Over the past few years at Kodira, we have developed at lot of software for commissioning and managing Bluetooth® mesh devices. When we began our journey, our client’s proprietary hardware/firmware had not yet been built. Facing a lack of test devices to validate our implementation against, we began scanning the market for off-the-shelf hardware.
We quickly realized that a major point of confusion exists in the market: there is the official Bluetooth® mesh standard published by the Bluetooth® SIG, and then there are various proprietary Bluetooth-based mesh technologies developed either in parallel with or prior to the SIG specification.
Finding off-the-shelf devices that truly implement standard Bluetooth® mesh (SIG) is not as simple as searching Amazon. To save you time when setting up your development or testing environment, this guide highlights reliable vendors and brands - as well as those you should avoid.
Understanding Mesh Standards
1. Bluetooth® Mesh & Bluetooth® NLC
Standardized by the Bluetooth® SIG, this specification is the primary focus of this guide. Vendors occasionally refer to this as “SIG Mesh,” “BLE Mesh,” or “BT Mesh.” While common, these are informal terms and should generally be avoided.
Note on Bluetooth® NLC (Network Lighting Control): Bluetooth® NLC is fundamentally Bluetooth® mesh. It adds stricter profiles and requirements to guarantee interoperability specifically within the lighting domain. On a core protocol level, there is no difference.
2. Proprietary Mesh Protocols
Several proprietary mesh protocols operate over Bluetooth® hardware. While many of these are robust, mature, and commercially successful, they are completely incompatible with the standard Bluetooth® mesh (SIG) protocol.
Examples include:
- Casambi
- MESHLE
- Wirepas
Vendor & Brand Recommendations
The following list focuses exclusively on manufacturers offering hardware that supports the open Bluetooth® mesh specification standardized by the Bluetooth® SIG.
👍 Recommended Vendors
In no particular order.
Steinel
Offers standard-compliant lights, switches, dimmers, and sensors. Browse the Connected Lighting category. Relevant products are clearly marked with a Bluetooth MESH logo.
JUNG
Provides standard-compliant lighting controls, switches, and dimmers suitable for residential and commercial buildings. Look under the JUNG HOME product line.
Grässlin
A reliable source for industrial and commercial DIN-rail and flush-mounted dimmers. The trim 200 and trim 300 dimmers are true Bluetooth® mesh devices.
Theben
Offers high-quality building automation components. Look for DIMAX 540 plus B a flush-mounted dimmer (functionally identical/similar to the Grässlin trim 300) and ELPA 540 APP BN designed for stairwell lighting control.
Häfele
Produces specialized hardware, including smart lighting, switches, and wireless remote controls. Look at devices under the Connect Mesh brand.
LOYTEC
Positioned in the commercial B2B/building automation market, offering a wide range of industrial sensors and actuators. Search for the LOYBT product series.
LEDVANCE
One of the few sources for standard Bluetooth® mesh smart light bulbs. Look for Products under the SMART+ brand. But beware that LEDVANCE uses the SMART+ label across Wi-Fi, Zigbee, and Bluetooth® lines. Note: LEDVANCE also offers a professional series powered by Silvair firmware.
Silvair (Technology Partner)
Silvair operates as a technology partner, providing Bluetooth® mesh/NLC firmware stacks and cloud platform to third-party hardware manufacturers. Firmware from Silvair provides excellent multi-vendor interoperability. Key OEM Partners using Silvair firmware:
- Osram / Inventronics: QBM (Qualified Bluetooth Mesh) series
- mwConnect: TruBlu ecosystem
- B.E.G: LUXOMESH line
- Sunricher: They offer devices using Silvair firmware and devices using their own firmware as SunSmart (based on Nordic SDK)
👎 Vendors to Avoid
Again, in no particular order.
Aigostar
While Aigostar offers a broad catalog of smart bulbs, LED strips, and remotes that utilize Bluetooth® technology, they do not comply with the Bluetooth® mesh standard. In our testing, standard network provisioners were completely unable to provision these devices.
Tuya
Tuya powers a vast ecosystem of white-label smart devices. Many Tuya products claim “Bluetooth® mesh” support, but they rely on a custom, proprietary implementation. Standard SIG-compliant provisioners cannot commision or manage these devices.
LTECH / Taobao
LTECH offers a rich portfolio of hardware that technically runs on the Bluetooth® mesh transport layer, but with a proprietary application layer. While standard provisioners can successfully commision these devices, LTECH bypasses standardized Bluetooth® SIG Models in favor of undocumented, vendor-defined models. This locks communication exclusively to LTECH’s proprietary controllers and apps.
GY / bravotecno
Produces a line of smart light bulbs and other consumer devices. The box shows a Bluetooth mesh logo, devices advertise as unprovisioned nodes, but standard provisioning apps get disconnected immediately.
We at Kodira GmbH are experts in the field of Bluetooth® LE und Bluetooth® mesh for iOS, Android, Windows and Linux. Please contact us if you think that we can help you with your next project.