I don’t really do product reviews or anything like that but I definitely wanted to hip some of you guys to one of my new favorite things, Hue Lights.
It’s weird but I never knew lighting could be so influential to your overall mood and experience in a space. I was definitely a cynic of the Hues and initially felt they were as silly as they were “overpriced.” Eventually, I started doing some research and realized how much people were actually spending on lighting and home automation in comparison to others (like Hues) out on the market. It is insane! So, since I’m all for balling on a budget and never intend to spend thousands of dollars on lights, I did the next best thing…waited for a huge price reduction during the holidays and said YOLO!
Last December I took the plunge because the deal was too good to pass up and I’m a sucker for a good sale. I initially started with 6 lights for my living room and bedroom. I unpacked my lights, set them up, and instantly turned into a 5-year old for like a whole evening. I’m not going to lie to you, I played with them for a couple hours that first night. I sat on my sofa while listening to music and writing and changed the lights just for the heck of it. I, of course, wanted to get the swing of them but honestly, I wanted to play with my fancy new lights. Within that week, I ended up with 4 extra lights and now feel like I have my own mini music venue at home. I love it!
Getting Started
So what will you need for your own lighting set up? It’s pretty simple, all you need is a smartphone or tablet, Wi-Fi, and the starter set that includes the lighting hub. Eventually, you can add on up to 50 lights per hub and Philips has quite a collection of light options to select from. What’s also pretty awesome is they’re really easy to install and the set up should only take you about 10-15 minutes.
Using Your Hue Lights
So, there are many creative ways to use the Hue lighting system. I’m pretty practical and use them to wake me up every morning throughout the week for work. It’s been super helpful and I love that I can set geo-location to cut them on or off when I’m headed to or leaving my home. They’re also wonderful for all sorts of home events like parties, dinners, big games and other things you’d probably hold in your home or workspace.
You might also be wondering about glitches or connectivity issues. Initially, I was concerned on if the lights would work if my Wi-Fi ever went out. I was pleasantly surprised to learn they are all standard bulbs and will revert back to white light you can still operate. You can learn more HERE.
Have Fun
So when using your lights, you have to remember to have fun! You can do all sorts of cooky things with your lights. I’ve heard people set them to light up the room every time their favorite team scores. I’ve also heard folk set them like strobe lights and to change with the beat of their music, it’s pretty cool. There are all kinds of apps out that help you get the fullest potential out of your lights and they’re available on multiple platforms so you’re not restricted to one or another.
I’m glad to have made such a huge small investment and I’ll probably get more as I design my space. If you get any lights, tell me how you like them, I love mine! <3
-D.Wright
It’s Biggie Smalls
I’m a Houston Texan living in Silicon Valley as content creator and URM advocate in tech. I have a passion for creating and writing music and am a food lover to the max! Welcome to my space where I get candid about life and share my opinions on EVERYTHING.