Best Philips Hue set-up: Get the perfect Hue lighting with our guide

Regardless of the competitors heating up lately, Philips Hue nonetheless presents the perfect sensible lighting which you could purchase, and the excellent news is that it is getting cheaper and simpler to trick out your house with the sensible mild.

Lengthy earlier than the likes of Nanoleaf, Govee, Lifx and Ikea Trådfri arrived on the scene, Signify (beforehand Philips Lighting) was providing up an array of linked lightbulbs that could possibly be managed from an app in your smartphone.

And its vary has grown since they had been first launched in 2012: Philips Hue Bluetooth bulbs have joined the prevailing Zigbee-powered Philips Hue, which require you to arrange an exterior bridge. And there are even Hue filament bulbs too.

Nonetheless, a cheerful home of Philips Hue bulbs isn’t essentially the simplest factor to realize. It may be so simple as screwing in a lightbulb to get began, however there’s now a such an enormous vary of Philips Hue bulbs and equipment to select from, and there is getting Google Assistant, HomeKit, SmartThings or Alexa and Philips Hue working collectively.

And we have not even talked about what Matter means for Philips Hue but.

Fortunately, you don’t should do the troublesome Philips Hue analysis, as we’ve accomplished it for you. Learn on for our full information to the final word Philips Hue setup.

Replace: We initially printed this information a fewyears again however we hold it always up to date with the newest information on all issues Hue. The newest replace, in October 2023, consists of the main points on the newest new Hue equipment and a few new options arriving within the coming months.

Leap to the Hue information you want

Methods to arrange Philips Hue

The normal Philips Hue setup (as with most different sensible lighting programs) makes use of Wi-Fi and Zigbee wi-fi indicators to attach nevertheless many sensible lighting units you need (nicely, as much as 50) inside your personal system, which you management utilizing an app, or a bodily distant.

As soon as put in (into the common bulb sockets in your house, or simply merely plugged in) you may management brightness, colours, schedules, and integrations with different sensible house tech.

In actual fact, because of the likes of Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, chances are you’ll discover you hardly use the app in any respect – and as a substitute your home’s lighting can be managed simply along with your voice, however we’ll come on to that extra within the subsequent part.

The opposite excellent news is that you just now not have to have a Hue Bridge or third-party Zigbee hub just like the Amazon Echo to run your Hue sensible lights. Again in 2021 Signify introduced that each one new lights going ahead will include the choice of Bluetooth assist; and we have seen the likes of the Lightstrip Plus, Perifo and Bloom arrive with BT on board.

When you select to depend on Bluetooth you may do all of the controlling instantly out of your cellphone, however you may be extra restricted in what you are able to do (you may’t management them once you’re outdoors of that Bluetooth vary, for instance). Try our Hue Bluetooth evaluate to study extra.

It is also vital to know that the model of the Hue Bridge that’s on sale now, the sq. one, is the 2nd-generation Bridge. The unique Bridge, a spherical model, noticed official assist and entry to the system’s on-line companies terminated in April 2020.

It is extensively rumored {that a} new Third-gen Hue Bridge will arrive quickly… however these rumors have been dragging on for just a few months now.

Methods to arrange a Philips Hue Bridge

1. Plug the Hue Bridge into an influence socket and hook it as much as your router through ethernet cable.

2. Proceed as soon as the 4 lights on the Bridge mild up.

3. Go to Settings > my Hue System > + > within the Philips Hue app.

4. Observe the setup directions.

Methods to arrange a Philips Hue bulb

1. First, make sure that the Philips Hue Bridge is all arrange.

2. Go to Settings > Lights > +

3. Hit Search or manually add the serial quantity listed on the bulb.

4. Observe the setup directions, from which level you may identify your mild and put it into Rooms.

Arrange Philips Hue with no bridge

A Philips Hue system usually consists of the Hue Bridge and at the least one Hue bulb.

Technically, you don’t really need a Philips Hue Bridge – you may simply use a Hue Dimmer swap or join utilizing Bluetooth on the newer bulbs – however you’ll be restricted to only a easy dimming mild state of affairs, for as much as 10 bulbs, and that’s hardly embracing the sensible house revolution, is it?

When you’ve obtained an Echo Plus, Echo 4th-gen or one of many newer Echo Present units, which all act as Zigbee hubs, you additionally will not want the Hue bridge to make use of your bulbs.

Nonetheless – there’s a small disclaimer right here. Whereas these Echo units do certainly supply greater than the fundamental Dimmer swap management, it’s nonetheless not the complete Hue bells and whistles. You’ll want a Bridge “to unlock the complete Philips Hue experience” – Signify’s phrases, not ours… but it surely’s true nonetheless.

With out a Bridge, you’ll be lacking out on key options similar to lights approaching or off routinely once you enter or go away your house, sensible switches and sensor controls, get up and sleep routines, customized scenes, syncing your lights with music, video and gaming, and entry to third-party apps.

Head over to our full information on this for extra in-depth directions on the totally different routes you may take, together with the best way to exchange the hub with an Ikea gateway.

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Philips Hue: Starter Kits

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Starter Kits supply a mixture of the Bridge and several types of bulbs and there is a vary of choices to select from. Costs begin from $69.99 / £69.99 for a equipment that comes boxed with the Bridge and two warm-white E26 lightbulbs.

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There are additionally loads of different bundles obtainable, with GU10 bulbs on supply, extra bulbs, Hue buttons and extra.

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On the prime finish of the spectrum (spectrum, get it?) you’ll get a Bridge and 4 multi-colored lights for $199.99, or should you’re within the UK, you will get a pack of three bulbs and a Hue Dummer swap for £169.99.

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You possibly can, after all, purchase a Bridge by itself for $59 / £49 after which add bulbs to it as you please. Even non-Hue, cheaper, ones; however we’ll get to that in a bit.

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Philips Hue: What to purchase and the place to purchase them

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There’s an absolute plethora of Philips Hue equipment presently on sale – greater than 100 totally different packs and units on the final depend.

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In each the US and UK, Signify has a devoted Hue Retailer the place you should purchase the newest lights and equipment, whereas the model additionally has a storefront on Amazon as nicely – and there are sometimes reductions on there.

Here’s a rundown of what to look out when purchasing for the perfect Hue lights and devices…

Philips Hue lightbulbs

The very first thing it is advisable to resolve is the place you need your Philips Hue lightbulbs to go after which examine the sunshine fittings for these locations. Hue bulbs are like common lightbulbs – they may screw into just about any mild becoming or lamp in your house.

The excellent news is that there’s a spread of styles and sizes for screwing your bulb in. Within the US you may decide up A21, E26, E12, BR30 and PAR16 screw-in bulbs and GU10 bulbs on your spotlights.

Within the UK, the names are barely totally different however the choices are just about on par. It’s E27 and E14 on your mild sockets with screw sockets, GU10s on your spotlights and likewise the old-style B22 Bayonets as nicely, if that’s what you want.

The following factor it is advisable to take into account is bulb form. There are common spherical lightbulbs, candle formed bulbs, flat bulbs for ceilings and likewise slick-looking curved atmosphere bulbs too. Most of those can be found throughout the vary of fittings talked about above.

Hue’s additionally added sensible filament bulbs to the combination, which have that uncovered Edison-style classic look to them, and can be found in A19, ST19 and G25 sizings. They’re an effective way to change up the look of various rooms or lights should you’re going an in on Hue bulbs.

Lastly, and the biggie – it is advisable to resolve on colours. With the “primary” Hue bulbs, there’s a alternative between white, white atmosphere, and white and shade atmosphere. The final one is the flagship of the vary, providing a staggering 16 million colours and shades.

White atmosphere provides you extra management over the shade and temperature of your white mild (2200K-6500K) and plain outdated white doesn’t have totally different temperatures however remains to be dimmable like each different Hue bulb.

On the entire, all of them shine round 800 lumens; though the brightest white bulb in Hue’s armory, an A21 bulb with 1600 lumens, went stay in June 2020.

The Filament bulbs talked about above shine at 550 lumens with a locked temperature shade of 2100K, in order that they’re dimmer than the flagship vary and solely shine in a single warm-orangey shade.

With all Hue lightbulbs – all LED bulbs, clearly – you’ll get 25,000 hours of life from a 9.5-10W most output.

You should buy bulbs in single, double or totally different sized multipacks, relying in your location, with costs ranging from $14.99 / £14.99 for a single white bulb to $49.99 / £49.99 for a solitary shade atmosphere one.

Costs fluctuate wildly although relying on what bulb becoming and form you need precisely.

Philips Hue lamps and light-weight fittings

Slightly than making your current mild fittings and lamps extra linked, Hue additionally presents you the chance to go all out sensible with lamps and light-weight fittings designed to completely exchange your 20^th century lighting.

There’s round 40 totally different kinds to select from; the UK has a barely bigger choice than the Hue retailer Stateside.

There are wall lights, desk lamps, spotlights, suspension lights, ceiling lights, runner lights, recessed lights, mirror lights – you identify it, Signify has obtained it. Costs begin at across the $40 / £35 mark and go nicely above $350 / £350 relying in your décor preferences.

Philips Hue Lightstrips

One of many coolest methods to mild up your house with Philips Hue is utilizing its coloured Lightstrips. These skinny strips might be hidden below kitchen counters, behind couches, round skirting boards – just about anyplace you need – and so they add an array of futuristic trying lights round your house.

There’s even an out of doors model of the Lightstrip – good for Christmas or Halloween. They’re waterproof and persist with your path through clips quite than sticky tape. Is smart, as they should be out in nature’s glory.

You plug one finish into your mains socket after which 1m or 2m strips might be joined collectively to type a series so long as 10m. Don’t fear should you can’t get a precise match – they can be minimize to measurement.

The newest Lightstrip – the Bluetooth packing Lightstrip Plus – was introduced in mid-2020 and consists of the choice to chop the Lightstrip to measurement and re-attach unused bits, or mix them with others utilizing adapters. You possibly can’t do that on the non-Plus fashions.

The Plus additionally permits you to add as much as eight extensions, as nicely – so a most size of 16m, primarily based on a tool measuring 2m.

There are additionally particular lightstrips designed for the again of your TV, however we’ll get to that in a bit.

Philips Hue outside

These mild strips aren’t the one outside goodies, although. Philips Hue’s full outside sensible lighting vary launched in 2018 and there have been an absolute bonanza of recent arrivals within the years which have handed since then.

The vary consists of wall mounts, bulbs, spotlights and the already-mentioned Lightstrips. The Philips Hue Lily, which comes as a starter pack consisting of three spotlights and is designed to focus on design options in your backyard and illuminate flower beds and crops.

There’s additionally the Philips Hue Calla (640 lumens, just like the Lily), which is a path lighting possibility. The bottom pack consists of one bollard, extra ones might be bought seperately.

When you’re searching for wall mounted fixture lighting you then’ll have an interest within the Philips Hue Inara (800 lumens), Lucca (800 lumens) or Ludere (2600 lumens). Philips additionally has a devoted outside bulb – the white PAR38 that are $29.99 every or $49.99 for a two-pack and are rated at 1300 lumens.

Different new arrivals such because the Daylo, Nyro, Impress and Entice have boosted the quantity of outside particular Hue lights to almost 50 choices.

You possibly can, after all, use a daily Hue bulb in a water-resistant outside fixing though Signify advises in opposition to it.

Philips Hue within the toilet

Philips Hue Adore is its toilet particular vary of sensible lighting. The star is the Adore White lighted mirror which has a hoop of white LEDs and might be managed by Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit or a dimmer swap. It additionally has IP44 mud and water resistance.

Additionally within the vary: the Adore Rest room spot mild, the Adore Rest room mirror mild and the Adore Rest room ceiling mild. They’re all white lighting, no colours, with chrome metallic finishes and IP44 water resistance.

Philips Hue: The equipment

Proper, so you’re all kitted up with the lights – now you simply want a approach of controlling them. The app is clearly your finest wager (extra on that subsequent) however there are bodily controllers too.

We’ve already talked about the Hue Dimmer swap, however if you need one thing smarter then you’ll be trying on the $50 / £50 Hue Faucet Dial. Working off kinetic power – no batteries required – the Faucet Dial enables you to select your 4 favourite scenes anyplace, on the contact of a button. You possibly can stick it on a wall or use it as a distant management.

Alternatively, should you’re searching for a minimalist possibility, there’s Hue sensible button that is actually only a solitary push button. It may possibly persist with fridges or metallic magnetically, and lengthy presses can be utilized for extra management, however at $19.99 / £19.99 it is an fascinating possibility.

There are Hue Movement sensors which turns bulbs on primarily based on motion. The indoor model prices $39.99 / £34.99, it is $10 / £10 extra for the outside mannequin.

Each have a daylight sensor so you may select to solely have them operational when it’s darkish. (Professional-tip… you would all the time use cheaper movement sensors and set off your Hue bulbs utilizing Alexa Routines and the like).

Signify debuted this long-awaited Wall Change Module in 2021. With a Hue Wall Change Module into your current mild swap, your sensible bulbs are all the time usable, regardless of the state of the swap.

The Philips Hue Wall Module is $39.95 for one or $69.95 for a two pack.

In 2018 Signify launched the Philips Hue Sync App for Home windows 10 PCs and Macs, which analyzes the content material you are taking part in (or watching) and syncs up your Hue lights so you may bathe your room in colours that match the motion.

That was nice for some desktop gaming, however if you need it in your TV or front room console, you needed to hook it as much as your PC through HDMI, Chromecast or different means.

That drawback went away with the Hue Play Sync Field, an HDMI pass-through that additionally features as a Hue system, so you may plug in your numerous TV packing containers and have all of the on-screen motion sync up along with your lighting.

The field helps HDMI CEC and HDMI 2.0, so you may run 4K HDR content material by way of it at 60Hz. You possibly can join as much as 4 units into the field through HDMI, and sync with as much as ten color-changing Hue lights.

Fairly neat, and it is simpler than ever to arrange with new Play-focused lights such the Gradient lightstrip.

The Philips Hue Play Gradient Gentle Tube matches into this leisure aspect of the Hue line-up nicely. It’s a follow-up to the Gradient Lightstrip, and presents a strong tube of LED lights quite than a strip you’ll want to connect to a wall or different floor. Simply place it above or beneath a TV, or wherever you want, and you’re accomplished.

Philips Hue has additionally up to date a few its traces with Gradient tech. This lets Hue lights show a number of colours without delay, quite than biking by way of flat tones.

The Hue Signe desk and flooring lamps are Gradient fashions, for $199.99 (desk) and $299.99 (flooring).

Philips Hue lighting is getting extra dynamic, and the brand new model of the Philips Hue App 4 leans into this. It launched dynamic scenes, which can — for instance – change the character of lighting all through the day.

Philips Hue: Syncing with sensible assistants

As nice on the Hue app is, it is now not as important because it as soon as was. And that’s due to Philips’ Pals of Hue program. Hue has all the time been open with the likes of IFTTT, Logitech and Xfinity however has added Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit and Amazon Alexa to the combination.

This implies not solely voice controls for turning your lights on and off, however additional safety measures like having all your lights activate if movement is detected by a sure digicam, for instance.

Utilizing voice assistants or IFTTT you may as well create elaborate scenes throughout all your linked tech similar to having your temperature set to your good sleeping degree, whereas on the identical time having your lights turned off, your blinds closed and your safety alarm armed.

The situations are seemingly limitless and Hue is definitely one of the crucial supported sensible house platforms – you’ll battle to search out linked equipment that doesn’t play properly with it.

Hue and Matter

And there is, in idea at the least, additional smarts obtainable to Hue customers because of Signify embracing the Matter sensible house normal… kind of.

You possibly can pair your Hue Bridge to a Matter controller and get all the advantages of the rising sensible house platform.

These advantages aren’t going to make a lot of a distinction to Hue customers simply but however, as Matter matures within the months and years forward, Hue customers will be capable to benefit from every little thing that comes with that.

At current, the one Hue system that’s Matter licensed is the Bridge – the bulbs and lights will solely be capable to play part of a Matter sensible house system when linked to the Bridge.

For now, you are in all probability asking your self why precisely you’d even trouble utilizing Matter, quite than say Echo Talent, to sync up your Hue bulbs to your sensible house ecosystem of alternative.

The primary motive, for now at the least, is it could take a number of the heavy lifting off of the cloud-based integrations we presently all use, and produce issues in home.

Philips Hue and Spotify

Again in 2021, Spotify partnered with Philips Hue to develop “deep integration of lighting and music”. Bulbs and light-weight strips will pulse in time with the music, and use shade shades that match the observe.

That is attainable as a result of the Hue app will get entry to Spotify’s observe metadata, which incorporates info on a song’s tempo, style, temper and extra. It’s the data Spotify makes use of to assist categorise its thousands and thousands of tracks into limitless playlists.

As a result of Philips Hue has been round for some time, and since the platform is so open, there’s a heck of much more you are able to do along with your bulbs outdoors the official app and ecosystem.

In addition to the official app you’ll discover a tonne of third-party Hue apps throughout Google Play and the App Retailer – greater than 700, in actual fact. Most are garbage – that’s all the time the way in which with an open API – however there are just a few gems that add options to the combination that the official app doesn’t permit for.

Prime picks embrace Hue Disco for including some shade to your house celebration and OnSwitch for grouping your Hue bulbs along with your Lifx ones in the identical app. Try our information to the perfect Philips Hue apps for extra.

Here’s one thing you won’t learn on the Signify’s web site (truly you’ll, however you’ll should do some digging): you don’t really need Philips Hue bulbs with the intention to have a Philips Hue system.

Philips Hue is a part of the Zigbee Gentle Hyperlink normal protocol and, as such, Zigbee Gentle Hyperlink compliant merchandise and units work with the Hue Bridge.

It may be a bit fiddly, however you will get cheaper bulbs similar to Ikea’s, GE’s and Osram’s all arrange in your Hue system. To study extra, check out our information explaining the best way to arrange Ikea Trådfri on Philips Hue or getting your Innr bulbs working with Hue.

Pals of Hue

The Pals of Hue initiative, whereby you purchase equipment – suppose switches and the like (just like the Senic Outside Change pictured above) – and, though they are not official Hue merchandise, they act as if they’re.

You add them by way of the Hue app and so they connect with your Hue Bridge utilizing Zigbee.

Try our information to the perfect Pals of Hue switches on your Philips Hue system.

Listed here are just a few extra how-tos to get you going…

Methods to reset Philips Hue bulbs and Bridge

In case your bulbs or Bridge aren’t responding, you may have to do a tough reset. In the case of bulbs, you are able to do this reset by way of the app, however should you’re not utilizing the Hue Bridge or app, you may should go through whichever hub you are linked by way of. Head to our full explainer for extra.

Methods to arrange Philips Hue with Alexa

1. Make sure that your Philips Hue mild is turned on and able to join.

2. Obtain the Philips Hue Talent in your Alexa system.

3. Say “Alexa, discover my units” and look forward to 45 seconds whereas the assistant scans the world for any new units.

4. As soon as a bulb is found, you may join it up by way of the Alexa app and management it manually or by way of your voice. Simply make sure that to call it one thing simple to say.

5. Whether or not you might have a bridge or not, you may management your lights utilizing simply your voice. Strive a command similar to, “Alexa, flip bed room mild to 50%”.

Verify our full information to Philips Hue and Alexa.

Methods to sync your Hue lights with the climate

Whether or not it is for setting the temper otherwise you simply fancy being a little bit extra in contact with nature, one of many coolest Hue tips you are able to do is have them replicate a sure sort of climate or modify to sync with the situations outdoors. It isn’t even that troublesome to do – this is how.

Methods to sync Philips Hue with films and video games

As we talked about up above, one other trick the Hue Sync app presents is having the ability to add additional immersion to films and video games by having your Hue bulbs modify to what’s taking place on-screen. Head to our full information to learn the way.

Add a Pals of Hue swap too the combination

Pals of Hue sensible switches are successfully sensible buttons that mean you can management your Hue lights. And it is simple to set these up instantly within the Hue app.

Senic’s Pals of Hue Outside Change is one in every of our favorites on this space.

Philips Hue: The competitors

Philips Hue is perhaps the main mild within the sensible lighting world, however there are many sensible lighting options now on sale.

Lifx is the obvious pretender to Hue’s crown – it’s a bridge-less system that gives and app that (dare we are saying it?) is barely higher and simpler to make use of than Hue’s, with cheaper value factors and an ever-growing military of bulbs and equipment. Watch this house for certain and take a look at our complete Lifx information.

Nanoleaf, which began out as a wise mild panel specialist has emerged as a real Hue different prior to now couple of years, because it expands into lightstrips, bulbs and spotlights too.

The Ikea Trådfri vary turned up on the sensible lighting celebration in early 2017 and, whereas there nonetheless aren’t many bells and whistles, sensible assistants, coloured bulbs and elevated compatibility are respiration life into the platform – and as talked about above, you may even get Ikea’s cheaper bulbs taking part in properly inside your Hue setup. Learn our Ikea Trådfri evaluate for extra.

Different names vying for house in an ever-expanding sensible lighting enviornment are Innr, Nanoleaf, Osram, Wemo, Hive, Wyze, Sengred, Govee and Elgato. Try our sensible lighting hub web page to remain updated with all of the information, critiques and evaluation.