Nov 20, 2023 9:00 AM

Which Philips Hue Smart Lights Should You Buy?

Philips Hue sells many of the best smart lights, but its range can be tricky to navigate. Here’s how to choose the right kit for your home.

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Philips Hue Light Strip attached to the back of a computer monitor

4 / 10

Perhaps the brightest name in smart lighting, and certainly one of the longest serving, Philips Hue offers a wide range of gadgetry to illuminate your home and bring some color to your life. You can get all manner of bulbs, light strips, lamps, fixtures, switches, and more as a part of the Hue ecosystem, and its products have wide compatibility with smart home platforms.

Philips Hue has a well-deserved reputation for quality, but its wares often carry a hefty price tag. In this guide, we’ll run through some of our favorites and offer some pointers to help you get the best from your lights. We have tested all manner of Philips Hue lights and devices, but these are the ones we recommend. The brand appears prominently in our Best Smart Lighting and Best Smart Bulbs guides, where you will also find some alternatives. Be sure to check out our Best Nanoleaf Lights and Best Govee Light Kits guides for more.

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Photograph: Philips
What You Need to Know
Choosing Philips Hue Lights
Before buying any Philips Hue lights, here are some things to consider:
Connectivity and controls. While it is possible to connect directly to some Philips Hue lights with your phone via Bluetooth, we strongly recommend buying a Philips Hue Bridge. Bluetooth is relatively slow and has limited range. With the bridge, you can control Philips Hue lights using the Hue app or your preferred smart home platform. Each Hue Bridge can connect up to 50 lights, and they react swiftly. The bridge uses Zigbee to create a parallel network to your Wi-Fi, and it works even if your internet goes down. But your bridge must be centrally located, connected to your main router via Ethernet cable, and plugged into a power outlet.
Philips Hue has an app. The available features depend on the specific lighting, but the Hue app enables you to turn lights on and off, change colors, select and create animated scenes, schedule your lights, group lights together, and lots more. We recommend installing it and creating an account before you fit your new lighting.
Switches are worth considering. You can buy an assortment of Philips Hue accessories to make controlling your Hue lights easier for everyone in the home. There are various switches and motion sensors that save you from having to use the app. We highlight some of our favorites below.
Discounts are common. Philips Hue lights are expensive, so keep an eye out for discounts. You will frequently find discounted lights and bundles around Black Friday and during Prime shopping events at Amazon.
Photograph: Amazon
Best Bulbs
Philips Hue White and Color Starter Kit
You can buy individual bulbs or packs, but if you’re new to Philips Hue, a Starter Kit is a great way to dip your toes in the water. The basic starter kits include three color bulbs, a Philips Hue Bridge, and a simple smart button you can use to turn your lights on and off. (Your old light switch must be left in the On position for your Hue bulbs to work properly.) With the Hue app, you can change the brightness, color, and temperature of these bulbs to get the ambiance you want. Check your fixtures before you buy to ensure you get the right kind of bulbs.
Works with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings
$180 at Amazon (3 Pack)
$199 at Home Depot (4 Pack)

Photograph: Philips
Best Light Strip
Philips Hue Gradient Smart Lightstrip
This bright light strip is our current favorite, as it delivers rich colors and is easily configurable via the Hue app. There are loads of animated scenes to choose from, and it can sync with music or your TV screen if you pair it with a Play HDMI Sync Box. You can extend or cut this versatile light strip to fit any space. It is best tucked away in a recessed spot to reflect light, but thanks to the diffuser, it doesn’t look terrible if you catch sight of it. My light strip peeled away over time and required resticking. If you plan to use it behind a TV, go for the Play Gradient Light Strip ($195), which has curved plastic brackets to hold it in place.
Works with Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, IFTTT, and Microsoft Cortana
$150 at Amazon
$180 at Best Buy
$180 at Home Depot
Photograph: Philips
Best for Gaming
Philips Hue Play Gradient Lightstrip for PC
Gamers will love the reactive, bright, and colorful lighting provided by the Philips Hue Play Gradient Lightstrip for PC (8/10, WIRED Recommends). This flexible diffused light strip is easy to set up and clips into adhesive brackets that stick to the back of your monitor. It can match the colors on your screen using the Hue Sync desktop app. Mirroring the onscreen action adds a layer of immersion for games and movies (there are four intensity settings). You can also use the strip as bias lighting to ease eye strain in a dark room, and there’s a music mode. It comes in two sizes for 24- to 27-inch or 32- to 34-inch monitors. Sadly, it doesn’t sync with streaming services like Netflix (their content protection blocks it).
Works with Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, IFTTT, Microsoft Cortana, Samsung SmartThings, and Razer Chroma
$170 at Amazon
$170 at Best Buy
$170 at Philips Hue

Photograph: Philips
Best for Your TV
Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box
For a long time, the expensive Play HDMI Sync Box was the only option to sync lighting on your big screen unless you bought an Ambilight TV. Plug your streaming box or game console into the Sync Box, and your TV will mirror the onscreen action with lights and well-matched colors. It is the most reactive and accurate system we have tested, and supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+. The kit is still seriously pricey because you need lights and a bridge to pair with the Sync Box. We tested with a Play Gradient Lightstrip ($195) and Play Gradient Light Tube ($200). The downside, apart from the expense, is that it only supports HDMI 2.0, maxing out at 4K in 60 Hz or 1440p in 120 Hz. Gamers who want to take advantage of HDMI 2.1 to play on a PS5 or Xbox Series X in 4K at 120 Hz are out of luck.
Works with Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa
$249 at Amazon
$250 at Best Buy
$250 at Philips
Photograph: Philips
Best Bedside Lamp
Philips Hue Go Portable Table Lamp
Creating a cozy atmosphere at bedtime is a breeze with this clever lamp. It sits on a circular, wireless charging base, so if you get up at night, you can take it to illuminate your path. The battery offers up to 48 hours of light, and a full charge takes around four hours. It has all the usual Hue features, including a wide array of colors, temperatures, and animated effects, like the lovely candlelight scene. It can also emulate sunset and sunrise by gently fading up or down. It has a diffuser, so it never dazzles, and you can press the button on the top to cycle through effects.
Works with Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa
$160 at Amazon
$160 at Apple
$160 at Best Buy

Photograph: Philips
Best Floor Lamp
Philips Hue Signe
A floor lamp is a great way to enjoy the benefits of Philips Hue lighting without an intrusive installation. The Signe has a heavy metallic base with a tall metal tube housing a gradient LED strip on one side. It blends in easily with any decor, and works best in a corner where it can brighten your walls with vibrant colors or temperature-tuned light for working or relaxing. You can link it to other lights and have it sync with Spotify music or with your screen using the Hue desktop app or Play Sync Box.
Works with Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa
$289 at Amazon
$330 at Walmart
Photograph: Philips
Best Outdoor
Philips Hue Lily
These durable outdoor spotlights put out 640 lumens apiece, and can be fixed to walls or surfaces or driven into the ground with the included stakes. The bulbs are wrapped in tough, black, sealed aluminum tubes and can be angled to highlight your home, garden features, or to illuminate paths. There is a 23-foot power extension cable for each light, a couple of T-shaped connectors, and a plug that fits in an outdoor socket. The IP65 rating means wind, rain, and even snow are not a problem. You have the usual options in the Hue app to change the brightness, color, temperature, and theme, schedule the lights, or link a motion sensor.
Works with Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, IFTTT, Samsung SmartThings, and Microsoft Cortana
$350 at Amazon (3 Lights)
$340 at Philips Hue

Photograph: Philips
Best Philips Hue Accessories
Philips Hue Extras
With the right accessories, it's easy to control your Philips Hue lights. Switches and buttons are essential if you don’t want to be dipping into the app all the time, and they make life easier for kids and guests.
Philips Hue Smart Wireless Dimmer Switch V2 for $35: This is the main switch I use in my living room, and it allows you to turn lights on or off and dim or brighten them, but you can also tap the Hue button to cycle through preset scenes. We wall-mounted the magnetic panel next to the regular light switch, so you can pick it off the wall if you want a remote control next to you on the couch.
Philips Hue Wall Tap Dial Light Switch for $50: This smart wireless remote sticks magnetically to a wall mount panel and gives you four programmable buttons to trigger different scenes for rooms or zones of lighting. There’s another version of this switch that we like, which harvests kinetic power from button presses and doesn’t require batteries, but it doesn’t seem to be available right now.
Philips Hue Outdoor Motion Sensor for $50: Having your outdoor or porch lights automatically illuminate when someone approaches is handy, and this motion sensor is ideal for the task. Wet weather is no problem as it is IP44-rated, and it measures the ambient light level to only trigger lights when they are needed.
Philips Hue Indoor Motion Sensor for $39: The indoor version can also measure the light level to determine when lights are needed, and it’s easy to wall mount with screws, or you can pop it on a shelf. We have one in the bathroom that automatically triggers a low light at night.
Photograph: Philips
Get the Most Out of Your Philips Hue Lights
Philips Hue Tips
Installation: Replacing bulbs is straightforward, but if you’re fitting an adhesive-backed light strip or accessory, make sure you clean the area first and remember adhesive can damage paintwork or wallpaper if you ever remove it.
Names: Descriptive names for your lights are important to make identification easy and allow for voice commands. You can always change the names of your lights in the Hue app via Settings, Lights by tapping the light, then selecting the pencil icon to edit.
Rooms: By organizing your lights into rooms, you can have all the lights in a room turn on or off together. Philips Hue also allows you to set up Entertainment areas via the Settings tab for smaller, more specific groupings. You may want to group together a TV light strip and nearby lamp, but leave out the regular bulbs in your living room, for example.
Voice controls: Hooking into your preferred smart home platform enables you to control your lights with voice commands. To link accounts and use voice assistants, such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, open the Hue app and go to Settings, choose Smart home, and tap Get started.
Automations: Select the Automations tab in the Hue app and tap the plus icon at the top right to add your own automations. The app will guide you through the process for different types of automations. You might want a sunrise fade to wake you or a sunset at bedtime. You can set home and away routines, light timers, and more. It is also worthwhile tapping Hue labs on the Automations tab to find different formulas developed by the Hue team.
Colors and effects: When you select a light in the Hue app, there’s a brightness slider, and you can tap on each light or group to get a color palette, color temperature picker, and select effects (star icons). When you have things the way you like, tap the three dots at the top left and Save as a new scene. You can also select rooms and tap the plus icon to add premade scenes that create your desired ambiance. You can even use your own photos to create scenes based on specific colors.
Widgets: If you prefer not to dip into the app, you can create widgets for your home screen that offer quick shortcuts to scenes or turn all lights off with a single tap. Go to Settings, Widgets to set them up.
Security: Philips Hue offers a few security options. If you go to Settings, Security, you can have sensors or its new line of security cameras trigger notifications and lights. You can also use automations to give the impression you are home when you are away on trips. To try it, go to the Automations tab, tap the plus icon, and choose Mimic presence. There is also a TV mimicking option in the Hue labs formula list.
Explore: There is a wealth of information under the Explore tab in the Hue app to show you what Philips Hue lights are capable of. You will find tips, explanations of scenes and automations, and a handy demo mode, alongside some upselling of other Hue lights.

Simon Hill has been testing and writing about tech for more than 15 years. He is a regular contributor to WIRED, but you can also find his work at Business Insider, Reviewed, TechRadar, Android Authority, USA Today, Digital Trends, and many other places. He loves all things tech, but especially... Read more

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