When it comes to smart lights, one of the most widely known has been Signify’s, Philips Hue. Since first being introduced in 2012, Philips Hue has grown from just a few bulbs to a whole ecosystem of lights, switches and more.
Below you’ll find some of the best Philips Hue lights and accessories.
Table of Contents
Getting Started & Starter Kits
To get started with Philips Hue, you’ll need a Hue Bridge. Having a Hue Bridge lets you control up to 50 lights in your home from your phone, even when you’re out of the house. It also lets your control your Hue lights using a voice assistant like Alexa or the Google Assistant (via a respective smart speaker or smartphone).
While the Hue Bridge is available for purchase on its own, a better value would be to pick up a Hue Starter Kit. They come with 2-3 bulbs and a Hue Bridge and the price per item becomes cheaper when bought in a starter kit.
These kits come in a few options including, a Philips Hue Colour Starter Kit, Hue A19 Smart LED Starter Kit and the Hue Play Light Bar Starter Kit.
Hue Bridge – $69.99 CAD
Hue Colour Starter Kit – $249 CAD
Hue Play Light Bar Starter Kit – $199 CAD
Hue A19 Smart LED Starter Kit – $79 CAD
Hue Bulbs
If you’ve already got your Hue system setup, then you can easily add more bulbs. There are a few options when it comes to bulbs, if you want a bulb for kitchens, bathrooms or common areas when the White Ambiance Bulb is perfect.
But if you’re looking for a bit more pizzaz, then the Hue A19 White & Colour Ambiance Bluetooth Smart LED Bulb is probably a better option. It offers up to 16 million colours including shades of white and offers a 25,000 hours lifespan.
In the last year, Signify has introduced filament bulbs that offer a retro look but with the benefits of Philips Hue. The Hue White Filament A19 bulb has a warm, amber glow that is also dimmable.
However, if you have a light fixture without traditional A19 bulb sockets, don’t fret as Signify offers bulbs that fit E12 candelabra bulbs, GU10 and BR30
Hue White Ambiance Bulb – $39 CAD
Hue A19 White & Colour Ambiance Bulb – $59 CAD
Hue White Filament A19 Bulb – $29 CAD
Hue White E12 Candelabra White Ambiance Bulb – $39 CAD
Hue White and Colour GU10 Bulb – $59 CAD
Hue BR30 Smart Bluetooth LED Light Bulb – White & Colour Ambiance – $59 CAD
Entertainment
While the rest of your rooms are covered with Hue bulbs, now it’s time to focus on your TV area. Whether that’s in your bedroom, family room or even a proper home theatre, there are options for all these areas.
One of the cheaper options would be to get a lightstrip like the Hue Lightstrip Plus V4, it offers the same number of colour options as the Hue A19 White & Colour Ambiance Bulb and it can easily be expanded. The Hue Lightstrip Plus V4 works great behind a TV or behind a couch.
One of the newer lights by Signify is their Hue Play Gradiant Lightstrip, this is made for behind the TV and works in conjunction with their Hue Play HDMI Sync Box.
The Hue Play Gradiant Lightstrip allows for endless lighting combinations since it can do gradients in addition to standard colours. The lightstrip comes with mounting equipment to attach to the back of your TV and come in different sizes with one for 55-60-inch, 60-70-inch and 75-inches and larger TVs.
To go along with the Hue Play Gradiant Lightstrip, there’s the Hue Play HDMI Sync Box. This device is more than just an HDMI switcher, it can sync your Hue lights with the content on screen in up to 4K HDR, it also works with games and music.
Read more about the Hue Play HDMI Sync Box in the full review.
If you’d rather not attach a lightstrip to your TV, there’s the Hue Play Bar which has a stand but can also be mounted to your TV if you’d like. The Hue Play Bar offers 16 million colours and the power adapter can work with up to three Play Bars.
A nice addition to the Hue Play Bar is the Hue Go. It’s a compact light that is also battery-powered, so you can place it wherever.
Hue Lightstrip Plus V4 – $99 CAD
Hue Play Gradiant Lightstrip
- Best Buy Canada
- 55-65-inch – $259 CAD
- 60-70-inch – $299 CAD
- 75-inches and larger – $329 CAD
Hue Play HDMI Sync Box – $329 CAD
Hue Play Bar – $89 CAD
Hue Play Bar Add-On – $79 CAD
Hue Play Bar (2-Pack) – $169 CAD
Hue Go – $99 CAD
Accessories
Now to control your Hue lights, you can use the Philips Hue app on Android or iOS or voice control via your voice assistant of choice. Alternatively, you can use a switch or button.
There are a few options including the Hue Smart LED Wireless Dimmer Switch. You can control up to 10 lights with this device within a 30m range and can easily dim them.
Another option is the Hue Tap Switch which doesn’t require any batteries since it’s powered by kinetic energy. There are four buttons on the Hue Tap Switch to control different lights or scenes.
If you prefer a more simple solution, there’s the Hue Smart Button that can control different lights depending on the time of day.
For those wanting a more automated approach, there’s the Hue Motion Sensor that will turn off/on lights when it detects motion.
Hue Smart LED Wireless Dimmer Switch – $29 CAD
Hue Tap Switch – $59 CAD
Hue Smart Button – (Normally around $29 CAD)
Hue Motion Sensor – $49 CAD
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