Philips Hue

[SearChart]

Anyone here have Philips hue lights in their home? I just ordered the starter kit and plan on changing the bedroom to these lights.

I have a small lounge area in my bedroom and want to change that as well, for reading, etc. I'm keeping it modest for now, but you can go pretty wild throughout the house.

[lig]

Yep. Love them. We have a really basic setup - no colored lights. Bedrooms, living room and entryway. Wifey loves being able to control lighting when we are away with more flexibility than a timer.

[tyler1980]

most likely what i am installing in the new house.

Ill let you know in april

[GB-man]

Yes I have them in several places. Living room, bedroom, front door etc. I bought them for the security feature that randomizes the lights when I’m on vacation but they are handy with Siri as I can tell my phone t adjust the lights as needed.

In my new house I’m using them in some places and also installing the recessed leds on casseta dimmers by Lutron which have a similar smart function. I think I will run everything through Alexa on the ecobee4 thermostat.

[77T]

Just keep all the Zigbee protocol devices updated via Signify bridge security patches and other device makers.

While I realize many like IoT features, the chatty protocol is highly susceptible to takeovers and hacks. I know you’re not worried about a light bulb, but Zigbee talks/relays data to other home devices like your security system.

From the website:
To protect users, Hue strongly advise to keep your system up to date with the latest software and only download applications from the
official iOS and Android appstores or via this link
https://meethue.com/philips-hue-app


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[OmegaJJH]

Is there not a cheaper alternative to market than Hue?


That’s the only thing that puts me off going all in...!


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[doubleroll]

Have several Hue devices both outdoor and indoor. I also have a few LIFX bulbs as well. One of my favorite is the light strip behind the TV :-)


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[Kneecough]

Yup, I have the colored bulbs throughout my condo... they work great.

[SearChart]

Originally Posted by OmegaJJH

Is there not a cheaper alternative to market than Hue?


That’s the only thing that puts me off going all in...!


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If you want coloured lights throughout the whole house, then yes it is pricey. But if you only want certain areas with smart lighting/mood lighting then it is not that expensive.

My uncle has the whole house done with Hue, inside, outside, bulbs strips, etc. I don't want to go that far just yet but it is pretty cool for sure. The main coloured lights he has are 8+ years old and still going strong, so it is quite durable.

[blown5.0]

The Hue app is quite possibly the worst app I have ever used. That includes really crappy apps I developed when first learning to code.

[agsstructures]

Good stuff. They are Apple Home compatible so as you add additional smart products they can all be controlled from the Home app.

[SearChart]

Originally Posted by knobberboy

Good stuff. They are Apple Home compatible so as you add additional smart products they can all be controlled from the Home app.

I'm a Google/Android user, and it works perfectly together with Google home & assistant as well

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by knobberboy

Good stuff. They are Apple Home compatible so as you add additional smart products they can all be controlled from the Home app.

drives me nuts that the smart home stuff i want isn't compatible on both so i am going to have to pick apple or google. leaning to apple but still undecided.

The thermostat i want is google, not apple. The music is apple, not google, Lightbulbs are both. there is a bunch of other stuff too, just can't remember which is which off the top off my head.

I may just end up running security and lightbulbs and temperature on my ADT app and then use Apple for the rest. Its annoying for sure though

[beshannon]

Yes I have 32 of them in 5 rooms, love the app and love the Alexa integration. They work very well.

[Keadog]

We have them. My wife controls them and she's happy with the results. I pay no attention but would certainly know if they weren't working properly.

[Headshrinker]

We have them in our Florida home. I believe everything works through Apple, but like Keadog, my wife is in charge of the mood lighting.

[raky]

I have them throughout my house including outside. I love them! My 4 year old son even asks Alexa to turn on the lights. They are great for security purposes too as you can have various routines set.

[Johndong888]

I’m not a fan of smart bulbs. You can’t mess with the switch in that case. Smart bulbs are only good for those standalone lights with a cord switch. Or if you’re adding RGB LED light strips.

It’s a better practice to switch out switches instead. I utilize a combination of zwave switches as well as Lutron casetas (they have a 50 device limit)




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[V25V]

Originally Posted by GB-man

. I think I will run everything through Alexa on the ecobee4 thermostat.

Love our Ecobees, they trump Nest big time. Remote sensors are awesome.

[GB-man]

Originally Posted by V25V

Love our Ecobees, they trump Nest big time. Remote sensors are awesome.

Yes I have one in my current house. The only thing better about the nest is the aesthetic and feel but I don’t care about that with something so utilitarian in nature.

[Johndong888]

Originally Posted by V25V

Love our Ecobees, they trump Nest big time. Remote sensors are awesome.

Nest offer remote sensors now. I prefer nest. It works great.

My recommendations:
If the rest of your system is going to be Lutron, either Nest or Ecobee would be great

If you’re going Smartthings or will be using HomeKit, I would skip Nest.


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[Rolex Essex]

Just bought Hive smart thermostat this week as Costco had a great deal with installation.




Now today I’ve installed Hue starter kit. The E27 bulbs goes in my table lamps.



I also had to install an Ethernet expansion kit to accommodate an extra hub as my stupid Sky Q router only has two Ethernet ports.
My other option was buy LED smart bulbs by Hive but Hive has a lot less bulbs available in the market and they’re more expensive than Philips.

I might consider changing my all living room GU10 bulbs to Hue but I’ve got 12 downlights so it’ll be very costly.
My son also wants Hue Go now.