Question Smart home - lighting in Black Friday sales!

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Hi all,

Looking to get some smart bulbs to put in certain parts of the house. Looking on amazon this morning i can see there are Philips Hue kits and Hive bulbs reduced as part of the black friday deals. My question is, what do i really need to get up and running?

In terms of controlling the bulbs, at present i only have a couple of echo devices scattered around the house.

I will also be picking up a Hive heating kit (which I beleive comes with a hub?).

Do I need to change the phyical light switches for the lights I intend to make Smart?

Thanks in advance for input.
 
I think the smart light switches is the best option as you can still use the switch as normal. Use your phone or talk to the speaker.
Use any bulb too. Ok if you dont want fancy colours.
 
I think the smart light switches is the best option as you can still use the switch as normal. Use your phone or talk to the speaker.
Use any bulb too. Ok if you dont want fancy colours.

So, if i picked up some smart lights but not a physical switch, if i used the existing light switch it wouldn't switch the smart light off?
 
Smart bulbs like the Hue and Hive really need to be on at the main switch all the time to function as smart bulbs.

At its simplest you just ignore the existing light switches and use your choice of device to control them. Either the app on a phone or voice control with your Alexa device or other smart speakers

If you go for Hue, which I think you should, you can add wireless switches as an accessory if you so want. I've covered over most of the light switches in my house with a Hue Dimmer switch but this is purely optional.

If the light switches do get turned off the bulb is then no longer controllable, although Hue bulbs do have power on options so if the switch is used you can set what happens when they're turned back on.
 
So, if i picked up some smart lights but not a physical switch, if i used the existing light switch it wouldn't switch the smart light off?

The switch will turn off the light, but then you will loose all smart features, untill you flip the switch back on.

If the light is off, flipping the switch will do nothing.
 
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Even if you don’t want coloured bulbs, smart bulbs would be my preference.
White ambiance bulbs will give you the option of going from a cool white (blueish / daylight) to a warm white (yellowish like a traditional incandescent bulb).

I like to use a mixture of control methods, we have voice assistants in every living space (Alexa/Siri) plus Hue dimmer switches attached to plastic covers over the top of the old light switches. This prevents people accidentally turning off the bulbs, while giving guests the ability to turn lights on and off easily if required, while still giving me access to the original light switch.

I also use motion sensors in all the areas of the house which don’t require further control after initial setup (halls/stairs/landings/bathrooms). This provides the correct amount of light for any given time of day whenever there is motion and shuts the light off again after. (Great with small children getting up to go to the loo in the night).

We also have routines set up for certain times of day and whether we are home or not
 
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Yes I'd 100% say Hue are better than Hive.

The current offer on hue starter kits is a bargain IMO. Plenty buy starter kits on BF just for the bulbs.

There has been a recent update to hue bulbs which added Bluetooth so the ones on offer are probably the previous generation. If you're using them with a Hue bridge the Bluetooth is pointless anyway. So for normal bulbs it's irrelevant.

I can't tell if the more expensive kit includes the newer bulbs but as I say it doesn't matter IMO.

(Note GU10 bulbs were previously much poorer in colour range with certain colours washed out in comparison to other bulbs. The latest gen GU10 also updates the colour range to match other bulbs. For all other bulbs my comment above applies)

Thanks for the reply.

So, on your opinnion, Hue are a better bet than the hive ones?

I see amazon have this starter kit at £118


There is also this at £69.99


Other than the Dimmer switch included - are they both the same set?
 
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Argos have 2 bulbs hue white + echo for £32
They are Bluetooth as well
 
Argos have 2 bulbs hue white + echo for £32
They are Bluetooth as well

Just seen that but only the echo's are in stock anywhere - no bulbs.
 
Yes I'd 100% say Hue are better than Hive.

The current offer on hue starter kits is a bargain IMO. Plenty buy starter kits on BF just for the bulbs.

There has been a recent update to hue bulbs which added Bluetooth so the ones on offer are probably the previous generation. If you're using them with a Hue bridge the Bluetooth is pointless anyway. So for normal bulbs it's irrelevant.

I can't tell if the more expensive kit includes the newer bulbs but as I say it doesn't matter IMO.

(Note GU10 bulbs were previously much poorer in colour range with certain colours washed out in comparison to other bulbs. The latest gen GU10 also updates the colour range to match other bulbs. For all other bulbs my comment above applies)

To be honest i'm not bothered on the colour options, but will go with it if its a good deal. The price difference between the £118 and £69.99 seems a lot for just a dimmer switch. The switch is £17 on its own right now.
Maybe the £118 pack is the newer version?
So if the Hue Bridge adds the bluetooth functionality - is the £69.99 the better offer and worth getting?
 
Argos have 2 bulbs hue white + echo for £32
Is that fixed white or white ambience?

IMO white ambience are worth the extra, being able to vary the white shade is a game changer and makes more difference than I thought it would.

Still a bargain though.
 
To be honest i'm not bothered on the colour options, but will go with it if its a good deal. The price difference between the £118 and £69.99 seems a lot for just a dimmer switch. The switch is £17 on its own right now.
Maybe the £118 pack is the newer version?
So if the Hue Bridge adds the bluetooth functionality - is the £69.99 the better offer and worth getting?

I think it might just be the BF deal on a specific set, the more expensive set is the normal price and not in BF deals.

The Bluetooth functionality is just on the bulbs, all it does is give an option to use the bulbs on their own without a bridge. It does nothing if you use the bulbs as they were originally intended, even Philips recommend a bridge and see BT as a starter option until you add a bridge.

The dimmer is normally 17.99 anyway. They were on offer for 9.99 a few days ago so may very well be on offer at some point, BF deals do change
 
Fixed white, reserved at my local for after 4pm they seem very cheap at £5 a bulb. Showing stock in next town over as well
Is that fixed white or white ambience?

IMO white ambience are worth the extra
 
Right, the £69.99 deal does look good - before I add to basket, I will be changing several light fittings around the house soon - would the B22 or E27 be the better option? What fitting do most lights come with?

Two fittings in the front and back hallway i was going to use these for are B22, but i beleive several of the others around the house are E27 and E14.
 
It entirely depends. More and more light fittings seem to be coming with E27 fittings, IKEA can be a good source and they're all E27 or E14

Traditionally light fittings in the UK were more likely to be Bayonet, in fact if you just want a traditional pendant ceiling rose it's actually quite tricky to find anything other than B22.
 
It entirely depends. More and more light fittings seem to be coming with E27 fittings, IKEA can be a good source and they're all E27 or E14

Traditionally light fittings in the UK were more likely to be Bayonet, in fact if you just want a traditional pendant ceiling rose it's actually quite tricky to find anything other than B22.

Incidentally, do these bulbs work with fitting coverters?
 
Incidentally, do these bulbs work with fitting coverters?
I've used converters without an issue. In general they make the bulb significantly longer and a tad wobbly but they work OK.
 

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Interested in getting smart lights myself. Our ceiling lights are E14 but with the dimensions of the Hue bulb which are candle shaped they will poke out to far past the shade. I can't find any E14 golf ball shaped, is there such a thing?
Cheers.
 
Interested in getting smart lights myself. Our ceiling lights are E14 but with the dimensions of the Hue bulb which are candle shaped they will poke out to far past the shade. I can't find any E14 golf ball shaped, is there such a thing?
Cheers.
Not by Philips Hue. Lifx do a small golf ball bulb though

 
Personally I stay well clear of the Hue White bulbs, they will leave you disappointed and won't demonstrate why Hue is so much better than any of the others. It isn't just that they are white only, it is also the gradations of diming. They simply do not provide that luxury feel and hence they are so cheap...

And no there are no e14 golf ball bulbs in the range. I must admit that is very odd shape for ceiling lights :eek: I'd change the lights and improve the experience...
 

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