Best hue light bulbs to buy for smart home lighting
If you are looking to transform your traditionally manual home into a smart home, then the new generation of hue light bulbs is a fantastic place to start from. For one thing, they are getting more affordable by the day, and also, they are ridiculously easy to set up these days. But if the ability of the hue lights to quickly turn your house from a boring place where you sleep to a full-blown party scene or the convenience it provides do not tickle your fancy, then the security capabilities of these bulbs is something that will attract you. Below we have assembled a list of some of the best hue lights to buy for smart home lighting.
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Philips 455287 Hue White Starter Kit
The Philips 455287 Hue white starter kit is a perfect bulb to light up your smart home with. It comes with two Hue white bulbs and a Hue bridge that connect up to 50 bulbs at a time. The good thing about this smart bulb is that it is quite easy to install:
- screw the bulbs into your fixtures
- Plug the hue bridge into your WiFi router
- Download the free Hue app on your Android or Apple device, and voila! You are ready to start using your smart bulbs
This hue light gives you full control over your home lighting by providing access for you to remotely operate and automate your smart light from anywhere in the world. This means that if you buy and install this system, you will be able to view and operate your lighting system via the app, from anywhere in the world and the promise that this brings is quite endless. You can switch off that light bulb you forgot to turn off from the office, you can turn your security lights on even when you are not home to give the impression that you are indeed at home, you can always check if the kids forgot to turn off the light, etc.
The Philips 455287 hue white starter kit also comes with the timer function which allows you to automate when the lights will come on and when they will go off. The dimming function gives you the ability to increase or decrease the brightness of your bulb. And don’t forget that all these can be done via your iPhone or Android phone! The Philips 455287 hue white starter kit is currently sold at about $70 on Amazon.
Pros
- Easy to set up.
- Connects up to 50 bulbs at a time.
- You can operate your lights from anywhere in the world.
- Smooth dimming
Cons
- The Bridge has to be plugged into a Wifi hub at all times
- It is a bit pricey
Philips 456194 Hue White and Color Ambiance Starter Kit
“Endless possibilities” is a phrase that is easily thrown around when it comes to smart lighting and more precisely smart bulbs, but this starter kit is one of the few ones that make an effort to make sure that promise is fulfilled. Compatible with third party hubs like Amazon Echo, Alexa, Nest and others, this starter combines finely with them to give you an unbelievable lighting option. Installation is also pretty simple; you can follow the simple instructions:
- screw the bulbs into your fixtures
- Plug the hue bridge into your WiFi router
- Download the free Hue app on your Android or Apple device, and voila! You are ready to start using your smart bulbs
You can choose to synchronize this kit with your television and music system and automate preset lighting conditions to come on in various scenes or instruct the lights to behave in some way when a particular song comes on. The kit, available on Amazon for $175, comes with A19 bulbs that easily fits into your fixtures with no need for rewiring.
Pros
- Easy to set up
- Compatible with major third party hubs
- Works with your television and sound system to provide immersive lighting
Cons
- It is pricey
- Some buyers complained that the app was complicated
Sylvania Lightify by Osram
The OSRAM lightify system is a viable option for anyone looking to dabble into smart home automation. It consists of a gateway that works over wifi, a free mobile app, and a 60w A19 bulb. Setting up involves downloading the app on your Apple or Android device, then scanning a QR code that is at the back of the gateway. From that point forward, the app pretty much walks you through the rest of the installation process. What easily sets OsramLightify apart from other smart light systems is the fact that its light is tunable from warm to cool with its adjustable color temperature. OsramLightify is compatible with Alexa, so voice control is a given. Asides voice control capabilities, the lights can be operated from anywhere in the world and can help you save energy. It is currently available on Amazon for $50.
Pros
- You can use with Wink, SmartThings, Echo. Add luminaries, switches, motion sensors, outlets, and other accessories
- Has Tunable light
- Easy to set up
- Does not need a gateway
Cons
- It doesn’t completely have all the features of the Philips hue lights.
