FabianAt the beginning of September, Philips Hue launched the new Hue Essential series. I already found the new GU10 spotlights to be absolutely solid, and today we’re continuing with the A60 bulbs. Unlike the GU10 spotlights, these bulbs are also available in the US.
One thing is clear: the price is hot. A single classic, colored Hue bulb with 800 lumens has the same list price as the 4-pack of the new Hue Essential series: €59,99. In this case, the price per bulb is only €15.
Let’s take a quick look at the technical data first. The lamp can display white tones from 2,200 to 6,500 Kelvin, which is absolutely standard. The 806 lumens are also classic average; the expensive Hue lamps are also available with 1,100 or 1,600 lumens. But then for significantly more money.
The only really relevant difference, in my opinion, is the minimum dimming level. According to the manufacturer’s specifications, this is 2 percent of the maximum brightness for the Hue Essential series. Here you can already see a clear difference to the expensive light bulbs. However, this is only really relevant if you want to use the lamp as a night light in a completely dark room.
The Hue Essential lamp’s color rendering is excellent
I was pleasantly surprised by the color rendering. There’s hardly any compromise with the Hue Essential lamp. Red, blue, green, orange, pink – everything is vibrant and rich. Only dark purple seems a little weak.
When I looked very closely, I noticed a slightly dark “trace” at the edge between the white and transparent plastic. It’s hard to see in the picture, but I hope you can make it out in the following photo. However, this detail is hardly noticeable at high brightness, and in most cases, the bulb is hidden behind a lampshade anyway.
Another detail is not mentioned on the packaging or on the official product page: Matter over Thread. A Matter code can be found on the Hue Essential lamp itself. Why Philips Hue doesn’t mention support for the smart home standard anywhere is a mystery to me.
If you want to equip a room in your home with colored light, the new Hue Essential lamp is an absolutely suitable candidate. With a unit price of 15 euros, the 4-pack is definitely an inexpensive option.
Hue Essential smart bulb
$24.99 / €24.99
