Philips Hue Datura: Review of the new ceiling light

After Aurelle and Surimu, Philips Hue presented two more LED panels for the ceiling in June: Hue Tento and Hue Datura. I already shared a few words with you yesterday about the affordable Tento series, which will be available soon. Today we want to take a detailed look at the Philips Hue Datura, which I have already been able to install in my home.

The Philips Hue Datura is available in two round versions: you pay €299.99 for the model with a diameter of 38.4 centimetres and €399.99 for a diameter of 57.4 centimetres. This makes the Datura even more expensive than the Surimu, but it also offers a little more. The ceiling light is currently only available in the EU in the Philips Hue online shop.

I need to clarify a little about the maximum brightness. The official product page of the small version I tried out states quite prominently: ‘Up to 3,300 lumens’. However, the official data sheet also states 2,490 lumens at standard white and 3,840 lumens at 4,000 Kelvin, and numerous shops have also adopted this information. However, only the information on the Hue website is correct, the data sheet is still incorrect. This means that the small Datura is 2,150 lumens bright in standard white and up to 3,300 lumens at 4,000 Kelvin.

Which Hue Datura is suitable for which room size?

One question has arisen in the past with pretty much every ceiling light: Which variant suits which room size? According to independent information on the Internet, it should be 100 to 150 lumens per square metre in the living room, dining room or bedroom, and even 250 to 300 lumens per square metre in the kitchen or study.

My bedroom measures almost exactly 14 square metres and has large, floor-to-ceiling windows. However, I can’t really get on with the standard values mentioned above, because the small Hue Datura with its 2,490 lumens in standard white is too dark for me, even in combination with the two Hue Twilight bedside lamps in my bedroom. I would only use them up to around 10 square metres, and the larger model is probably more advisable for around 15 square metres.

I will be switching to the large model of the ceiling light in the coming weeks and will then provide you with a short update.

Installing the Hue Datura on the ceiling

In principle, you can install the Hue Datura on your own, you don’t necessarily need a helping hand. Firstly, the bracket for the light is attached to the ceiling with two screws. The light itself is then suspended using one or two wire ropes so that it does not need to be held in place during wiring.

Once the power supply has been established, the Hue Datura is simply clipped into the bracket. This works best if you are standing on a ladder and can sort the cables a little while the ceiling light snaps into the bracket. It was really no big deal.

I had previously installed a track system in the bedroom. What do you do with the drill holes, which don’t look quite so smart on the white ceiling? Of course, you can mix a filler yourself, plaster the holes, sand them down and paint them. If you don’t have such high standards and manual skills, you can use a repair filler from Fischer, as I did. In my opinion, even non-professionals can use it and the results are fine.

The Hue Datura in the Philips Hue app

Unlike the Hue Dymera wall light released in spring or the Hue Twilight bedside lamp, the Hue Datura does not have the MSL chip from Philips Hue. The two separately controllable light sources are therefore not automatically grouped together in the Hue app, but are displayed as two individual light sources. Given the price, I would have expected the latest technology.

For me personally, this is not a big deal in the bedroom, as I set the scenes I use once and then usually control them using smart switches. I have programmed the two wall switch modules to the left and right of the bed so that they initially only activate a soft night light. This works really well with the upward-facing LEDs.

Which light you let shine white and which light you let shine colourful is of course up to you. Of course, you can also switch on just one of the two light sources. All in all, a really great effect that I really like.

There are also plus points for the general design and workmanship. Unlike the Hue Aurelle or Hue Surimu, the Philips Hue Datura has a frameless design, which looks really great. The quality and materials such as aluminium are also reflected in the weight – the small Hue Datura weighs 3.15 kilograms. The much simpler Hue Tento weighs just 1.08 kilograms for a similar size.

Conclusion: The Hue Datura is expensive, but great

Apart from the fact that I prefer to use the larger model in my bedroom, I am satisfied with the Hue Datura. The only thing I can’t understand is the decision not to use the new multi-source light technology. However, the two separately controllable light sources are quite impressive, and the design and quality are just right.

And the price? It’s undoubtedly high, but we know that from the Hue cosmos. If you don’t have a bit of time, it will certainly be a bit cheaper in the shops towards autumn.