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These have been on sale for a couple of months already, but this is the first time Lifx has demonstrated them at a major trade show.
We’ve tested various Lifx products over the years here at TechRadar and been impressed by their performance. However, they tend to lean towards the expensive side, with premium prices more in line with Philips Hue‘s best smart lights than affordable rivals Govee or Nanoleaf.
Last year, Philips launched the Hue Essential series – a collection of everyday bulbs that work in just the same way as its regular lights, but with more modest specs and much lower prices, so it makes sense that Lifx is following its lead with a more accessible range of entry-level bulbs.
Opting for a cheaper bulb doesn’t necessarily mean missing out on features or quality. I put a Philips Hue Essential E27 bulb to the test against a regular Philips Hue White & Color Ambiance one, and was surprised how well the cheaper model compared in terms of overall brightness and color reproduction. The biggest difference was that the regular Hue bulb could be dimmed to 0.2% of its maximum brightness, whereas the Hue Essential one could only drop to 2%.
Depending on how you’re planning to use them, that might be something you don’t even notice – particularly if you’re not mixing the two bulb types within the same room.
So what does the new Lifx Everyday series bring to the table (or ceiling) compared with Hue Essential, and which smart lights should you pick if you’re on a budget?
Significant specs
The table below sums up the key similarities and differences between a Philips Hue Essential and a Lifx Everyday bulb. In the interest of simplicity, I’ll be comparing the standard E27 screw-fitting bulb in both collections.
I should also point out that although Hue Essential bulbs can be bought individually, Lifx Everyday bulbs are only available in packs of two, so here I’ll be comparing the list price for a twin-pack of each.
|
Bulb |
Philips Hue Essential |
Lifx Everyday |
|---|---|---|
|
Price (pack of two bulbs) |
$44.99 / £32.99 (about AU$70) |
$24.99 / £24.99 (about AU$40) |
|
Maximum brightness |
806 lumens |
800 lumens |
|
White range |
2,200 – 6,500K |
2,700 – 6,500K |
|
Dimming |
2% |
1% |
|
Connectivity |
Bluetooth and Zigbee |
Wi-Fi |
|
Requires hub |
Basic color and brightness controls via Bluetooth; Philips Hue Bridge needed for advanced features |
No |
|
Control options |
Lifx app, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Microsoft Cortana Samsung SmartThings, Matter |
Hue app, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomeKit, Matter, Samsung SmartThings, and more |
As you can see, while both these bulbs are in the entry-level price bracket, the Philips Hue Essential is considerably more expensive. If you want to make the most of the Hue Essential bulb’s features (beyond simply adjusting the brightness and color) then you’ll also need to factor in the price of a Philips Hue Bridge, which connects to your router and links all your Hue devices in a mesh network using the Zigbee wireless protocol.
Using Zigbee does have some significant advantages over Wi-Fi though, and is ideal for low-powered devices like smart lights and switches. Connecting multiple smart lights directly to your Wi-Fi router can cause congestion, and although you can theoretically connect dozens of bulbs to a single router, doing so is likely to slow down other connected devices.
Zigbee-enabled devices also act as repeaters, which can dramatically extend their range compared to Wi-Fi connected devices.
The Hue Essential bulb has a slightly higher max brightness and the Lifx Everyday, plus a wider white light temperature range. The Lifx bulb offers deeper dimming, however, which may be helpful if you want to use your bulb as a wake-up light in the morning.
Into the apps
Both thje Lifx and Philips Hue apps let you choose from a collection of preset lighting scenes or create your own to set a particular mood. However, the Hue app also has an AI-powered assistant to make bespoke scenes for you using typed or spoken commands. Both the Philips Hue app and the Lifx app let you set custom schedules and automations.
Both apps let you connect to their respective brand’s switches without using a third-party platform, but the Hue app also offers native support for the brand’s huge range of sensors, cameras, doorbell, and other devices. You can not only control your lights, but also create and arm a home security system through the same app. There are also more third-party integrations for Hue products via services like IFTTT.
Conclusion
So which entry-level bulbs are right for you? The answer depends partly on your budget, and partly on what you’re planning to do in the future.
The Lifx Everyday bulbs are cheaper to buy outright, and have the advantage of not needing an additional bridge to unlock features like customizable scenes and scheduling. If you want smart light bulbs for one or two rooms, they’re a very reasonably priced option, with brightness, dimming, and colors to compete with premium options.
Philips Hue Essential bulbs, on the other hand, are intended as an affordable entry point to the Hue system. If you’d like to gradually change all your lights to smart ones and can see yourself building a system spanning multiple rooms with different sensors and security devices, Hue Essentials will be a better investment in the long term.
The best smart lights for every room
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