Designer tip
The front door is the first thing guests see in December, and it is dark by late afternoon. The Smart & Green range from France was built for exactly this: waterproof, rechargeable lamps that glow in any colour you choose and answer to an app. Below you will find how to choose them, how to set them up, and 17 lamps that work at the door, on the steps, along the path and in the hall.
Quick picks: which lamp for which spot at the door?
| Best for | Product | Key spec |
|---|---|---|
| A hanging light by the door | Amande Corde | 11 or 15.6 in, IP 68 |
| Framing the steps | Cube | 14 or 17 in, IP 68 |
| A glowing focal point or a floating bowl | Ball and Globe | 14 to 32 in, IP 68 |
| A planter that becomes a lantern | Gota | 40 x 35 in listing, under cover |
| Lining a path | Point and Egg | 4.5 x 5.5 in and 6.3 x 8.3 in, IP 68 |
| A busy, high-traffic doorstep | Lantern | IP 68, shock resistant |
| A statement orb by the door | Pearl | IP 68, shock resistant |
| Inside the front hall | Hokare Cub | IP 44, single or pack of 6 |
What makes a light right for a holiday entryway?
Three things matter: it must survive the weather, it must not need a cord, and it must be easy to change. A holiday entry changes often. The wreath goes up, the colour scheme shifts from soft white to red and green, then back again. Lamps you can recolour from your phone make that a ten-second job instead of a bulb swap.
Waterproofing comes first. Most Smart & Green lamps carry an IP 68 rating. In our product data that means the lamp is sealed against dust and can stay out in rain and splashes, so you do not have to bring it in when the weather turns. The exceptions are worth knowing: the Hokare lamps are IP 44, and the Gota pot lamp lists no IP rating, so keep those two under a porch roof.
Cordless matters just as much. Each lamp has a built-in rechargeable light engine and gives 6 to 8 hours of light per charge. Charge it in the afternoon and it is ready for the evening, with no cable across the doorstep. The matching charger is a separate accessory, so add one when you order.
How do I control entry lights from my phone?
The lamps use the Smart & Green SmartMesh app over Bluetooth Mesh. You can pick from 160,000 colours, choose one of 7 preset colours, and step between 3 brightness levels. Several lamps can be linked so that one tap changes the whole group. It is Bluetooth rather than Wi-Fi, so you control the lamps from near the house; our data does not give a range figure.
For the holidays, that means a warm white for dinner guests, red and green for the evening of the party, and a dimmer setting for late night. You can also read our step-by-step guide to controlling outdoor lights from your phone.
Four entryway looks you can copy
1. The framed door
Set a matched pair of Cube lamps on either side of the steps, or hang an Amande Corde from a porch hook. Symmetry reads as formal and festive without a single cord.
2. The lit planter
The Gota pot lamp turns a planter by the door into a lantern. Under a porch roof, it gives the entry a glowing anchor all season.
3. The path of light
Point, Egg and Rock lamps scatter along a walk like glowing stones. Space them unevenly for a natural look. The full winter guide to lighting a patio, path and front door has more layouts.
4. The warm hall
Inside, a Hokare lamp or Olio vase on the console and a Dancing Flame lamp with its flickering LEDs give guests a soft first impression and carry the glow from the porch into the house.
Who is Smart & Green?
Smart & Green is a French lighting brand built around cordless, rechargeable light. Its general manager, Peter Wildhorn, puts the idea this way in the brand's 2025 catalog: “Light should be nomad and SMART AND GREEN is designing new uses for it.” That nomad spirit is why the same sphere can sit on a terrace, float in a pool or come indoors as a floor light. Ball and Globe are the long-standing classics of the range.
17 lamps for a glowing holiday entry
Amande Corde
A hanging egg-shaped lamp with a carry handle, in two sizes (11 in and 15.6 in tall). IP 68, cordless and rechargeable. Hang it from a porch hook or set it by the door.
Cube
A glowing cube in two sizes (14 in and 17 in). IP 68 and light enough to move. A matched pair on the steps frames the door the way a pair of topiaries would.
Dice
A smaller cube in two sizes (6 in and 10 in). IP 68. Tuck a pair on a window ledge or line them along a step.
Ball and Globe
Spheres from 14 in to 32 in across. IP 68. The 14 in and 20 in sizes float, so they also work in a water bowl or pool; Globe XL does not float.
Flatball
A flattened, pebble-like sphere in sizes from 7 in to 20 in. IP 68. Sits low in a bed of plants or on stone.
Bass
A low light-up seat or table in two sizes (24 x 24 x 18 in and 32 x 32 x 20 in). IP 68. A place to set a parcel or a drink at the door, glowing in the colour you pick.
Gota
A lit LED pot lamp (listed at 40 x 35 in) that turns a planter at the entry into a lantern. No IP rating is listed in our data, so keep it under cover.
Point and Egg
Small glowing eggs: Point (4.5 x 5.5 in) and Egg (6.3 x 8.3 in). IP 68. Good for lining a path or a step edge.
Rock, Stone and Rocky
Pebble-shaped lights in three sizes (10, 12 and 20 in). IP 68. Set them among real stones along a path.
Dew
A teardrop-shaped lamp that glows in the colour you choose. IP 68, cordless and rechargeable. Lovely at the water's edge or on a step.
Lantern
A cylinder lamp with an IP 68 rating and a shock-resistant build, per our product data. A sturdy choice for a doorstep that gets foot traffic.
Pearl
A glowing orb that is both waterproof (IP 68) and shock resistant, per our product data. Keep one on a stand or table by the door.
Hokare Cub
A soft-glow tabletop lamp, IP 44 (splash-resistant, so place it under cover). Sold singly or as a pack of 6, which suits a string of windowsills or a long mantel.
Hokare Tub
The Tub sibling of the Cub, also IP 44 and available singly or as a pack of 6. A warm companion for the hallway inside your front door.
Olio
A vase-shaped lamp (IP 68) that glows warmly on a console in the hallway. Rechargeable, so no cord to find a socket for.
Dancing Flame
A rechargeable table lamp with 99 flickering LEDs that read like candlelight. About 10 hours per charge per our data. Indoor warmth beside the door.
Fresh and So Fresh
A glowing bucket-shaped piece in two sizes (14 x 11 in and 17 x 14 in). IP 68. A conversation starter for a holiday gathering at the door.
Why it is worth the investment
Holiday string lights are cheap and then dead by January. These lamps are different: the white polyethylene shells on the Ball and Cube diffuse light evenly, so they glow like frosted glass; the IP 68 rating is built for rain and splashes; and the same lamp works on the porch in December, on the patio in June and as a floor light in the living room all year. Add the app, and a single purchase covers every season's colour scheme. That is why we recommend them as a lasting piece of your home, not a seasonal decoration.
Not sure which sizes suit your steps? Browse the full Smart & Green collection or ask the LoftModern design team for help. You may also like our cordless and rechargeable lamps for the indoor side of the story.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best lights for a holiday entryway?
Waterproof, cordless LED lamps that you can colour and dim from your phone are the easiest choice. The Smart & Green range is rated IP 68 on most models, runs on a rechargeable battery for 6 to 8 hours per charge, and is controlled through the SmartMesh app over Bluetooth.
Can I leave Smart & Green lamps outside in winter rain?
Most Smart & Green lamps are rated IP 68, which our product data describes as sealed against dust and able to stay out in rain and splashes. The Hokare lamps are rated IP 44 and should be placed under cover, and the Gota pot lamp lists no IP rating. Our data does not include cold-weather battery figures.
How do I control the lights from my phone?
You use the Smart & Green SmartMesh app over Bluetooth Mesh. Our product data lists 160,000 colours, 7 preset colours and 3 brightness levels, and notes that you can link several lamps to change them together.
How do I charge the lamps?
Each lamp has a built-in rechargeable light engine. You charge it with the matching Smart & Green charger, sold as a separate accessory. The battery gives 6 to 8 hours of light per charge on most models.
Which Smart & Green lamps are shock resistant?
In our product data, the Lantern and Pearl are listed as shock resistant. The other models are listed as waterproof and durable but not specifically shock resistant.