I test smart lights for a living, and these are my top 3 Philips Hue smart lights to brighten up any space
Philips Hue bulbs and lamps are some of the best smart lights on the market, and there’s a dizzying range to choose from. As TechRadar’s smart home technology editor, I’ve had my hands (and eyes) on all the major products and put together this guide to help you decide which ones are right for you.
If you’re new to the world of smart lights and just want to try replacing a few of your existing bulbs, I recommend the Philips Hue Essential series. These are entry-level versions of the brand’s standard color-changing smart bulbs, and they’re much more affordable. If you want to add ambiance to a room or create an Ambilight-style home theater effect without having to install strip lights behind your TV, I recommend the Philips Hue Wall Washing, and if you want string lights that will be fun and functional during the holidays and beyond, Philips Hue Festavia gets my seal of approval.
Best smart bulbs
Philips Hue Essential
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Philips Hue is the biggest name in smart lighting, but the price can be intimidating if you’re considering trying it for the first time or like the idea of having smart bulbs in every room. This is where the Hue Essential Series comes in. It doesn’t include as many different types and styles as the original Hue line, but it covers all the bases with screw, bayonet, and spotlight options – and they’re great.
I tested a Philips Hue Essential bulb against its high-end White and Color Ambiance counterpart, and I could barely tell the difference between the two in most situations. Color reproduction was excellent for both, they also respond to commands from the Hue app, and their peak brightness is almost identical.
The only significant difference was in dimming, with the regular White and Color Ambiance bulb able to dim to a much lower level than the Hue Essential bulb. This might be a problem if you want subtle lighting for your home entertainment space or want to install a smart bulb in your bedroom to gently wake you up with a sunrise effect, but for most rooms it really won’t matter.
Hue Essential bulbs work like all other Hue lights in other ways. You can control them via Bluetooth or use a Philips Hue bridge to connect them to other devices, including switches, sensors and smart speakers.
This is all very impressive considering they cost less than half the price of standard Philips Hue bulbs, meaning they’re easy to recommend.
Check out my full Philips Hue Essential review
Best smart table lamp
Philips Hue Play wall washer
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The Philips Hue Play Wall Washing is the most versatile smart light I’ve tested. Rather than directly lighting the room, it features a stack of three bright LEDs on the back, which project a striking, even color gradient onto a wall – hence the name.
Just like Philips Ambilight, you can use a pair of Wall Washers to enhance your home theater setup by extending colors from the edges of your TV screen. Simply connect them to a Philips Hue Play HDMI sync box, follow the setup instructions in the Hue app, and settle in for a more immersive viewing experience. Color matching was impressive in my testing, and each Wall Wash has a surprisingly long throw, so they’ll work even with larger TVs.
You can also use it to add ambient light to any room (the further away from a wall, the more diffuse the glow) and link it to all the other Hue lights and smart devices in your home.
Personally, I like to use it as a wake-up light (similar to the Philips Hue Twilight, but not as expensive). Wall Washing projects a warm glow on your bedroom wall that gradually lightens from dark blue to red, orange, yellow and finally white to gently wake you from sleep. It’s less of a shock to the system than an audible alarm and outperforms even the best wake-up lights in terms of color and dimming.
Read my full Philips Hue Play Wall Washer Review
Best smart string lights
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Fairy lights aren’t just for the holidays, as Philips Hue Festavia proves. This string of tiny smart LEDs adorns your tree beautifully, but can also be hung anywhere in your home to add ambient lighting all year round.
Using the Philips Hue app, you can apply themed scenes to your Festavia lights and even group them with other Hue bulbs and lamps to create a cohesive theme throughout an entire space. Thanks to a new feature called Hue SpatialAware, the app can even apply scenes differently depending on where the lights are positioned, so your Festavia strings add to the ambiance in a way that makes sense for your room.
You can also control them using automation or switches and sensors. For example, you could have them only turn on when someone enters the room, or set a timer so they turn off automatically at bedtime.
You can even use them to create a welcoming glow in front of your home when someone approaches. Unlike most string lights we’ve tested over the years, the standard Festavia string lights are suitable for indoor or outdoor use and are IP54 rated, meaning they won’t be damaged by rain.
As with all Hue lights, you’ll need a Philips Hue bridge to get the most out of them, but if you already have a Hue setup, they’re a great option if you’re shopping for lights for the holidays and beyond.
See our guide Are smart string lights worth it?
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