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Smart lights are getting popular as you see them integrating so well with Alexa and other virtual assistants. The market is now swamped with quality smart lights. It is easy to get overwhelmed by the variety available. In this article, we will share our experience with Philips Hue smart lights (see them on Amazon).
What are Smart Lights?
Smart home lights let you control the lighting in your home through your smartphone, and even with your voice. “Turn off the lights!”. Just like that.
Smart lights help in saving energy and making your home more comfortable. Due to the various configurations, they are much more convenient than traditional lights.
You don’t have to manually turn off all the lights in the house when you are leaving for work. You can also set specific timings. For example, you can set a time for the lights to turn on when you are about to reach home. You can even adjust their brightness and colors to create a specific ambiance at home.
Review of Philips Hue
Philips Hue is not just a smart light. It is a next-generation lighting system that will change the way you use lights at home.
What you will like about Philips Hue
- You can control the lights with your phone
- They’re easy to install
- You can color sync it to the music or TV
- They are easy to expand
- It goes with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and ZigBee
- Philips Hue works with Alexa/Google Home/ Apple
What you might not like about Philips Hue
- These are expensive
Easy to Use
Philips Hue is progressing in the field of smart lighting more than any other brand. It has introduced many exciting and advanced features that make it more convenient to use.
It is easy to install. You can also connect it with the Samsung’s SmartThings Hub, Amazon Echo Plus, or Philip’s own Hue Smart Bridge 2.
The Smart App
The app is compatible with iOS and Android. You can use the app to control the lights remotely. The new app is more advanced and intuitive.
Connection with Devices
It is great in integrating with most smart systems.
The bulbs and lamps set up with the ZigBee wireless network rather than the Wi-Fi. You can directly connect your smartphone to the bulbs via Bluetooth rather than using the Hue Bridge. The Hue Bridge offers many other features such as controlling your lights when you are not at home yourself.
Philips Hue also works well most third-party integrations.
Single Command Setup
You can even set up zones to control the lights. That means you can group lights in multiple rooms and turn them off at once rather than individually. For example, you can group all the lamps in the upper floor of your house and turn them off together.
Set Schedules & Routines
You can also set up Hue with automatic routines. For example, the colors will start to fade out when it’s bedtime. This will help you set up a bedtime routine as well.
Geofencing
Hue also offers geofencing. Geo-fencing allows you to create a virtual boundary. As a result, the software will operate once it gets the trigger that someone is in the area. A lot of commercial places use geofencing to save on energy cost.
You must have seen lights turning on the moment you enter an area in an office building. That’s geofencing. Philips Hue brings geofencing to a smart home.
Colors
Hue also offers a wide array of colors. You can select any color and Hue will have it. Colors add a magical ambiance to the place. You don’t have to invest in replacing the wallpapers of the house if you want to change the theme and give it a fresh look. You can just change the hue of your lights with a single tap and impress all your guests.
LightStrips
Another feature that we love about Hue is the LightStrips (Amazon link). These work for places where you cannot install a light bulb. You can get 40-inch extensions and use 16 million colors. You can also cut the strips shorter and mount them under an object in your home.
Indoor & Outdoor Sensors
Philips offers indoor and outdoor sensors with wireless switches too. The wireless switches come with a battery and help to control the lighting of the entire house with just a tap.
With all these features, Philips Hue has become one of the leading brands in the world of smart lighting.
Buying Guide for Smart Lights
Every brand boasts of different features, so what should you look for when purchasing the best smart lights? The following is a detailed buying guide that will help you out.
- The smart lights must have an easy control system via an app. If it isn’t easy to control, it cannot be called smart anymore.
- Choose lights that you can with your voice commands. So, you should make sure that the company offers voice compatibility with the options you have at home.
- You should be able to pair the smart lights to your Google Assistant, Siri, Cortana, or Alexa; whoever you like the best. In this way, you can manage all the lights at your home with just a command.
- You should purchase the brand that offers numerous hues of colors. These smart lights will change the entire ambiance of your home with a single tap. Now, you can easily arrange disco parties at your home without worrying about additional expenses. This feature of smart lights makes them more versatile and fun than traditional lights.
- Some outdoor smart lights work on solar power. This makes them more energy-efficient and helps you be smart with your bills. The lights charge up during the day and that energy can be used during the night.
- You should purchase smart lights that are water-resistant. Most traditional lights cannot be used outdoors in raining seasons. With smart lights, this is not an issue anymore. These lights can also be purchased for bathrooms because of their safe usage.
- If you want to add automatic timings for the on/off of your lighting, some smart lights come with a circadian rhythm setting. They will adjust the lighting colors, brightness and intensity according to the time of the day.
- Some brands also come with sensors. That means if you install the lights outdoor, they will turn on automatically when they ‘sense’ that it is night time. This makes them more efficient to use.
- Some smart lights have a GPS tracking system in-built in them. So, if you are going to the other room, the smart lights will track you using your mobile phone and turn on the lights.
- While the price is an important factor, it is important to invest in quality. If your goal is to automate your home, then look for a lighting kit or system instead of purchasing individual items.
Conclusion
Philips Hue smart lights are a great way to make your home start. The cool lights with their vibrant colors and efficient performance will add value to your smart home. When buying smart lights, look for ones that offer quality and are energy-efficient. We hope this article will help in answering some of your questions.