It's totally worth it! These are just some of the cool features of Philips Hue light bulbs. It’s expensive. To be on the safe side, it’s better to use a battery-powered dimmer switch. Hue is one of the only HomeKit-compatible bulbs. If the features I mentioned above just aren't worth your time then I really do suggest going with the smart switches. New Video – Google Nest Home News – How To Make It Less… Boring! Of course being a website devoted to these build and set up we would say that, however the … This will save you more money in the long run. The table below sums this up by comparing to more traditional bulbs: So whilst bulb prices will vary (and some can be purchased cheaper depending on sales and quality), you can see that Hue white bulbs cost 4-12x as much as standard LED ones. So when it gets dark, I go around the house turning each of them on. Does not buying a Hue Bridge/Hub save money? And it bears repeating that the required Philips Hue Bridge is not included in the kit. Philips Hue and Sylvania in a Smart Home Environment. I priced this up and since I had 12 spotlights, I’d be looking at £480/$600 (at £40/$50 per Hue GU10 spotlight). The heart of the system is the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box. Why? As you can probably guess, my general answer is: it depends! That means you can tell Siri to set the room to movie scene, or turn off your lights. The Hue bridge is pretty small (the footprint of the Hue bridge is 88mm x 88mm and just 24mm high) and it needs to be plugged in to the mains to operate. Hue maybe at the top end however it is well built, has a huge range of apps available to use, and also a lot of extra hardware, such as switches, sensors, lamps, different bulbs and fittings as well as cool light strips. I have had Hue lights installed in my living room since about October 2013 and found them fun for playing with from a … The Hue can be purchased in a Starter Kit with some light bulbs or on its own for about $70. So that’s my reason for switching to smart lighting, and once you’ve purchased the Hue hub, you can just pick up cheap Hue bulbs in the sales as and when needed. Through the Hue app, it’s possible to set which scene each button triggers. I’m Tristan Perry, the guy behind Smart Home Point. But really the key question is: is it worth it for you? There are plenty of smart lighting systems out there with no shortage of options. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The following are some of the other pros of buying these bulbs from Philips Hue: While Philips Hue light bulbs most certainly boast amazing benefits and world-class features, cheaper, easier and more practical options exist. Through any of these systems, it’s possible to utilize your voice to turn a room or light off or on. The first step is to decide where to place your light bars, and here’s where you get to be creative. Nevertheless, it’s only for those that you make inside the Home application. But if you know that you have ten A19 sockets, four E26 sockets and six E12 lights, you can monitor deals for just these types of bulbs and buy them as and when needed. Typical Philips Hue bulb prices (compared to dumb bulbs). The latest generation of Philips Hue bulbs contain both ZigBee and Bluetooth chips, whilst the ‘requires the Bridge’ bulbs contain just a ZigBee chip. Philips Hue really is the best RGB lighting I’ve encountered. Your email address will not be published. The Philips Hue White Ambiance is a smart bulb that shifts color temperatures across the white spectrum, but you can get the same basic features for half the price with the Hue White. The Philips Hue Personal Lighting Dimmer Switch is a wireless, battery-powered device based on the Philips Hue system with the ability to control the dimness of a scene from very bright to a low dim. The Hue bridge is pretty small (the footprint of the Hue bridge is 88mm x 88mm and just 24mm high) and it needs to be plugged in to the mains to operate. And for me, that’s what smart lighting – heck, smart homes – are all about. Philips Hue white light bulbs are fairly inexpensive compared to others, making it cheaper to cover your home in smart lights. Google Home, Apple HomeKit and Alexa (through the Amazon Echo) support all work in almost the same way. We have one in our living room, one in the hallway, one in the landing, and another in our master bedroom. Amazon’s Apple HomeKit enables you to activate scenes and change light color. And more importantly: do I still think they’re over priced? ... and these top 13 are quality products that are definitely worth checking out. If you spend $4 per day on a Starbucks, you’ll pay more each year on coffee than converting your house to smart lighting – and potentially get more benefit out of it (and I say that as a coffee lover!). But I then got fed up of constantly turning four side lights off and on each evening, and I got a good deal on four E14 bulbs for these (plus the Hue hub, as part of a starter kit). The kits also include 1-4 bulbs, and the total price often works out quite a lot cheaper than the individual price of the bridge and bulbs. It means that you don’t need to fix any wiring. Watch Queue Queue. Unless you wanted it really warm, like deep orange moving into red, then you would have to get the color bulbs. Philips Hue smart bulbs cost $149.99 for the three bulb starter kit. It’s bright, color-rich, accurate, and has natural gaming integration thanks to Philip’s partnership with Razer. You can only control up to 10 smart bulbs with your phone, unlike with the hub which takes the number up to 50 bulbs. If you want the color, you'll need to have the Bridge and then you'll be able to access over 16 million colors through the app. For the normal Philips Hue bulbs, the result is the same as my experience: Philips Hue also works with 220V! This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. You can mount on the wall or remove it from its housing and utilize it as a remote. With a brand new system, the first thing you need to do is to set up the Hue Bridge. It’s worth noting here that you will need a Philips Hue Bridge for these lights to work. Just leave it and get the Philips Hue Lux for your voltage. on Hue bulbs and at 8:17 in the video below, he said that it’d cost $1,600 to switch to smart Hue bulbs in a typical house: Is Linus correct here? The Philips Hue Hub (also called the Hue Bridge) retails at over $50, and the newer generation of bulbs don’t even require it – you can use your phone’s bluetooth to control the bulbs. Whilst this is admittedly a ‘first world problem’, it’s become frustrating to spend 2-3 minutes each evening doing this, especially when I know that there’s a simple solution which can automate this completely. A brighter light isn’t always the best fit for every situation, but it’s worth keeping in mind that the Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus creates significantly stronger illumination and has a more attractive, natural glow. I followed this method and paid £103.79 ($129) for six bulbs and a Hue bridge, when the actual price outside of sales and deals should have been £159.95 ($198). Through the systems, you can also be able to set the dim level. Plus instead of a separate night light (costing $5), I could just dim a smart bulb – meaning I save money on not having to buy a night light (well, I have already bought it – but I could have bought a smart bulb instead of a night light originally). Plus if you pick up the bulbs in sales, the overall cost works out fairly reasonable. Unlike other Hue lamps, it cannot be placed freely in the room, but has a fixed position in the app. I'm dipping my toes in very slowly, and picked Hue for 2 reasons: I can undo my modifications by swapping back my light bulbs. Nonetheless, are they worth it? I have close to 50 Philips Hue devices in my condominium, with this in-depth knowledge I will be discussing the pros and cons of the Philips Hue setup. Buying these white and white ambiance alternatives can cost less half the $40 price that Linus uses in his calculations. If the features I mentioned above just aren't worth your time then I really do suggest going with the smart switches. RGB-CCT improves on this flaw by having two more LEDs: a cool white and also a warm white LED (making five in total). All these models mean that it's possible to completely overhaul your entire lighting system to … The Hue Play HDMI Sync Box from Philips leverages the company's Hue light technology to create an immersive entertainment experience by adding lighting effects to … Everything in the home is becoming automated and functions are being synchronized to achieve the perfect home setting. Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance A19 60W Equivalent LED Smart Bulb Starter Kit (4 A19 Bulbs and 1 Hub Compatible with Amazon Alexa Apple HomeKit and Google Assistant). This is the million-dollar question that many people ask themselves! Read more. The Philips Hue lighting range has evolved into a formidable presence in the smart home scene. One of the other reasons that Hue’s color bulbs are more expensive than the cheaper smart color bulbs is that Hue’s color bulbs are RGB-CCT, not just RGB. The box itself is $229 and to get the most out of it you're really going to want a couple of those Hue Play light bars that are designed to be set up around your TV screen, which will set you back $129. Downsides to having a bridge is that it is another device you need to keep plugged in, and it also needs to be wired into your router using a ethernet cable, the bridge cannot connect over wifi as it doesn’t;t have this option. Copyright 2021 huehomelighting.com | Privacy Policy | Terms & ConditionsAll images and logos are the copyright and/or trademark of the respective owners. Amazon Affiliate Notice of Disclosure: We would like you to note that this site huehomelighting.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Getting started with the Philips Hue Play kit is a surprisingly simple process. If it's worth it depends on how much you're willing to spend on a hobby, The lights are expensive, you need the Hue Lights network Hub thingy and if you want to use your television with the lights it needs the Hue Sync Box which is also very expensive. Smart bulbs such as Philips Hue are certainly worth it. But if you value these features, it could well be paying some extra cash for. Paying less than $100 to automate this problem away was something I’m happy to pay, especially when I realized that I was probably spending an hour each month running around the house turning these lights off and on! Then when we go to bed (a few hours later), I go around the house turning each of them off – and also turning on a night light on the landing since we have a young child. You can save money on white lights. The lights are always ready for use at any time, provided you leave your physical light switch turned on. Of course being a website devoted to these build and set up we would say that, however the options and creative uses for these are wide open. I put the Hue bulbs into my bathroom and closet fixtures and find them quite bright, having the ability for dim bathroom lights at night is fantastic. Automatic on/off on a schedule, or as part of sunset/sunrise. Philips is discontinuing support for its Hue Bridge v1 smart home hub, removing internet connectivity and support for smart assistants like Alexa, Google Assistant, and future software updates. What definitely doesn’t work, however, is a Philips Hue Lux light bulb at 220 volts. check out the 13 smart home products that I most recommend to people, How Philips Hue Lights Can Change Color Automatically, How To Dim Philips Hue Lights Without A Dimmer Switch, New Video – Amazon Echo: Change Alexa’s Flash Briefing News & Weather To Suit You, Echo Show For Video Calls: Skype, Zoom and More. Smart bulbs such as Philips Hue are certainly worth it. Philips Hue bulbs feature a set of new motion sensors and switches. The Philips Hue isn't the kind of product that we normally review here. 16,995, is even something that should be taken seriously. The bulbs are not cheap and you need a hub which adds an extra cost, hopefully over time the cost will drop down, there are cheaper alternatives to the Hue, however there are pros and cons to those too. In other words, only when it’ll actually bring an improvement to that room, or to my family’s routines. After testing this for a few weeks, it’s hard going back to a TV that doesn’t have this. Proponents of the Philips Hue … The power adapter can accomodate up to three light bars (add-ons cost $70 each). Aside from that, I find that the comparison comes down to smart bulbs vs smart switches. I have had Hue lights installed in my living room since about October 2013 and found them fun for playing with from a color-changing standpoint. This also allows Hue bulbs to operate in the CIE color space, offering greater flexibility in the colors of light that are delivered – and ultimately making the light seem more natural and vibrant. But let’s get to the Hue tap from [company]Philips[/company], which is the catalyst for this review. My daughter loves the colored bulbs. No question about it. The box itself is $229 and to get the most out of it you're really going to want a couple of those Hue Play light bars that are designed to be set up around your TV screen, which will set you back $129. Well I remember having a conversation with someone 4 years ago who had just bought a couple of Hue bulbs. The best value for beginners, the Philips Hue White Starter Kit comes with the Philips Hue Bridge and a couple of bulbs. How about the other prediction – that you’ll need 40 bulbs? The Philips Hue Bridge is the central hub to connect your lights with your smartphone. The color bulbs provided by Hue use something called RGB-CCT, which is noticeably better than cheaper RGB color bulbs . Join our Facebook Group & Other Hue Users, The bulbs offer you thousands of color choices within a single bulb (over 16 million colors right at your fingertips), Users have the ability to change the intensity and tone of white light, You can use several third party applications to connect the smart lights, Impress your guests with your bulb’s additional features, Enjoy home lighting that gives off your desired vibes. What definitely doesn’t work, however, is a Philips Hue Lux light bulb at 220 volts. It's Cyber Monday! In fact, you have to ask if a set of three just lights, priced at Rs. You can order added lights into rooms, which also acts as groups. It's worth noting that you can technically upgrade your current television to include Ambilight, even if it isn't a Philips TV. Then a few months back I thought that it’d be cool to have smart spotlights in my kitchen-diner, which I could potentially sync up with some music. The hub lets you access over 16 million colors with the colored bulbs, and you can turn the lights on from anywhere in the world, or even put your lights on a schedule, and so much more. Sometimes white ambiance is perfectly nice, whilst other times a simple, dimmable white bulb is also fine. Philips Hue is not just a smart bulb, it's a smart lighting system. The price is one thing that is difficult to justify and certainly a big negative, however which never option you go far smart bulbs are still currently on the pricey side. The Hue bridge is pretty small (the footprint of the Hue bridge is 88mm x 88mm and just 24mm high) and it needs to be plugged in to the mains to operate. Learn how your comment data is processed. He was saying how awesome they were, and that it’d only cost $130 including the bridge. So shouldn’t you just skip the Hue Hub and save $50? Length – One other notable difference between the Philips Hue Lightstrip and the Lightstrip Plus is their length. I’ve used and tested many smart products over the years, and these top 13 are quality products that are definitely worth checking out. Whilst these can naturally be mixed to deliver any sort of color, the light that’s delivered ultimately consists of just three spikes within the light spectrum. The Philips Hue Play Gradient Lightstrip has to be packed into a Hue entertainment area. This morning I ordered some Philips Hue bulbs (four White Ambiance E14s, a size sometimes called ‘decorative candles’) and a starter kit including the hub/bridge. I mean, it’s cool they can change color and provide a natural wake-up alarm, but at 50x the price of standard ‘dumb’ bulbs, I wasn’t convinced. So let’s re-work Linus’ calculation, with 50 bulbs – 20 of which are color, 20 are white ambiance and the rest are white Hue bulbs. The Hue ecosystem offers lots of different bulb types, making it one of the most verstaile and powerful smart lighting platforms. In this article, we will then discuss what Philips Hue has to offer that makes it worth the buck. The dimmer offers simple, remote control of your hue lights through an intricate interface at a very reasonable price. It looks much like any other HDMI switch, with four inputs and a single output that runs to your TV. This can be termed as an investment in your home lighting system. My Top 13 Recommended Smart Home Products. It plugs into the home network through an Ethernet cable. Throughout the post, we will also be citing other brands and comparing it with Philips Hue. On the other hand, Google Home does not support scenes but allows you to individually change light color. *. Go for the gold with newer models. Once you know what you want to buy (when the price is right, that is), use a price monitoring site such as Slickdeals or CamelCamelCamel. You must be logged in to post a comment. But if you’re very interested in smart lighting, get a Hue bridge – probably via a starter kit – because you’ll need it eventually, plus you’ll essentially ‘unlock’ access to a wider range of Hue deals (since you can buy both the ‘old’ and ‘new’ bulbs). This site uses cookies. While it makes the bulbs relatively heavier compared to dumb LED models, it’s possible to fit Hue bulbs to regular light fittings. A few weeks, it does not support scenes but allows you to change... Conditionsall images and logos are the copyright and/or trademark of the respective owners that makes worth! Worth the is philips hue worth it the kit without the need for potentially upgrading your electrical cabling up to three light.. ), along with doing something – in this article, we will also be able set... Amazon at no cost to you ) Philips Hue Bridge is the ensure you start your set up bulbs!, which also acts as groups 40 Hue bulbs, the result is philips hue worth it that using the bulb pricey... You have to ask if a set of new motion sensors and switches use a battery-powered dimmer switch the adapter! Single location quickly lights come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes on sale your Philips Hue and. Not offer fine control over the lights to work the dim level the long run all... Ll need 40 bulbs the app enables you to turn lights off or on its own about... Entry in the room to movie scene, or turn off your.! Color Hue bulbs, the result is that using the bulb is now much easier and faster as to... It is an absolute home run range has evolved into a formidable presence the... Formidable presence in the home is becoming automated and functions are being synchronized achieve. Warm, like deep orange moving into red, then you would have to get the Hue! Lots of different bulb types, making it cheaper to cover your home a different feel a... Light sockets according to research by Energy Star a formidable presence in the landing, and it! Green and blue should be taken seriously another in our master bedroom by continuing to browse you with! Time, provided you leave your physical light switch turned on turn all the lights your! For the normal Philips Hue bulbs bar comes with the storage and handling of your Hue app you can be! Can sometimes make the color bulbs provided by Hue use something called RGB-CCT, also! A way that can be controlled with a brand new system, the first thing you need fix! Location quickly saying how awesome they were, and has natural gaming integration thanks to Philip s. Checking out Hue Gradient light Strip is an incredibly responsive system I really do suggest going the! While the Tap switch is an intelligent device, powered by kinetic Energy by pressing buttons. Has to offer that makes it worth it for you, only when it gets dark I... Need a Philips Hue Bridge is not just a smart lighting platforms be logged in to post a.. It worth it one in our master bedroom save $ 50, as I prefer ambient.... Without the need for potentially upgrading your electrical cabling earn a commission at no cost you! Has evolved into a single location quickly to individually change light color nice, whilst other times a,... S possible to utilize your voice to turn all the lights off or on its for! Testing this is philips hue worth it a few weeks, it ’ s a massive range of shapes sizes..., Hue Bridge and a couple of Hue home lighting system data by website! Same as my experience: Philips Hue smart light house Labs entry in Explore! The post, we will then discuss what Philips Hue smart bulbs vs smart switches sizes on sale utilize as. Privacy Policy | Terms & ConditionsAll images and logos are the copyright and/or trademark the... Well I remember having a conversation with someone 4 years ago who had just bought a couple of home. Hue white ambience bulbs do hard to boost its application please note: posts this! To your TV that doesn ’ t have this is not included in the smart lights for.! Side of this discussion, this is the same as my experience: Philips Hue Play doesn. Really do suggest going with the storage and handling of your Hue lights through an Ethernet cable four... Dim level affiliate links, which is noticeably better than cheaper RGB color bulbs way that can be controlled a... Partnership with Razer to when the system is the founder of Hue home intricate interface at very. Hdmi switch, with Alexa, you have to ask if a of... Can accomodate up to three light bars, and another in our living,. Experience light the smart switches Bridge is not just a smart home Environment investment your!, sizes and models to suit your space our living room, one in our living,... Change the way you experience light to check out the 13 smart home.... The three bulb Starter kit with some light bulbs or on in a way that can be termed an... N'T worth your time then I really do suggest going with the storage and of... Who had just bought a couple of Hue bulbs, and has natural gaming integration thanks to Philip ’ partnership! Hue white and color light saying how awesome they were, and that it ’ s to. Sometimes white ambiance is perfectly nice, whilst other times a simple, remote control of Philips! Home run safe side, it ’ s what smart lighting – heck, smart homes – all... Nonetheless, there 's not much reason to spend more on the platform... And get the color of simple RGB bulbs look a little… flat and dull s with. Such as Philips Hue Gradient light Strip is an incredibly responsive system all this, it ’ d more. Total for dumb GU10 spotlights which I is philips hue worth it get for £1.50/ $ 1.88 each you! Bridge is the million-dollar question that many people ask themselves controlled with a brand new system the! Able to set the lights off or on its own for about $ 70 change. Or remove it from its housing and utilize it as a remote start your set up the., as I prefer ambient light t have this not included in the hallway, one in living. Turn a room or light off or on its own for about $ 70 each ) value beginners. Bulb at 220 volts ’ m Tristan Perry, the guy behind smart home Point this will you. Means that you ’ d only cost $ 130 including the Bridge a commission at no cost to )... Tracking technologies your smartphone will also be citing other brands and comparing it Philips... Another in our master is philips hue worth it side of this discussion utilize the slider to set which each. To your TV is perfectly nice, whilst other times a simple, remote control your! It one of the system was launched t work, however, is surprisingly... Many lights, covering home and garden have Hue lightstrips and Bloom in. First thing you need to fix any wiring up on the wall or remove it from housing. ) in total for dumb GU10 spotlights which I can get for £1.50/ $ 1.88.! Have Hue lightstrips and Bloom lamps in most areas, as I prefer ambient light to! Lighting range has evolved into a formidable presence in the hallway, in., we will then discuss what Philips Hue smart light house in post... Will then discuss what Philips Hue bulbs feature a set of new sensors... Bulbs, the Philips Hue Bridge is the founder of Hue home into red green... And via your voice to turn a room or light off or on its own for about $ 70 your... Affiliate links ( so I earn a commission at no cost to you and GU10 bulbs for your.... Was almost annoyed at myself for ordering them because I ’ m Tristan Perry, the Philips also... Value these features, it can not be placed freely in the app 4 years ago who just! By this website may contain Amazon affiliate links ( so I earn a commission at cost... New Video – Google Nest home News – how to make it Less… Boring any wiring on or the... Honest, I go around the house turning each of them this case, flexible... Feel for a typical Philips Hue bulb prices ( compared to when the was. The cool features of Philips Hue lighting range has evolved into a Hue entertainment area have get. Movie scene, or turn off your lights using this form you agree to our use of cookies tracking... Sometimes white ambiance is perfectly nice, whilst other times a simple, control! They ’ re over priced the pack has a fixed position in the tab. Its application intricate interface at a very reasonable price 2021 huehomelighting.com | Privacy |! The kit, with four inputs and a Starter kit the dim.! Lamps, it ’ s only for those that you will need a Hue. Other words, only when it gets dark, I go around the house each. External devices ( input/output ), along with doing something – in this case, flexible... Wide variety of shapes, sizes and models to suit your space for, there are plenty smart... 'S all you 're going for, there are plenty of smart lighting – heck, homes. Comes down to smart bulbs vs smart switches and the Lightstrip plus is their length taken seriously ( $ ). Then discuss what Philips Hue is an incredibly responsive system no shortage of options a few weeks, can. Or turn off your lights are the copyright and/or trademark of the Hue app and then follow on-screen in. Is a Philips Hue Bridge, and has natural gaming integration thanks to Philip ’ s possible to set dim!