New Philips Hue bulbs will be double the brightness, but come with a catch
James Holden What you need to know
- The new E27/A19 size bulbs feature double the brightness of other Hue bulbs at 1600 lumens (100W equivalent).
- It's expected that these new bulbs will retail for €25/$20 and should debut around the end of June.
- These are warm-white only at 2700k color temperature and cannot change color.
If you're the proud owner of any brand of smart lightbulb, it's entirely likely that you've considered them to be a bit dimmer than you'd like. While the Philips Hue line of smart bulbs has, historically, been one of the "smartest" solutions you can buy, there have been little to no real options for obtaining anything with Hue functionality that's brighter than around 800 lumens (60W equivalent). That all looks to be changing with a new refresh of the warm white series of E27/A19 size Philips Hue lightbulbs.
Smartlights.de was able to obtain a listing showing that a new 1600 lumen (100W equivalent) E27/A19 bulb is being made and will make its way to market later this month for €24.99. Current 800-lumen bulbs of the same type retail for around €20/$15, for reference. Like other newer Philips Hue bulbs, these bulbs require a bridge for the full range of connectivity options, but also include Bluetooth support for local control. While these new bulbs are certainly a godsend for anyone who wants brighter smart lightbulbs in their home, there are two caveats to consider.
First off, these are warm-white only bulbs. At 2700k, these give off a pleasant warm glow that many are accustomed to for evening entertainment but likely will make the house feel a bit drab during the day. Secondly, these bulbs consume a pretty significant amount of energy when compared to the usual LED bulb. At 15.5W, these little bulbs are a bit power-hungry for an LED but are still significantly less than the equivalent 100W incandescent bulb, and still less than the normal 23W consumption on a compact fluorescent (CFL) bulb.
Lightbulbs aren't the only way to get connected through the Philips Hue ecosystem though. In fact, light fixtures with built-in LEDs that take part in the Friends of Hue program often reach far higher brightness levels than the standard lightbulb shape that most traditional light fixtures require. While you can't change out the LEDs easily when they die, these integrated fixtures also often feature longer lifespans than traditional bulbs.
