Amazon have a one day sale on with Philips Hue lighting kits for £79.99. Normal price is £149.99 so nearly 47% discount.

Kits include the hub and 3 x colour bulbs. GU10, E27 and B22 kits available.

Other kits are available but the 2 x Bloom and 1 x Strip kit has now sold out.

For an extra £10 you can get it with the Echo Dot 3rd Gen

Just buy the cheap Alexa compatible ones that come on offer, no need for a hub and can be bought for about £12-15 each.

What happens when the bulbs go? (Loads of my LEDs have given up)

I’d hope the Phillips LEDS would last a lot longer than crappy bargain basement ones. I’m sure there are some long term test reports available seeing as they’ve been around for ages now!

You replace them.

Ikea bulbs are also compatible with Hue but from my experience the light levels are not the same and the range of colour temperature is lower too.

I cannot comment on other cheaper options but in most cases reviews say the Hue range fare better.

Genuine lazy question – What’s good about these set ups?.

Just better innit? Like a smartwatch that might make your life 0.1% more convenient. Why not if you can afford it? Who wants to get up to switch the lights like a caveman anyway 🙂

I think they’re genuinely useful for lamps, etc, for example one of mine you have to kind of reach awkwardly down behind the sofa otherwise to reach the switch. If you’ve got various lamps, lights etc you can program them all to come on/off at the same time. Also set up various lighting scenes e.g. for watching films, etc which is pretty useful if you have various different lights/lamps. I have one that puts a really bright spot over where I sit when I want to do origami! The colour changing ones are a fun gimmick too.

As Zilog says.

The colour lamps are good if you use subtle colours as you can create a really nice ambient light level and with the Hue Disco App parties become full on raves!

I’ve got 4 Ikea GU10’s in my porch lights and the ability to change these is a nice touch too.

The reason I want some is that my house is gloomy in the daytime, so I want it to be able to put the lights on a daylight colour in the day and a warmer colour at night.

You replace them.

This made me laugh more than it should.

Are there any particular advantages or pitfalls to choosing the hub over the echo?

If you have enough of them and set them up properly you can change the entire colour and mood of a room by a single voice command. You can also make individual or groups of light bulbs change in reaction to music or whatever show/movie is playing on your TV. The possibilities are endless in terms of designing scenes to suit your room layout. I have a few cheap globe type table lamps from Ikea with a hue colour bulb in each one, they really transformed my living room, cheaper than redecorating anyway.

That is a cracking price for the Hue bulbs actually. Don’t think I’ve ever seen them that cheap (sometimes you get them 3 for 2). The bridge is already essentially free anyway when you buy the starter pack so these are basically just half price bulbs!

I’ve tried some cheap bulbs over the years and none of those were bright enough, the Hue bulbs are definitely bright enough for a room. I was quiet impressed with the brightness.

I use daylight bulbs quite a lot and previously screwed/unscrewed bulbs in/out depending if I wanted a warm or cool light. I can now just change the temperature of the colour just by asking Alexa, or I can have it change automatically based on light levels or time of sunset. Also now have a couple of lights setup so they turn on in the morning and turn off when I go to work and a few others that turn on before sunset. I’ll buy a motion/light sensor so it can turn on when it goes below a light level.

The possibilities are nearly endless, you can setup a routine so that if your SO rings your mobile, you can get the lights to flash a certain colour, or maybe just set a timer and have the lights flash when it hits 0.. The hardest part is thinking of what is actually going to be useful.

Hue Disco App…

Is it actually any good!?? Honestly interested, I want to re-live the 90’s again! 😉

Are there any particular advantages or pitfalls to choosing the hub over the echo?

I might be wrong, but unless the echo has the Philips hub built in, like the Echo plus, you will need a Philips hub to do any smart things with the lights, like setting timers/wake/sleep/etc. I think you can turn lights on and things without a hub, but smart features won’t work as you don’t have a hub that makes it smart.

Balls, I’ve just talked myself into this and they’re full price again now.

Damn, I was going to order some when I sat down later!

Edit: the hub and set of three colour bulbs are still available

Sounds pish to be honest.

It’s funny because nearly everything Philips makes is shit* but for some reason the bulbs are great

* I think that’s because whatever price point you go to buy something Philips has placed something there that is a bit cheaper and the spec is great.  Unfortunately they just haven’t gone as far as making it work properly 🙁

The reason I want some is that my house is gloomy in the daytime, so I want it to be able to put the lights on a daylight colour in the day and a warmer colour at night.

I have a bulb that switches between two colour temperatures, one approx daylight the other warm, and you switch the mode by switching it off and on again. Simple.

Balls, I’ve just talked myself into this and they’re full price again now.

the “deal of the day” starter kits (3 bulbs + hub) are still on offer for another 4 hrs.

Link?  I can only find the Edison Screw versions.

These are all the deals. If you need B22s they’re available at a good price but without a hub. Only E27s & GU10s are available with the hubs on this deal.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/apb/page/ref=gbps_ulm_m-5_ab09_8e839926?handlerName=OctopusDealLandingStream&deals=8e839926&marketplaceId=A1F83G8C2ARO7P&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_p=3bf89d69-baaf-4367-be00-f5a0d59eab09&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-5&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=161428031&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=8QCA59S0A2XPKPCXYCNR

3 colour bulbs with no hub also still available for £60 something.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-White-Colour-Ambience-3-Pack/dp/B07HHRCCVZ

Do you need the hub though?  That’s £50 on its own.  Though I just found this, £80 for 2 bulbs and a hub.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-White-Colour-Ambiance-Starter/dp/B07BVQZSGG

Hm.  Maybe I’ll wait till next year.

Yes you do need it! However I’ve just ordered a GU10 starter with a hub I don’t need as it’s too good a deal to pass up! So you can have it if you want.

My kits are being delivered today.

4 hubs for sale if anyone wants one?

Do you need the hub though?  That’s £50 on its own.  Though I just found this, £80 for 2 bulbs and a hub.

No, forget the Philips bulbs and but the cheaper alternatives that need no hub.

Yes you do need it! However I’ve just ordered a GU10 starter with a hub I don’t need as it’s too good a deal to pass up! So you can have it if you want.

Gods damn it, the bulbs are back up to full price now.

You replace them.

I have a question about that….

Looks like the deal was over subscribed as only 2 kits arrived!

Currys have some deals on these two, just pickup up a starter kit and echo dot for £50

Looks to be the Edison screw type again though?

I got an order in with Currys earlier for 2 x starter kits that include Hub, 2 x B22 White & Colour and a Google Home Mini.

I only want the bulbs but considering they are around £50 each normally I’ll be selling the hubs and Google thing.

E27 fitting is about £1 in Wickes so what you all moaning about?

Just in case people weren’t aware, the GU10 colour bulbs are a fair bit longer than normal ones and don’t fit a lot of housings (assuming they’re covered).

Curvature, how much for a hub?  Are they the square ones?

Rockhopper – £25 posted. Yes it’s the Mk2 version and square.

PM incoming.

Anyone still have a hub going spare?