Hands-on: The Hue Secure Camera USB-C cable

This text could be quite short in principle, but I’ll try to expand a little anyway. It’s about the new USB-C cable for powering the Hue Secure Camera, which the manufacturer has been offering for €19.99 in its own online store for a few weeks now.

With this USB-C cable, you can retire the supplied power cable, which is also three meters long and has a permanently connected transformer. We are all very familiar with the bulky power supply unit, which is not only used in the cameras but also in numerous other Hue products. For example, in the Hue Sync Box or the Gradient Signe table lamp, to name just two examples.

With the cable, you can finally retire the thick plug and replace it with a compact USB-C charger. “You can use any USB-C adapter as long as its input voltage is 9 V or 12 V with USB Power Delivery,” says Philips Hue. For an initial test, I opted for a small 20 watt power adapter from Baseus, which worked perfectly.

Unfortunately, the cable itself is not a highlight

But we also need to talk about the cable for a moment. After all, unlike the standard cable supplied, it is not printed with any regulatory information along its entire length. For 19.99 euros, however, you could have expected a little more than absolute basic quality, such as a cable braided with nylon, as is now absolutely standard on the smartphone accessories market. Or even different lengths, because if there is a power supply nearby, you really don’t need three meters of cable.

Ultimately, the Hue Secure Camera USB-C cable is probably quite a niche product, but perhaps it is a small problem solver for you. In principle, it would be desirable if Philips Hue continued to equip products with USB-C, as this would offer enormous advantages in practice.

Hue Secure USB-C-Cable

$19.99

Easily charge or power your Hue Secure camera indoors with this white USB C power cable. At 9.8ft long, this cable gives you more flexibility when placing your cameras.

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