Rg 93.7
Flicker (brand-published)Flicker index 0.0036 at 2 ft
DimmingNot supported on V1; dimmer must be at full power
ConnectivityNone, no hub, app or remote
Compliance marks (brand-stated)CE, RoHS, WEEE
Lumens, rated life, CRI, dimensionsNot published as of 2026-09-03
Shipping (brand-stated)Ships from US warehouse in 1 to 2 days per the product page, while the shipping policy page states 1 to 3 business days processing and 3 to 7 business days US delivery; free US shipping on orders over $350; international orders ship DDP
Guarantee100-day money-back guarantee per the product page; the 5-year warranty page lists nine devices and does not name The Bulb
Pricing verified2026-09-03

Most often compared with

vs Hatch Restore 3vs Loftie Lampvs Swanwick Sleep Swannies Classic Black
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Where this fits

Chroma The Bulb V1 (SKU CHROMA-BULB-V1) cross-shops across several editorial surfaces on this site: the full brand catalog, the price band it qualifies for and the in-depth guides for its category.

Brand hub
All Chroma coverage →
1 product reviewed
By budget
Best sleep tech under $300 →
Ranked by editorial verdict
Guide
Best Sleep Tech →
Eight Sleep Pod 6 vs Pod 5 vs Sleep.me vs Hatch vs Loftie vs Manta.
Frequently asked

Chroma The Bulb V1 (SKU CHROMA-BULB-V1) - buyer FAQ

How do I change modes on the Chroma Bulb without an app?

Use the existing wall or lamp switch. Turn it off and back on within 6 seconds and it steps to the next mode; Chroma does not publish the cycle order. Leave it off longer than 6 seconds and it resets to red on the next power-up. Chroma says that is deliberate, so a 2am bathroom trip never starts on the day spectrum.

Is the Chroma Bulb dimmable?

No. Chroma states the V1 does not support dimming. In a dimmer socket it only works with the dimmer at full power. The amber and red modes are pre-dimmed by default, and the day mode draws 9 W against 7 W for the other two. If you want adjustable brightness, this is not the bulb.

How bright is the Chroma Bulb in lumens?

Chroma has not published a lumen figure, a rated life in hours or a CRI for The Bulb as of 3 September 2026. What it does publish is power draw, 7 W in red and amber and 9 W in day, plus a flicker index of 0.0036 at 2 feet. Treat brightness as unverified until the brand adds the number.

Is it cheaper to buy the Chroma Bulb in a multi-pack?

Yes. The product page lists 1 bulb at $30, 3 at $75, 6 at $120 and 12 at $234, which works out to $25, $20 and $19.50 per bulb. Free US shipping starts at $350, so a single bulb pays shipping. Prices verified on getchroma.co on 3 September 2026.

Does the Chroma Bulb come with the 5-year warranty?

Not confirmed. Chroma's warranty page says every Chroma light therapy device carries a 5-year warranty, but its covered-device table lists nine products, Ironforge through Skylight, and not The Bulb. The product page's returns block cites only the 100-day money-back guarantee, which it says includes The Bulb. Ask hello@getchroma.co before you count on the longer cover.

Verified price history

We have checked the Chroma The Bulb, 3-in-1 Circadian Light Bulb price directly against the seller’s own product feed every day since September 4, 2026, 45 observations so far.

The Chroma The Bulb, 3-in-1 Circadian Light Bulb has held steady at $30 across every one of our 45 checks, most recently on October 18, 2026. We have recorded no price change.

Lowest recorded
$30
September 4, 2026
Current
$30
October 18, 2026
Tracking since
September 4, 2026
45 checks

Method: read once a day from the seller’s own product feed, never from a third-party aggregator. Prices in USD. Free to cite with attribution to Lifespan Vault. Machine-readable at /api/price-history/chroma-the-bulb.

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