We have been spending a lot of time with Philips Hue lately thanks to our recent story on their new Philips Hue HDMI Sync Box, allowing us to discover something we hadn’t had the chance to talk about yet–the Philips Hue Play Light Bars.
These light bars are an extension of the already massive Philips Hue lineup of product that allows you to add light to other areas of the house you might not have thought about just yet. With their normal bulbs, you have your lamps, downlights and more covered, but what about furniture and TVs? What about artwork and other forms of decor that is missing the opportunity of getting its own spotlight?
They connect to your Hue Bridge just like any other Hue lightbulb would. You can then find unique places for them thanks to the pieces they come with, that allow you to mount them on the wall, or stand them up in either direction (vertically or horizontally). You can light the space behind furniture or decor, allowing you to create focal points throughout the room. Maybe uplight the backside of a large plant or space around the top of a table filled with antiques. You can find creative ways of focusing the light on wall decor or light the inside of diffused (semi-transparent) containers or displays. Maybe add some visual spice to your Halloween decor. You are only limited to where your mind can take you.
Now, add in the ability to change the color to whatever you want just like any other Hue bulb/light, as well as the ability to control everything from an app or scene, and you have gold.
Then, you have the ability to also mount them behind or around your TV and sync them to their Philips Hue HDMI Sync Box, so that they can interact with the colors on the TV screen (along with other lights throughout the room).
Philips seems to always be thinking about ways they can expand their Hue lineup, as well as your financial investment into their products. They, like any of the Hue line, are a little pricey. No surprise there really. However, they are so much fun. So it’s a balance between wants and needs, but if you have the budget and the want is strong enough, you could easily spend a fortune lighting your house in all sorts of ways.
They come in two color options (body), including black and white. Both feature white faces/diffusers of course. Both have the option of buying them as a single fixture or a pack of two (as mentioned). You are looking at around $60-70 per light depending on if you buy them (in the single package or a dual pack), and you save $10 by buying two in a set. So pricey? Oh yes. But oh so much fun.
Our Conclusion
This was quite an easy one, bringing us to our conclusion here quickly. In the end, we had a lot of fun running around and using them in various situations. They got a lot of play around a large TV while making use of the new Philips Sync Box, and then it was just random ideas to see how they added to each room in various ways. They aren’t for everyone since running these all over is not for the faint of heart (or at least those not looking to spend a bunch of money on décor or effects lighting). You have to buy into the bridge and then into every light that you want to add to your setup (not to mention regular bulbs or any other Hue product that might catch your attention). The price can add up pretty fast, so it was really the only thing that affected our final score this round. However, for those who might be looking for this kind of thing in their life, these really know how to deliver.
| Buy from Amazon | Buy from Philips | |
Our Rating | Average Price* $129.99 (Two-Pack) |
*Average price is based on the time this article was published
Related Videos:
Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box with Play Light Bars and More
Additional Images:
Specifications:
- Lifetime up to 25,000 hour(s)
- Light source equivalent to traditional bulb of 42 W
- Total lumen output fixture: 530 lm
- Bulb technology: LED, Safety Extra Low Voltage
- Light color: 2000-6500 Hue White Color Ambiance
- Mains power: Range 100 V – 240 V, 50-60 Hz
- Fixture dimmable: Yes
- Wattage bulb included: 6.6 W
- Maximum wattage replacement bulb: 6.6 W
- IP code: IP20, protection against objects bigger than 12.5 mm, no protection against water
- Class of protection: III – safe extra-low voltage
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