I don’t get it. They’re colored lights. I think of my self as a pretty tech-savvy GenXer, and I’m kind of a lighting geek, but I can’t for the life of me figure out why I would want a lamp to be a particular color (other than 2800/3000/3200K) .
Note: I have 95CRI 3200K LED lighting in my kitchen and office where I spend most of my time and I have Caseta programmable/networked lights in the house. I’ve never felt the need to actually use the networking feature. What am I missing with Hue?
I don’t buy the colored lights myself, but I will still only buy Hue for three reasons:
[1] Reliability - in my experience, Hue bulbs literally last for years, don’t glitch or flicker, and always respond immediately. I have some Hue bulbs in my house that have been running 24/7/365 for about 8 years.
[2] Proper ZigBee protocol implementation - I run Home Assistant with a third party ZigBee controller. Because Hue adheres to the ZigBee protocol, my controller is fully able to control all Hue bulb functions (including the color stuff) without requiring the use of the Hue Hub. It’s not even plugged in.
The controller also allows me to use any protocol-compliant ZigBee device that “requires” the use of a hub, without the hub, which means no data is sent out of my network from these hubs to cloud servers somewhere, which increases my security.
[3] Hue bulbs are powerful ZigBee mesh network repeaters - they are the backbone of my Home Assistant network. The placement of at least one in every room strengthens the network and allows non-repeater battery-powered ZigBee devices (like motion sensors) to pass their data through the network to the controller more quickly and efficiently than they would if my bulbs were a) cheaper models with weaker signals, b) bulbs with incomplete ZigBee protocol compliance, or c) non-ZigBee bulbs (like wi-fi models).
The strength (and thus, range) of the Hue ZigBee signal also allows for the usage of smart devices at the edge of my network - like an automated pet food dispenser in a room with no plugs and an old, definitely not ZigBee fluorescent tube light.
Huh. Fair point regarding zigbee and repeaters - I can see value there for the right system.
They’re solid networked bulbs. They just work and there’s no annoying flicker like you may get with PWM LED bulbs. I like being able to change the color of them depending on my mood and the vibe. Friday night comes around and I set everything to fun colors, blast some music, have friends over, etc., it’s a good time and the bulbs contribute. I have a light strip around the mirror in my bathroom and another strip under my cabinets in the kitchen which provide better lighting than the ceiling lights.
I also sometimes set everything to red at night since it’s easier on the eyes. It’s nice being able to have super cool white for doing work, and warmer (sometimes nearly orange/red) for relaxing in the evening.
You could use Govee instead, they’re a little cheaper, but IMO Hue is generally nicer quality.
I would guess most users would say the color features are something like “a nice thing to have, even if I don’t use it all the time”.
I don’t have any hue bulbs, but the few smart bulbs I have are used pretty much like normal bulbs. But things like dimming in otherwise non-dimming fixtures or changing the color on an exterior light for holidays or whatever are neat things that come up occasionally.
The networking stuff has been a desired thing for me to delve more thoroughly in, but hasn’t happened it (auto lights for the house when coming/going, settings for different activities like movie nights or game nights, flashing lights for alarms/timers on things like laundry or doorbells).
I’ve not used the Phillips Hue lights, but I have used other brands, and the answer is that they are fun.
- I used them in my patio light to set holiday themes
- In rooms with front facing windows to add additional spooky ambiance for Halloween
- Accent lighting for Tiki themed parties
- Mood lightning for various occasions (e.g. watching horror movies or “date night”)
That being said, the novelty wore off after about 2 years and I no longer use them … but now I’m thinking I might want to bring them out again.
Ease of set-up for the not so technically versed? Plus Philips is well known, people tend to choose something familiar over something new and having to do a lot of research
Ease of set-up
That’s part of my confusion - set up for what? It seems like just “turn my room blue” or “Set my Halloween theme” stuff - novelty which would wear off quickly (been there, done that) or is something that might be used once or twice a year. Maybe I don’t have enough raves in my living room? People seem bonkers over these things at $50 a pop, more for the flat or specialty lighting. It can’t just be some weird gimmick to be worth dropping a several grand on house lights…or can it?
Smart home features and adjustable color temp/brightness are what I like.
If you’re already tech-savvy and are powering your smart lights with appropriate bulbs and a Lutron system then you are almost exactly the target audience. Hue is just an alternative, easier to set up (proprietary) ecosystem.
I think part of my awe is that I have a well lit house and the cost to re-lamp would be astronomical. Most major rooms in my house have between 8 and 14 can lights (or led equivalent). Maybe 100 lamps in all? Might be more interesting/affordable with just 1-2 lamps per room.
Very jealous. I’ve got about twenty bulbs and that covers my entire house. I think more lighting from more sources would be more pleasing.
It makes for more even lighting with relatively high max brightness and no dead spots. Rather than having multiple individual lights, nearly all of these areas are on high quality dimmers so if I want low or ambient light I can get it, and it achievable with a single control. My day job is in the architecture world (engineer) so I see what’s possible when someone is actively designing spaces for maximum comfort or utility. The first time I saw 98CRI/3200K gallery LEDs I was blown away. It would be another 5 years before prices would drop and I could afford (close to) that quality, but even then I had to seek it out.
Are there resources on lighting best practices? Would love to invest some money and energy here.
I’ve never been fully satisfied with the lighting in my living spaces.
Most of what I’ve learned has been walking through spaces and leafing through the project documentation and luminaire cut sheets the electrical engineer has compiled when I’m bored in meetings. There are online resources for best practice in lighting levels, and most fixtures (or lamps/“bulbs” when you’re talking PAR or reflector-style) have luminous intensity, fall-off curves, and angular illumination. Blackbody physics controls color in traditional incandescent lamps so you can get an idea of what temp you want from the equivalent wattage. I don’t know of any one source that walks through the options.
IMO, it’s the combination of hue lights and a voice assistant that makes these lightbulbs life-changing. When you first get them, yeah, you just play with the different colors they can make. Maybe you get a nice warm beige that you like, or a dark orange at low intensity for watching TV. But eventually you get to the point where you have lots of these lights in different rooms, and you can control them as you move through the house.
“Hey Siri, bedroom lights 100” “Hey Siri, basement lights dark orange.” “Hey Siri, living room lights 50.”
Suddenly you can be carrying things in the house and turn on the lights you need to, the way you want to, without having to futz with a switch or dial. You can turn the lights on outside before you get to the driveway in a dark winter night. Or you can have certain lights turn themselves on at sunset. I’ve done all these things. It’s just so damn convenient!
Well as you pointed out you’d never want a particular color other than 2800/3000/3200k; with hue you can have any of these at any time. There are also a lot of special use cases such as colored accent lighting, or just making a space feel more exotic by having neon lighting. Having just a single bulb change colors is one thing but if you have a room with 6+ bulbs all in complimentary colors you can get some pretty cool effects.
That being said, Phillips charges a premium for their bulbs, and there are alternatives that are just as good for half the price
I very much agree, I would probably never change the bulbs to funky colors. That’s why I think their White Ambience bulbs make the most sense, as you can change their color temperature throughout the day.
The ability to have lights sync with video on a tv is very cool. It is great to be able to set different colors/moods for when guests are over. Alexa/Google functionality is helpful, no need to get up to dim the lights, just say “set lights to 30%” and it’s done. You can set schedules for lights to be on/off or to slowly increase brightness to wake you from sleep during winter months. I enjoy having them, not needed for every light though.
I don’t have philips hue, but I suppose you could change the mood of a room depending on the lighting. Scary movie? Red… hearing a podcast about nature? Green…
That said, I find Philips hue to be overpriced. They’re very expensive for what they do.
I think the main reason is being able to change between the colors (2800/3200/5000K/etc.) depending on the time of day. I prefer more orange light in the evening and blue light during the day. Guess some people might just like to do mood lighting but not really sure where green mood lighting would be used. Lol.
I work in IT so I’m really techy and I’m in the same boat. I can’t understand why anyone would want smart lightbulbs much less color changing ones. Unless you’re a 14-year-old girl doing tik-tok dances in your bedroom 🤷♂️
