The Philips Hue line is one of the most popular collections of smart lights around, although they definitely aren't the cheapest. Support for HomeKit makes them a solid option for Apple device owners, but some Hue owners are now experiencing a bug that is sure to be pretty annoying.

That bug is causing some Hue bulbs to set their brightness to 100% of their own accord, making it harder for owners to configure them just the way that they like.

Setting the lights to a different brightness doesn't work, unfortunately, but the good news is that Philips Hue light maker Signify is aware of the issue and working on a fix.

What's the Matter?

The Verge reports that Hue confirmed the bug, admitting that a fix could be ready as soon as next week. The issue, it seems, is integration with Matter.

“After extensive analysis, we have identified an interoperability issue with the Matter smarthome standard, in which random temporary radio traffic disruptions are incorrectly recognized as legacy switch power toggles, turning low brightness lights to full brightness,” a Signify spokesperson told The Verge.

It isn't clear exactly what is going on or why this issue is affecting some users rather than others. But Signify does say that users can disable the Hue Bridge's Matter integration temporarily if they want to work around the bug while a fix is being worked on. Thankfully, the company says that the issue only affects “a small percentage of users.”

More from iMore

• I got the new Philips Hue HomeKit lights, and I love them
• Nanoleaf Aurora review: Forget Philips Hue — these panels made me love smart lighting
• Philips Hue Iris review: A cool but costly lamp for your smart home

If you're someone who enjoys their lights to be smarter than the average bulb, you're no doubt already very familiar with the Philips Hue lineup from Signify. The company's range of smart lights is second to none, and the Philps Hue Sync TV app takes things to a whole new level by changing the color of your lights to match what's on your TV. It's like the Philips Ambilight of yesteryear but better, and now it's been enhanced thanks to improvements to the existing partnership between Philips Hue and Samsung SmartThings.

The two companies have announced a number of changes as part of the enhanced partnership including changes to the Philips Hue Sync TV app pricing structure and more. Among the changes is the expansion of the app's availability to new countries while SmartThings owners will gain new integrations as well. We're told to expect a change that "revolutionizes the entertainment experience, creating a connected, engaging, and intelligent environment for families to enjoy unforgettable moments together."

“We are excited to continue our collaboration with Philips Hue to bring these transformative features to life,” Mark Benson, Head of SmartThings US said via a press release. “This partnership underscores our commitment to delivering seamless and innovative solutions that enrich the lives of our users, making their smart home experiences more immersive and enjoyable.

Light it up

So what's the story? At the top of the list is the new SmartThings integration that will allow users to adjust the brightness of their Philips Hue lights, switch between Video, Game, and Music mode, and even control whether the light syncing feature is enabled or not using the Sync TV app on their Samsung Galaxy devices, including the latest iPhone 15 competitor, the Galaxy S24. Any SmartThings-compatible device should also be good to go, so you won't necessarily need a Samsung phone to benefit from the new features. "Thanks to the integration with the SmartThings ecosystem, Samsung users will be able to control the Sync TV app via their smartphone alongside their other SmartThings-compatible devices," a Signify press release reads.

More important for some will be the expansion of the Philips Hue Sync TV app's availability to new countries including Brazil, Hong Kong, Poland, Czech Republic, and Slovakia.

As for the pricing structure, the app will also be available as a monthly subscription for people who would rather avoid the rather costly $129.99 one-time outlay that could well be enough to put people off. Philips Hue probably knows that as well, so it's going to offer a $2.99 per month option for those who want to go that route instead. While some people may not like subscription models, there is no doubt that they allow people to access apps and services that they might otherwise not be able to use and so long as there's a one-time payment option as well, we see little reason for complaint. More pricing flexibility is always good, after all.

As for when this will all happen, we're told that the new availability and pricing will launch this spring. The Philips Hue Sync TV app is available for Samsung Q60 series or higher QLED TVs manufactured from 2022 onward, so you might need to check your model year to confirm compatibility.

More from iMore

• I got the new Philips Hue HomeKit lights, and I love them
• Existing Philips Hue devices will work with Matter connectivity standard
• Nanoleaf Aurora review: Forget Philips Hue — these panels made me love smart lighting

If you’re looking for smart lighting to brighten up your home you are spoilt for choice — and Philips Hue just added a couple of very cool extras to make your lighting smarter than ever.

Not just lighting though — there’s a new security camera with a flood light available, a first for the brand which has mostly stuck with lighting prior. The camera is available to buy from today, while the lighting unit comes out in late February.

New smart lights for outdoors, and something secure

First of Philips’ new lighting is the Dymera wall light, a light that has what Philips calls “controllable beams’. Philips makes some of the best smart lights for Apple Home, so we're looking forward to seeing how these stack up. You can control them by fitting the light either horizontally or vertically for some fun lighting options, and the beams of light can be manipulated in-app. You can change the color of each beam separately, so you can have two different colors at once. Slick.

The second big launch from Hue is the ‘Secure floodlight camera’. Fix it up around your house and add it to the Hue app so that you can keep track of what goes on outside. This camera comes with new secure features within the Hue app so that the camera is more secure: “New updates are expected in the first half of 2024 and include improvements to security push notifications and the event timeline, as well as automatic light and sound alarms when motion is detected.”

Hue says that it’s working to get Amazon Alexa and Google Home support for the secure features in the app, and we’ve reached out to Philips for information about HomeKit support. This is Hue’s first foray into the camera space, so we’re interested to see what kind of hardware and software features it brings to the table. We're also looking forward to seeing how it stacks up to the best smart cameras for Apple Home.

The Dydera light costs $220/£199, and is coming to the US and the UK on February 27. The Secure Floodlight camera will cost $350/£299 and is available for purchase today. 

More from iMore

• meross Smart WiFi LED Bulb Review: Affordable ambiance
• HomePod mini: Is Apple's smart speaker worth getting for a dumb home
• Eve Energy review: Easy to use HomeKit-enabled smart plug

HomeKit and Apple Home smart lights are the best way to decorate your home for the holiday season, and Cyber Monday is the perfect time to pick some up with a nice discount.

We've looked through the best deals for the biggest shopping event of the year and found some great ways to decorate your home. Thanks to Matter, more accessories than ever will work with Apple Home, meaning you can use products like Govee's Outdoor Neon Rope with a hefty $70 discount without using a third-party app.

So get jolly this Cyber Monday and spruce up your home for the holidays.

Brighten up your home this Cyber Monday

• Smart home deals: Best Buy | Walmart | Amazon

Smart lights are one of those things I committed to last in my rooms but they’ve had the biggest impact. Now that the excellent Philips Hue Signe Gradient Floor Lamp is on sale, it’s the perfect time to add a little light to your room. 

Being able to imbue the room with the exact atmosphere you are looking for, you can do away with the harsh glow of an overhead lamp for something cooler, and much more customizable. This is close to the lowest we have ever seen it priced at. 

Brighten your room

Smart home deals: Best Buy | Walmart | Amazon

As we said in our Philips Hue Signe Gradient Floor Lamp review ‘The scale and brilliance of Signe’s colors mean you can justify the purchase of this lamp for almost any purpose. It could be a brilliant, fluorescent addition to a gaming cave, the perfect complement to a home cinema system, or a soft, warm light for your bedroom. ‘

It has millions of colors in its arsenal, a fully dynamic set of controls, and can connect with up to 10 others to light up your whole house in one go. This means that you could pair it with another light dynamically to further the ambiance in your room. You can fully dim it when you want or blast it for more direct light when needed.  

The only model currently on sale is the one with a black base but this is my favorite as it's the most understated model. When the lights are the whole show, not many will be looking at the base. And what a great show it puts on. 

If you're in the  Philips Hue smart light ecosystem you might have a Hue Bridge at the center of it. If that's the case, there's a cool new software update that you're going to enjoy. But there's also some news that some people will very much not be fans of.

A new software update is now rolling out to Philips Hue Bridges around the world that adds support for an important smart home standard — Matter.

However, a new report also suggests that Philips Hue could be getting ready to force users to create a company account to be able to access their accessories, and that could be bad for the privacy-conscious among us.

The good and the bad of Hue

Starting with the good news, support for Matter will mean that the Hue Bridge will gain support for other Matter-capable devices that you might have around the home. 

The upshot for people who already have their Hue lights and accessories configured in the Home app is that they won't notice anything new. But for everyone else, this now means that people will be able to set up their Matter-capable accessories via the Hue app and then control them there, too.

The new feature is a welcome one and it makes it easier for people to make their smart home components work more closely with each other, no matter which company might make them. Philips Hue makes some of the best HomeKit lights out there, but there might be a new catch to consider.

The security researchers at Mysk report that Philips Hue "will soon force users to create a Hue account and sign in to continue to use the app" including controlling their smart lights.

That's a worrisome situation because, as a follow-up Mysk post on X notes, "many privacy-conscious users have picked Philips Hue because it doesn't require an account and that, in fact, encouraged them to buy more of your lights."

They also note that "the best security model to protect smart devices is to keep them disconnected from the internet, or at least keep this option available."

Whether Philips Hue customers will eventually lose access to their smart lights if they don't sign in with an account remains to be seen, but that's perhaps another reason to configure them using the Home app rather than the Hue one. 

After months of rumors, Signify has finally taken the wraps off another smart home camera initiative, this time under the Philips Hue brand. The name? Philips Hue Secure.

The new brand ties into the existing Philips Hue smart light ecosystem and even uses an updated version of the existing Hue app, but there's no support for things like Apple's HomeKit Secure Video, unfortunately. Instead, you'll have to pay for a new subscription if you want to take advantage of some of the best features.

Philips Hue Secure launches with two new cameras and a floodlight, all set to become available this fall.

A more secure Hue

The main option for security camera buyers will be the Philips Hue Secure camera, with both wired and battery-powered versions available for $199 (£174) and $249 (£219) respectively. 

Both cameras are essentially the same, bar the choice of a cable or a battery. You'll get 1080p video support as well as night vision, while the cameras can be used indoors or outdoors — it's up to you. Table stakes features like two-way comms and motion detection are also present, as you'd expect.

But this is Philips Hue, so you know there will be a combination of light and camera, right? That's the Philips Hue Secure floodlight camera and it'll sell for around $380. You'll have to wait until Q1 2024 for that, but once it arrives you'll get what you'd expect — a camera with a motion-detecting light attached to it.

Subscriptions R Us

To get the most out of your new cameras you're going to need to pay for a subscription, with two to choose from and multiple payment options available.

The Philips Hue Secure Basic plan includes 30 days of video history with payment options available either annually or monthly. The catch? It's per camera, not per account. Prices start at $3.99 a month or $39.99 a year.

The Philips Hue Secure Plus plan starts at $9.99 a month or $99 a year and that gets you 60 days of video history. This is per account, however, so might be the best option if you have a few cameras up and running.

Philips says that activity zones and detecting if a person, package, animal, or vehicle triggered an alert will be part of that paid plan as well, so that's something to consider.

We were hoping that these cameras would become some of the best HomeKit Secure cameras, but alas. Maybe that'll come in an update later, but given the subscription situation that seems unlikely.

The Prime Day sales may be finishing for another year, but there are still some great HomeKit devices up for grabs.  This surprising design from Philips is something we didn't expect to see though, and great if you're looking to add some retro charm to your modern HomeKit smart home.

The Philips Hue Lantern is discounted to just $151 on Amazon at the moment, a saving of almost $20. It works great with the Philips Hue Bridge, letting it work with wireless controls wherever there's an internet connection.

Using its Hue app from the App Store, you can also set routines to switch it on automatically, and program it to turn to certain colors. You can even sync it with music and games if you've decided to install the lantern inside your home somewhere.

But it's the design that's most special — almost a throwback to the ye olde lanterns that you have seen in Dickensian movies. It's modern tech with a nostalgic element, and if you can see it working around your home, it could be a great talking point.

Light up the porch in style

Back to the Future

Philips Hue is one of the go-to brands in HomeKit lighting, alongside Nanoleaf. If you need some smart lights for your office or bedroom, or you've decided to overhaul the lighting across your home, Philips Hue is a safe bet to do this with.

Remember that a HomeKit hub and Philips Bridge will be needed for those smart devices to be controlled outside of your home, which is where a HomePod or an Apple TV comes in, which double up as HomeKit hubs.

With this lantern almost $20 off, it's a great saving for something that's most likely going to be sticking around for years, even decades to come.

As Prime Day deals are wrapping for another year, this price cut may not last long, so we advise you to snap this up for your home before someone else does.

Grab an Apple TV 4K HomeKit hub to go with it!

A good bedside lamp should be many things – good looking, easy to turn on and off in the dark, sturdy, in case you knock it off your nightstand, and, most importantly, it should be bright.

The Philips Hue Go Portable Lamp is all these things, and perhaps even more with its HomeKit compatibility. It’s also extremely expensive, and while its solid build quality and sumptuous light output is well worth the cost, it’s hard to argue that $160 is not a lot of money for a small lamp.

Hue Go Portable Lamp: Price and Availability

The Go Portable Lamp can be found in its various color options for $160/£140. Those color options consist of Black and White for the main lamp itself, and Dark Grey or Sage Green for the little rubber grip on the light's main shaft. If you’re in the UK, there are some extra color options on those grips – you can choose an orange or a teal one, although the orange is only available on the black model, and the teal with the white. Weird.

You can buy the lamp directly from the Hue website, along with all the Hue products. You can also buy it from Amazon, and a range of other outlets that stock Hue products.

Hue Go Portable Lamp: What I like

It’s lovely and bright, for one. The light emits from a softly frosted panel under the main shade area of the lamp, echoing the classic bedside lamp look. The light it gives out is wonderfully luminous and in vivid color – the most important part, arguably, is absolutely nailed. You can turn it down for some softer mood lighting, or you can turn it up to max and have enough light to easily read without having to strain your eyes. It is, as a lamp, perfect.

Adjusting that light is super easy as well, through both the Hue app and the Apple Home App. In the Hue app, you can also choose some lighting modes and patterns, my favorite being the candle setting which sets the color to a warm orange and then gently flickers like a candle. Very atmospheric. Getting the lamp connected to the Hue app is as easy as turning it on and then following the instructions in the app. Connecting to HomeKit is a little trickier, but we’ll get to that a little later.

One cool thing about the light is that it has an inbuilt battery, so that you can take the lamp with you, and wander around the house like the star of a Victorian horror movie. Arm outstretched, flickering candle out in front of you in some effort to light up the all surrounding gloom as you go to get a quick glass of water and don’t want to be disturbed by the unholy denizens of the night. It also means that you can take it outside, with its 48-hour battery life – you could, if you wanted, take it on a two-day camping trip.

Charging that battery is easy, with a very solid-feeling charging stand. Leave it on that, and it will be powered by the mains, the battery reserved for when you need to go out into the darkness once again; and all you need to do is lift the lamp off the stand, and with a quick switch over, you’re in portable mode. Easy.

The lamp is also very well-built. The plastic used in construction feels thick and weighty, and the lamp feels like it would take a knock – and take a knock it can. For, dear reader, I dropped my Hue Go Portable Lamp, and not only does the lamp still work, but you’d also never know it was ever dropped. Perfect.

Hue Go Portable Lamp: What I don’t like

You might find that the lamp falls more than you might like, however, so its good that it's so sturdy. Not that it falls loads, only that there is more weight on the top of the lamp, and while the stand is plenty stable enough in normal use, you might find that more precarious settings see the lamp topple over. Don’t nudge it too hard, in essence.

Going back as well to hooking the lamp up to HomeKit, and how it's more annoying than it could be – you’ll need a Hue Bridge for it to work. They’re easy enough to get set up, but it's another $60 that you would otherwise not have had to spend. Once you’ve got one, however, you likely won’t need another, but be aware as well that you’ll have to wire it into your internet connection.

That Bridge is annoying because the lamp is already very expensive. $160 is a lot of money, especially for a bedside table lamp. It's a very good one, yes, and the smart home functionality is great, but it is costly.

Hue Go Portable Lamp: Competition

Beyond simple bedside lamps that you can plug and let go without any kind of app or HomeKit setup, there are some super solid options out there to plonk on your nightstand. The recently reviewed on iMore Eve Flare is a great option, and it even costs less. The Hue Iris as well from Hue itself is an excellent option, although a little dimmer and more mood-lighty.

Meross options are good as well, and they all cost a fair amount less than the Go Portable Lamp. They aren’t as well made, however, and neither do they look as cool.

Hue Go Portable Lamp: Should you buy this?

You should buy this if…

• You want something sturdy
• You want a bright nightstand lamp
• You have more Hue lights

You shouldn't buy this if…

• You’re very clumsy
• You don’t want to buy extra accessories for HomeKit
• You don’t want to spend over $100

Hue Go Portable Lamp: Verdict

The Hue Go Portable Lamp is an excellent bedside lamp. The charging stand works super well, it looks great, and the light it pumps out is bright and colorful.

It is annoying that you have to add a Hue Bridge to make it work with HomeKit, and the weird weighting makes it topple over occasionally on some surfaces, but it's still a great lamp that is well worth the high asking price.

Philips Hue has announced that its smallest-ever bulb now supports millions of colors and shades of white for the first time, giving HomeKit smart home fans a new way to light their homes.

Alongside the new, more colorful bulb, the announcement also confirms that the iPhone Philips Hue app is now more capable than ever, especially if you've ever wished that your different types of Hue bulbs would all show the same brightness.

That new brightness balancer feature and more will make the Philips Hue app better than ever, but not for a few months yet.

Philips Hue E14 Luster bulb

The Philips Hue E14 Luster bulb is around the size of a golf ball, making it perfectly suited to smaller lamps. Now, those lamps can also benefit from the kinds of color options that weren't previously available.

"The Philips Hue E14 luster bulb, the brand's smallest bulb, is now also available in millions of shades of white and color light to help you fill the tiniest corners in your home with the perfect light," Philips announced via an email to iMore. "About as big as a golf ball, this bulb’s size and shape fit even the smallest fixtures in your home and connects them to the comprehensive Philips Hue ecosystem."

Whether you're using that bulb or any others, a new feature that will be of benefit to iPhone users is called color balancer, and it promises to make a big difference to users of multiple types of Hue smart bulbs.

"The brightness balancer allows you to customise the relative brightness of individual lights in an Entertainment area, instead of controlling the lights as a group.," Philips' statement says. "This new feature was developed following requests from Philips Hue's users, many of whom wanted to have enhanced control of their lights while watching a movie, listening to music, or gaming." The system is designed to help those whose systems have more than one type of Hue bulb installed.

"Using the brightness balancer, you can make lights that have higher lumens dim lower than lights with lower lumens — you get to decide which part of the room gets the spotlight when you are syncing your lights to your TV, movies, games, or music."

On top of that, the app will give motion sensor owners more options for customization and automation. "Based on popular requests and feedback, the number of time slots for the motion sensors to activate the desired lighting will increase from the current two to ten."

The Philips Hue offerings are some of the best HomeKit bulbs around, and these upgrades to the Hue app are sure to be welcomed by many. The new features are expected to become available to Hue app users in the third quarter of the year.

Philips Hue is synonymous with all that’s cool and functional in the world of HomeKit lightning, and the Philips Hue Iris is a smashing little lamp that continues that tradition. Harnessing all the power of HomeKit, Matter, and Siri, this lamp can be controlled by your voice or at the touch of a button, bathing any space in a distinct glow with millions of colors to choose from. 

The Philips Hue Iris is not without its faults, however, and some might consider that the features and build quality should demand a slightly lower price tag. I, however, have had great fun using this in my office. So is the Philips Hue Iris worth your time and money? Let’s find out!

Price and Availability

The Philips Hue Iris is available from Philips Hue’s own website and Amazon. In the U.S. it’ll set you back around $110, although I’ve seen it for $90 at some retailers. Meanwhile, in the UK, the Iris is £95 from Philips Hue’s website or around £80 at Amazon. This option is available in Black and White.

Notably, there are a couple of more premium color options, one of which is reviewed here. The copper, gold, and silver (pictured) models are usually around $130/£120, and for that, you get a more premium finish. Otherwise, you get free shipping, 30-day returns, and a two-year warranty. The Iris has been out for a while, so it definitely pays to shop around for a bargain. 

Philips Hue Iris: What I like

There’s a lot to like about the Philips Hue Iris, starting as soon as you open the box. Setup and connectivity are very straightforward. All you do is plug the lamp into a power socket and then connect to the lamp using your iPhone. You can use the Iris either with Bluetooth or a Philips Hue Bridge. This means the lamp is great for people who are already invested in the Hue ecosystem or for people who have never owned a smart light. 

You do need a Bridge to get the most out of your Iris, as this gives you the most options in terms of voice control and connectivity with other devices. For example, it’s more important if you want to run multiple lights in lots of different rooms, so if you’re planning on buying more than one Hue light I’d definitely recommend it. Without a Bridge, you can only control up to 10 lights in a single room, whereas a Bridge can support 50 and multiple rooms. Using a Bridge is also more reliable in terms of connectivity compared to Bluetooth, and has a better range. The Bridge also unlocks control for your lights once you leave the house, which is handy if you forget to turn them off. 

If you’re running a setup without a Hue Bridge, all you need to do is download the Philips Hue app (you can add a Bridge at a later date if you want to) and follow the instructions. You can add your device by scanning the QR code or just holding your iPhone close to the lamp. 

The Hue app is similar to Apple’s Home app and allows you to divide your lights into rooms, controlling on/off, brightness, and color with ease. There’s also an automation tab, and my personal favorite, the Hue scene gallery, which gives you access to lots of tailored light settings with pre-made presets. The app is intuitive and easy to use and I’ve encountered no connectivity quirks or bugs using it. 

The Iris, through the Philips Hue app and Apple’s Home app, offers both white and colored light in almost any shade you can imagine (over 16 million to be precise). The colors themselves are rich and beautiful, especially when you turn the Iris up to full brightness. However, it’s important to note what kind of lamp this is – it’s not a spotlight for reading or a lamp that can really power a room by itself. Philips describes it as a light “that both washes the wall with color and offers a gentle backlight,” and it’s true. This is really light for mood lighting and works best complemented by other items or in a very small space. It would work well on a desk, or in a living room to add light to a wall, or perhaps as a moody bedside light. 

My favorite feature of the Philips Hue Iris is its seamless integration with Apple’s Home app, HomeKit compatibility, and the new Matter smart home standard. I love being able to switch on the light using just my voice and Siri. You can do this through any Apple device with Siri, including Apple’s HomePod and HomePod mini. Thanks to HomeKit, and providing you’re using the Philps Hue Bridge, you can also set timers and automations, such as ensuring all of your lights switch off when you leave the house, or on when you arrive. The Iris can also be used with automations through HomeKit, for example, it can be connected to a motion sensor or a thermostat.  

Matter means that if you have a Philips Hue Bridge, then you can use your Philips Hue Iris with Apple’s best HomeKit hubs such as the HomePod and Apple TV, but also with Google Home’s Nest Hubs, Amazon’s Alexa devices, and more. It will also be integrated with more smart home devices that don’t necessarily support HomeKit. Matter is a huge upgrade to the smart home, and thanks to Philips’ support Hue lights are more useful than ever. 

Philips Hue Iris: What I don’t like

There are a couple of bits about the Iris I don’t like. $95 is quite steep for a lamp, especially one that is more focused on mood lighting and wall washing as opposed to lighting up spaces. This is definitely an “accessory” lamp to complement other lights in a room, which makes the price a bit harder to justify. If you can find it for less, then go for it. 

In keeping with the moodiness of the lighting, it’s not all that bright. This is by design, but just be sure you know what it is you’re getting into if you buy one. The best anecdote I can provide is that sometimes my wife and I change colors on each other’s office Hue lights in what can only be described as the world’s saddest practical joke. My wife switched my light to fluorescent green once, and I didn’t actually notice for about an hour because the light isn’t that potent. 

While the lamp has a lovely design, the materials used are a little plasticky considering the premium price. This is likely to keep the cost down, but it's disappointing when you lift the lamp and it feels like a product worth far less than you pay.

Competition

There aren’t really many direct competitors to the Philips Hue Iris. Philips offers the Hue Bloom which is very similar in style and design, but $20-$30 cheaper. We also recently reviewed the QiZ Luminaire Mobile Portable Light which is a portable lamp with fun presets, however, it falls down against the Iris when it comes to Apple Home integration. The Govee Aura LED lamp is also a good option. 

One interesting alternative comes by way of my colleague John-Anthony, who has created a similar setup by simply buying a FADO Table lamp from Ikea for $30 and then putting a Philips Hue bulb inside. This is an ingenious DIY solution to creating a similar atmospheric light for significantly less money. Because it’s a Hue light you still benefit from all that HomeKit and Matter integration has to offer.  

Philips Hue Iris: Should you buy it?

Buy it if…

• You want a fancy lamp for mood lighting
• You want lots of different colors from your lamp
• You already possess a Philips Hue Bridge and a smart lighting ecosystem

Don’t buy it if…

• You want a cheap lamp
• You don't use smart home gadgets
• You don't need colored lighting
• You want a lamp to light up a whole room

Verdict

Overall, I’m really happy with the Philips Hue Iris. It’s a great little lamp to help brighten up a room and set the mood, and it really shines thanks to its HomeKit integration, the excellent Hue app, and its endless color palette. However, it is pricey for how much light it puts out, and you’re going to need a Hue Bridge to get the very best out of it.

Signify has today announced a new addition to its Philips Hue line of smart lights, and it'll look great wrapped around your Christmas tree.

The new Festavia string lights feature 250 mini smart LEDs spread along a 20m cable. You can, of course, use the lights wherever you like, but the most obvious use at this time of year is your tree. Otherwise, they'll look right at home pretty much anywhere.

Light it up

Like other Philips Hue lights, the Festavia string lights support Apple HomeKit, so they'll work fine with your Home automations and shortcuts. They'll also work with Siri, so you can bark orders and have your Christmas lights turn on or off or change color.

Speaking of colors, Signify says that more than 16 million of them are supported, and you can create a colorful effect — they don't all need to be the same color, making for some astonishing patterns.

Signify is also updating the Hue app to add a "new Sparkle effect makes each light on the string twinkle, creating an extra festive look." Another addition is Scattered, spreading "up to five colors randomly along the string for a colorful, festive experience."

If that sounds like something you want in your home, the new Philips Hue Festavia string lights go on sale on November 15 and will cost $160.

If there’s one smart home feature that’s been an undeniable success at infiltrating households around the world, it's smart lights. While uptake on the best HomeKit video doorbells and smart locks may be slight, many homes now have voice-activated, app-controlled bulbs and lightstrips – and Philips Hue continues to be the leading brand in providing them.

And, in early 2023, they’re set to get even better. Signify, the parent company behind Philips Hue, has announced that its entire range (with the exception of the Philips Hue Play HDMI sync box and the dial of the Philips Hue Tap Dial Switch) will soon be getting an upgrade to make it compatible with the new Matter smart home standard. The update will come via the Philips Hue Bridge device.

Rolling out in Q1 of 2023, the update will simplify, streamline and unify the way that smart home gadgets work together – meaning that if you’re an Apple Home app user with loads of the best HomeKit devices already set up, you’ll be able to them to interact seamlessly with devices that once would have been exclusive, for instance, to Google or Amazon’s smart home platforms. While Hue devices have always been multi-platform, Matter integration will make them work better with devices that were previously not as open to different smart home interfaces.

Third party opportunities - and extra Apple steps

In addition, the Matter integration opens up the potential for further third-party app support for the Hue devices, with developers able to sign up to the Philips Hue Developer Community to bring their Matter-compatible apps into the Philips Hue flock too.

It sounds as though there will be an extra step for Apple HomeKit users however. For those using Apple’s platform with Philips Hue devices, and want to get the Matter upgrade, they will be required to reset their devices. That’s an unfortunate complication for the owner of a finely-tuned smart home, especially as Philips states that those embedded within Google and Amazon smart home ecosystems need do nothing extra than simply letting the update take place.

Regardless, the move to an industry-wide standard for smart home devices is a welcome one. If Matter’s rollout proves successful, you’ll eventually be able to pick up any smart home-connected device you like, and interact with it using any controller platform you like, without fear of incompatibility. It should make investing in a smart home set up a far less daunting prospect.

The Philips Hue Signe gradient floor lamp has been an absolute delight to use and enjoy since it entered our home a couple of weeks ago. With its new range of Signe gradient lamps (there’s also a table version), Philips Hue has tapped even deeper into the market of delightful, high-quality smart home lighting that its brand has become synonymous with, so much so that even Apple’s website proudly sells a slew of its products. 

The Philips Hue Signe gradient floor lamp is another example of Hue’s great design and smart home savvy, brought to life in a way that can light up any room, either as a standalone device or as part of a chorus of Hue accessories. 

Philips Hue Bridge owners and people already invested in the ecosystem will find this an easier purchase. Still, a hefty price of $329/£279 might make the eyes water for first-time Hue buyers and those not exposed to the wonders of the smart home. Here’s our review.

Philips Hue Signe Gradient Floor Lamp: Price and availability

The Philips Hue Signe gradient floor lamp is available from the Philips Hue website, Apple.com (it’s unlikely to be stocked in stores due to its size), and Amazon. 

It’s available in three fetching colors, black, white, and oak. The latter, pictured and reviewed here, retails for the slightly higher price of $349/£299 due to its more premium finish; the other two colors are aluminum. Philips and Apple offer friendly shipping, returns, and a 2-year warranty. In the box, you get the lamp and a power supply. 

Philips Hue Signe Gradient Floor Lamp: What I love

There is plenty to love about the Philips Hue Signe. From the get-go, it is super simple to use and set up. It comes ready to plug in and use and will turn on as soon as you fire the plug into the outlet. There’s no hassle and no messing around, which is excellent, as the smart home can often be a minefield of confusing setups and connections. 

The only other thing you need to do is download the Philips Hue app, which will quietly and quickly connect to your lamp via Bluetooth. 

Taking it out of the box, I was really blown away by the strength and quality of the design of the Signe. Our oak model has a lovely wood-toned, circular base and an otherwise-aluminum construction. It’s incredibly solid and well-built, with no blemishes or wonkiness. Hue might be the most expensive smart lighting brand on the market, but there’s no denying you’re getting premium build quality at the very least. 

The next thing I was blown away by was the size; the floor lamp is really quite tall for a premium strip of LED, 57.4 inches. Otherwise, it has a tiny footprint of less than 4.5- inches, which guarantees it will fit in all but the tiniest of spaces. Indeed, it has a vastly smaller footprint than a conventional floor lamp, especially one with a tripod. 

The Signe floor lamp really shines (sorry) when you switch it on (sorry again). The Signe puts out 2,550 lumens of light at full tilt thanks to its built-in 29W LED. It is very, and I mean very, bright. There are two main modes, white and color. The former means your lamp can be used as a very capable (if expensive) light for day-to-day tasks and activities. The Signe has been hijacked by my Wife to bathe her home office setup in a tremendous warm glow that provides ambiance and light at all times of the day. While you often think of Philips Hue as a symphony of color and dancing RGB, the Signe’s white light performance is not to be overlooked and is a key facet of its usefulness. A very intuitive and specific color wheel lets you choose from a warm orange glow, laboratory white, or anything in between. The Signe floor lamp is worth your consideration, even as a more conventional lighting fixture, but it really shines when the colors come out to play. 

The Signe’s colors are electric. Again powered by a color wheel, you can choose between one, two, and three colors across the LED strip, making for a limitless combination of choices. This can be done manually, or you can choose from the innumerable scenes in the Hue scene gallery, which are perfect for inspiration if you’re unsure what kind of lights look best. There’s everything from blossom and crocus to sunsets, Miami party vibes, Chinatown red, incredible Arctic Aurora, and more. Even holiday and Halloween scenes get updated throughout the year, and each scene has its own custom level of optimum brightness that you can adjust. You can also tweak the colors yourself for optimum personalization. 

The scale and brilliance of Signe’s colors mean you can justify the purchase of this lamp for almost any purpose. It could be a brilliant, fluorescent addition to a gaming cave, the perfect complement to a home cinema system, or a soft, warm light for your bedroom. The limitless customization gives you not only brilliant combinations of light but also diversity of use. The lamp is primarily designed to face a wall and bathe it in a soft glow. However, I’ve also enjoyed using it as a very long spotlight to light up a desk with brighter light. It works well both ways, adding to its diverse uses. 

Thanks to its Bluetooth connectivity, the Signe Floor Lamp is extremely easy to connect to and use, with just a couple of taps needed inside the Philips Hue app to get connected. The app also manages updates for the lamp and is the source of all your customization needs and the aforementioned scene gallery, which is one of my favorite features. Users who want voice control through either Amazon Alexa or Google Home can also set up that feature from within the app. Apple’s HomeKit is a little trickier, which is where the Signe falls down just a tad.

Philips Hue Signe Gradient Floor Lamp: What I don't love

As mentioned, there is a quirk when it comes to HomeKit connectivity; you’ll need the Philips Hue Bridge to control your Signe Floor Lamp using Siri and Apple’s Home app. Of course, this is fine if you already own a Philips Hue Bridge, but if not, it’s an extra expense you’ll need to foot to the tune of $60. The Bridge is the cornerstone of the Hue lighting ecosystem and foundational if you want to make the most of HomeKit, timers, motion sensors, scenes, and more. It is also vital if you have multiple Philips Hue devices or want to use Siri to control your lights. This being my first product, I was happy to dip in an out of the app as needed to control the lamp. Still, if you have more products or are trying to build a more comprehensive setup, Apple users will find the Bridge an indispensable bit of kit, adding weight to an already costly investment, which brings me to the biggest drawback of the Signe Floor lamp. The Price. 

At a hefty $329 ($349 for our unit), the Signe Floor Lamp is definitely on the expensive side. As noted, Philips Hue is synonymous with premium smart lighting, including prices to match. It should be noted that the price isn’t uncharacteristic for Hue’s lineup, but first-time buyers will probably find themselves balking at the price tag. Perhaps this criticism is unfair; check out any department store or retailer, and you’ll probably find “designer” lights that cost way more than the Hue Signe and don’t have any of its smart features. There are, however, a few cheaper options out there that we’ll come onto in a minute. 

While Matter’s new Smart Home standard promises to herald a new age of connectivity across devices like smart lights, right now, if you invest in the Hue ecosystem, you’ll need to keep investing in the Hue ecosystem to get the most out of it, so another thing to bear in mind is that this probably won’t end up being your last smart light purchase, so make sure it’s the right one for your needs before you start!

Really though, there are very few downsides to owning a Philips Hue light, especially the Signe Floor Lamp, which excels in delivering bright and vibrant colors to suit all rooms and needs.

Philips Hue Signe Gradient Floor Lamp: Competition

 Focussing exclusively on tall, smart floor lamps, there aren’t many competing devices to choose from when it comes to the Hue Signe Floor lamp. The most notable rival is the Govee RGBIC Floor Lamp. This is also an LED floor lamp that comes with RGB options and a design very similar to the Signe. Govee has emulated many of Philips’ Hue products at notably lower prices. I use Govee’s lamp, TV strip, and lighting bars, and I like them all. Indeed, they’re not the same quality in terms of build and materials, but they do at least offer much of the same functionality, including a decent app to control multiple lights.

Interestingly, Govee’s app works with Shortcuts, so you can create voice commands for your phone that will turn lights on and off, an option you don’t get with the Signe Lamp. The Govee option has music sync and 1000 lumens of brightness, considerably less than the Signe. However, you can pick one up on Amazon for just $99, which is quite the price difference. There’s also a slightly different design option with 1500 lumens of brightness for $150, again a significant saving. 

Philips Hue Signe Gradient Floor Lamp: Should you buy it?

You should buy this if...

• You want the most premium smart floor lamp money can buy
• You need excellent white and RGB performance
• You’re looking to decorate a bedroom or gaming space with ambient light
• You want a light that works with Apple HomeKit and Siri

You should not buy this if...

• You want a budget floor lamp option
• You don’t want a smart light
• You don’t need HomeKit or other smart home compatibility

Philips Hue Signe Gradient Floor Lamp: Verdict

The Philips Hue Signe Gradient Floor lamp is a tremendous bit of kit. An incredibly bright and versatile lamp with excellent connectivity and limitless customization possibilities. That means it can serve almost any need, from lighting up the most extreme gaming setup to providing a warm glow at bedtime. It’s expensive for a smart light, but you can also buy regular lamps that cost more; those make the Signe look like a steal. The only compromise I can see is the need to purchase a separate Hue bridge to take full advantage of Siri and HomeKit compatibility, especially for those already invested in the Hue ecosystem or those looking to build one. I’ve loved having the Signe in our home and would heartily recommend it to anyone with the money to spend.

Philips Hue has been some of the HomeKit smart lights you can get for years now, and now they are getting better.

In a press release, the company announced a few new types of Philips Hue lights coming to its lineup and some important updates to existing lights.

The first is a PC-gaming focused light called Philips Hue Play gradient lightstrip for PC. The strips are meant to produce multi-colored gradients that " lashes, dances, dims, and brightens right along with the on-screen action, creating an immersive gaming experience." Much like the Philips Hue light that hooks up to your TV to do the same thing, they "can be added to straight or curved monitors."

Moving on to more traditional light bulbs, the newly announced Philips Hue Lightguide bulbs might to stand out from the crowd. Available in three different shapes (pictured above), the Lightguide bulbs have a "glossy finish that makes them shine even brighter." You can even get a special cord to hand the bulbs independently and really make them stand out as part of your home's decor.

Expect both these new lights to come in Q4 2022.  The starting price for the PC lights is $170 USD and the Lightguide bulbs will start at $75 USD without the pendant cords. 

When you got out; Philips Hue will stay on

In a cool futuristic twist, Philips Hue are getting more useful when you're away from your home.

The new Philips Hue Mimic presence automation will be available sometime this September in the Hue app. Much like the name implies, it tries to help create the appearance that people are home by turning lights on and off "at times when you usually use them, and in the Rooms you select."

You can even choose to have the lights work during the daytime or just when it's dark out, and you can even select which specific Philips Hue light you want to automate. 

What you need to know

• Signify is adding more products to the Philips Hue range.
• The company today unveiled brand new track lighting and a portable table lamp.
• There's also a new gradient lamp and a sunrise wake-up effect for its app.

Signify is today adding a brand new range of lights to its smart lighting range, including all-new track lighting and its first-ever portable lamp.

The company announced:

Philips Hue's Perifo track lighting lets you create fully customizable tracks using individual rails on your wall or ceiling. A new Go portable table lamp does exactly what it says on the tin. Featuring a silicone grip it's designed for indoor and outdoor use and boasts a 48-hour battery and a charging base.

There are new color and white ambiance can downlights, a new Xamento bathroom range, and a new Xamento M ceiling light.

One of the coolest additions is a new Signe gradient lamp which is perfect for your bedside and comes in both a floor and table lamp version.

You can see a full list of new products, prices, and availability below:

• Philips Hue Perifo rail black or white (End of Summer 2022 in EU) EU: EUR 49.99 - 89.99
• Philips Hue Perifo connectors black or white (End of Summer 2022 in EU) EU: EUR 19.99 - 29.99
• Philips Hue Perifo PSU wall or ceiling (End of Summer 2022 in EU) EU: EUR 99.99
• Philips Hue Perifo track lights (End of Summer 2022 in EU) EU: EUR 119.99 - 299.99
• Philips Hue Go portable table lamp (End of Summer 2022 in EU and NAM) EU: EUR 149.99
  NAM: USD 159.99
• Philips Hue Signe gradient table oak (available June 21 in EU) EU: EUR 239.99
• Philips Hue Signe gradient floor oak (available June 21 in EU and mid-July in NAM) EU: EUR 349.99
  NAM: USD 349.99
• Philips Hue White and color ambiance downlight — generation two (Available June 21) US and Canada: 4-inch 59.99 USD, 5-/6-inch 59.99 USD, 5-/6-inch 4-pack 219.99
• Philips Hue White ambiance downlight — generation three (Available June 21) US and Canada: 4-inch 49.99 USD, 5-/6-inch 49.99 USD, 5-/6-inch 4-pack 189.99
• Philips Hue Xamento recessed spot black (available June 21 in EU) EU: EUR 79.99 single pack / 3-pack EUR 219.99
• Philips Hue Xamento M ceiling light black (available June 21 in EU) EU: EUR 219.99
• Philips Hue Tap dial switch in black or white (available June 21 in EU and NAM) EU: EUR 49.99
  NAM: USD 49.99

Philips Hue lights are awesome but there is also a wide variety of other light manufacturers that make light strips just as good. Whether you're looking for the best HomeKit light strips or some bayonet smart lights, Hue has you covered.

If however, you're looking for other brands to use in your smart home there are some seriously impressive light strips that will enhance the mood in your home, often for far cheaper than Philips' offerings. 

These are our top picks for the best alternatives to Philips Hue light strips including Nanoleaf, meross, and more.

Quick List

Q&A

Should I opt for Hue or one of these light strip alternatives?

While it may be the most familiar name for smart light bulbs, there are plenty of Philips Hue Light Strip alternatives that are cheaper and just as capable. Some of the latest light strips go above and beyond with extras like music detection and dynamic colors. The LIFX Lightstrip easily bests the Philips Hue strip with 16 color zones and higher maximum brightness levels. While its price is slightly higher, you will save a little because it doesn't require a separate hub.

If you're looking for a brighter smart alternative, check out the Nanoleaf Essentials Lightstrip. This light strip can output a whopping 2,000 lumens of colorful lighting; plus, it works with HomeKit Adaptive Lighting and the Google Assistant. Nanoleaf's strip also packs in Thread wireless capabilities when paired with a HomePod mini, offering faster and more reliable connections over Bluetooth. Regardless of which option you go with, smart LED light strips will allow you to light your home your way.

One of the best things about building a smart home is convenience, and it doesn't get more convenient than a HomeKit motion sensor that can respond to your mere presence, turning on lights, fans, and anything else you can think of. What's more, the best HomeKit motion sensors on the market will also make your home more secure, with notifications of activity sent to your iPhone while you're not at home, alerting you to any suspicious or unwanted movement inside your house. Like all good smart home devices, HomeKit motion sensors can be used with automation and other smart home accessories. So you if you want a small and convenient way to detect motion, turn on lights, and much more, check out our roundup below!

The best HomeKit motion sensors to put your home on autopilot

Back to the top ^

Make your home truly smart with the best HomeKit motion sensors

Even if you're just getting started with HomeKit, the best HomeKit motion sensors enhance your smart home security and convenience through automation and notifications. Just by walking through the door, your home can spring to life by turning on your HomeKit light bulbs, setting the perfect temperature on your HomeKit thermostat, and firing up your favorite tunes on the HomePod. Need a cooling breeze to flow through your home? Combine one of these smart sensors with one of the best HomeKit ceiling fans — you get the picture, the potential is new limitless.

We love the Eve Motion Sensor as it combines simple Bluetooth and Thread setup, reliable performance, light sensing, and weather resistance into an affordable package that works indoors and out. This versatile sensor works right out of the box with the Home app making it ready to go in seconds, and through the Eve for HomeKit app, you can view a history of all of the motion events in your home.

Have some Philips Hue light bulbs in your home? Then the Philips Hue Motion Sensor is the way to go. This motion sensor is fast, ultra-reliable, and lasts for months with excellent battery life. By simply turning your Hue bulbs on when motion is detected, you can quickly get a sense of what's happening without you needing your phone in hand.

Philips Hue is a name you see and hear almost everywhere, making it the go-to option for most when it comes to smart lights. However, Philips Hue lights can be pretty expensive, especially once you get into colored bulbs, and they require a separate hub, which only adds to the cost. If you're looking for smart lighting that won't break the bank, these are the best cheap alternatives to Philips Hue color bulbs.

Cost effective color with the best cheap alternatives to Philips Hue color bulbs

The best smart light bulbs are incredibly-convenient to have around. Smart bulbs can save you money on your electricity bill and offer you more control over how much light and what type of light you want in your home. While Hue may reign supreme as the popular high-end choice, the best cheap alternatives to Philips Hue color bulbs can give you a lot of what the brand offers at a much more affordable price point.

The LIFX Color A19 gets our top choice for the best cheap alternative to Philips Hue color bulbs thanks to its ability to produce millions of vibrant colors and 810 lumens of bright light. The LIFX bulb also works with the most popular smart home platforms — Alexa, Google, and HomeKit, and is available at a reasonable price.

If you just want the basics and don't need HomeKit support, the meross Smart Wi-Fi LED Bulb with Color gives you a lot of bang for your buck. Even with a low price, this affordable bulb still gives you access to smart controls, millions of colors, dimming, scheduling, and more — all without a separate hub.

What you need to know

• Philips Hue has unveiled a series of new lights.
• It has new fixtures for both indoor and outdoor use.
• It is also adding new effects to its app.

Philips Hue this week unveiled a series of new indoor and outdoor lights for use in your smart home.

In a press release parent company Signify stated:

New products ionclude the new Philips Hue Inara wall light, a decorative outdoor lantern with a dimmable white bulb, and a new Lucca wall light for gardens and balconies.

As pictured at the top of the article, there is also a new Calla stainless steel bollard for paths and patios, and a new Resonate wall light.

The company also announced changes to its app coming in the first quarter of 2022:

Thanks to its wide variety of lights and HomeKit compatibility Philips Hue's range are some of the best smart lights you can get for your home.

Smart home tech wasn't super mainstream a few short years ago, but it now accounts for some of the most popular consumer gadgets on the market. With convenient app and voice controls through Alexa, HomeKit, and the Google Assistant, you can turn on your light bulbs or shut down a smart plug, anytime and anywhere. Here's our guide to the best smart home gift ideas for the beginner on your list.

Smart gifts

We've picked up a lot of smart home tech over the last couple of years, but without a doubt, the Google Nest Hub is one that's stood out as something special. It's far from the only Google Assistant smart device on the market, but the unique seven-inch display makes voice queries come to life with additional details that you don't get with a speaker.

The Google Nest Hub is there to answer questions, from general knowledge to sports scores. You can stream YouTube videos on-demand, and it offers easy access to smart home controls for smart lights, switches, and thermostats. Tying all of this together is the whimsical design with various colors that match almost any decor.

Alternatively, if you or your giftee is someone that lives and breathes Apple, you might be happier with something like the HomePod. Apple's HomePod is expensive and lacks a display, but what it does offer is incredibly impressive sound. When it comes to smart speakers, this is easily one of the best-sounding you can buy, and with support for Apple Music right out of the box, you can summon millions of songs at will.

Along with that, it also comes with a unique design, Home Theater Mode, Stereo Pairing with other HomePods, and built-in Siri support. The HomePod also acts as a HomeKit hub, enabling remote, out of home controls, and automation for all of your HomeKit devices.

What you need to know

• Philips Hue is getting all-new Spotify integration.
• It will bring immersive lighting that can match the beat of the music and the mood.
• The new features are available from September 1.

Philips Hue is getting all-new Spotify integration through the Philips Hue app, parent company Signify announced today.

Signify stated:

Philips Hue's app will be able to analyze the metadata for any Spotify song in real-time, providing a light script. Not only will it match the beat of the song, but it can also change the lights to reflect things like the mood, tempo, genre, and more. A new Sync tab in the app also lets users quickly switch the feature on and off, changing the brightness and intensity of the lights. Integration is free through the Philips Hue App, provided you have a Hue Bridge and colored lights, it also doesn't need a microphone to listen to music, which is great for privacy and means you can use your phone for other tasks whilst it's working. Users will need to link their Spotify and Philips Hue accounts within the Hue app.

The company also announced a string of new HomeKit compatible lights including more of the best HomeKit light bulbs currently available.

What you need to know

• There's a ton of new Philips Hue products now available.
• It includes new light strips, bulbs, and ceiling lamps.

Signify has today announced even more products for its Philips Hue lineup, including new additions to its lineup of some of the best HomeKit light bulbs, and the best HomeKit light strips currently available.

In a release today Signify stated "Signify, the world leader in lighting, announces a large range of new Philips Hue smart lighting products and features to create a light experience like no other. New products include four new gradient-enabled products, new White ambiance Filament bulbs, more powerful smart bulbs, and new bathroom and ceiling lights. Finally, with new updates to the Philips Hue app that includes a first-ever deep integration of lighting and music with Spotify, it's an exciting year for smart lighting."

New products from Hue include a new Play gradient light tube for use above or below your TV, new Signe gradient floor and table lamps, new Ambience gradient lightstrip, new more powerful smart bulbs, and new White filament bulbs, as well as a new Surimu ceiling panel.

In fact, all Philips Hue Filament bulbs now come in White ambiance. To help support all of its new products and HomeKit integration, Philips is also updating its Philips Hue app:

New scenes are coming in Fall 2021, and the company is also bringing out a Philips Hue Play HDMI sync box later this year, designed to work with the newest generation of consoles and 120Hz refresh rate displays. You can read the full rundown of the new Philips Hue range here.

What you need to know

• Philips Hue Gradient Lightstrip Ambiance hasn't been announced, but it looks like it's coming.
• The new two-meter light strip will support displaying multiple colors at once.

Philips Hue doesn't have its own light strip that's capable of displaying multiple colors at once — but that looks like that's going to change soon.

According to hueblog.com, the Philips Hue Gradient Lightstrip Ambiance is a two-meter light strip that will be able to display multiple colors at once, hence the gradient part of the name. Based on images of the box shared by the same report, support for Alexa and Google Assistant will be included and, we have to assume, HomeKit support will be there too.

While Philips Hue does already have the Play Gradient Light Strip available, that's a product that's designed to be attached to the back of a TV. That isn't the case with this unannounced product.

As you might expect, the same report also expects an extension to be available for those who need something longer than two meters, too.

Expectations are that the new light strip will cost around $150, although there is no current indication of when we should expect it to go on sale. Don't fancy waiting? These are the best HomeKit light strips that are already available today.

What you need to know

• There's a brand new Philips Hue app.
• A total design overhaul brings with it a new interface and improved user experience.

Philips Hue, maker of some of the best HomeKit lightbulbs available, has today unveiled a brand new app for users.

The company says the new app will improve performance and enhance the user experience with new automations, a new Hue scene gallery, and more. Signify says the new app has been "rebuilt from the ground up" and is designed to be the future of smart lighting.

A new Tile View lets users see all of their lights and scenes in one place on opening the app so that you can monitor and control all of your smart lights in one place. The new scene gallery also lets users access and view new scenes curated by the company. Users of the old app will also be overjoyed to note that you can now quickly switch between multiple Hue Bridges.

Routines have been replaced by Automations with new options for changes and customization. The app also features multi-user geofencing, which can check who else is in your home when you run an automation so that all the lights don't switch off when you leave the house but someone else is still home.

Users can now also choose sunrise, sunset, or a specific time for starting and ending automations.

"As world leader in the smart lighting industry, the focus of Philips Hue is to keep improving its products and services with the latest innovations," said Philips Hue's head of Technology George Yianni. "The millions of users worldwide of the Philips Hue app are at the basis of its new launch. We analyze suggestions and reviews and even co-create with our users via usability studies and beta apps. With the launch of the new Philips Hue app, we set the first milestone in the future of smart lighting. It's the new Philips Hue experience, and this is just the beginning. We are excited to share more innovations in the rest of the year."

You can read the full release from Signify here, and more information is available regarding the new app on Hue's website. Philips Hue products can also be used with HomeKit, and you can find exactly where to get the best Philips Hue Light Deals here.

What you need to know

• Philips Hue will work with the new Matter connectivity standard.
• The company says existing products will also work with the standard through a firmware update.

You won't need to buy a new Phillips Hue light bulb to make it work with the new Matter connectivity standard.

As reported by Appleinsider, the Connectivity Standard Alliance announced the new Matter connectivity standard earlier this week. The standard is hoped to be adopted across smart home brands to increase interoperability.

When Matter was revealed, Signify, the owner of brands like Philips Hue, announced that the brand would support the new standard.

AppleInsider has learned that the company also plans to bring Matter compatibility to its existing lineup of Hue products as well with a firmware update.

If enough brands adopt the new standard, consumers would be able to purchase smart home devices with more confidence that they will work with other brands and ecosystems like Apple's HomeKit, Google Assistant, and Amazon Alexa.

When it comes to home automation, Philips Hue lights are some of the best smart light bulbs on the market. Not only are they fully integrated with HomeKit so you can control them from your iPhone, iPad, or with Siri, but they are usually pretty easy to find. However, Philips Hue bulbs can get quite expensive.

While a Philips Hue light bulb will always be more expensive than your standard light bulb, here are a few suggestions for the best Philips Hue light deals so you can get your hands on some for less.

Philips Hue Light Deals: Amazon Warehouse

Amazon is already one of the cheapest places to buy Philips Hue lights. However, the Amazon Warehouse can have some truly great deals.

If you don't know, Amazon Warehouse is where Amazon sells items that are either pre-owned or open-box products at discounted prices. When it comes to the Philips Hue lights, you'll typically find open-box items at a discount, or damaged packages.

Depending on the product and the seller, the discounts can drastically change from listing to listing, so you'll have to do a little sleuthing. However, Amazon has a great return policy and customer service, so you should feel comfortable that you're taking minimal risk.

If you are patient, Amazon runs additional Warehouse sales throughout the year that typically take an additional 20% off already low prices, but it is only for Prime members.

Philips Hue Light Deals: Refurbished & Renewed

Some online stores (or maybe even some retailers) sell refurbished Philips Hue bulbs and hardware, which can sometimes be picked up for an extreme discount.

Of course, you should do some research from the place you are buying, regardless of the source. Make sure you are familiar with the return or refund policy so you know how to protect yourself in case you receive a faulty or damaged product. Also, look for any kind of refurbished/renewed certification such as Amazon Renewed which covers your purchase for 90 days.

Philips Hue Light Deals: eBay

When it comes to finding things for cheap, the name eBay gets thrown around quite a bit. You can find lots of listing from eager sellers willing to sell you Philips Hue lights on eBay, and if you look hard enough, you may even find a really good deal. Plus, eBay runs promotions such as taking $10 off an order frequently, making a good deal great.

Whether it is auctions on the latest gear, or lower "buy it now" pricing, eBay can be a great resource for finding good deals. However, always make sure to review all of the details including tech specs, and the sellers history before purchasing or bidding to prevent any headaches.

Philips Hue Light Deals: Starter Kits

Speaking of eBay, if you put in a little effort, you can use sales on Philips Hue Starter Kits to your advantage. These starter kits often include multiple light bulbs as well as the Philips Hue Hub at special pricing, which you can then turn around and sell on eBay, putting some extra money back into your pocket.

Of course, there are those pesky eBay fees and shipping costs, but if you are just selling the hub your costs should be minimal. Also, be sure to look for any eBay seller promotions, which can often bypass listing fees, or even net you cash back.

Philips Hue Light Deals: Government rebates

I'm not entirely sure how common these are, but some governments or other regulatory bodies will offer rebates or subsides for renovating or otherwise updating older incandescent bulbs to newer LED bulbs because they are more energy efficient.

Sometimes these rebates, tax breaks, or other incentives can be used with smart bulbs like the Philips Hue, so look around and see what you can find for your area!

Philips Hue Light Deals: Thrifter

Thrifter is one of the best daily deals websites around. The dedicated team of deal seekers constantly updates the site with new deals as they hit the web, in all sorts of categories, including smart home products like Philips Hue! Check Thrifter daily for the best results.

If you want the deals to come to you, then subscribe to Thrifter's daily newsletter. These handpicked deals ensure that you will be getting some of the best prices on Philips Hue gear.

Have any tips on the best Philips Hue light deals?

Do you know where to look for cheap Philips Hue lights and hardware? Let us know in the comment below!

Updated February 2021: Don't forget to check out Thrifter every day for new deals!

What you need to know

• Signify has unveiled some brand new Philips Hue lights and switches.
• The lineup includes new linear spotlights and outdoor wall lights.
• There's also a new wall switch and dimmer too!

Philips Hue lights are some of the best smart lights for your home, and now their lineup is getting even better with new outdoor lights and switches.

Announced Thursday, Signify is releasing four new products, including two new outdoor lights and new switches to control your smart home. From the press release:

There are also new switches on the way. First, there's a new Philips Hue wall switch module that you can install behind a regular light switch to turn it into a smart switch, making it compatible with your smart home. Philips has also upgraded its dimmer switch with wireless controls and magnetic attachment.

Philips Hue Amarant will roll out on March 2 in North America for $169, whilst the Hue Appear will be available from January 26 in Europe for 149 euros.

The new wall module is coming in the Summer for $40, and the new dimmer switch will be available in the US from February 23 for just $24.99. Full details here.

What you need to know

• Philips Hue's HomeKit Adaptive Lighting update is now available in North America.
• Adaptive Lighting automatically adjusts the color temperature of compatible lights throughout the day.
• Firmware update is available for free through the Hue app.

After making its first appearance in Europe way back in October, Philips Hue has finally made its HomeKit Adaptive Lighting update available for users in North America. Apple's HomeKit Adaptive Lighting feature, introduced at WWDC 2020, adjusts the color temperature of compatible lighting accessories automatically throughout the day.

Available as a free update in the Philips Hue app, the HomeKit Adaptive Lighting update will be installed automatically over the next few days if you have your hub set to automatic updates. You can also manually download the update (version 1941132070) manually now by going to Settings and then tapping update Software Update.

After updating your Hue hub, head over to the Home app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, and you should see a pop-up screen explaining the new feature along with toggles to enable it on the lights in your home. If you have already set up Adaptive Lighting with other HomeKit accessories like the Eve Light Strip you will see a smaller image on the Home page of the Home app.

Once updated, a new Adaptive Lighting control will be shown alongside color adjustments for your Philips Hue light. With HomeKit Adaptive Lighting enabled, your lights will display warmer white tones in the morning to help ease you into the day and then shift to cooler shades of white to aid with focus as the day progresses. Your lighting will turn back to warmer tones to calm the mind and promote rest in the evening.

While Philips Hue has not provided a list of compatible accessories, we can confirm that it does work with White and Color Ambiance light bulbs, as well as with color-capable lamps like the Hue Play Bar. If you do not currently have Philips Hue lighting in your home, be sure to check the various Black Friday deals avialable, including a starter kit that includes everything you need to get started.

With the holiday clock ticking down, there's only a bit of time left to grab a fantastic HomeKit-enabled device for that special someone. Whether it's as simple as a HomeKit smart plug, or a fancy new HomeKit thermostat — we've got you covered. If you still haven't gotten around to picking up a gift for everyone on your list, then check out these awesome HomeKit shopping ideas for smart home beginners — they are sure to be a hit!

The gift of HomeKit

If you have any smart home beginners on your list — or even seasoned HomeKit vets — these are the very best HomeKit shopping ideas for that special someone. From simple switches to the smartest of locks, these smart home devices are the best way to put a smile on the face of anyone who is just getting started in the world of connected tech.

If your giftee is starting fresh with HomeKit, then we recommend going with the HomePod mini. Apple's tiny smart speaker enables voice controls over HomeKit accessories through Siri, and it acts as a HomeKit hub for remote access. If that weren't enough, the HomePod mini is also an excellent way to listen to Apple Music, with tons of power coming from its incredibly small footprint.

If you are looking for something a little more fun, then check out the Nanoleaf Shapes Hexagons light panels. These awesome lights support millions of colors, and their modular design allows for creative installations. The Nanoleaf Shapes also react to music with flashes, pulses, and pops of color that will definitely wow everyone on your list.

What you need to know

• Philips Hue is testing HomeKit Adaptive Lighting with some users in Germany.
• The feature will allow HomeKit to automatically set the color temperature of lights depending on the time of day.
• We've heard nothing about the feature since June.

Apple announced HomeKit Adaptive Lighting during its WWDC event in June, but it's been very quiet since. The feature will allow HomeKit to change the color temperature of lights based on the time of day – warm colors at night, cool colors during the day – but it does need third-party support. Now, Philips Hue appears to be working on exactly that.

As spotted by iphone-ticker, some German users are noticing that the feature is enabled for them following the installation of a new Philips Bridge beta. Only White and Color Ambiance bulbs are supported so far, but that could well be expanded in the future.

Little is known about how HomeKit Adaptive Lighting will actually work and we'll have to wait and see how this beta progresses to really find out more information. It does seem that the button for enabling the feature will be found in the normal color picker, but that's as much as we have.

There's no indication when this feature will come to other beta regions or when we should expect it to be rolled out to everyone, everywhere. The fact we've heard nothing about the feature at all since June is a concern, but that's part for the course with HomeKit anyway.

Just because Independence Day is celebrated primarily outdoors, it doesn't mean that the party has to stop once you retire for the day. HomeKit lighting can simulate the pops and flashes of those banging fireworks displays inside of your home through automations and scenes, each of which are incredibly easy to set up.

All it takes is the right accessories, a few minutes of your time, and a few taps, and you will be celebrating in style. So let's put use the power of apps, automations, and scenes to make your Independence Day smarter.

Convenient celebrations

Before we dive into building our own, you may already have access to some of the best Independence Day theme scenes around. Nowadays, most color lighting accessories and apps include pre-configured scenes that can launch your celebration with just a tap or two. Nanoleaf in particular, offers some truly awesome scenes, so if you have the gear, here's how to put them to use.

1. Launch the Nanoleaf app.
2. Tap on Discover located at the bottom of the app.
3. Tap on the Paint palette icon.

4. Scroll down until you see the Fireworks and Firecrackers scene.
5. Tap the Download button.
6. Tap the checkbox next to the Name of your light panel.

7. Tap Download.
8. Type in a custom Scene name if desired.
9. Tap OK to save the scene.

The Fireworks and Firecrackers scene should now be lighting up your panels with bright pops of colors. You can make adjustments to the speed and delay for the scene by editing the scene from the Dashboard tab within the app. With faster speeds, you can really make your home come alive.

Have Philips Hue lighting in your home? There are some great third-party apps that can make your lighting look just as good without creating an automation. One of our favorites is OnSwitch for Philips Hue, which has quite a few different fireworks specific variants to choose from.

The Philips Hue team also offers up a more subtle solution for putting red, white, and blue, on your lighting through the Living Scenes Hue Labs Formula if you are willing to put in a little work. The Philips Hue line also includes outdoor lighting as well, so you can put the colors of the stars and stripes on display all night long.

Make it your own

If your HomeKit lighting's app doesn't include scenes for Independence Day or if you can't find one that speaks to you, don't worry, you can still make your own magic with automations. By creating your own automation, you can set your favorite shades of red, white, and blue, as well as just how bright your stars will shine.

Creating a custom automation in the Home app also enables you to tie it in with other HomeKit accessories, such as door sensors or locks. With the right mix, you can set your festive lighting inside to spring to life as soon as you return from the outdoor celebration. Let's create an automation that will do just that!

1. Launch the Home App.
2. Tap the Automation tab.
3. Tap the Add Button in the top right corner of the screen (looks like a plus sign).

4. Choose An Accessory is Controlled.
5. Choose the Accessory that will turn on your lights. I will choose the Schlage Sense door lock.
6. Tap Next.

7. Tap on the desired Accessory state used for the automation. I will choose Unlocks for my automation.
8. Tap Next.
9. Choose which Accessories or Scenes you'd like to control with this automation. I will choose my Nanoleaf Aurora, Canvas, and Hexagons.

10. Tap Next.
11. Long press on the Accessories in your automation to change their color. I will choose a combination of red, white, and blue.
12. Tap Done.

Now that your automation is created, the next time that the door is unlocked, it will set all of the assigned lighting to the exact colors and brightness automatically. Just remember to turn the automation off, or set your lighting back to normal shades once you are done celebrating the Fourth!

Keep your cool

Once the festivities are over, you may need to cool down from the summer's heat. Instead of running to the thermostat or the switch on the wall for the fan, let Siri take care of things for you. All you need is a HomeKit compatible thermostat, and either an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or HomePod, to make it all happen.

Let's create a scene that fires up the air conditioner in the home with just a shout. Don't worry its not that hard to do!

1. Launch the Home app for on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap the Add Button in the top right corner of the screen (looks like a plus sign).
3. Tap Add Scene.

4. Give your scene a Name. I will name mine "Cool Down".
5. Tap Add Accessories.
6. Choose the Accessories you want to add to your scene by tapping on them. I will choose my ecobee SmartThermostat.

7. Tap Done when you've selected your accessories.
8. Long press the Accessories in your scene to change their settings. I will set my thermostat to cool the home down to 72 degrees.
9. Tap Done when you've adjusted your accessories' settings to your satisfaction.

Now that your scene is built, you can start cooling down your home on demand with your custom voice command. So for this example, all I need to do is say "Hey Siri, Cool Down". Whether you shout to Siri on your HomePod when you enter, or if you summon the virtual assistant on your iPhone to start cooling a few minutes before heading inside, you won't be sweating for too long.

This scene doesn't just have to be a once a year thing, as you can tie it to time-based automations which will automatically cool your home at a set time. You can even use your iPhone's GPS location to turn it on when you arrive after a long day at the office.

Watch it all

If you just can't get enough of the outdoor visuals and your indoor lighting just won't cut it, then put your outdoor HomeKit camera to use. The quickest and easiest way is to fire up your camera's feed through the Home app, but you can take things further by bringing it to the big screen if you have an Apple TV. AirPlay is a great way to beam your view to the TV, here's how.

1. Swipe down from the top right corner of the screen to open Control Center.
2. Tap Screen Mirroring.
3. Tap on the name of your Apple TV.

4. Launch the Home app.
5. Tap on Rooms.
6. Swipe to the left or right to locate your Camera then tap on the Thumbnail image to begin viewing.

For those times where you still want to browse around on your phone, you can use a third-party HomeKit app on the Apple TV to view your cameras. Our favorite is HomeCam, which can show all of your feeds in a grid or full-screen view, and you can even set it to transition automatically between cameras.

How are you celebrating with HomeKit?

Have some big HomeKit plans for this year's festivities? What accessories and automations are you using to celebrate Independence Day? Let us know in the comments below!

What you need to know

• The Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box lets you sync your Hue lights to your home entertainment system.
• It just got a big update.
• You can now use Siri to control the box, and it now supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+.

A big update to the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box will allow users to access Siri control, as well as support for HDR10+ content and Dolby Vision.

In a press release, details of the latest update were revealed:

Now, users can enjoy synchronized lighting effects when viewing Dolby Vision or HDR10+ content. Previously, this worked by way of passthrough, but you couldn't sync your lights.

The other big update is voice control support, notably for Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant. This is currently only in English, but the press release states "at launch", suggesting more language support may be on the way:

The final update means the Sync Box can now respond to a standard infrared TV remote, or a Harmony universal remote, allowing users to switch between multiple HDMI devices or turning the box on and off.

These latest features are available by way of a software update, found in the Hue Sync mobile app, specifically the settings menu.

What you need to know

• Seven Philips Hue lights introduced at CES are available now.
• Two fixtures are designed for the great outdoors, four are recessed downlights.
• Latest lighting can be purchased directly from Philips Hue and Best Buy.

Philips Hue made quite the splash at CES 2020 in Las Vegas, with the introduction of a whopping 11 new outdoor light fixtures, the first of which are now available. A total of seven new lights can be purchased today, including for the first time, recessed versions of white and color downlights.

As with most Hue accessories, the updated lineup of lights can display up to 16 million colors, and 50,000 shades of white. Each fixture can be controlled via the Philips Hue app, as well as with the various voice assistants, such as Amazon's Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple's HomeKit.

The following Hue lights are available for purchase at the Philips Hue online store and Best Buy as of today:

Philips Hue Lily XL

An updated version of the popular outdoor spot light, the Lily XL is now available. This larger version includes a more powerful spotlight, creating a dramatic effect wherever it is aimed at.

$130 at Philips Hue

Philips Hue Econic Outdoor Pedestal

A North America exclusive path light, dubbed the Hue Econic Pedestal, brings the smarts to one of the outdoor staples. These low voltage lights are smaller than the original but still retain the lantern like design.

• $130 at Best Buy
• $130 at Philips Hue

Philips Hue White Appear Outdoor Wall Light

The Hue Appear offers both color and white light in a sleek modern design that is suited for the outdoors. This light casts "triangles" of light against whatever surface that it is mounted to for a truly unique look.

$140 at Philips Hue

Philips Hue White Ambiance Downlight 4-inch

The Hue White Ambiance Downlight replaces existing recessed fixtures for a clean and seamless look. This 4-inch version sports updated Bluetooth capabilities.

• $35 at Best Buy
• $35 at Philips Hue

Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance Downlight 4-inch

The White and Color Ambiance version of the 4-inch downlight offers up to 16 million different shades of whites and colors. With this release, you can finally ditch the ugly bulbs in favor of a cleaner solution.

$55 at Philips Hue

Philips Hue White Ambiance Downlight 5/6-inch

Now available in a 5/6-inch version, the Hue White Ambiance Downlight offers color temperature adjustments that can help to energize and calm. Like all Philips Hue products, it works in conjunction with the Hue Bridge, and this version includes direct to device Bluetooth.

$35 at Philips Hue

Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance Downlight 5/6-inch

A proper recessed Philips Hue color downlight is finally available! This larger 5/6-inch version can finally bring playful colors to your kitchen, basement, or anywhere you have recessed lights.

$55 at Philips Hue

Philips Hue White Ambiance GU-10 2-Pack

An updated 2-pack of GU-10 White Ambiance bulbs is also now available. The updated version bundles two bulbs at a low price, and Bluetooth connectivity.

$50 at Philips Hue

Philips Hue smart lights are pretty fantastic since you can control them with your phone through the Philips Hue app, HomeKit, or through a virtual assistant with voice commands (Alexa, Siri, or Google). For those times where you need a physical button though, you can go with the official Philips Hue Smart Dimmer Switch for convenient controls. It works just like a normal light switch, except it's imbued with smart technology that, as it states in the name, allows for wireless dimming. Here are some accessories that can enhance how you use and store your Dimmer.

Not just for dimming

With all of these accessories, your Philips Hue Smart Dimmer Switch with Remote is bound to get a lot of use! Our favorite accessory is the Philips Hue Smart Plug, which works with the dimmer to add remote control to just about anything you can plug in. This plug works great with lamps, fans, heaters, air purifiers, and more.

Have trouble keeping your Hue light bulbs connected due to a certain someone in your home using the old light switch on the wall? Then check out the Samotech Toggle Light Switch Cover. This handy accessory installs over the top of your light switch, blocking others from using the traditional method, and a magnetic base gives your dimmer the home it deserves.

What you need to know

• Philips Hue Labs has shared 4 light formulas for working at home.
• Formulas include relaxation, concentration, and sleep routines.
• Formulas are available for free for Hue owners through the Hue app.

Philips Hue has recently shared a collection of smart lighting formulas through Hue Labs that aim to help those working from home. The formulas, which range from concentration to sleep routines, utilize the company's popular lighting line to simulate various shades of colors and whites.

In total, 4 work from home formulas have been shared, with the most interesting being Workday breaks and Personal go to sleep. The Workday breaks formula works by adjusting color temperature based on your work schedule after setting your desired work and break times. Whiter, cooler colors are designed to help with concentration, where softer more yellow tones are used for relaxation during break periods.

The Personal go to sleep formula works with your Hue lights to slowly fade out when you are ready to hit the sack, instead of at a set time. Hue Labs states that this formula was "created especially for people who don't have a strict bedtime", and it works in conjunction with an accessory like the Hue Dimmer Switch or even Amazon's Alexa to start the end of the night process.

Other formulas include Time-based light and Personal Wake up. All 4 of the work from home formulas are available now for free through the Hue Labs section of the Hue app or the Hue Labs website. A Philips Hue bridge is required for Hue Labs functionality, and they will not work with the recent line of Bluetooth light bulbs on their own.

What you need to know

• Philips has confirmed via Twitter that the Hue Bridge v1 will stop getting software updates after April 2020.
• Philips initially announced that support was winding up in April of 2019.
• After April, the v1 will not work with the Hue app, or any digital assistants.

Philips has confirmed via Twitter that support for the Hue Bridge v1 will stop after April 2020.

As spotted by 9to5Mac, in a tweet to a disgruntled customer Philips said:

Back in April of 2019, Philips made the following announcement regarding the Hue Bridge v1:

We have now arrived at the discontinuation of further software updates and online services part of this announcement. The Hue Bridge v1 will still work with the dedicated Hue Bridge v1 app, however, it will no longer work with the official Hue app because that requires your Bridge to be on the latest software. Your Bridge will also stop working with digital assistants like Alexa and Siri.

Philips has reassured customers it has no such plans to wind up support for the v2 Bridge anytime soon, and that it is not working on a new bridge currently.

The Philips Hue Play HDMI sync box is down to $199.99 at Best Buy. That's $30 off its regular price, and today Best Buy will throw in a $50 gift card, too. That's $80 in total savings with $30 saved directly off the price. We have seen other Philips Hue Play devices go on sale with this $50 gift card promotion but never the HDMI sync box. So this is a new sale and a great way to save if you want the ultimate smart lighting setup at home.

$79.95 $100.00 Save $20 1623250163

Simulates the sunset and sunrise and includes 5 different wake-up sounds. Has an FM radio with snooze and automatic dimmable display. It also includes 10 brightness settings. Help establish a healthy sleeping and waking routine.

$69.99 $120.00 Save $50 1620833737

The kit includes two multicolor BR30 smart bulbs and the Philips Hue bridge designed to help you unite your bulbs and connect them to your Wi-Fi network. Find the perfect lighting with preset scenes or lighting effects that sync to your movie.

Up to 20% off 1607686186

The X2HR have Hi-Res Audio with 50mm high-def neodymium drivers and an acoustic open-back architecture. They have deluxe memory foam ear pads and a lightweight adjustable hammock with genuine leather.

$169.99 $200.00 Save $30 1601821721

Built-in bedroom sensor and smartphone connection helps create ideal environment. AmbiTrack sensor measures your bedroom's temp, noise, light, and humidity. Customize the alarm, light, sound, and sunrise/sunset themes. Has clock and touch display.

$130.40 $137.79 Save $7 1413777600

We reviewed the sync box back in December and gave it 4 stars out of 5 and a Recomennded badge. Nirave Gondhia said, "If you do have a Hue setup already and watch a lot of TV, the Hue Play Sync Box is a great device. Yes, there are some compromises you have to make, but the experience offered by the Hue Play Sync Box absolutely makes up for these. The Hue Play Sync Box is so good, it's replacing the LIFX setup behind my TV."

You do already need to have a Philips Hue Bridge with Philips Hue smart lights connected to it to make this work. We share a lot of deals on Philips Hue lights, so there's a good chance you've already got something setup. If not, you can look into an option like this 2-bulb starter kit that includes a couple of smart bulbs and the bridge and will work with the sync box.

This device syncs your Philips Hue lights to your TV screen. So whenever you're watching a movie or TV show, the smart lighting in the room around you will dance, flash, dim, or brighten in sync with that content. It even works with streaming media players or gaming consoles thanks to the four HDMI ports. It works with both white and multi-color bulbs.

What you need to know

• Six Philips Hue light fixtures introduced at CES are available now.
• All six fixtures are designed for the great outdoors.
• North American releases will follow in March.

Philips Hue made quite the splash at this years CES held last month in Las Vegas, with the introduction of a whopping 11 new outdoor light fixtures, the first of which are available now. A total of six smart fixtures are now available in European markets, including an update to its popular Lily spotlight, as well as entirely new designs that are made for mounting on a wall.

As with most Hue accessories, the updated lineup of lights can display up to 16 million colors, and 50,000 shades of white. Each fixture can be controlled via the Philips Hue app, as well as with the various voice assistants, such as Amazon's Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple's HomeKit.

Four of the latest Philips Hue additions will be exclusive to Europe, with just two making their way to North America in mid-March. The following Hue lights are available for purchase on Amazon UK as of today:

Philips Hue Resonate

Even though the Resonate light come in a rectangular form factor, these outdoor lights actually create triangles of light. What's more is that the light from them comes out both the top and bottom creating a distinct look. The European exclusive Hue Resonate are available in both a black and stainless steel finish.

£130 at Amazon UK

Philips Hue Appear

Just like the Resonate, the Hue Appear projects beams of triangular light from both sides of the outdoor fixture. The Appear however takes on a skinnier cylindrical frame and will only be available in black. This light will also make its way to North America starting in mid-March.

£130 at Amazon UK

Philips Hue Attract

Another Europe exclusive is the Hue Attract which features a classic downlight design. This outdoor light has an open glass shade which provides an "arc of light" against the wall that it is mounted to.

£182 at Amazon UK

Philips Hue Lily XL

An updated version of the popular outdoor spot light, the Lily XL has also been announced. This larger version include a more powerful spotlight, creating a dramatic effect wherever it is aimed at. A North American release will follow in mid-March.

£130 at Amazon UK

Philips Hue Daylo

Another European exclusive, the Hue Daylo is a circular outdoor fixture that comes in both black and stainless steel options. These lights mount directly to a wall which gives it a truly unique look.

£110 at Amazon UK

Philips Hue Impress

The newest Philips Hue Impress model features the same design as before, however, this time it comes in a low-voltage option. Going the low-voltage route allows the Impress to be installed simply by plugging it in, forgoing wiring or a call to an electrician.

£120 at Amazon UK

Two additional fixtures, the Nyro wall light, and pedestal light will follow in May of this year. A range of outdoor power supplies and cables will also be available soon.

What you need to know

• A security vulnerability found in some smart bulbs could have given hackers access to the local host network it was connected to.
• The flaw relates to the Zigbee communication protocol, used by devices such as Philips Hue bulbs.
• Check Point found that a 2017 vulnerability could in fact be used to launch attacks on a conventional computer network, thankfully it's now been fixed.

A security flaw in the Zigbee communication protocol used by Smart bulbs could have been used to launch attacks on conventional computer networks in homes and businesses. Thankfully, it's now been fixed.

According to Check Point, they explored whether a vulnerability found in 2017 could, in fact, be used to gain access to the host network that the device was connected too. The answer? Yes. The issue has now been patched, so checking your firmware would be a very good idea.

The report notes:

Continuing from where the previous research left off, Check Point's researchers showed how a threat actor could exploit an IoT network (smart lightbulbs and their control bridge) to launch attacks on conventional computer networks in homes, businesses or even smart cities. Our researchers focused on the market-leading Philips Hue smart bulbs and bridge, and found vulnerabilities (CVE-2020-6007) that enabled them to infiltrate networks using a remote exploit in the ZigBee low-power wireless protocol that is used to control a wide range of IoT devices. With the help of the Check Point Institute for Information Security (CPIIS) in Tel Aviv University, the researchers were able to take control of a Hue lightbulb on a target network and install malicious firmware on it. From that point, they used the lightbulb as a platform to take over the bulbs' control bridge, and attacked the target network as follows:

1. The hacker controls the bulb's color or brightness to trick users into thinking the bulb has a glitch. The bulb appears as 'Unreachable' in the user's control app, so they will try to 'reset' it.
2. The only way to reset the bulb is to delete it from the app, and then instruct the control bridge to re-discover the bulb.
3. The bridge discovers the compromised bulb, and the user adds it back onto their network.
4. The hacker-controlled bulb with updated firmware then uses the ZigBee protocol vulnerabilities to trigger a heap-based buffer overflow on the control bridge, by sending a large amount of data to it. This data also enables the hacker to install malware on the bridge – which is in turn connected to the target business or home network.
5. The malware connects back to the hacker and using a known exploit (such as EternalBlue), they can infiltrate the target IP network from the bridge to spread ransomware or spyware.

If that didn't make sense, here's' a video:

Check Point told Philips and Signify (Philips Hue's parent company) about the vulnerability in November 2019. A recent firmware patch [Firmware 1935144040] is now available on their site and was issued as an automatic update, so you just need to double-check your firmware.

Check Point plans to release the full technical details of its research in the coming weeks, once everyone has had time to safely update their products.

Amazon's Echo line of smart speakers can be used to control a plethora of different supported lights. If you have an Echo and supported smart lights (with the smart hub for those that need it), it's easy to get set up.

• Voice portal: Amazon Echo (3rd Gen) ($90 at Amazon)
• Let there be light: LIFX BR30 Muti Colored Bulbs 4 Pack ($176 at Amazon)

The guide

If you don't already have smart lighting that supports Alexa integration, Amazon has a full list of lighting options, but we're working with LIFX smart lights for this guide.

Once your smart lights are connected to your home wi-fi (follow the manufacturer's instructions), you're ready to connect your lights with your Echo so that you can ask Alexa to control them. Here's how.

1. Launch the Alexa app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap the menu icon in the top left corner of the screen. It looks like three lines.
3. Tap Add Device.Source: Jeramy Johnson / iMore

4. Tap on Light under All Devices, or tap on the device brand at the top of the screen.
5. Once you locate your device or brand, tap on it.Source: Jeramy Johnson / iMore

6. You may be prompted to download the light's app, and/or to enable the Alexa Skill for that light.
7. Log in to your app.
8. Enable the Alexa Skill.Source: Jeramy Johnson / iMore

How to group lights

1. Launch the Alexa app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap the Devices label in the lower right corner of the screen.
3. Tap on the plus symbol at the top right of the screen
4. Tap on Add Group at the bottom of the screen.Source: Jeramy Johnson / iMore

5. Select a group name for your lights, or create one in the Custom Name field.
6. Tap on Next at the bottom of the screen.
7. Define the group by selecting which lights (and/or smart plugs) you want as part of this new light grouping.Source: Jeramy Johnson / iMore

8. Tap Save.Source: Jeramy Johnson / iMore

Now your new light group will be available as a tile directly from the Devices tab of the Alexa app, and you can ask Alexa to "turn on the lounge" or whatever you decided to name your new group.

Our top equipment picks

The perfect pairing for your Smart home lighting setup using Alexa is an Echo speaker and LIFX smart lights.

Echo is the perfect smart home speaker for anyone hoping to get into the smart home market without spending too much money. Alexa is the widest supported virtual assistant for smart products across the board, and the Echo is the best speaker at a reasonable price. It's more expensive than the Dot but sounds much better.

LIFX bulbs work great with Amazon's Alexa smart voice assistant, and these particular lights support multiple dimming settings as well as 16 million color combinations. They don't require any sort of smart hub, so you can just plug them in, set them up in the app as we've show above, and you're ready to rock. Create the perfect mood lighting for any occassion. Oh, these also work with HomeKit too!

The most feature-rich and future-proof combo for Alexa supported smart light integration is an Echo and LIFX, but there are less-expensive alternatives that work great with limited features.

Echo Dot (3rd Gen) ($35 at Amazon)

The least expensive Echo speaker that still works great as a smart home assistant.

TanTan smart plugs ($15 at Amazon)

Use your dumb lights with Alexa, no hub required. You can turn anything into a smart home appliance with a smart plug.

If you are still using the original Philips Hue Bridge with your smart lighting but want to make the move to the sweet HomeKit and Siri life, then its time for an upgrade. Making the switch requires the latest Philips Hue Bridge, your existing Philips Hue app, and a little bit of patience. Here's our guide on how to get the job done in no time.

• HomeKit enabled Hue Bridge: Philips Hue Bridge ($60 at Amazon)
• Legacy Philips Hue Bridge App: Philips Hue Bridge v1 (Free at App Store)

How to transfer your Hue lights to the latest HomeKit-enabled bridge

1. Leave your old bridge plugged into both power and Ethernet. You'll need it active for the transfer.
2. Plug in your new bridge to both power and Ethernet as well. (I had to "borrow" my Apple TV connection; do what must be done.)
3. Launch the Hue app on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad.
4. Tap the Hamburger button to open the sidebar.
5. Tap Bridge transfer under Notifications.
6. Tap Transfer settings to begin the process.
   

7. Tap Prepare transfer at the bottom.
8. Press the button your old bridge.
9. Press the button on your new bridge.
   • If your new bridge came as part of a kit, you'll first have to reset it to clear the pre-paired lights.
   • Press the reset button on the back of the new bridge with a pin or pen tip (I used a SIM ejector tool, because!)
   • Wait a minute for the new bridge to reset.
   
   

10. Tap Start transfer.
11. Tap blink lights to test if the transfer worked.
12. Tap Next when you're happy.

13. Press the reset button on the back of the old bridge with a pin or pen tip (I used a SIM ejector tool, because!) to prevent any future conflicts.
14. Unplug your old bridge and do what you will with it.
15. Tap Done.

Your new, HomeKit-compatible, Siri-powered Hue light system should now be good to go! Once you have made the upgrade, you will need the latest Philips Hue app to control your lighting.

You will also be able to control your lights through the Home app, which keeps all of your HomeKit accessories in one easy to use place. Need a rundown of the Home app and everything that it can do? Check out our handy guide.

Our top equipment picks

The most recent Philips Hue Bridge is the only way to add your existing lights to HomeKit. Although it comes with an updated look, it pretty much works the same as before. Plug it in to your home router, and give it some power and you will be ready to go in the Philips Hue app. The large pairing button on the front works the exact same, just press it when required to find your latest gear.

You may have noticed that the HomeKit enabled Philips Hue Bridge can cost a pretty penny, putting it up there with the price of some of starter kits. If you don't mind starting things over from scratch, you can bypass the upgrade process and start anew with one of the latest bundles that include new bulbs and the bridge. Here are our top picks for the newest Hue hotness.

Philips Hue White Starter Kit ($70 at Amazon)

If you don't mind starting fresh, this starter kit gives you two shiny new all-white bulbs, plus the latest HomeKit bridge.

Philips Hue White & Color Ambiance Starter Kit ($196 at Amazon)

This bundle includes the Philips Hue bridge and four of the latest and greatest color capable bulbs that have better color reproduction and Bluetooth.

Despite my affinity for adding smart home accessories whenever I can in my home, there is one area, or rather one company, that I haven't had in my life for quite a few years now. Back when Philips Hue first burst onto the scene, I was right there along for the ride, adding the company's light bulbs, light strips, and dimmers, everywhere I could.

However, as my smart home needs evolved, I ended up leaving the Hue ecosystem, not because of any issues or troubles, but rather, because I wanted smart light switches to be the end all lighting solution for my home. So needless to say, I lost a little color in my life when making the transition.

I recently began thinking about adding some accent lighting or bias lighting to my desk setup, and despite a plethora of options now available on the market, I just couldn't resist the allure of going back to Philips Hue. I ended up picking a Hue Play Bar Starter Kit, which also included the most important piece of the puzzle, the Hue Hub. While I expected great performance and reliability from the lights, I didn't expect just how much I would enjoy the simple pleasure of having colorful lighting and effects back in the home again.

Versatility in a bar

Philips Hue Play Bar: The features

The Philips Hue Play Bar comes in quite a few different configurations, including starter kit bundles, standalone light bars, and extension packs, all in addition to white and color variants. The Play Bar itself sports a sleek, slim, profile that is composed of a solid lightweight plastic frame with an opaque diffuser on the side that covers the internal LED. At its longest, the Play Bar comes in around 10 inches in length, and sits at about 1.7 inches wide, which makes it easy to fit into most spaces without a stand.

Included in the box are several mounting options, including: a stand for placement on a table and a TV mount for attaching them directly to the back of a TV. For tabletops, the Play Bar can work both vertically and horizontally, using the included stands, or just by laying them down. Attaching the table stand to the light does require the use of an allen wrench, which is included.

If you want to go the bias lighting route for your TV or PC monitor, you can attach the Play Bar around the back using the provided mounting clips which utilize double-sided tape. You can also attach the Play Bar directly to a wall using the same mount, but it should be noted that they are only rated for indoor usage. Wiring for the Play Bar comes in the form of a single (per light) 80-inch, pre-attached cable that attaches to a power supply.

Each Play Bar is capable of producing up to 530 lumens of brightness, which is plenty for accent and bias installations, but not quite enough to light up an entire room. Of course, being a Philips Hue product, the Play Bar supports the company's gold standard of up to 16 million shades of colors and whites along with dimming capabilities.

Color for days

Philips Hue Play Bar: What I like

As I have already alluded to, I absolutely enjoyed seeing the area around my desk lighting up with bright and vivid colors throughout the day. At first, I paired the Play Bars with a HomeKit remote and had it set to simply change it to a single color. Eventually I came around to trying some of the scenes available through the Philips Hue app, and settled on using the Colorloop formula under the Hue Labs section.

Speaking of pairing, the whole set up process with the hub and app was quick and rather painless. The hub was found instantly by the Hue app, and after a quick update, the Play Bars were also found in a matter of seconds. After everything was ready to go, I immediately added it to HomeKit, which is my smart home platform of choice, and again, the process was quite simple. I will also note that the Play Bar, like everything else Philips Hue, works with all three of the major voice assistants, Alexa, Google Assistant, and HomeKit.

Since I went with the lights to complement my room lighting and desk setup, I utilized the included stands to place both lights in a vertical position on each side of my monitor. The plain, thin, design makes the lights look like speakers on my desk and doesn't scream "smart connected lighting", which is exactly what I was trying to avoid. The lights "face" the wall behind my desk, and when illuminated, they give off just the right amount of light, and do not cause any visual distractions.

One of the main reasons that I went with the Play Bars was for performance and reliability. The Philips Hue Hub connects to accessories via a ZigBee wireless radio, which not only keeps things off of your Wi-Fi network, but it can extend its range through mesh networking. This all adds up to the Philips Hue line having rock solid reliability and extremely fast response times, which is exactly what I am seeing with the Play Bar.

Strings attached

Philips Hue Play Bar: What I don't like

Even though the Play Bar comes with a rather generous cable length with room for expansion, I did not like that only one power supply was included in the box. This means that both of the lights included with the kit I purchased plugged into the same outlet, which was ok for my setup, but it could potentially limit placement depending on the situation. Also, the cords that attach to the Play Bar cannot be removed, although they can be removed from the power supply.

Just like with all of the Philips Hue line, along with all color lighting in general, the Play Bar struggles to represent one color in particular, which is green. Sure the lights are capable of displaying bright lime greens on demand, however a darker shade just seems to be the one color that manages to miss out on the fun, which is sad to see even after all of the advancements in the area over the years.

Perhaps the biggest downside to the Play Bar is that it does require the Philips Hue Hub for just about everything. The hub requirement applies to not just the smart side of things, but also for simply turning the lights on and off without pulling the plug. There are no physical switches or buttons to be found on-device, which is understandable for bias lighting, but it still would have been nice to be able to manually toggle colors or power if needed.

Raising the bar

Philips Hue Play Bar The Bottom Line

If you are looking for a clean and simple way to add bias or accent lighting around your home, then the Philips Hue Play Bar is one of the best options around. The compact and versatile design allows it to fit in just about everywhere, including on a tabletop, mounted on a wall, or neatly tucked behind your TV. Yes, there are light strips available that can work for many applications, however, the lamp-esque nature of the Play Bar just makes things easier to manage, and it can be re-used for other purposes in the future.

The Philips Hue Play Bar offers some of the best color reproduction around (minus that pesky dark green), and is bright enough for most scenarios. Response times and reliability are top notch, and the Hue lineup plays nicely with all of the smart home platforms, keeping things lit up even if you decide to change things up in the future. Of course, the Play Bar does require the Philips Hue Hub for things such as turning them on and off, dimming, and changing colors, but if you are in the market for colorful lighting, then you should already be looking in the direction of Hue.

What you need to know

• Philips Hue's 19/20 catalog has been leaked on the web.
• It appears to reveal a new range of outdoor lights.
• Hue could be set to reveal the new products at CES in January of next year.

A leak appears to suggest that Philips plans to announce a new range of outdoor Hue smart lights next year.

According to Hueblog via 9to5Mac, Hue is set to launch a new range of outdoor smart lights at CES in January of 2020. The report claims that the official product catalog for 2019/20 has been leaked on the net and that there are new white and color ambiance models revealed within.

Philips looks to follow up its 2018 Hue Lily with a new, Hue Lily XL. It is said to be around 5 inches wide, putting out 1,200 lumens, double the 640 in the previous model.

Other new reported products include a new Impress wall light. It is similar to the current 24V model, however, it has a power cable, rather than requiring a fixed power connection.

There's also reportedly a brand new set of lamps called Nyro, which come as path or wall lamps and have a very cool angular design. Hue Resonate appears to be another wall lamp, along with the Hue Appear and the Daylo. There's also a classic wall lamp named Hue Attract.

Away from actual lights, Hue also has plans for a new power-unit with 40 watts, a more eco-friendly option. You can read a full rundown of all the purported leaked models over at Hueblog. The piece suggests that Hue may be planning to announce these products at CES in January of next year. This seems to be based solely on the notion that Philips announced new Hue lights at CES 2019, there is no indication of a potential release date according to the leaked products themselves.

If you are looking for an affordable, easy to set up light strip for general accent lighting, then the Koogeek LS1 Strip Light is the one for you. However, if you want the absolute best levels of brightness and color reproduction, then the Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus is your best bet. The Philips Hue light strip also works with a greater variety of services, and even syncs up to your movies or shows if you have the right hardware.

Break it down now...

When looking at light strips there are several important features to consider, including ones that you cannot see. Both the Koogeek LS1 and Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus provide the same overall functions, but the extra cost associated with the Hue light strip means you will see better performance, reliability, color reproduction, and deeper integrations.

When it comes to picking a winner, the overall choice is clear. The Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus is simply better at some of the most important aspects. Peak brightness levels on the Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus are well beyond the Koogeek LS1's capabilities, making it able to light up rooms around your home. The Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus is not just brighter than Koogeek's LS1, it's over three times brighter, with a whopping 1,600 lumens of power. This means that it is capable of lighting up the darkest of rooms, allowing it to work as a true light source, whereas its competition is best suited as accent lighting.

Colors are richer and more distinct, giving you more options to choose from, which translates to the Hue light strip working better as decorative displays or as a compliment to media. Even though each light strip supports up to 16 million different colors and whites, the Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus has more accurate colors, especially for those within the green spectrum, which are notoriously hard to produce. More accurate color not only looks better and more distinct, it also extends to entertainment purposes, such as using the media sync features that provide a more immersive video viewing experience.

Philips Hue also has a vast ecosystem that extends beyond support for Alexa, HomeKit, and Google Assistant. This means that it can integrate with services such as IFTTT, creating the potential of full blown automations that can flash your light strip to a certain color if it is going to rain, or re-create a beautiful sunset when dusk starts in your area.

That is not to say that the Koogeek LS1 Strip Light is a bad option, especially considering its low price. Koogeek's light strip still produces up to 16 million colors, which can certainly fit the bill for most use cases. The LS1 also has the benefit of not requiring a separate hub for its smart home connections, and it even includes IP65 weather resistance, allowing it to withstand rain and dust, something that the more expensive Hue light strip cannot do.

If you're looking for a great quality light strip that works with Alexa, HomeKit, or Google Assistant right out of the box, then the LIFX Z is the one for you. However, if you already have some Philips Hue gear, then the Lightstrip Plus is a perfect complement that integrates with other features and services that only the vast Hue ecosystem can provide.

Breaking it down

When looking at light strips, there are several important features to consider, including things you may not be able to see, like integrations with third-party services. At their core, both the LIFX Z and the Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus provide the same basic functions, with each lighting areas in your home with up to 16 million colors. However, there are some differences, like brightness, that may make one more attractive then the other.

The Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus is slightly brighter than the LIFX Z, coming with 200 additional lumens, which may not sound like a lot, but it can certainly make a difference in areas such as hallways for path lighting, or simply as a lamp replacement. However, the LIFX Z supports individual color zones, which provides a more colorful, custom look. It's great for accent lighting or for get-togethers where it's certain to be a conversation piece.

Another thing to consider is placement. While both measure 6.6 feet in length, the LIFX Z sports a modular design versus the one piece Lightstrip Plus. The LIFX Z comes in 3.3 foot sections, which makes shorter runs easier, and potentially less wasteful compared to cutting the Philips Hue light strip down to size.

When it comes to picking a winner, its clear that the LIFX Z LED Strip is the best for most due to its ability to operate without a hub. This direct connection to your Wi-Fi network approach makes it slightly cheaper upfront, and it can be up and running within a few minutes after unboxing.

While it is not the brighter of the two options, the LIFX Z supports individually addressable color zones — 16 in all. This means that it can display multiple colors throughout the light strip, which not only looks cool but opens the door to neat effects like candle flickering.

That is not to say that the Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus is a bad option, especially for those who are already in the Hue ecosystem. The power of the integration is strong with this one, as it supports tons of services and hardware, such as ones that can sync the color of your light strip with movies and television shows. The Lightstrip Plus is also brighter, and has great color reproduction, even though it only supports one color at a time for the entire strip.

The Philips Hue white 3-bulb starter kit is down to $55.35 on Amazon. This kit has been selling for around $60 since early September, but before that it was selling for around $80. It hadn't dropped much from that $80 price point either until these recent sales. Today's deal is the best price we've seen for the kit.

If you need some color in your smart home, you can get this multi-color 3-bulb starter kit for $99.99 on Amazon. It was selling for as much as $160 until the end of August when it hit this price. The savings aren't quite as new, but the deal is just as good.

This kit includes three white bulbs and the Philips Hue Bridge, which are all the things you'll need to start using smart lights. All you have to do is replace any A19 bulbs you have around the house with these new ones and use the Philips Hue app to connect the bulbs to your new Bridge. The Bridge then acts as a hub between the bulbs and your smart home ecosystem, letting you control the bulbs with your voice if you want. You can also use the free app to set schedules, build routines, and turn them on and off without getting off the couch. Each bulb lasts for over 25,000 hours, meaning that you'll save money compared to the costs of replacement bulbs before even factoring in the energy-saving LEDs that should lower your monthly power bill.

Remember the Bridge can control a lot more than the three bulbs this kit comes with. Look out for more ways to expand your smart lighting with light strips, dimmer switches, and more.

The Philips Hue LightStrip Plus is one of the best smart lightstrips on the market thanks to its ability to output bright, vivid colors and integration within all of the major smart home platforms. Unfortunately, the LightStrip Plus only covers 6.6 feet out of the box, making placement a tricky task in some locations.

Thankfully, there are a couple of different ways to add some extra length to your lightstrip. The first option comes directly from Philips, and it is an all-in-one strip piece that adds 3.3 additional feet. This solution includes the same LED lights that are in the LightStrip Plus, ensuring that its brightness and colors will match perfectly with your original lightstrip.

For installations that require greater distances or are in places that need some space in between lights, some extensions chain two strips together by small cables. This method is perfect for installations that require some additional flexibility such as around corners, or for undercabinet lighting with gaps in between cabinets. Just keep in mind that you will need two lightstrips in addition to this extension to make it all work.

This 4-pack of Philips Hue white A19 dimmable LED smart bulbs has dropped to $39.99 on Amazon. That's $10 off its regular price. While this only matches a low we've seen a few times before, the pack has only dropped to this price once since last year's Black Friday shopping season.

Prices Vary 1598876967

Today only, Woot is holding a sale on refurbished Philips Hue smart home products, from smart bulbs and strip lights to the Philips Hue bridge which makes them all work together. A 90-day warranty is included, too.

$114.97 $159.99 Save $45 1538366400

$104.95 $99.99 Save $-5 1463976000

$159.99 $159.99 Save $0 1538366400

$114.97 $159.99 Save $45 1538366400

Add these four bulbs to your smart home. If you're already a part of the Philips Hue ecosystem, then having four extra bulbs should be an easy addition to your home. If you aren't, you will need the Philips Hue hub to connect these bulbs to each other and your voice assistant system of choice. You can get the hub on its own (refurbished) or as part of one of many Philips Hue starter kits. The hub can control dozens of Philips Hue devices at once, so you can always expand later if you want.

Once connected through the hub, you can also connect the hub to your Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, or Google Assistant smart home. Then you can turn these bulbs on and off with your voice, set them into groups, and more. Use the Philips Hue app on iOS or Android to turn the lights on and off, dim them to the desired level, set schedules, and more. These are standard white A19 light bulbs that are 60W equivalents.

Lucky customers can save $14 on this Philips Hue A19 White smart bulb 4-pack at Amazon right now, dropping the price down to only $33.59. That's thanks to an on-page coupon offering 30% off, but the coupon is only showing for select customers so your mileage may vary. If you see the coupon, definitely pull the trigger on this deal. The multi-pack usually sells for $47.99 otherwise.

At this sale price, you're getting each bulb for just $8.40 which is super affordable. These dimmable bulbs let you adjust the shade of white that best works for you. They can be controlled using a free smartphone app or integrated to work with other popular smart home devices like Amazon's Alexa, Google Assistant, Nest, and more. You do need to have a Hue hub set up to use the bulbs, so pick one up if you're just getting started with the Hue range.

If you just want an extra bulb or two and don't want to pay for four, you can take advantage of this limited-time Woot deal offering individual bulbs for $9.59. But let's face it, you're going to want more Hue bulbs at some point so you may as well get the 4-pack even if you don't need them all yet.