Get ready to fill your household with smartphone-controlled light thanks to Philips Hue’s value-added starter kits
Philips Hue lights are among our best smart home device recommendations, but outfitting your entire home with these smart bulbs has been pricey.
Good news: Philips Hue is now cheaper and more robust thanks to the unveiling of new starter kits, multi-packs and additional funky light designs.
Yes, controlling your lights from a smartphone, tablet or smart speaker is now a little cheaper – living in the future no longer means going broke.
The flagship Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance Starter Kit, for example, comes with four A19 bulbs and the essential bridge for $199.99. The original bundle had three bulbs and retailed for $179.99. And three bulbs is hardly enough for a smart home (a smart room, maybe) . One bulbs alone costs $50 each, so you’re getting a fourth bulb for $20.
It’s had the same effect on the White and Color Ambiance Starter Kit at $149.99 (and White Kit at $99.99) that do everything you’d want but color. They’re also getting a four-pack (vs two-pack) makeover, giving you more value than before.
Already have the bridge? Philips is also selling multi-pack bulbs in fours. Noe, you don’t have to decide between buying each light individually or buying the three-pack kit again with the bridge (and giving the bridge away) due to their close prices.
Philips Hue lights now come in all shapes and sizes by way of entire smart light fixtures instead of just bulb replacements for dumb light bulb.
Launching in October, the Philips Hue White Ambiance Cher Suspension Fixture is meant for hanging above kitchen island or dining table. It’s priced at $229.99.
The Philips Hue White Ambiance Downlight is designed to replace recessed ceiling lights and comes in two sizes: 4 inches (700 lumens) and 5/6 inches (750 lumens) . They’re $34.99 each.
Ceiling lights often have dimmer settings, but the White Ambiance is meant to deliver warmer and cooler shades from above.
The smallest but maybe most requested smart bulb is the Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance Candle Bulb, also launching in October and priced at $49.99.
This 40W-equivalent bulb has a E12 base that fits in your smaller light sockets, but it still boasts 16 million colors and 450 lumens, according to Philips.
It takes care of awkward ceiling fans, chandeliers and decorative table lamps with tighter sockets that have been shining dumb light on you for too long.
Philips has pioneered smart bulbs with Hue, but it has faced competition from smaller companies like WeMo, TP-Link, and several others you haven’t heard from on Amazon (and don’t really trust) .
It was only a matter of time before we saw an official Philips Hue price drop (or value added bundle) across its line of smart bulbs. And, since Amazon often reduces prices further, we may see these prices go even lower eventually.
