Philips Hue Outdoor smart lights review - bollard & spotlight

Описание: Get Philips Outdoor Lights: https://amzn.to/3unylLv
Read more: http://www.TechGadgetsCanada.com
Smart lights are the future. Remote and voice control plus colour shifting ability is just the way our homes are
going. I've written before about how much I love smart lighting, and in particular, I've lauded Philips Hue's lineup
for it's ease of set up and use and it's flawless interface and functionality. So I was thrilled to find out Philips Hue
had introduced a whole array of weatherproof outdoor lights.

I recently got some Philips Hue Bollards, and Philips Hue Spotlights to test in my yard.

I started my setup with the Bollards. First you'll undo some screws with the specially included star shaped Allen
key and remove them, taking care not to lose track of the tiny rubber washers designed to keep water out of
your brand new lights. This will allow you to remove the bottom of the light to pull the cord out and connect your
wires.
You have a couple of options for securing the light. You can use the sturdy metal stake to set it in the ground, or
you can screw it into your deck. If you choose this option you’ll have to drill through the small post holes in the
base of the device and set some screws before attaching the base to your deck, then attaching the light top to
the base with those screws you removed earlier.

Not surprisingly these outdoor lights are made to withstand the weather. Philips says they are "made for wet
environments". They are IP65 rated that means they're "dust tight" and protected against water projected from a
nozzle.
So they should withstand rain and snow; will they survive being flooded? I can't say.

To set Philips Hue lights up in the app download the Phillips Hue app then go to "Light set up" then, "Add light".
Then hit Search. After a few seconds the app will find your light and add it to all the lights in your house. This
worked perfectly for me with both the Hue Bollards and the Hue Spotlights.
The spotlights can be set up and controlled individually; you’ll find them one by one in the app. You can label
them each so you know exactly where they are if you prefer.

I will say getting these lights on a set schedule to come on in the evening and turn o
ff
in the morning was a
challenge and I struggled with getting this simple task to work. it's still not working right for me.

The Hue app also gives you simple remote control over the lights any time. You can shut them
o
ff
and turn them on, or create rooms where lights are grouped together, adjust brightness, colour, or use preset
colour stories.
OC - in house with assistant
Thanks to Hue's compatibility with all the smart home digital assistants, you can control your lights with your
voice too. Once you get the lights added to the Home control app of your choice, you can ask Siri, Alexa or
Google to control the lights, change colours, set brightness and more.
VO
The lights are very nice, and having some colour outdoors is a real treat. Are they bright enough to create a safe
walking environment? I think so.
OC
Both the Bollards and the Spotlights put out 700 lumens per light. A 100 w bulb by comparison puts out about
1600 lumens. So they're technocall;y not as bright - maybe more ambient than safety focused.? Even so I found
them quite bright outdoors in dark areas, and I can say they seemed more like 60 watt bulbs than 100, but they
provided more than ample illumination for my needs.
VO
You can connect 5 Bollards to one power supply; one power supply comes with each light. You can also add
additional spotlights to the starter trio, but it's not clear how many it tops out at.
OC
I love, love, love these lights. I'm still enthralled by the Philips Hue user experience overall and I recommend it
highly for folks looking for an easy entry into the smart lighting sphere. They're easy for anyone at all from kids to
seniors to the non-technically inclined to get set up and to use.
The colour change options are fun, and the smartphone control is easy to use.
Downsides? These are expensive:
Bollard $169 each
Spot $349 3/pack
So I really hope they last for years in a harsher outdoor environment. Another downside for some? they need that
Hue Bridge to work.
The timer/scheduling function was also confusing and didn't work right for me. Even so, the lights work great
overall, and with smartphone and voice control, I was able to get around the timer schedule function not
working. Overall I love all the fun colour settings.
If you're looking to brighten up and colorize your outdoor space, I can definitely recommend Philips Hue Bollards
and Spotlights.