I don’t know if this is exact enough, but I use IKEA switches and IKEA or other ZigBee bulbs.
The switches looks like a different brand of paddle switches. They work like “dumb” paddle switches as a starting point, and then you build smartness on top of that.
If you do it right, they also work when internet is down and your server is crashed. Actually this is how they work out of the box. (I think the bridge must be powered on, but if you don’t have power…)
That’s fine, but I’m opposite. When I moved to a different house, smart lighting was the first thing I did, requested by everyone in the family.
Just the fact the light switches are wireless and can be positioned wherever I want then is gold, specially in an older house where things has been moved around so much that the switches locations doesn’t make sense anymore.
Specially in the bedrooms, kids and adults like that the magnetic buttons are movable.
Also, the family in the car leaving the house and I notice a light is on - I can just continue driving while we turn it off. And this is just remote control. Even smarter is when the house recognized that everybody left, and I get a notification that some stuff is still in, with a button to turn it off.
The hallway connecting almost every room on the floor has two switches. None of them are near a bedroom or a bathroom. Or in use. A motion sensor and schedule switches the lights between “almost off”, “day” and “night”. Nobody ever thinks about the light switches, nobody walks around in the darkness or gets blinded at night.
In the living room I have scenes for the TV area.
…etc
Sorry for being inaccurate, I said “bulbs” but it’s actually a mix of bulbs, spotlights and panels. I’m okay with any form factor that fits the situation.
That said, I haven’t had any issues with bulbs. The shape is practical due to history, meaning there’s a very wide selection of lamps etc.
For both bulbs and spots I tend to go with “several”. I have very few places with just one bulb, it’s usually 2, 3 or 4 bulbs in a lamp, and up to 9 spots. This means that they rarely need to go full power, and that should make them last longer. I haven’t had any dying on me yet.