Expert review of Philips Hue lights
In short
- Thanks to Bluetooth, you can control the light directly to your phone or voice assistant.
- This light emits 16 million colors of light and all shades of white light.
- You don't need a Philips Hue bridge to get started with smart lights.
- You can connect up to 10 lights with your phone.
- To control lights via the internet, you'll still need a bridge.
From the box
The packaging of the Philips Hue Bluetooth light is simple and clear. The box looks the same as the packaging of the previous series. I notice 1 important detail, the Bluetooth logo. On the packaging, I also see which colors of light the light emits. When I open the box, I see the lights are safely packed in cardboard. The box also includes a manual.
Get started quickly
The idea of a Philips Hue with Bluetooth is that it's easy to start with smart lights. Time to test this. I screw 1 of the lights into my ceiling lamp and flip the switch. The smart light now emits light in a warm-white color. I download the Philips Hue Bluetooth app on my phone. The app finds the light within half a minute. A minute later, I also added the second light. It's true, I can really start with smart lights really fast.
The possibilities
I test the Philips Hue White & Color lights. In the app, I can set it to any desired color very easily. I choose a color or a shade of white that I like, but I can also choose scenes. These are preset color combinations that Philips came up with. I can easily dim the lights via the app too. You can control the lights both separately and simultaneously.
Voice commands
I can't just connect the Philips Hue Bluetooth lights to my phone, my Google Home Mini also connects to these smart lights. This allows me to control the smart lighting with my voice too. I can switch the lights on or off from the stairs. I can also easily set the Hue lights to a different scene. It's great that I don't have to grab my phone for this.
More options with a bridge
You can do the most important things with the Philips Hue Bluetooth app. Set colors, dim lights, switch lights on or off. Do you want more options? You can easily add a bridge at a later time. I can only control the lights via Bluetooth from home. If they're connected to a bridge, I can switch them on or off from anywhere. The bridge also allows me to set timers and connect the lights to other devices.