FabianI’d actually already had the new Philips Hue kitchen lighting on my list for September, but that didn’t pan out. The next launch window opens in January; Philips Hue typically unveils some new products at CES in Las Vegas. For me, kitchen lighting is now at the very top of my list, because last week new product pages briefly went live on the Philips Hue website.
The product pages—which have since been taken down—featured the Philips Hue Linear Gradient Lightbar and the Philips Hue spotlights for base cabinets. I can now also provide you with technical details and the first official product images.
This is the Philips Hue Linear Gradient Lightbar
This product isn’t entirely new—it’s been available for over a year through the German kitchen manufacturer Nobilia. Now, it’s set to hit regular retail channels in a modified form. Plans include starter sets consisting of two lightbars as well as individual extensions. The Linear Gradient Lightbar will be available with a black or white aluminum housing.
Philips Hue positions the Gradient Linear Lightbar primarily as under-cabinet lighting for kitchens, cabinets, and shelves, but also for other areas of the home. The idea is to combine task lighting and mood lighting in a single system: bright daylight for cooking or working, warm white for dining, and colored gradient effects for indirect wall lighting.
The lightbars are mounted under cabinets using small clamps and are exactly 60 centimeters long. Up to five lightbars can be connected together to form a total length of 3 meters and powered by a single power source. Connected lightbars are recognized as a single light in the Hue app. A 60-centimeter-long lightbar emits 700 lumens of light; adding additional elements increases the brightness.
These are the Philips Hue Under Cabinet Spotlights
These small spots have never been available in this form before; they are an entirely new product. Philips Hue plans to offer starter kits, each containing three spots, as well as individual add-ons—both in black and white. Up to six spots can be connected to a single controller and power supply and controlled together. Each of the small spots emits up to 250 lumens.
Philips Hue positions the spots as flexible lighting for kitchen countertops and other surfaces under cabinets or shelves. The light is designed to provide both functional task lighting and colored mood lighting.
According to the technical specifications, the spots have a diameter of 8.3 centimeters and a height of 2 centimeters. The connection cable is permanently attached, and all spotlights are connected together to a controller and the power supply.
I don’t yet have any reliable information regarding prices. While there are already some retailers that have listed the products in their online stores, the prices shown there vary widely. But we’ll surely find that out by the time the product launches, which is likely in January.
