A Detailed Guide to Every Philips Hue Lightbulb – Comparison

The dawn of smart homes is upon us. Nowadays, you can turn on the heat in your house while you’re on your way home from work or see who’s at the door even while you’re still lying in bed. If you’re on vacation, an array of indoor and outdoor cameras can keep your home and your family safe while you’re away.

One of the latest additions to the range of devices for your dream smart home are smart lightbulbs, and the Philips Hue line of products are some of the finest examples of this new generation. In this article, we look at ALL the offerings in the Philips Hue line: the specs of each product, what they can do, and where to best use them. If you’re considering adding a Philips Hue smart lightbulb to your home, then check out our detailed guide first.

What’s so special about the Philips Hue lightbulbs?

Introduced just several months ago, the Hue line of smart lightbulbs from Philips is a very easy and user-friendly way to get into smart lighting. Despite being a relatively young product, the Hue product line has quickly taken the title of being the most established and most developed smart lighting platform in the market today. With ease of use in mind, a smart lighting system using the Philips Hue lightbulbs can be set up in just a matter of minutes with little technical difficulty and without having to use any special tools.

The Hue light bulbs themselves use LED technology and interfaces with the Philips Hue Bridge, a small communications module that hooks up to your router via a LAN connection. You will also need to install the Philips Hue app on your phone to use the whole range of functions available to the Philips Hue lightbulbs. The following list highlights just some of the things that you can do with a Philips Hue smart lighting platform in your home:

• Adjust the hue and brightness of each lightbulb and save these settings as ‘scenes.’ You can then call up these scenes via the mobile app or a voice command, saving you the effort of having to set them manually each time.
• Schedule your lights to automatically activate your scenes or turn on and off depending on the day and time.
• Control your lights even when you’re away.
• Activate the geofencing feature, which detects when you get home via your phone’s GPS. With this feature, the lights in your home can automatically turn on when you arrive.
• The lightbulbs can sync with movies, music, or games you are playing, setting the mood for the specific moment.
• The light bulbs can interface with the usual smart home systems and virtual assistants such as Alexa and Google Assistant. This allows you to turn on and off your lights or to activate your pre-defined scenes via voice commands.
• You can control your lights from your phone or your smartwatch if you have the compatible ecosystem of devices, such as a Siri-enabled Apple Home and an Apple Watch.

Another characteristic of the Philips Hue line that has made it so popular is that Philips offers these products in a variety of starter kits and custom kits. This makes it easy to pick a package that suits the size of your home, your specific lighting needs, and your budget.

A few things you need to know

When shopping for any type of lighting, there are two things to take note of: intensity and color temperature. Knowing the values you need for these two characteristics will allow you to pick the best lightbulbs for your setting and application.

1. Intensity

Back when incandescent and fluorescent lightbulbs were still widely used, the intensity of a lightbulb was typically measured in watts, a measure of power. However, LED light bulbs are much more efficient and require much less power to output the same level of brightness.

For this reason, modern lighting products now use the more standard lumens unit. A typical household lightbulb outputs 800 lumens. Home designers have recommendations on the total number of lumens you’ll need for each room of the house. For instance, a total of 1500 to 3000 lumens is sufficient for the living room. For the more work-intensive kitchen, you might need between 5000 to 10,000 lumens.

2. Color temperature

This is quite unique to LED lights. The color temperature of a lightbulb is a measure of how “yellow” or “blue” the light is. Expressed in Kelvins, the values for color temperature for most light bulbs range from 2700K to 6500K.

A color temperature between 2700K to 3500K emits a warm, relaxing light which is just perfect for bedrooms and living rooms. Values between 3500K to 4500k emit a more neutral white light that is more designed to keep you awake and alert – an excellent choice for basements or garages, or areas that receive hardly any natural light. Bulbs that go higher than 5000K are typically reserved for workspaces. At this color temperature, the light practically simulates daylight, which is best encouraging alertness.

The best thing about using a smart lighting platform such as Philips Hue is that you don’t need to commit to fixed intensity and color temperature values. All of these lightbulbs can be dimmed, and some of them also feature an adjustable temperature. You just need to take note of the maximum values that each lightbulb can reach

Starter kits

If you’re just starting to create a smart lighting system for your home, then we recommend getting any of the Philips Hue starter kits. These kits come with all the bulbs and accessories you will need to get you started. You can either get a kit that comes with the Philips Hue Bridge, or a kit with a more old-fashioned dimmer switch.

1. Philips Hue White Starter Kit

The best value for beginners, the Philips Hue White Starter Kit comes with the Philips Hue Bridge and a couple of bulbs. You can either get a bundle that comes with two bulbs, or one that comes with four bulbs. Either way, this starter kit is an all-in-one package that has everything you need to set up a smart lighting system for your home.

The A19 bulbs that come with this starter kit are designed to give off a warm white light. The 2700K color temperature is comfortable enough for most living rooms and bedrooms.

2. Philips Hue White Wireless Dimming Kit

If you’d rather use an old-fashioned dimmer switch to control the intensity of your new Philips Hue lightbulb, then this starter kit is for you. The great thing about this kit is that the dimmer still works with the lightbulbs wirelessly, so you won’t even need to do any complicated wiring to get you started. The Wireless Dimming Kit comes with the same type of warm white lightbulb that comes with the Philips Hue White Standard Kit.

3. Philips Hue White Ambiance Starter Kit

This starter kit, much like the basic White Starter Kit, comes with everything you need to get the Philips smart lighting system in your home fully set up. You also have the option of getting this starter kit with either two bulbs or four bulbs. The only difference in the type of lightbulb that comes bundled with the kit. Instead of a lightbulb with non-adjustable color temperature, the lightbulb of the White Ambiance Starter Kit is a bit more advanced.

The White Ambiance LED lightbulb can be adjusted from the basic warm, white light to a more yellow glow up to a bluish-white tone similar to daylight. As its name implies, this lighting option allows you to set the mood for any room in your home. If you want more versatile home lighting, then this starter kit is the way to go.

4. Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance Starter Kit

The namesake of the Philips Hue product line and probably the most popular lightbulbs from Philips, the White and Color Ambiance LED lightbulbs that come with this starter kit allow you to adjust the hue of the light. You can switch across the full range of colors – up to 16 million distinct shades, according to Philips. Aside from being able to change colors, you can also adjust the brightness and the color temperature of this lightbulb. In terms of versatility, there is probably no other lightbulb that can rival the Hue White and Color Ambiance LED.

Lightbulbs

If you already have a functioning Philips Hue smart lighting network in your home, then you can always add in more lightbulbs to the existing system. The Philips Hue Bridge will automatically detect any new Philips Hue lightbulbs as soon as they are powered on. You can then name these lightbulbs on the mobile app so you can control them individually.

Philips Hue offers a range of lightbulbs of different shapes and sizes. No matter what custom ceiling fixtures or special accent requirements you have, there’s bound to be a Philips Hue lightbulb for you.

1. Hue White E26

The basic Hue White lightbulb, the Hue White E26 can be purchased in either 1-pack, dual pack, or four-pack bundles. These bulbs are dimmable but have a fixed color temperature that gives off a warm, white light. They are also pretty cheap, so they may be the best option for people who want to have a smart lighting system for their homes but aren’t quite willing to go all-in in terms of expenses. The E26 form factor has the class lightbulb shape, which is nothing fancy and will look good on standard ceiling fixtures.

2. Hue White Ambiance E26

The White Ambiance LED lightbulb features an adjustable color temperature, allowing you to change up the mood from warm white light to the more active bluish-white hue. If you have rooms in the house that you’d like to be more alert, such as a kitchen or a home office, then these lightbulbs might just provide the perfect solution. Aside from these lights being controlled via the Hue Bridge, it’s also possible to control them instantly via Bluetooth. If you want to tweak the settings of the Hue lights in the room that you’re in, all you need to do is to pair them to your phone using the Hue Bluetooth app. You can also get the White Ambiance E26 lightbulbs in packs of one, two, or four bulbs.

3. Hue White and Color Ambiance E26

If you need even more color-changeable lightbulbs in your house, then you can buy the White and Color Ambiance E26 lightbulbs individually or in packs of two or four. This Hue lightbulb variety also features instant control via Bluetooth on top of its unmatched versatility in terms of brightness, color, and color temperature adjustment. They are quite expensive, as you’d expect – a single White and Color Ambiance E26 costs about $50. However, they are very special light bulbs that you’ll only really need for equally special rooms in your home.

4. Hue White Ambiance BR30

The White Ambiance BR30 lightbulb comes with the standard color temperature adjust that ranges from warm white to cool bluish-white daylight. The major distinguishing characteristic is the BR30 form factor, a shape that is flatter at the bottom, allowing the light to be distributed along a wide range. With a beam angle of up to 120°, the White Ambiance BR30 lightbulb allows you to illuminate a larger area with the same number of bulbs.

The unique shape of the BR30 form factor is especially suited for recessed ceiling fixtures or a light fixture that is installed inside a hollow opening in the ceiling. A fairly common design element, recessed lighting lessens the visual clutter and can make a room look and feel bigger.

5. Hue White and Color Ambiance BR30

This is merely the White and Color Ambiance of the BR30 lightbulb, especially designed as a floodlight for recessed ceiling fixtures. It features the same range color temperature as the White Ambiance BR30 and a selection of 16 million distinct colors. One thing to take note with the BR30 form factor is that it disperses light at the same level of intensity to a wider area, so you may not perceive it as being as bright as the E26 lightbulbs.

6. Hue White Ambiance GU10

The GU10 form factor is typically used for recessed downlights or in applications where a bright directional light is needed. The White Ambiance G10 is ideal for workspaces, such as kitchens and garage workshops. Most G10 bulbs (also known as PAR16 bulbs) are halogen lamps, so the Hue White Ambiance LED is a more economical and longer lasting alternative.

Since the light of the White Ambiance GU10 is concentrated within a 46-degree beam angle, it is effective even with a low lumens rating. Take note that the ‘GU10’ tag actually refers to the fittings used to connect these bulbs, and not the types of bulbs themselves. The base of the bulb has two short prongs that connect using a ‘push and twist’ method.

7. Hue White and Color Ambiance GU10

If you do any kind of detailed work where you need specific colored lights, then it might be worth it to splurge for this White and Color Ambiance GU10 lightbulb. It retains the focused light distribution of the GU10 form factor while providing the ability to change light colors, intensity, and color temperature.

8. Hue White PAR38

A smart lighting system doesn’t need to be limited to your indoor space. With the Hue White PAR38, you can even extend your Philips Hue smart lighting platform to provide outdoor security. The PAR38 light bulbs are straight up floodlight – super bright with a warm white color that allows you to clearly see what is happening in your front yard even in the middle of the night. You don’t have to go all the way, though, as the light can still be dimmed through the Philips Hue app or through voice commands.

The beam angle is restricted to only 40°, which helps keep the light bright, but it also means that you’ll need a good number of these PAR38 lightbulbs if you want to cover your whole front yard. The good thing about the Philips Hue smart lighting system is that you can integrate accessories such as motion sensors to work with the outdoor lights or have them automatically turn on when the system detects that there’s nobody home.

9. Hue White Ambiance E12

The candelabra shape of the Hue White Ambiance E12 makes it excellent for accent lighting. The decorative and compact form factor is perfect for elaborate ceiling fixtures. You can even fill a chandelier with these lightbulbs for a modern take on a classic design feature.

Since these bulbs are so small, they aren’t exactly bright. They are certainly more decorative than functional in nature, so you’ll have to plan way ahead on how to integrate these White Ambiance E12 lightbulbs with your home’s overall aesthetic.

10. Hue White and Color Ambiance E12

What could possibly be better than decorative lights with colors that can be changed with just a touch of a button? With these White and Color Ambiance E12 adorning your interior space, your home can go from classy to festive in a snap. Whether you’re hosting a quiet dinner, a Thanksgiving celebration, or a wild party, these lights will be the perfect way to set the mood for the occasion.

Light strips

Sometimes, lightbulbs can feel too old-fashioned. LED light strips are a great way to change up how you light up your space. They are typically more subtle and serve to highlight design pieces such as cabinets and shelves. Philips Hue also offers a range of light strips which will look great in your entertainment room, home office, or fireplace.

1. Hue White and Color Ambiance Lightstrip Plus base pack

For indoor lighting accent, this Lightstrip base pack has everything you’ll ever need. It comes with an adhesive backing so you can just easily stick it to that surface behind your TV or above your fireplace. Installation is pretty much a breeze. If the 6-foot lightstrip is too long for your space, you can just cut it down to any length you like using a pair of scissors.

Best of all, this lightstrip comes with all the shades of white and the 16-million color range of the Hue White and Color Ambiance product line. Nothing quite sets the mood like a fully customizable accent light. You can even set it to flash different colors if you want instant Christmas lights.

2. Hue White and Color Ambiance Lightstrip Plus extension

While you can cut down the base lighstrip if you need it to be shorter, you’ll need to buy this extension pack if you need longer accent lighting. The extension plugs right into the end of the base lighstrip. With this extension, you can have a lightstrip several feet long connected to just a single power source.

3. Hue White and Color Ambiance Lightstrip Outdoor

There’s no reason for your yard not to look as nice as the inside of your house with the While and Color Ambiance Lightstrip Outdoor. This lighstrip looks just like the indoor option and is just as easy to install. There are two key differences: the outdoor lightstrip has a more diffuse light pattern to make it stand out more and has been designed with a higher IP rating. The IP67 rating means that it can withstand outdoor elements like rain and dust. These lightstrips are also available in longer variants – either 80 inches or 197 inches.

Standalone lamps

Philips Hue has a wide range of standalone lamps of various shapes and sizes that can give a touch of elegance to any living space. Each standalone lamp comes with an included light source, although not all of them come with removable lightbulbs. None of these come with a Philips Hue Bridge, though, so you’ll need to buy one separately or have a starter kit already in place.

1. Hue White and Color Ambiance Play light bar

The Play light bar is probably one of the most versatile entries in the Philips Hue product line. It is basically a 10-inch LED light bar that can be mounted on the ceiling, on the floor, on top of a table, behind your TV, or positioned upright with the included stand. The Play light bar comes in both white and black colors and can be extended to up to three units using just a single power source.

2. Hue White and Color Ambiance Flourish

The Flourish is a spheroid lamp made of white glass that diffuses light and creates a gentle, calming mood. It is sold either as a table light, ceiling light, or pendant light. No matter which one you choose, the Flourish hits the perfect balance between being powerful and relaxing.

3. Hue White and Color Ambiance Go portable light

The Philips Hue Go is unique in that it is the only Philips Hue product that is not installed on a permanent fixture. Instead, this bowl-shaped light has a rechargeable battery that allows you to take it anywhere you’d like. While the Go can still be controlled using the mobile app, it also comes with a physical button so you can directly cycle through seven different light effects. It’s not weatherproof, though, so you might want to think twice before using the Go as your light source on an outdoor barbecue.

4. Hue White and Color Ambiance Ascend

The Ascend is a directed light that provides illumination right where you need it. It’s an excellent companion in doing tasks but can also be used as an accent light. The Ascend has four models: a floor light, table light, wall light, and pendant. Each Ascend model has a removable and replaceable lightbulb.

5. Hue White and Color Ambiance Beyond

The Beyond is a fancy lamp-style fixture that is sure to be a conversation piece in any household because of its quirky design. It can be purchased as either a suspension light, ceiling light, or a table lamp. All Beyond models come with a built-in non-removable LED light.

6. Hue White and Color Ambiance Signe

A modern take on accent lighting, the Signe is basically a thin, vertical stick that casts light in a single direction. The light beam is too narrow to be of any use functionally, so the Signe is exclusively a design piece that can color your walls with a variety of light effects. The Signe looks nice but feels like something that only people with a lot of extra space on their homes (not to mention extra cash) will appreciate.

7. Hue White Ambiance Wellness table lamp

The design of the Wellness harkens back to what a traditional table lamp should look like. Gorgeous but low-profile, the Wellness table lamp blends in without standing out in any type of living space. It’s a perfect bedside lamp, as you can easily adjust its brightness and color temperature for some bedside reading or turn it down to very low to lull you to sleep.

8. Hue White Ambiance Wellner table lamp

If you’re looking for a table lamp that looks a bit on the unusual side, then the Wellner table lamp might be more up your speed. The equally strangely named table lamp has a smooth glass body that is shaped more like the cap of a mushroom. Aside from the weird shape, there is nothing that distinguishes the Wellner from the more traditional Wellness table lamp. They also cost the same.

9. Hue Bloom table light

The Bloom is a compact plug-and-play light that can be used to bounce light off of walls and other fixtures. They are great for lighting up the dark corners in your house or for general mood setting. It’s also one of the cheapest standalone lamps in the Philips Hue product line, which is probably the reason behind its popularity.

10. Hue White Ambiance Fair

With a minimalist, sleek design the Fair is a perfect addition to interiors with a classic or industrial aesthetic. The Fair is sold as either a ceiling light or a pendant light. Either way, the Fair does not aim to stand out but rather, to complement a space’s design features.

11. Hue White Ambiance Cher

The Cher is available in three models: as a ceiling (flushmount) light, a suspension light, or a semi-flushmount light. In any case, the design of the Cher looks very modern. The extra-wide diffuser does a good job of spreading the light and making it feel warmer and more relaxing. The Cher series of lights is great for a lounge, a living room, or any space in the house where you might want to kick back and take a break.

12. Hue White Ambiance Adore

The White Ambiance Adore line offers something a bit different from the rest of the Philips Hue lines. Aside from a standard ceiling light, the Adore is also available as a lighted vanity mirror. While lighted vanity mirrors are not uncommon, the Adore is a vanity mirror that you can talk to. We’re sure that many make-up enthusiasts will be excited by the prospect of changing up the brightness and color of their vanity mirrors with just verbal commands.

13. Hue White Ambiance Downlight

The Downlight is a specially designed ceiling light for recessed ceiling fixtures. If your place already has recessed light fixtures, then the Downlight is an excellent choice for a retrofit. They look great, work just as well as the other Hue White products, and are relatively easy to install. There have been reports that they tend to damage the ceiling when removed, so make sure that you’ve made up your mind before installing them in your space.

14. Hue White and Color Ambiance Enchant

The Enchant is a low-hanging pendant light with a directed beam angle. The slender form factor of the Enchant will look great in a minimalist setting – perhaps in an industrial space, or a relaxed café. The light itself isn’t too bright. It works best to set the mood in a space but may not be bright enough for productive work.

15. Hue White Ambiance Being

The Being is basically a more modern version of the Fair. It can be used as either a ceiling light or a pendant light. Instead of a single aluminum band along its perimeter, the Fair is lined with two, narrower aluminum bands. The space between the bands adds some illumination and also makes the design a bit more eye-catching. It’s also a bit expensive as fair as ceiling lights go, but that’s the price you pay for style.

Outdoor lights

Having outdoor lights don’t just make your home look good, but it’s also an effective deterrent to intruders. With outdoors lights controlled by a smart lighting system like Philips Hue, you can keep your home safe even while you’re away.

1. Hue White and Color Ambiance Econic Outdoor wall light

The Econic line offers three different wall light fixtures designed for the outdoors. Not only are these lights extra bright, but they are also designed with an IP44 rating that keeps them safe against dust, splashes of water, and other small particles. There’s no reason for your front yard to look lousy even while you keep your home safe, so it’s quite nice that all the Econic models look great.

2. Hue White and Color Ambiance Discover Outdoor floodlight

If the usual lightbulbs and outdoor fixtures can’t quite cut it for you, then you can go big with the Discover Outdoor floodlight. This is an insanely bright floodlight which would be perfect for lighting up your driveway as you roll up or to give the illusion that there’s someone in your house when everyone is really away. The Discover has the added bonus of letting you change up the colors of the floodlight, if that’s your thing.

3. Hue White Welcome Outdoor floodlight

The Welcome is a more basic version of the Discover that can only give off a warm, white light. If your only intention is to keep the outside of your home well-lit, then you might be better off with this less complicated and cheaper option. The Welcome is equally as bright and weather resistant as the Discover, so you don’t really lose out on much.

4. Hue White and Color Ambiance Calla outdoor bollard

The Calla is a short bollard with an integrated light that is designed to illuminate pathways in your yard. It sits just short of a foot in height and is built with even more weather resistance than the other outdoor light offerings from Philips Hue. The Calla isn’t too bright because it doesn’t have to be, but it can withstand regular water jets from a garden sprinkler. Each Calla bollard comes with a stake at the bottom for easy and secure installation.

5. Hue White and Color Ambiance Lily outdoor spotlight

Like the Calla, the Lily comes with a stake for a garden installation. The main difference is that the Lily provides directional lighting in case you want to illuminate your home’s exterior from the garden. The Lily is equally as bright and as durable as the Calla.

6. Hue White Lucca outdoor wall light

The Lucca is a simple outdoor wall light that has a sleek, modern design and gives off a warm white color. It can be dimmed but has a fixed color temperature – basically a simpler and cheaper version of the Econic line of outdoor wall lights.

7. Hue White Ludere outdoor floodlight

The Ludere is the most basic floodlight offering from Philips Hue. Each Ludere set comes with a pair of powerful white lights that can be mounted on a wall and provide a wide illumination coverage. It may not offer the ability to change shades or colors, but its 2700 lumens of total brightness is enough to light up your whole driveway or front steps. If you want floodlights with extra wide coverage, then the Hue White Ludere is the way to go.

8. Hue White Inara outdoor wall light

When it comes to traditional wall lights, the Inara is about as traditional as you can get as far as the Philips Hue product line is concerned. With an old-fashioned design and a warm white light, the Inara might not even warrant a second glance from a passerby. If you’d like your home to keep a low profile, then the Inara might be the outdoor lighting solution you’re looking for. With an IP44 rating, the Inara is still well-built for outdoor conditions. The light can be dimmed through the Philips Hue Bridge, but the color temperature is fixed.

Final thoughts

If you feel like Philips might have gone overboard with developing a selection of lightbulbs, standalone lamps, and outdoor lighting solutions for the Hue line, then we’ll have to agree. With so many options, you can mix and match the various Philips Hue smart lighting devices to come up with your own ecosystem of smart lights. It doesn’t even end there, as there are still other accessories under the Philips Hue line, not to mention the fact that many Philips Hue products are compatible with other third-party devices.

Just by looking at the list of the Philips Hue offerings, it’s easy to see how consumers are today are spoiled with choices. If you’re a newbie, then you can just get any of the basic starter kits. If you already have a smart lighting system in place, then it’s just a matter of how many more lights you need to add to your home before you’re satisfied. In any case, we’re not complaining – the Philips Hue line is undoubtedly the most comprehensive product line of smart lighting options.