FabianIn June, Philips Hue launched several new products, including the new Hue Play floor lamp. Its design is clearly reminiscent of the Philips Hue Gradient Signe, which has been available for several years now. The price difference between the two floor lamps, however, is striking. I’d like to explain the differences to you—just as I did with the smaller table lamps.
The two versions of the Hue Play floor lamp and all prices
The Philips Hue Play floor lamp is available in two different versions: compact and large. The difference is actually just 12.5 centimeters and a few lumens. The compact floor lamp (which you see here in the article) stands 122.5 centimeters tall, while the larger model is 135 centimeters tall.
And to make matters even more complicated: Aside from the Philips Hue online store, the smaller version—which officially costs 139.99 euros—is only available on Amazon. The larger Hue Play floor lamp is available for 149.99 euros, though not on Amazon, but rather from other retailers.
One thing, however, is always the same: the Hue Play floor lamp is only available with a black housing. And that’s already the first major difference from the Philips Hue Gradient Signe.
The Hue Gradient Signe is significantly more expensive
While the new Play lamps are comparatively affordable, the Hue Gradient Signe will set you back a pretty penny. Following the latest price increase, the manufacturer’s suggested retail price is 339.99 euros. In return, however, you can choose between a white or black housing. The white model is also available with a base featuring a wood inlay, though at 359.99 euros, it’s even more expensive.
Do you get more light for that? Not when it comes to the length of the built-in LED strip, at least. At around 125 centimeters, the strip in the Hue Gradient Signe is exactly the same length as in the larger Hue Play floor lamp. However, the Signe delivers significantly higher brightness, doesn’t it?
The thing about maximum brightness
The Hue Gradient Signe reaches up to 2,550 lumens. The Hue Play floor lamp, on the other hand, only reaches 925 or 1,040 lumens. However, this maximum brightness is only achieved with cool white light at 4,000 Kelvin. A light setting that’s probably rarely used with a floor lamp like this.
The light output at 2,700 Kelvin is also interesting, showing an intriguing trend. With the Hue Gradient Signe, it drops by about 30 percent to “only” 1,800 lumens. The Hue Play floor lamp, on the other hand, loses only about 5 percent of its maximum brightness at standard white, ending up at 880 or 990 lumens.
When colorful hues come into play—which is quite likely given the practical gradient function—the difference in brightness is barely noticeable to the naked eye.
The Hue Play Floor Lamp Can Display More Light Segments
When it comes to color gradients, the Hue Play Floor Lamp actually has the edge, as it can display significantly smaller segments and thus create correspondingly better color gradients and smoother transitions. While this isn’t as noticeable on the large floor lamps as it is on the small table lamps, overall the Play series clearly has the upper hand here.
For floor lamps, the Gradient Signe has 10 segments, compared to 20 and 18 segments, respectively, for the Hue Play floor lamp.
Build Quality and Base of the Two Floor Lamps
Overall, the Hue Gradient Signe is built to a significantly higher standard; its housing is made of aluminum rather than plastic. Unlike the budget-friendly competition from Govee, however, the Hue Play floor lamp also arrives as a single piece, and from a certain distance, you definitely can’t tell that the housing is made of plastic rather than metal.
What I like about the Gradient Signe is that the power adapter is built into the base and features a Euro plug at the end of the two-meter-long cable. The cable on the Hue Play floor lamp, on the other hand, is detachable and ends with a power adapter. At least it’s not as bulky as we’re used to seeing with older Hue products.
The bottom line: The Hue Play series has nothing to hide
The smaller floor lamp from the Hue Play series was already available in stores for 109.99 euros—which was an excellent Prime Day deal. The regular price is likely to settle between 120 and 135 euros—that’s half the market price of the Gradient Signe and probably the very best argument in favor of the Hue Play series.
But even when it comes to lighting, this affordable floor lamp has nothing to hide. While the brightness is much lower on paper, in practice there are no noticeable differences when using colorful lighting settings.
If you don’t necessarily want the premium model with a white housing, then you’ll definitely get a great deal with the new Hue Play floor lamp.
Hue Play Floor lamp compact
€139.99
Hue Play floor lamp large
$149.99 / €149.99
