Hueblog: Philips Hue Perifo: The track system was a problem solver for me

Philips Hue Perifo: The track system was a problem solver for me

Especially thanks to the power supply unit

The Philips Hue Perifo track system was officially launched this week. The availability is still quite modest, but this should improve considerably in the course of the next few weeks. I have been using one of the available Perifo bundles for over a month now – and would like to give you a short summary today.

But there is one thing I can say in advance: It won't work to draw a general conclusion. Not only does Philips Hue offer over 100 different bundles in its online shop, with the various individual parts, numerous other configurations can also be created. You don't just buy the Perifo track system and screw it to the ceiling. You need a plan.


This problem had to be solved in my home

For example, in my kitchen. We have an L-shaped kitchen and the lighting of the work surface in the free-standing part of the room was not really good until now. Until now, we found ourselves standing in the light of the actually sufficiently bright ceiling lighting, a Philips Hue Surimu. In addition, the Philips Hue Lightstrip stuck under the counter was simply not far enough away from the work surface and therefore only partially illuminated it. Here is a view of the previous installation.

Now, of course, I could have completely replaced the Philips Hue Surimu with the Perifo track system, but in principle we are very happy with the very bright and large LED panel. There is no reason to change anything here.

Fortunately, I placed a socket above one of the wall units when planning the kitchen; originally, a Hue Go or Hue Lightbar was to be placed there as a mood light. And this is exactly where a special feature of the Perifo track system comes into play: you can not only use a “naked” power connection to feed it in, but also an external power supply with a conventional plug. And this is how it looked afterwards:

Simple installation with one small sticking point

The installation was therefore really easy – I only had to mount two rails on the ceiling – 1 metre and 0.5 metre. Why Philips Hue does not include a 1.5 metre rail with this starter set, although this is also offered, remains unclear to me. Presumably, shipping the smaller package is cheaper than the two individual rails plus the connector.

The matter with the rails could be somewhat problematic if your walls or ceilings are not completely flat. Why? The holes in the rails are relatively far away from the two ends. With the one-metre long rail, three holes – one in the middle and two at the ends – would have been a little better to compensate for uneven surfaces.

Once the tracks are mounted, simply plug in the bulbs and the power supply and then cut and insert small plastic covers. It's all really easy. No great manual dexterity is required.

The brightness is superior to normal lamps

For me personally, the Philips Hue Perifo track system was probably the best choice because of the external power supply, which I have not discovered with any other manufacturer. However, I also benefit from a significantly higher brightness. While you can only use normal GU10 spots from Philips Hue with systems like Paulmann, which reach a maximum of 350 lumens, the Perifo spots with their permanently integrated LEDs manage more than 500 lumens at their peak. That is a noticeable difference.

So far I have only tested the spots, but because of their flexibility I will also try the pendants and the Lightbar in my kitchen. Both could be candidates for my installation. I will definitely present the individual parts to you.

And then there is the price

Originally, the set I presented with three spots, one and a half metres of track and an external power supply unit was supposed to cost 649.99 euros. Interesting: buying the individual parts would have been cheaper. A fact that Philips Hue has probably also recognised in the meantime – because at the market launch, the price of this bundle was lowered to 599.99 euros.

600 euros, of course, is still a real house number. To say in general: “Buy it anyway and just build it somewhere” – that's definitely not possible. But for me, this set was the absolutely right decision to achieve an absolutely perfect result with as little effort as possible. Without interfering with any electronics, without major construction work on the wall and ceiling.

And even though I mounted the set on the ceiling – especially on the wall I see considerable potential for the Perifo track system. Especially thanks to the power supply unit and exciting light sources such as the Gradient Tube, which should look great above the bed in the bedroom, for example.

Philips Hue Perifo track system

from $289.97 / £244.97 / €289,97

Sleek, chic and made for any space. Straight lines and sophisticated fixtures make Perifo track lighting a match for any interior design. With multiple options for lights and the ability to move them where you like, you can tailor track lighting to your room.

Note: This article contains affiliate links. We receive a commission for purchases via these links, which we use to finance this blog. The purchase price remains unchanged for you.

Check your local Philips Hue Online Store for availability of Hue products in your country. There you will also find all the technical information and prices.



In den letzten Jahren habe ich mich zu einem echten Experten in Sachen Hue & HomeKit entwickelt. Mittlerweile habe ich über 50 Lampen und zahlreiche Schalter im Einsatz. In meinem kleinen Blog teile ich meine Erfahrungen gerne mit euch.

Comments 1 reply

  1. Could the Perifo track spotlights be used as a single light source to light up your kitchen or is the light not bright enough? I’m debating if I should get the Perifo track with 4 spot lights and a lightbar for a small home office but am not sure if there is enough light from it.

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