• 4.0 out of 5 stars

    Frustratingly close to perfect

    • Written by from WASHINGTON

    I was anxiously awaiting these as our house has tons of recessed fixtures. I picked up 4 from the local Apple Store as soon as they came out. They work as advertised in terms of color changing capability. Unfortunately these lights don't feel right in our living room for two reasons:

    1. They are not quite powerful enough to replace our existing 75-watt (850 lumen) bulbs.
    2. The diffused reflector creates a spread of light that feels hazy in the room (and annoyingly-bright at the source).

    It's hard to describe the exact difference in feel between these and traditional bulbs, but it is a bit like the difference in feel from incandescent to fluorescent. Note that I'm not talking about color temperature here... but the difference in the way the light is focused and fills the room. The end result is a 'pasty' feeling that isn't as comfortable or inviting as a standard bulb. Also, because the light comes out at a wide angle, it immediately bounces off the reflector cans, resulting in a harsh, bright reflection that is atypical of standard recessed bulbs.

    If Philips were to get just a bit more lumen output, and combine that with a narrower beam and/or a more traditional reflector these lights would be perfect. As it stands they are a fun toy, but for everyday light they don't quite fit our needs. Since we need them for daily living room use I think I'm going to have to return them and await a hopefully-improved version 2.

    138 of 148 people found this useful

  • 4.0 out of 5 stars

    Perfect Fit

    • Written by from Riverview

    I wanted Hue for my Theater room but the bulbs were not right for the recessed can lights I was using. So when I found out they added these I was anxious to try them 4 recessed can above the seating. I hooked them up and I thought it would work with my dimmer at full bright, but that turned into a strobe light effect and I had to remove the dimmer switch and put back the normal switch and every thing was fine.

    The lights can be soft or harsh. I had not had HUE lights before and I had to learn the app. I have both android and IOS devices and found the Android app a little less frustrating then the IOS but soon found the Philips apps are just a starting point. I found my favorite mood/scene app on IOS is Goldee which allows you to group your bulbs and then use them in combination to create excellent scenes.

    I also got several of the regular bulbs and am enjoying those as well.

    30 of 34 people found this useful

  • 4.0 out of 5 stars

    Worth the extra money

    • Written by from SLIDELL

    After watching these for a year, and talking with an employee at the Apple store who owned them, I committed and bought the Starter Pack. Liked it so much, I have bought extra bulbs for the other lights in my house I want to control. At $60/bulb, this is expensive, but a good, similar non controllable LED bulb is about $30-40. I upgraded my architect desk lamp with one of these bulbs and really love being able to fine tune my light to the task at hand. They are also great in the living and bed rooms allowing light/color/intensity adjustment from very bright for reading etc, to very low for watching TV.

    PROs: Controllable intensity, warmth and color. Long lasting. No heat. Can program settings for individual and groups of bulbs for area and task. LEDs are truly and better than incandescent bulbs. Can be controlled from anywhere you are connected to the internet. Work like a regular bulb (on/off/full intensity) if no internet connection.

    CONs: Cost. Directions on use and programming minimal. One control app does not do all and they require multiple apps to realize all their functions. You need a good reliable home internet system to realize full potential of these bulbs (or any other internet controlled device).

    BEWARE of less expensive LED bulbs as there is a real electrocution hazard in them due to the way they are made. I have also removed all the CFL bulbs in my house as the mercury vapor released if they break can last up to a week and potentially hurt your nervous system. I also had a CFL who's base melted in the socket of my lamp. So, until LEDs came out, I have kept my incandescent bulbs. Unfortunately my supply of 100W incandescent bulbs are now exhausted, so I am being dragged into the future by the law, and learning the best options by trial and error. If you don't care about control of intensity, warmth and color, buy a good LED bulb at half the price and try to forget how inexpensive and reliable incandescents were.

    4 of 4 people found this useful