PHILIPSHue 2-Pack White Ambiance 60W Equivalent Dimmable LED Smart Bulb (Works with Alexa Apple Homekit and Google Assistant), 2 Bulbs (453092)

I recently decided to install ‘smart home’ lighting and other devices in my home, and after some research I decided to give the Philips Hue system a try. I also have quite a few basic non-smart LED bulbs in my home.I’m very happy with the Hue system so far although it is going to take some time to fully understand all of the ways it can be varied and used. I use mine together with the Apple HomeKit system, and the integration with HomeKit has been automatic and without difficulty.There is a huge difference in the price of individual bulbs depending on what they are capable of, beginning with basic LED bulbs that don’t offer the integration with the Hue system (remote operation and programming), and continuing to bulbs that are a part of the Hue system and have features including full color control (most expensive).The Philips Hue system requires the use of a Hue hub connected to your home Wi-Fi system to connect and control Hue specific bulbs and accessories, and there are starter kits to obtain the hub together with two or four bulbs.Initially it took some time to understand the differences between the various Philips Hue bulbs, so here is a quick intro. There are five basic Philips LED bulb types (both Hue and non-Hue bulbs). ALL ARE 60W equivalent, Dimmable, E26 type (standard light bulb):- 1. (NOT Hue) 800 lumen Warm 2700K- 2. (NOT Hue) 800 lumen Daylight 5000K- 3. Hue 840 lumen Warm 2700K- 4. Hue 800 lumen White ambiance 2200-6500K- 5. Hue 800 lumen White and color ambiance 2000-6500K plus ’16 million’ colorsAll of the bulbs above use approximately 9-10 watts at maximum brightnessThere is a huge difference in prices for the 5 types listed above, from about 2-3 dollars per bulb (1 & 2 above), to 10 per bulb (3 above), 20 per bulb (4 above), and finally 40 per bulb for all the bells and whistles (5 above).I quickly learned that if I don’t need to vary the ‘warmness’ of the light in a certain room or area, then all I need is the basic LED bulb, either warm or daylight, and it doesn’t necessarily need to be a Hue bulb if I don’t need to control the bulbs from an App. The brightness can always be controlled from a LED compatible wall mounted dimmer switch or other smart home dimmer that can integrate into the smart home system.If I want lighting in a certain area or room to have the flexibility to change from warm white to bright daylight, in addition to dimming, then the White ambiance style Hue bulb works great.Finally, if I want to add special effects, varying colors and everything imaginable about the lighting, then the White and color ambiance bulbs give that capability.Starter KitsI started with this basic kit, which includes four of the White ambience bulbs plus the hub:Hue Starter Kit 4 x 800 lumen White ambiance 2200-6500K plus hubOther starter kits are available, either with two or four basic white Hue bulbs, or with two of the White and color ambiance bulbs.LightstripsI’ve installed the Hue lightstrips under the counters in our kitchen, and they are terrific. I've also installed them under the sides of the bed in our bedroom, to provide night and ambience lighting:Hue LightStrip 1600 lumen White and color ambiance 2000-6500K plus ’16 million’ colorsThe lightstrips have turned out to be one of the more enjoyable parts of the system and are very easy to install.Accessories and Control OptionsAll of the Hue products can be controlled using the App, and there is a huge amount of flexibility available in how the lights are programmed. They can be organized by room or in other ways, and controlled in groups or separately.Hue bulbs are not intended to be used with a wall mounted dimmer switch unless the dimmer is specifically intended to be used with the Hue system. Once a light is turned off using the wall switch, then it can’t be turned back on using the Hue controls (power needs to be supplied to the bulb at all times in order for the bulb to be controllable by the Hue system, even if the bulb is turned off. This is not intuitive at first and is a part of why installing these kinds of bulbs in a home requires considerable thought about how you will use them and what is most convenient for any particular situation).The Hue dimmer switch / remote is a handy accessory to have, if you want to be able to control lights without using the App:Hue Smart Dimmer SwitchHue Smart Dimmer Switch plus 1 800 lumen White ambience 220-6500KI have two of these dimmer switches and use one to control the undercounter lights in our kitchen. For those particular lights it is the only way they can be controlled all at the same time since they plug into different outlets and the outlets are not controlled by any wall switches.There is also a ‘tap switch’ available, and a motion sensor. I have not tried either of those products yet.There is a lot more that could be said about this Hue system but my intention here is only to give a quick introduction to the types of lighting available and some of the ways in which they can be used.

I feel I must warn you, these lights are addictive. These lights work very well and it can be tempting to put them in everything. I have Hue Smart Bulbs in my Living Room, Kitchen, and Family Room. These bulbs work best in places where the light switch might be difficult or inconvenient to reach. They are great for lamps in the corner or large rooms with lights control by multiple switches. I don't recommend them for lights controlled by switches you naturally turn on and off as you walk by; entry lights, bedrooms, laundry room. Because you need to leave the light switch on for the smart bulbs to work you don't wont someone accidentally turning them off.The light quality from the bulbs is fantastic. The dim feature has a very wide and nuanced ranged. The Hue App makes controlling all of the lights very easy. The Hue App has a fantastic feature of directly connecting to your Hue Bridge when you are on the same network. This makes controlling your lights through the app very responsive and easy. The control is near instantaneous.Hue has also made the control software for the lights open to everyone. Don't worry, no one will be able to hack your lights. To add new lights and devices you have to physically press a button on the Hue Bridge. But this means the Hue Bulbs have a ton of interconnection with other smart devices and platforms. I am able to pair my lights with my smart thermostat, smart doorbell, and home security system.

These Philips hue white ambiance lights arrived packaged nicely. Both bulbs worked no problem. They turned on after placing them into my fan. They synced to the hub and app no problem.I love the variance of hues from warm white to bright white. It basically goes from a yellowish white to a blueish white.I love that I can dim each bulb individually.I bought a refurbished set of gel bulbs, the hub, and a dimmer along with these two bulbs. I have 4 lightbulbs in my fan it was cheaper doing it this way than to buy it all together. If they had a refurbished set of these two bulbs at the time I would have bought that too.They are a bit price but totally worth it. When watching TV at night I can just shut off the bulb that shines directly on the Tv while leaving the other 3 on.I can not say how long they last yet. I’ve been using them for little over a month now with no issues. I will update this review in the future on how well they last over time.Overall it was a great purchase. I plan on buying some for my son’s room since the lights go dim enough to use them as a nightlight.

I like these bulbs because I can change the colour from warm white, which has a yellow hue, to cool white which is brighter and lights up the room better. I can use my apple watch and Siri to turn on and off the lights in the various rooms which I appreciate. I like the automations that can be set such as the lights coming on at a certain time or when I arrive home. Have had them for about three months and have not experienced any issues.