FabianThe time is slowly but surely approaching when you can spend longer evenings on the patio and in the garden. If you’re looking for an alternative to the Philips Hue Festavia string lights and want a classic festoon shape, Dutch manufacturer Innr has the right gadget for you: the Innr Smart Outdoor Light String.
You have been able to order the festoon string lights with Zigbee wireless standard for a few weeks now and can even save a little. The basic set with power supply unit, controller and an 8 metre long string light with 16 light points now costs just €84.99 instead of €99.99 on german amazon.de – for all other countries, please check the official Innr-website.
Incidentally, the string lights can be extended further. A 4 metre long extension with 8 LEDs currently costs 39.99 euros. With up to four extensions, you can achieve a maximum total length of up to 24 metres. However, from the second extension onwards, the more powerful OPS 140 outdoor power supply unit is required for 39.99 euros.
Warm white light and a replacement LED included
But let’s get back to the basic set, which contains everything you need to get started. Unpacking the set is certainly not a particular highlight, as Innr has placed virtually no emphasis on product presentation. However, the scope of delivery is quite impressive, as a replacement LED and a few cable ties for fastening are included.
Pairing with the Philips Hue Bridge is not a major hurdle. Immediately after switching on for the first time, the Innr Smart Outdoor Light String switches to pairing mode and is easily found via the Hue app. The entire garland is displayed there as a simple lamp with a dimming function.
This is how bright the Innr Smart Outdoor Light String is
The colour temperature is set to a warm and cosy 2,200 Kelvin. The maximum brightness is quite impressive, with 110 lumens per bulb. The bottom line is 1,760 lumens, which is really impressive given the warm colour temperature. What’s more, the brightness per LED is not reduced when extensions are connected. With four extensions, you can achieve over 5,000 lumens – although I haven’t tried this yet.
Control via the Hue app is unproblematic, and the LEDs can be dimmed to an astonishing degree. Thanks to Matter, the Innr Smart Outdoor Light String can also be integrated into HomeKit, and control is also possible via a small button on the Zigbee controller.
The Innr Smart Outdoor Light String is of course suitable for outdoor use. IP65 is specified, and Innr also relies on safe low-voltage current from the transformer onwards. All in all a great thing, the only thing you have to do without is different shades of white and colours.
What about Philips Hue?
I don’t think we’ll see a garland of this kind from Philips Hue this year. But just imagine a piece like this with a gradient function, bright colours and dynamic colour gradients? That would be a gadget I would hang in my garden. And it would certainly be a great alternative or addition to the Festavia string lights.
Philips Hue Festavia String Lights
from $219.99 / €119.99 / £109.99
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.
