Philips Hue Lights: A Guide to What Each Does (and Costs)

Philips Hue has become a leading name in smart lighting, continuously elevating the standards in this marketplace. With an extensive array of products, from smart bulb starter kits to comprehensive light strip extensions, Philips Hue is noted for producing some of the finest smart lights available.

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Philips Hue bulbs are not only feature-rich and responsive, but they also work seamlessly with devices like Alexa and Google Home. One of their praiseworthy aspects is the ease with which they can be integrated into your current smart home ecosystem.

Continuously adding more varieties of smart lights, Philips Hue has extended its offerings to outdoor spaces like backyards and patios. The multitude of choices can be overwhelming for new users, which is why we’ve created this Philips Hue lights guide. We’ll cover the brand’s most popular options, recent releases, and weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Before you dive in, it’s essential to have a Philips Hue Bridge ($59, available on Amazon) if you plan to manage all your smart lights through the brand’s app. Newer Philips Hue lights primarily operate over Bluetooth, yet a bridge facilitates smooth integration with both older and newer models, preventing potential compatibility issues.

Philips Hue Lights: Starter Kits

Philips Hue starter kits come complete with bulbs and the necessary bridge for connecting the lights to your Wi-Fi. If you’re new to Philips Hue, a starter kit is the most effective way to begin your journey. After extensive testing of various smart home products, it’s clear that Philips Hue Starter Kits rank among the best options.

The original Philips Hue Starter Pack (White and Color Ambiance) serves as a replacement for standard A19 bulbs and can shift through over 16 million colors. This starter pack consists of three lights and a Hue bridge. Philips also offers a variation of this kit with four bulbs.

Philips Hue White Ambiance Kit: This kit allows for the adjustment of color temperature, transitioning from bright blue-white to warm yellow-white. A new version of the White Ambiance kit comes with two bulbs, a Hue bridge, and a smart switch for easy control.

Philips Hue Smart Bridge: If you decide not to purchase a starter kit that includes the smart bridge, you will need to buy one separately. It connects to your Wi-Fi router and links up with your Hue lights.

For more information, check out the Philips Hue Indoor Spotlight.

Philips Hue Light Bulbs and Light Strips

Enhance your lighting experience with a variety of Philips Hue bulbs. Options range from basic white bulbs to colorful light strips and bulbs designed for smaller sockets.

Recently, Philips Hue has announced that all its smart bulbs available in White, White Ambiance, and White and Color Ambiance will now come in additional lumen options.

Philips Hue White A21, Lumens: This bulb is among the latest and brightest from Philips Hue and operates without a hub, allowing control via Bluetooth.

Philips Hue White Ambiance A19: This single bulb requires a hub but offers brightness control once linked.

Philips Hue Filament Bulb: These stylish Edison-style bulbs are now also available in White Ambiance, able to produce a broad spectrum of white tones, switching naturally throughout the day.

Philips Hue Ambiance BR30 Floodlight: This LED floodlight boasts thousands of shade options from warm to cool, and colorful tones, ideal for recessed ceiling fixtures.

Philips Hue E12 Candle: This smaller bulb is crafted for chandeliers and fixtures where standard-size A19 bulbs are unsuitable. Each candle bulb equates to a 40W light and is offered in both White Ambiance and Color Ambiance.

Philips Hue Ambiance Gradient Light Strip: This 6-foot color LED strip features adhesive backing, allowing for easy placement under kitchen counters or shelving for accent lighting.

Philips Hue Entertainment Lights

This category includes entertainment-enhancing devices like the Play light. The Hue Play HDMI Sync Box takes the experience a step further by synchronizing smart lights with the content on your TV screen, be it games or movies.

Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box: Similar to surround sound, this box enhances movie and gaming experiences with surround lighting. By connecting it between your TV and media devices, it analyzes on-screen content and adjusts the Hue lights accordingly. Philips has released a Hue Sync TV app that provides the same functionality without needing additional hardware, though it is priced at $129 and is exclusively compatible with Samsung QLED TVs or newer.

Philips Hue Play Light Bar: This 9-inch, color-changing light bar can be positioned horizontally or vertically by your TV or computer monitor, or mounted for backlighting.

Philips Hue Standalone Lamps

Standalone lamps serve to create accent lighting in any room and do not come with a bridge, which is necessary for connectivity.

Philips Hue Bloom: This accent light, measuring approximately 5 inches in diameter, can emit millions of colors and is best for reflecting light off walls behind objects like TVs or plants.

Philips Hue White Ambiance Wellness: This lamp contains a single Philips Hue white ambiance bulb, which can transition between cool and warm white or be replaced with a color bulb if desired.

Philips Hue Go Light: The Hue Go offers an excellent accent lighting option, illuminating from both its round base and flat top. It features a built-in rechargeable battery that lasts up to three hours when not plugged in. The latest Hue Go portable lamp comes in black or white with 370 lumens of brightness, priced at $159.

Philips Hue Twilight Sleep and Wake-Up Light: This lamp utilizes scientifically-backed settings to produce mood-enhancing lighting, suitable for wake-up and sleep automation or simply recharging your space during the daytime.

Philips Hue Light Fixtures

Philips also offers light fixtures with built-in bulbs, though this limits options and necessitates replacing the entire fixture when the LEDs burn out. These fixtures too require a bridge for functionality.

Philips Hue White Ambiance Fair: This ceiling light can be flush-mounted or purchased with an extension to lower it slightly. It features a sleek aluminum finish and adjustable LED color temperatures.

Philips Hue White Ambiance Being: Similar to the Fair, this fixture has a clear panel and can only be flush-mounted.

Philips Hue Outdoor Lights

Philips Hue offers durable, weather-resistant outdoor lights for gardens, landscaping, patios, and walkways.

Philips Hue Single PAR38 Outdoor: This light can fit in any outdoor fixture compatible with a PAR38 bulb, transforming it into a "smart light" that you can manage remotely.

Philips Hue Calla Outdoor Pathway: This LED-integrated bollard is perfect for illuminating pathways, coming with a base pack that includes one bollard and a power supply, with extension kits available for $129.

Philips Hue Inara White Outdoor Lantern: A traditional wall lantern for porches and doorways, using a fixed white bulb which can be remotely controlled.

Philips Hue Lucca Outdoor Wall Lantern: Offering a modern design for updated exteriors, this is a slightly pricier version than the Inara.

Philips Hue Ludere Outdoor Security Light: Ideal for garages or driveways, this floodlight contains two bulbs and delivers up to 1,350 lumens while remaining a static color.

Philips Hue Lightstrip Outdoor: Available in lengths of 80 or 197 inches, this outdoor lightstrip boasts 1,650 lumens and is rated IP67 for durability against the elements.

Philips Hue Smart Lights Accessories

Philips also provides accessories that allow control of your Hue lights without using the app.

Philips Hue Smart Dimmer Switch with Remote: A high-quality remote control that connects directly to Hue lights without wiring them. The remote can also be detached for portability.

Philips Hue Smart Tap Switch: A programmable wireless remote that can memorize three light settings, workable at the tap of a button for occasions like movie nights.

Philips Hue Smart Motion Sensor: Automatically activates lights when movement is detected, equipped to adjust based on the time of day.

Philips Hue Dusk-to-Dawn Outdoor Motion Sensor: A battery-operated device that monitors light levels outside to prevent indoor lights from turning on until necessary.

Philips Hue Sync App

Lastly, users can utilize the Philips Hue Sync app to synchronize bulbs with multimedia content on Mac or Windows PCs. The app allows lights to flash and change colors in sync with media being played, including music and videos. Hue Sync connects seamlessly with the Hue app to offer personalized color schemes and brightness adjustments, reflecting users' preferences.