Gabe Turner: Hi, folks.
This is Gabe at Security Baron.
Today, we're comparing two of the mightiest bulbs out there.
The Hue and LIFX Smart Bulbs.
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Gabe: In today's comparison of the Phillips Hue and LIFX Smart Bulbs, I'm going to go
over some key similarities and differences, their design, their feature set, their installation
processes before diving into their respective mobile application to make sure you have all
the information you need to make the right decision.
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Gabe: If you like to see a list of all of our favorite smart bulbs, google, "Security
Baron best smart bulbs."
If you have question about today's comparison, leave us a comment and I'll get back to you.
Let's kick off today's comparison of the Phillip's Hue and LIFX Smart Bulbs by going over some
key similarities and, beginning with the similarities.
Each of these bulbs has the full RGB full color spectrum.
If you've seen a color before, you can likely recreate it using either one of these bulbs.
In addition, you can set up your scenes and schedules with both Hues and LIFX.
Which means that, if there's a particular way you want your lights to look when you
wake up in the morning or when you're watching a movie, or when you're going to bed, you
can set that up.
You can even group multiple lights together.
Finally, each of these bulbs integrates with the three major smart platforms, Apple, Amazon,
and Google.
No matter which service you use, you can control the bulb using just your voice.
When it comes to key differences between the two, the main thing is the hub versus hubless
design.
The Phillips Hue requires a Hue Bridge to work.
That means you have to take the Hue Bridge, attach it to your router, and then you can
connect your Phillips Hue bulb to your system.
Whereas, LIFX doesn't require anything but your mobile device and your WiFi to begin
working.
Another major difference would be the fact that the LIFX is an 1,100 lumens bulb, whereas
the Phillips Hue is just 800 lumens.
You're going to have brighter whites and just a brighter bulb all around with your LIFX
versus your Phillips Hue bulb.
Whoa, hold on.
I hope you're enjoying today's comparison of the Hue and LIFX smart bulbs.
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All right, let's get back to the video.
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Gabe: Now that we've gone over some key similarities and differences between the Phillips Hue and
LIFX smart bulbs, let's look at their design.
The Phillips Hue has a pretty traditional look to it.
It resembles what you'd see from most bulbs.
The shape is a little bit different and the base is significantly larger.
You got your Phillips Hue light and color logo at the bottom with your typical E26 base
so this can go into basically any lamp you can imagine.
I do think it's interesting to note the kind of frosted top and then you have the translucent
middle for this bulb.
I will note that it is very light.
Overall, just a pretty simple white aesthetic that I think will fit into home's decor.
Taking a look at the design of the LIFX, the first thing I have to note is that it is significantly
heavier than the Phillips Hue bulb.
This may have something to do with the fact that there is no hub for you LIFX.
I imagine there's maybe more going on inside.
You'll also note that this large base has a flat top bulb part to it.
Despite it being pretty thin and skinny and flat, it does produce 1,100 lumens so it's
actually one of the brighter smart bulbs out on the market.
Its base is for any E26 size lamp so it should fit into anything you have in your home.
I will state that it is a little bit more of a statement piece in terms of a bulb.
I think people see it and will definitely not conceive of it as a traditional bulb.
It just looks that different.
Overall, I do like the heavy substantive feel to it and the white aesthetic really shouldn't
be too much of an eyesore in anyone's home.
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Gabe: Now that we've gone over some key similarities and differences in the design of the Phillips
Hue and LIFX smart bulbs, let's talk about their feature sets, starting with some of
the elements they hold in common like the fact that you can control each of these remotely.
It doesn't matter where I am in the world I can control my LIFX bulb, my Phillips Hue
bulb, just using my mobile device in their respective applications.
Beyond that, I can actually use the smart platform integration.
If I want to bypass using the Hue app or the LIFX app, I can actually use the Home kit
or Amazon's smart assistant or even Google Assistant.
Those are all available to me once I actually integrate those apps, I can control them,
not only remotely, but with my voice.
If I have a smart speaker like the Amazon Echo Dot or the Google Home Mini, or an Apple
HomePod, I can control all these devices just using my voice in my home.
One top of that, you can set up scenes.
If you want to create a particular ambiance, I particularly like to have certain lights
on when I'm watching movies and even different lights for horror versus comedy and things
of that nature.
You can create those scenes using one or more bulbs with both Hue and LIFX.
Finally, I do like to set up schedules to give me a visual reminder that hey, "Gabe,
it's time to go to bed."
At 10: 00 PM, all my lights can go off or in the morning around 7:00, I can have all
my lights come on.
The ability to set up those scenes and schedule are useful and a common element of the LIFX
and Phillips Hue smart bulbs.
Each of these bulbs gives you the full RGB color spectrum so you really going to be able
to dial in that color that you want, give you the ambiance that you need in each room
that you find these bulbs.
You will find a distinction, however, in their lights.
They do have a different temperature range.
The Phillips Hue bulb goes from 2,000 to 6,500 Kelvin whereas the LIFX bulb goes from 2,500
to 9,000 Kelvin.
You're going to have some real distinction when it comes to the lights that you're able
to create.
You'll note that it's also matched when it comes to their brightness.
The Phillips Hue is 800 lumens whereas the LIFX bulb is 1,100 lumens.
That's a look at the feature sets on the Phillips Hue and LIFX smart bulbs.
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Gabe: Now that we've gone over their feature sets, let's compare the respective installation
processes for the Phillips Hue bulb and LIFX smart bulb.
The Phillips Hue bulb is a little bit more complicated simply because you need to set
up the Phillips Hue Bridge to begin with.
The Phillips Hue Bridge is pretty easy to set up.
You're going to take the Ethernet cable, the power cable, plug those in, make sure Ethernet
cable's connected to your home's router, and then you'll have to update the system.
Then from there you'll be walked through setting up your Phillips Hue smart bulb right in the
mobile application.
Once you go through and set up your Phillips Hue smart bulb, that entire process probably
shouldn't take you any more than 15 minutes.
However, when you look at the LIFX smart bulb, it is an easier process altogether simply
because you take your LIFX smart bulb, you screw into your lamp.
From there, you're going to use the mobile application on your Android and iOS device
to simply set it up by connecting to the WiFi network created momentarily or temporarily
by the LIFX smart bulb.
Then from there you connect it to your actual WiFi and boom, you're done.
You're set up, probably takes you less than five minutes.
That's a look at the installation processes for the Phillips Hue and LIFX smart bulbs.
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Gabe: Now that we have our smart bulbs installed, let's talk about the mobile app experience
with the Phillips Hue and LIFX smart bulbs.
You're going to control your Phillips Hue bulb with the Phillips Hue mobile application
and people are generally enjoying that experience.
There's a 4.4 in the Apple App Store and a 4.3 in the Google Play Store and as an early
adopter of the Phillips Hue bulb, I can say that it is now justified.
They've definitely been making incremental improvements to the application over time.
They've made it much easier for you to use it.
It's just more intuitive generally speaking.
Even you have just one bulb, you know exactly where to go in terms of changing the color,
changing the temperature, and we have multiple bulbs which I now have.
They've made it really easy to create groups, create different rooms so you can really control
the ambiance in your house at the tap of a finger.
Overall, I really appreciate the experience that you get when using the Phillips Hue mobile
application.
Shifting to the LIFX mobile application, it does not do as well in the Google Play and
Apple app stores where it has a 2.9 and a 2.5 respectively.
The 2.9 is OK, but the 2.5 in the Apple app store is basically just mediocre.
I honestly understand that rating.
If you look at the mobile application, the home page looks as if they've ported some
type of advertisement for the app directly to your mobile device.
You actually have to tap through a few more times to get to the actual useful elements
of the app like changing the color or the temperature.
While from there it does get pretty easy, I do think they could do a better job of simplifying
the process and making it a more intuitive overall experience.
I understand the poor app ratings for the LIFX smart bulb.
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Gabe: All right, we've come a long way with our Phillips Hue and LIFX smart bulb, and
you're wondering Gabe which direction should I go in?
Let me break it down for you.
With the Phillips Hue smart bulb, it's time tested.
They've been in the game for a long time with that full RGB color spectrum.
I do think that is reflected in the incremental improvements they've made to their mobile
application making it a generally intuitive experience.
It's not cheap to jump into the game with Phillips Hue as you're going to have to buy
the Phillips Hue Bridge which cost around $60 and Phillips Hue bulb which costs around
$50 so you're looking at over $100 just to begin using your smart bulb.
On the other hand, you have the LIFX smart bulb.
That's really easy for you to jump into the game, but it's going to cost you around $60.
With that, you get a nice, full color spectrum.
You get 1,100 lumens so it's very bright and you're just ready to go within five minutes.
I do have to note that the experience is not going to be as intuitive as you may be used
to with any other device be it smart home or not, simply because they've not done the
work to make it as an intuitive mobile application experience.
Its ratings are from mediocre to average in both the Apple app and Google Play store.
I do understand why they have those ratings.
On a personal note, I have had a ton of experience with these.
I've had each of them for well over a year at this point and think they can provide a
lot for you and your smart home.
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Gabe: That concludes our comparison of the Phillips Hue and LIFX smart bulbs.
If you appreciated today's comparison, give us a like and hit that subscribe button.
As always, this is Gabe at Security Baron, be secure.