Phillips Hue is Lighting up Our Homes.

The Good

• Smart bulb with LED color changing technology
• 16 Million different color variations
• Easy set-up and user friendly app

The Bad

• $199.99 for a pack of four light bulbs can be costly
• The bulbs are known to make a somewhat loud humming noise
• the larger bulbs may not fit in some enclosed light fixtures

The Conclusion

These are excellent quality bulbs aside from being significantly less bright than their incandescent counterparts, but are still bright enough to light up a room. Of course, being as expensive as they are, it’s hard to stomach using more than one in a room. There’s no voice or motion control, no built-in automated control other than alarms, and no physical remotes or switches available. Without any of this, these are extremely limited in their capabilities. and therefore hard to recommend at this price. If all you need is basic colored lighting, that’s the way to go. But Phillips has the ability to do something great here and it’s off to a good start so far. If you’re into the mood lighting and need the color varieties, then this is the option for you.

Smart Bulbs.

Originally launched in 2012, the Phillips Hue lighting system has made progress and suffered setbacks. with a very impressive lighting system many are hooked. The basic light kit that comes with four light bulbs and a control bridge. It is incredibly simple to set up. Connect the bridge to your Wi-fi and swap out the new bulbs and you’re up and running. The range of colors you can get is amazing, and the ability to set timers from your iPhone is a nice touch. Set them to gradually turn on in the morning with an alarm clock, turn off when you leave for work, and on again in the evenings. With a set up like this, you don’t really have to worry about turning the lights on and off, except at bed time. By adding these lights into your lifestyle, you might be able to sleep better, relax more, and even save on the electricity bill. But a big downside to the system is the price. at $199.00 for the starter pack, it seems pricey for four light bulbs. Maybe once Phillips get down the road a bit, the prices will drop. I hope…

Final Thoughts

The highly controllable lighting system works well and is easy to set up. Being able to easily program your lights to come on, go off, or brighten and fade is just wonderful. Having control of the color of light can so drastically affect the mood in a room or an entire home. A highlight is the fade function. It really seems to slowly lull you into a peaceful state, ready to go to sleep. The cons for now are it’s still pricey and the Hue application for your phone or tablet is basic. Additionally when you are away from home, the app is even more limited. If Phillips plans to address these issues in the near future, you can see a lot more of these popping up in homes.