Philips Hue in the garden: The most important information at a glance

It's March, and a look at the weather forecast reveals rising temperatures. I could imagine that one or the other of you has a lot planned in the garden – and perhaps Philips Hue should become a part of it. With the low-voltage system, Philips Hue has created an easy way to place smart light sources in the garden in a very uncomplicated, simple and safe way. By now, there is everything your heart desires: spotlights, base lights, wall lights and much more.

In this article, I would like to answer the most important questions and explain to you what you need to pay attention to when installing Philips Hue in the garden.

What are the requirements?

To use Philips Hue with the practical low-voltage system outdoors, you need at least one socket. One of the two available outdoor power supplies is connected to this. In addition, you need a Hue Bridge for operation, because not all outdoor lamps are equipped with the Bluetooth technology, which is not very far-reaching anyway. It is also important to note that Philips Hue also sells outdoor lights that are not compatible with the low-voltage system but are connected to a 230-volt cable.

Can the lamps be controlled independently?

Compared to other manufacturers, the Philips Hue solution has a big advantage. Although an individual lamp costs a little more, a separate ZigBee controller is built in everywhere. In practice, this means that all lamps, even if they are operated on one power supply unit, can be controlled independently of each other.

How many lamps can be connected to one power supply unit?

Philips Hue offers two different power supplies. The “normal” 40 watt power supply and a particularly powerful power supply with 100 watts and two outputs. The maximum wattage of the lamps connected to the power supply should not exceed the power of the power supply. Two Amarant wallwashers can be connected to a 40-watt Philips Hue power supply without any problems, as they each consume 20 watts. If you just exceed the limit, for example with one Amarant (20 watts) and three Hue Lily (3×8 watts), the system is not immediately overloaded. The maximum power is only reached at 100 percent brightness and cold white light.

How long can the cable be?

There is also an official limit for the length of the cable. 35 metres of cable are possible, although the system does not directly reach its limits here just because you have laid about 37.5 metres.

How far can the distance between the Hue Bridge and the outdoor lamps be?

In principle, there are no limits here, because each lamp also acts as a ZigBee repeater and forwards the signal of lamps further away to the Bridge. You should not have to worry about this as a rule, as long as the distances between the individual lamps are not extremely large.

Are splitting and later changes possible?

The low-voltage system has screw connections that can of course be opened later. For example, it is possible to insert a T-connector later and add a junction to a newly purchased outdoor lamp. In principle, there are no limits to creativity here.

Are there switches for outdoor use?

Philips Hue does not offer weatherproof switches. However, there is an alternative on the Friends of Hue portfolio: Senic offers a battery-free switch with IP44 certification. Philips Hue itself has a weatherproof motion sensor in its portfolio.

Do you still have an open question about the Philips Hue low-voltage system for outdoor use? Then simply write a comment and I will be happy to help you with my experience.