Are the cheap Philips Hue Essential lights any good? Here's what you need to know | Tech Radar
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Are the cheap Philips Hue Essential lights any good? Here's what you need to know
We tested them side-by-side with the originals — here's our take
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Philips Hue makes some of the best smart bulbs around, but they're not cheap. So if you've spotted the brand's Essentials range — which comes in at around half the price of the classic bulbs — you might be wondering what the catch is, and whether they're quite as good a buy as they seem. It's an especially pertinent question right now, because we're inundated with Philips Hue deals across both the Essential and standard ranges, as part of the Amazon Prime Day sales.
• View all Philips Hue deals on Amazon UK / Amazon US
This article is here to help you figure out whether the Philips Hue Essential range is right for you, or whether it's better to splurge on the original lineup. Below, you'll find all the key information you need to know about these bulbs and the main differences between the two options. I've also rounded up my pick of the best discounts in the UK and US — this is just a selection of the deals on offer, so if you can't see what you're looking for, it's well worth browsing the full range on Amazon using the links above.
Let's get straight to it: the answer is yes. You can get the full low-down in my teammate Cat Ellis' Philips Hue Essential series review, but the short version is that we're big fans of these lights. They're around half the price of the main range, but when she tested the two sets side-by-side, Cat struggled to see many differences:
"Both were equally responsive, and produced colors that were identical to my naked eye when I switched between scenes. According to Signify (the company behind the Philips Hue brand), Essential bulbs use different color-matching technology to regular Hue lights; but personally, I had a hard time telling the difference."
The Essential bulbs are also fully compatible with the main range of bulbs and other Philips Hue accessories, meaning they'll integrate smoothly into an existing setup. That means you could use these as a complement to the pricier options, perhaps in rooms that are used less frequently. We concluded that they were "a superb entry into the world of smart lighting".
There are a few compromises you're making for that much cheaper price. Essential bulbs can only dim to 2%, whereas the main range can go right down to 0.2% — you can see what that looks like in the image below. They also have a narrower white light range, which could look odd if you were planning on mixing and matching Essential and regular Hue bulbs in the same room.
The Hue Essential bulbs (left) can't dim to as low a level as the main range (right) (Image credit: Future)
Essential bulbs have a lower maximum brightness level — they can reach 803 lumens, whereas some of the standard White & Color Ambiance bulbs can hit 1,600 lumens. (The regular bulb we used in our side-by-side tests had the same max lumens as the Essential one, though.) None of these aspects were deal-breakers for us, but they're worth being aware of before you buy.
Whichever bulb lineup you choose, you'll have to decide between Hue's three light types. The main one that most people probably associate with the brand is White and color ambiance. That means the bulbs can emit any one of millions of RGB colors, including a wide range of different white tones.
However, if you don't want colored lights, you'd be better with either a White or White ambiance bulb. The former emit a warm light at a set color temperature. The latter can be set to any one of a massive range of cool to warm white lights. (You can read more in our article explaining Philips Hue bulb types.)
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Ruth is Tech Radar's Collections Editor, responsible for masterminding Tech Radar's approach towards the new Collections format — a themed, curated selection of product recommendations designed to provide readers with an exciting new way to shop for the very best new gadgets and gizmos.
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