There aren't many smart home devices that are well-known and universally respected, but the extensive collection of smart lighting products made by Philips Hue is. Since 2012 the company has been putting out a wide variety of indoor and outdoor smart light bulbs and has taken great pains to ensure they are compatible with all major smart home ecosystems.

Where do you begin to search for the best Philips Hue lights? You can use the app to manage them from the room, or you can use a bridge to control them from afar.

Philips Hue bulb in purple

(Image credit: Chris Wedel/Android Central)

This bulb is suitable for any room of your home and replaces the standard A19 bulb. If you aren't ready to get into a complete system yet, you can connect it to the internet via a simple method. If you want, you can add up to 10 bulbs in the same room and control them with the app. If you're ready to upgrade, you can add up to 50 other Hue lights to control them all from your phone, making it one of the smart light bulbs available.

The dimmable white bulb offers different shades of white, from warm to cool, along with 16 million colors to choose from to suit every mood, from party time or relaxing with a good book.

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You can use timers and routines with the Hue bulbs. You can use your voice to control the bulb. The 800-lumen bulbs are Energy Star certified and will make a great addition to any home to replace old incandescent bulbs.

Philips Hue White and Color smart bulb

Source: Philips Hue (Image credit: Chris Wedel/Android Central)

This is an impressive starter kit. It comes with four of the popular White and Color Ambiance A19 60W-equivalentled bulbs and a smart hub/bridge, all of which retail for around $50 each. This kit will help you save money in the process of jumpstarting your smart home.

These bulbs fit in most standard sockets and lamps and feature over 16 million colors and shades. You can program them in the app to create specific scenes and moods and control them with your voice.

If you left them on all day every day, they would last you over four years. Since no one does that, these should pay for themselves. The included hub/bridge allows you to connect up to 50 devices, but it requires a wired connection and a plug-in to your router, so make sure you have room for and accessibility to both.

Philips Hue White Ambience

(Image credit: Chris Wedel/Android Central)

If you have more than four bulbs that need replacing, you may not need that many lights in your home. You can pick up the Bulbs a la carte or in bundles. If you want smart function but don't want all the fancy colors and scenes, this is the bulb for you.

These bulbs are great for kitchen lighting, hallways, utility spaces, and more. Installation is as easy as connecting them to the app. They work with a hub as well. You can choose from over 50,000 shades of white light.

One of our favorite things to do with these bulbs is to wake you up gradually. You can set up this feature in the app to make it brighter until your alarm goes off, which is a great way to start your day. One of our favorites is the Decorative Candle Bulb, which is one of the different shapes and sizes of the Philips Hue Ambiance Bulbs. These are great for accent lamps.

Philips Hue BR30

(Image credit: Philips)

Installation in a standard 6-7-inch can will allow you to change the atmosphere in a room like a kitchen or bathroom. You can choose from 16 million colors to create the perfect atmosphere for a dinner party or a night chill, and you will get powerful and directed light where you need it the most.

It can be used to control scenes, schedules, timers, and routines with compatible home automation systems, as well as being able to be used for remote control via a smartphone or tablet and the app. You can control your smart speaker by voice with compatible smart devices such as Apple HomeKit, and the Amazon voice assistant. You can control dozens of other lights and accessories via one bridge.

Philips Hue Smart Lights

(Image credit: Chris Wedel/Android Central)

This isn't technically a bulb by definition, but it is a unique lighting product from the lineup that is worth including. This bar can be mounted to the back of the TV to provide accent lighting, or you can place it on the floor, behind a cabinet or on the floor.

It has all of the same features as the others, including the ability to work with the optional Hue Bridge for remote control, voice control, and smart home automation system compatibility to add scenes and routines.

One of my favorite things about the Play Bars is how easy it is to mount them using the included clips and double-sided tape, and you can connect up to three of them to the same power supply unit, making gaming, movie night, or parties unique. The A19 bulbs in the kit offer up to 530 lumens of light and a power supply. The life span is about 25,000 hours.

Philips Hue Smart Lights

(Image credit: Chris Wedel/Android Central)

Many gaming streamers have a piece of smart tech that can be found on their setup, but it is appropriate for almost any space. You can cut these to any length you want and adhere them to clean surfaces with tape. Line the underside of your bookshelves or media cabinet, the railings on the back porch, or the backside of your computer desk for awesome effect lighting.

You can use the light strips to create an effect with your video game or entertainment system.

The only downside to these light strips is their premium price. Even though they are on the steep side, you know you are getting a quality product.

Philips Hue Go

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Aside from showcasing the beautiful colors, modes, and scenes that the other great Philips Hue lights can, this little lamp is one of our absolute favorites. I like that I can take it wherever I need a light. The button on the back of the lamp is all I need to do.

The Hue Go is a portable lamp that is more premium. You can program it for millions of lighting scenarios. It feels like it is meant to be a piece of permanent decor in your living space because of its size and weight. Your mileage may vary depending on what you have it programmed to do, but its battery life is good for up to 18 hours of unplugged usage.

The price of this lamp is the biggest problem. There are cheaper options if you want a portable lamp.

Philips Hue Discover Outdoor Floodlight Official Render

(Image credit: Philips Hue)

If you own a home or property, you can take advantage of the magic of the lights. The Discover Outdoor Floodlight is our favorite outdoor lighting product. It can change between 16 million color combinations and output 2,300 lumens of brightness.

The lights can be configured to illuminate your property to discourage unwanted visitors or criminal activity, but they are equally useful for holiday decorating or impromptu deck dance parties. They are easy to install and can last a long time. The Discover outdoor smart floodlight should be able to handle wet climates and conditions with ease, according to the claims of the company. These lights do not have an official certification.

If you plan on mounting multiple floodlights around your property, these lights are a bit expensive at more than $150 a pop. You can save money by combining the Discover lights with the White Welcome lights.

Philips Hue Smart Lights

(Image credit: Chris Wedel/Android Central)

The smart spotlights emit a large amount of light and are nestled in a housing that can be mounted outside to add illumination to your outdoor areas. If you want to make it turn on automatically at sunset, you can connect it to the optional Hue Bridge. It can be controlled by voice, via the mobile app, or by an indoor dimmer switch.

The light has undergone rigorous testing to make sure it can operate in wet environments. It is easy to install, mount it on a wall, connect it to the power supply, plug it in, and pair it to the Hub. It has to be positioned within 30 feet of the Bridge to maintain a signal or up to 60 feet away if there is another outdoor light connected to the same system. The signal can be blocked by metal and other materials. It has a lifespan of 25,000 hours.

Getting the perfect hue for your home

There's a bulb for every need, room of the home, and purpose, from unique accent lighting to functional outdoor or task lighting. If you're looking for the simplest, most versatile option that you can use anywhere in your home, the Color Ambiance A19 is a good option. You can use it in a number of places, savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay savesay Once you're familiar with the bridge, you can set it up for remote access. You can expand the system with more accessories like motion sensors, lamps, light strips, and more.

If you already have a hub/bridge and a few of the best Philips Hue lights in your home, you might want to consider adding smart lighting strips, light bars, or outdoor solutions. You will enjoy these smart lights for years to come if you decide to add them to your home.