XMCOSY+ Floor Lamp review: a smart lamp that could be smarter

My home is full of a dozen different smart lights and I'm proud to say that no two device is exactly the same. From sickle moon-shaped lamps to LED light strips, each smart home device features a starkly different form factor.

Depending on the price, the quality of every smart light varies. Of course, this is true about virtually any consumer good in the world. Thankfully, value products that fit tight budgets are on the rise in the tech sector, and the world of smart lighting hasn't been left out.

The XMCOSY+ Floor Lamp is a smart lamp that has set foot in a highly competitive scene. This modern, minimalist lamp touts a ring light at the top. The twist here is that the ring has two sides; with one shining shades of white, and the other bathing you in RGB exuberance. Sounds good on paper, but how does it serve in the real world? I put that to the test and here are my findings.

XMCOSY+ Floor Lamp: Price and availability

You can purchase the XMCOSY+ Floor Lamp from the brand directly, or though a retailer like Amazon or Walmart. While the price on XMCOSY's own website is listed as $99.99, and an even more expensive $112.99 at Walmart. You can save $10 by grabbing it for $89.99 on Amazon.

The XMCOSY+ Floor Lamp comes in two metallic shades, both of which cost the same. There is a plain Black variant and a rustic model called Vintage Bronze. I tested out the latter colorway.

XMCOSY+ Floor Lamp: The good bits

XMCOSY ships the XMCOSY+ Floor Lamp in six to seven pieces. Some assembly is required, but you won't need any extra tools for the installation. It's a simple matter of screwing the pieces of the rod together and connecting some cables that took hardly any time.

The XMCOSY+ Floor Lamp is constructed with pretty heavy aluminum and iron parts, but the smart lamp stays well balanced thanks to its sturdy, weighted circular base. Mid-way through the rod, you will find touch buttons that can power the smart light on or off, and also flip through the light's presets. There are two buttons, one for each side of the light. These I found to be highly responsive and convenient to use.

Overall, the Vintage Bronze has a charming rustic look. It fit in well both in my living room and bedroom. Because the XMCOSY+ Floor Lamp has such a minimalist design, you can easily place it anywhere, and it compliments the interior setting in an unimposing way.

The double-sided ring light on the top rotates up to 350-degrees which is really clever. The idea is that the white side can be used for work or everyday use, while the colorful RGB section can be used to set the vibe for parties, hangouts, movies, or gaming sessions.

If you're lazy to get up and switch through the light's controls via buttons, XMCOSY has a dedicated mobile app for Android and iOS. The app enables hands-free interaction with a the smart lamp, with a little help from Alexa or Google Assistant. Since this is a Wi-Fi smart lamp, you don't need to turn on your phone's Bluetooth when using the XMCOSY app.

All these versatile methods of control are amazingly convenient. You can add the XMCOSY+ Floor Lamp to your Google Home app and issue commands to turn the lamp on or off, change the color of the ring light, or set a schedule for it to automatically power on or off.

Flipping and rotating the smart ring light is fun and functional at the same time. You can tilt the ring light at an angle of up to 180° so that it sheds light in a softer way in your room. There are so many possibilities.

What's really wonderful is that the white light is dazzlingly bright, so one of these smart lamps is enough to light up your entire living room. It's also great for photography because you can easily move the smart XMCOSY+ Floor Lamp around for your needs.

The XMCOSY app has many modes buried inside it. You can create automated schedules, control a set of XMCOSY smart lighting products together, and even create schedules for a set of the brand's smart home devices in bulk. There are some cool controls like synchronizing the lamp's automations with the weather.

The XMCOSY+ Floor Lamp is pretty straightforward, and there's plenty to like. As far as a smart piece of light fixture goes, it works well and has enough of the most commonly used features to please the masses.

XMCOSY+ Floor Lamp: The not-so-good bits

Now, I do have some misgivings about this $100 smart lamp. Let's start with the fact that the RGB side of the ring light only displays one color at a time. There are plenty of other smart lamps in the same price bracket that can do this.

Since the lamp is built well, I am willing to overlook that, but the bigger problem is the lack of a built-in mic. Sure, you get a music mode within the XMCOSY app, but it actually uses the phone or smart speaker's mic to make things work.

This also means that you can't issue voice commands if your phone is unlocked and you're not using an Alexa device. Not only must you unlock your phone for that, but it also causes trouble with the music mode if your phone's screen is locked. If your phone closes the screen while the music mode is in use, the XMCOSY+ Floor Lamp just reverts back to your last used light mode.

There's more to dislike in the clunky XMCOSY app. The dynamic color modes are really wonky, and keep reverting back when you close the app or go back to browse through the other presets.

Sometimes, the app glitches out when you go to your phone's home screen, and switches on both sides of the ring light at max brightness. Not only is that very annoying, but it's also harmful for your eyes. Overall, the XMCOSY+ Floor Lamp's companion app just wasn't as peachy as I would've have liked. It needs a massive overhaul.

Apart from the software issues, I also felt a little disappointed with the depth of colors and brightness level of the RGB side of the light. Beyond the basic reds, blues, greens, and pinks, the other shades were hard to distinguish. Purple in particular is an impossible shade for this smart lamp.

When I set both the white and the colored parts of the double-sided XMCOSY+ Floor Lamp to max brightness, it almost felt like the colored light was only half as bright as it's white counterpart. Thankfully, you can greatly adjust the warmth of that section, because that's the side I ended up using the most.

XMCOSY+ Floor Lamp: Competition

Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and similar retailers are filled to the brim with cheap smart lamps and lights from known brands and unknown companies alike. Most of them usually cost cheaper than the XMCOSY+ Floor Lamp, around the $60 mark.

If you want the best of the best for smart lights, the Govee Lyra is the obvious choice. You get Govee's fantastic app and the smart corner floor lamp can emit multiple colors at once. It costs around $150 to $130, and you'll often find further discounts for the Lyra lamp.

If you already have a floor lamp that you love, there's a much easier solution. All you need is an excellent smart light bulb to convert your pre-existing "dump" floor lamp into a smart one for a fraction of the cost. It's a clever, low effort fix that does not require you to purchase big, expensive fixtures for your home, similar to this XMCOSY+ Floor Lamp.

XMCOSY+ Floor Lamp: Should you buy it?

You should buy this if...

• You like the double-sided ring light design
• You want Alexa and Google Assistant support
• You need an affordable but premium-looking smart lamp
• You don't like tedious assembly

You shouldn't buy this if...

• You want deep, multicolor payoff
• You need a lamp with a built-in mic
• You dislike glitchy apps with a passion

The XMCOSY+ Floor Lamp brings a unique two-sided ring light to the masses. It isn't dreadfully expensive, so if you're partial to the design, you should buy it. However, do keep in mind that you'll pay your for that clever ring light because of the frustrating app.

If you don't care much for the cool form factor and all that flipping and rotating, check out the Govee Lyra instead. Better yet, if you want to maximize the value proposition, just buy a two-pack of smart RGB light bulbs and fit them in your existing floor lamps.