Philips Hue bulbs are definitely not cheap, but here are some tips to consider when buying Philips Hue bulbs to save money in the long run.
A great way to take your home lights to a whole new level is to buy Philips Hue lights, smart connected bulbs that connect to your home WiFi network and allow you to control them from your smartphone and from anywhere in the world.
However, they can be quite expensive. The flagship Philips Hue starter kit is $200, which includes the required Hue Bridge (which connects all your bulbs and allows them to communicate over WiFi) and three Hue color bulbs.
You’ll probably spend more than that, as three bulbs isn’t usually enough to have Hue bulbs in all the rooms you want them in, so you’ll probably get a handful more to complete your setup. In fact, you could spend as much as $600 to equip only a few rooms of your home with Philips Hue bulbs, which is no laughing matter.
The good news is that there are ways to save money on Philips Hue lights. If you want Philips Hue but want to spend as little money as possible, here are some tips to keep in mind.
Used Buy
Perhaps the best way to save money on Philips Hue lights is to buy them used from a third-party service like eBay.
Better still, if you don’t mind the improvements over the second-gen Hue Bridge (which really only has HomeKit and Siri support) then you can get away with getting the first-gen Bridge. the market is better than the new Bridge.
However, I was able to find second generation starter kits for under $150 (normally brand new for $200). on eBayand most single Hue color bulbs were available for less than $50 (normally $60 brand new).
Buy Smart
If you’d rather buy a brand new one than a used one, at least get a smart one. While you can spend more up front, you’ll save money in the long run by taking advantage of a few of these tips.
For starters, if you want to upgrade to the new Hue Bridge and you already have Philips Hue bulbs, go ahead and get the starter kit anyway. Not only will you get the second-generation bulbs, but these three new bulbs will cost about $46 less per bulb, saving you about $42 off the bat compared to $60 if you buy them separately.
Philips new Hue Bridge comes with a new design as well as HomeKit support.
Also, Philips Hue is famous for its color changing bulbs, and some people think that’s all the company has to offer, but if you don’t need colored lights, you can save a ton of money. Hue White bulbswhich is much cheaper at just $15 per bulb. That’s a really good price for a smart connected bulb.
If you want to save even more money on Hue White bulbs and are interested in getting the Hue Dimmer Switch from Philips, Dimmer Switch Kit for $35, comes with a Hue White bulb. A Dimmer Switch costs $25 on its own, so technically you only spend $10 on a Hue White bulb. That’s a crazy good price, especially considering there are so many non-smart bulbs that cost this much.
Also a Hue White starter kitIt’s priced at $80 and comes with the Hue Bridge and two Hue White bulbs. As Bridge alone costs $60, you’ll only pay $10 per bulb if you go this route.
Buy Lightstrip Plus Alternative
Alongside the bulbs, Philips also sells a smart connected light strip, but it’s quite expensive. $90 for a six-foot strip – much more expensive than light bulbs.
But if you want the same features as the Lightstrip Plus, you can buy a third-party kit for a little less. A company called Dresden Electronics Sells a smart connected light strip kit for around $75$15 cheaper than Philips’ own offering.
Plus, if you already have light strips, you can save even more money, as you can with a wireless electronic ballast that turns those dumb lights into smart connected lights. about $55.
