• Philips is launching a ceiling light that mimics the look of a real skylight
• It automatically adjusts daylight temperature as the day goes on
• The skylight looks very realistic, but lacks smart home support

Philips is one of our favorite home lighting brands, and it’s launching a new ceiling light that mimics daylight and creates the effect of a skylight — and it looks spectacular.

The Philips Skylight is designed to replicate natural lighting and outdoor environments indoors, using a blend of advanced LED and Philips’ NatureConnect technologies. Signify, Philips’ manufacturer, says the skylight is “inspired by the natural brightness, depth and rhythm of sunlight”.

It’s a great option for windowless rooms if the design of your roof doesn't allow you to fit a skylight, or you want to save yourself the hassle and expense of having one fitted.

Before now, Signify limited the Philips Skylight to professional settings (offices, medical environments, and so on), but now the ceiling light will be available for everyone when it launches later this month in most regions (Signify says the Skylight be available in the US in September).

The Philips Skylight comes in four models: the Philips Skylight Medium, Philips Skylight Large, Philips Skylight VitaUp Medium, and Philips Skylight VitaUp Large, with prices starting at 499.99 euros (about $580 / £430).

Each variant comes with a slim ceiling profile for mounting, a remote control, five preset lighting scenes, and Philips’ Day Rhythm tool which automatically adjusts color temperature and brightness throughout the day. All models have an IP44 rating, meaning the Philips Skylight can be fitted in bathrooms and other humid environments.

The VitaUp models come with an integrated UV-B module built to support the body’s natural vitamin D production indoors. This also includes a handful of safety measures, including automatic shut-off which happens after eight hours.

In images shared by Philips, the Skylight's outdoor light imitation looks surprisingly convincing, and there are obvious benefits for wellbeing. More people are spending more time indoors and out of natural daylight, so devices like this are becoming increasingly sought after.

However, despite its cleverness, the Philips Skylight is not a Hue product. Philips produces some of the best smart lights out there, but its new ceiling light doesn't offer smart connectivity. This means it doesn’t connect to Wi-Fi or work with Matter over Thread, so you can't integrate it into your existing smart home setup, and you’ll have to use the included remote to control it manually.

Given how impressive the Philips Skylight looks, and its price tag, that's a shame. Let's hope Philips adds smart home connectivity to a future version.

• Philips' new TV light sync box uses WiZ rather than Hue
• Includes 4K 120Hz passthrough, so you don't lose use of a key TV port
• £129 to £149 including lightstrip; US launch TBC

Signify has launched a new Philips HDMI sync box, but it's not for the Philips Hue range: it's part of the Philips Smart Lighting range, and uses smart technology from WiZ instead.

That's good news, because Hue is positioned as a premium product with prices to match, and Wiz is much cheaper. My Hue Play Sync Box, while excellent, is also very expensive: it had an official price of £299 / $349 at launch, although it's widely discounted now. The new sync box is £129 to £149.

The new product is called the Philips Smart Lighting HDMI Sync Box 2.1 and it comes with a bundled lightstrip in a choice of two sizes, one for TVs from 55 to 65 inches and one for TVs of 75 to 85 inches.

What's the difference between Philips Smart Lighting Sync and Hue Sync?

The Philips Smart Lighting HDMI 2.1 Sync Box isn't designed to work with any Hue system or the Hue app. It's a purely WiZ affair, and uses WiZ's app. The only thing that isn't WiZ is the branding, presumably because Philips has better brand cachet.

In terms of what the box offers, it's much the same as the Hue I love so much (or one of Philips' Ambilight TVs, which basically have a smart lightstrip built in). You connect it to your TV and it changes the lightstrip to match what's going on on screen, making the image feel larger and more immersive.

I particularly like mine when I'm gaming: playing Horizon: Forbidden West was spectacular with in-game sunsets.

Signify is also expanding the Philips Smart Lighting range with other products including gradient floor lights and bars, table lamps and multiple flexible strips, with models up to 20m long for the European market and in the UK, models with 5m lengths. All of these new products are much more affordable than the equivalent Hues, so for example the cheapest lightstrip will be £23.99.

The new products will all launch in the UK and Europe in June 2026. They'll be coming to other countries too, but launch dates and prices haven't been announced just yet.

• Philips Hue are getting a new Sports Live feature for the World Cup
• It will sync Hue smart lights to the action during games
• You don't need any extra hardware, just the lights and the Hue app

As a long-time Philips Hue user, and a big fan of this brand of smart lights, I'm looking forward to trying out a newly announced Sports Live feature during the World Cup — as long as it doesn't signal goals before they've actually happened.

Philips Hue lights have long been able to change color and brightness based on what's happening on a TV screen, but you need a compatible television or an HDMI Sync Box to get the feature. With Sports Live the lights change in real-time based on "live match data", with no additional hardware required.

That's according to the announcement from Philips Hue parent company Signify. Apparently the lights will shift for "key moments" such as goals, yellow cards, and red cards, during the soccer World Cup 2026.

"Easy to set up and in time for the world's biggest football event of the year, soccer at home has never felt so real," says Signify, though it sounds as though the feature is only going to be available for this one upcoming tournament, which starts on Thursday, June 11. That's a disappointment.

No spoilers please

It's also going to be interesting to see how this works. The live match data comes straight from the web to the Hue app, so presumably you'll need to tell the app when you've actually started watching it – and give your smart lights a heads up if you decide to pause or rewind the action at any point.

I don't want to be in a situation where my smart lights are flashing to tell me England have scored (or conceded, which is perhaps more likely), while the action on my TV screen is still several seconds behind.

"The system allows users to fine-tune timings to account for minor broadcasting delays," according to Signify. "If users choose to pause the action, lighting effects are also paused and — upon resuming — sync to current, live match events for a consistent and accurate real-time experience."

Sports Live will support an unlimited number of smart lights apparently, and there will be a certain level of customization on offer: you'll be able to select your favorite team, and its main strip color will be used as part of the suite of smart lighting effects.

IKEA Varmblixt LED lamp: two-minute review

IKEA's color-shifting Varmblixt smart lamp, with its donut-shaped frosted glass diffuser, makes a striking focal point. It's easy to operate using the switch included in the box, and it casts a soft glow whether you use it on a table or mounted on a wall.

The Varmblixt was designed by Dutch artist Sabine Marcelis and comes with a preset palette of pastel hues designed to complement its curves. Pressing the button on its remote once will turn it on, and double-pressing will switch to the next shade in the sequence.

This works well straight out of the box (and handing it to visitors so they can change the mood lighting during dinner is fun), but the Varmblixt really comes into its own when used with the IKEA Home Smart mobile app. This lets you choose from a much larger range of colors, adjust the lamp's brightness, and link it to other IKEA smart devices such as motion sensors and scroll wheel switches.

You can even incorporate it into a mix-and-match smart home setup using the Matter protocol. To do this, you'll need IKEA's Dirigera smart hub, so be prepared for that extra expense if you want to use the Varmblixt's smart capabilities.

Connecting the Varmblixt to the Home Smart app wasn't quite as straightforward as it should have been and involved some trial and error. You should be able to link any IKEA smart home device by scanning the QR code on the item or its packaging, but the app failed to connect to the Varmblixt (or the Bilresa switches I later used to control it).

I eventually found that I could get around the problem by waiting for the connection failure notification to appear in the app, then selecting the option to connect without Bluetooth. The lamp and switches were then linked to the app without a hitch.

Once your devices are linked, IKEA's app is extremely simple to use and is a good introduction to smart home tech. Unlike the Philips Hue app, which gives you granular control over every switch and light in your home, linking a device to IKEA Home Smart works immediately, with a limited but useful set of options.

Once you've linked the Varmblixt lamp, you'll find that you can pick from a much broader palette of colors, although the hues selected by Sabine Marcelis are highlighted so you can find them easily. Alternatively, you can use a color wheel to choose the shade you want.

The lamp doesn't offer as many colors as a Philips Hue White & Color Ambiance bulb, but its smooth shape and frosted diffuser mean it's effective at setting a mood with indirect lighting.

You can even set the Varmblixt to change colors on a schedule. The default 'adaptive' option changes the light temperature during the day, so it becomes cooler during working hours and warmer in the evening when you want to unwind, but it's also possible to create your own timed color changes.

When you connect a controller to the Varmblixt, there's no need to spend time configuring what each button should do; again, it works right away. When I linked it to a Bilresa dimmer switch, I found that the wheel was pre-programmed to control the light's brightness.

Overall, the IKEA Varmblixt lamp is a pleasure to use, and a real conversation-starter when you have guests. App setup can be a bit fiddly and requires IKEA's smart home hub, but it works very well with the remote alone.

• Performance score: 4/5

IKEA Varmblixt LED lamp: price and availability

IKEA first showed the Varmblixt smart lamp at the CES tech show in January 2026, and the donut-shaped light went on sale in the US and Europe in March of the same year. It's not available in Australia at the time of writing, but it might be released more widely later in 2026.

It's priced at $99 / £55 (about AU$140), which is about standard for a color-changing smart lamp without additional features like music or media synchronizing. For example, the Govee Table Lamp 2 is $69.99 / £69.99 (about AU$100).

However, if you want to use the smart functions and choose from a wider array of colors, you'll also need IKEA's Dirigera smart hub, which costs an additional $109 / £70 / AU$129, so you'll need to be sure that you want to invest in IKEA's wider smart home system first.

• Value score: 4/5

IKEA Varmblixt LED lamp: design

This is a new take on the original donut-shaped Varmblixt lamp, which was released in 2022. This lamp (also designed by Sabine Marcellis) had a glossy orange surface that cast warm light into the room. The 2026 Varmblixt replaces this with a white frosted glass diffuser and cycles through a palette of pastel colors selected by the designer.

The Varmblixt lamp has a flat base so you can use it on a table, and a hole in the backplate so you can mount it on a wall (though be aware that it's a wired lamp, so you'll need to place it near an electrical outlet).

The lamp is wired and is supplied with one of IKEA's standard Bilresa remote controls, which takes two AAA batteries (not included).

• Design score: 5/5

Should you buy the IKEA Varmblixt LED lamp?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

IKEA Varmblixt LED lamp: also consider

How I tested the IKEA Varmblixt LED lamp

I tested the Varmblixt lamp with the remote control included in the box, switching between all the preset colors, and then connected it to the IKEA Home Smart app using a Dirigera hub. I used all the color and scheduling options in the app, comparing it with a Philips Hue Wall Washer lamp. I also tried controlling the lamp using an IKEA Bilresa dimmer switch with a scroll wheel.

First tested April 2026

Philips Hue Omniglow: one-minute review

The Philips Hue Omniglow is the best Hue lightstrip yet. It's a classier kind of LED strip: where other models have visible LEDs, the Omniglow delivers seamless color gradients and smoothly moving light effects. The results are very impressive and the Hue app makes it easy to select, edit or create scenes either solo or as part of a wider Hue setup. If you've already got a Hue system you can add it in seconds and then include it in your scenes and automations. As with other Hue lights you'll need a Philips Hue Bridge or Bridge Pro to access advanced features such as custom scenes and smart home integration.

The Omniglow is easy to install and set up, although if you're mounting it up high you might curse the short power cable. The only real downside is the length: you can shorten the Omniglow but not extend it, and longer versions are not widely available in the UK or US. While European customers can choose between 3m, 5m and 10m models, the US and UK are currently limited to the 3m model only.

Philips Hue Omniglow: price and availability

• On sale from November 2025
• $139.99 / £119.99 / AU$279.99 (3m)

The Philips Hue Omniglow was announced in September 2025 and went on sale in November 2025. There are three sizes, but only the 3m model is available everywhere. That has a recommended price tag of $139.99 / £119.99 / €139.99 / AU$279.99.

Europe and Australia also get a longer 5m version, which costs €199.99 / AU$399. And in Europe there's a 10m version with a price tag of $349.99. The same 10m version was listed with a UK price of £349.99 but at the time of writing it's showing as as "not currently available" on the Philips website.

Philips Hue Omniglow: design

• RGB, warm white and cool white
• Seamless color and gradients
• Cuttable but not extendable

The Omniglow is a RGBWWIC design, which means it combines RGB, warm white, cool white and independent control in a single light source. Unlike other Hue lightstrips you can't see the individual LEDs; it's designed to deliver seamless whites, colors and gradients, which it does very well. That makes it look much more classy than lesser lightstrips.

The strip is 17mm wide and 8.5mm high and consists of multiple 12.5cm sections, each of which has 6 LEDs that can be individually controlled – so you can get twinkly lights and motion effects as well as solid color and gradients.

This lightstrip can be cut shorter at pre-defined 12.5cm spaces but any bit you remove can't be re-used or replaced later. Unlike previous Hue lightstrips the Omniglow can't be (officially) extended with additional sections, although inevitably some Hue fans have come up with warranty-voiding DIY solutions.

There are double-sided adhesive strips along the full length of the Omniglow, but you may want to use something more permanent if you're putting the strip in a place where it'll have to battle gravity; in my experience the adhesive that comes with Hue strips tends to be rather weak, and this lightstrip is quite heavy. The power supply is also very short, with just over 1m between the plug socket and the beginning of your lightstrip, and you're going to want to support the weight of the power brick.

Design score: 4/5

Hue Omniglow review: features

• Three-stage gradients
• Moving and flickering lights
• Great integration with other Hue lights

The Omniglow delivers the promised seamless gradients, and it also brings a feature across from the Festivia string lights in the form of moving lights. That enables you to pick a moving scene such as a fireplace, candle glow or looped color change, and you can tweak those scenes in the Hue app to adjust their speed or intensity. It's very smooth and very impressive.

The app offers very basic control via Bluetooth but for access to advanced features such as syncing and smart home integration you'll need a Hue Bridge or Hue Bridge Pro. That gives you the full range of customization, per-light settings and the ability to create your own custom moving gradients and flickering effects.

Features score: 5/5

Philips Hue Omniglow: performance

• Up to 2,700 lumens
• Seamless color
• Beautifully smooth transitions

If you're familiar with Hue lightstrips the first thing you'll notice about the Omniglow is how bright it is. It's much brighter than standard Hue lightstrips, delivering up to 2,700 lumens of brightness compared to the 1,700 lumens of a Hue Solo of the same length.

If you can get the 5m or 10m models they are more powerful still, putting out up to 4,500 lumens. That means the Omniglow isn't just a decorative lightstrip. You can also use it to illuminate spaces such as stairs or feature walls.

Performance score: 5/5

Philips Hue Omniglow: should you buy it?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

Philips Hue Omniglow: also consider

There are multiple lightstrips for Hue, some of them much more affordable – so for example the Hue Gradient Lightstrip is much cheaper. Govee is the main rival in this space with very affordable products including the bendable, cuttable COB Strip Light Pro, the very cheap RGBIC LED Strip and several rope light models.

How I tested the Philips Hue Omniglow

I've been all-in on Hue lights for more than a decade, and my home currently features a mix of smart lights including two Hue gradient lightstrips, various Hue bulbs, a Hue motion sensor and Hue Festavia string lights, all controlled via the Hue app, Apple Home and Siri. I added the Omniglow to my living room setup and Hue Bridge and used it as both decorative lighting and functional lighting, controlling it alongside my existing lights and scenes.

First reviewed March 2026

• The IKEA Skaftsärv is an LED gradient light costing $6.99 / £4 (about AU$8)
• It looks similar to the Philips Hue Play Gradient Light Bar, but can't mirror colors from a TV screen
• The WiZ Gradient Light Bar is an affordable alternative that can sync to a TV

IKEA has just launched a new lamp that looks strikingly similar to a popular Philips Hue light, but at a tiny fraction of the price. The IKEA Skaftsärv is available in the UK for just $6.99 / £4 (about AU$8), and each one has three lighting zones that can cast a colorful glow onto your walls or shine into the room.

As our colleagues at T3 note, it bears an uncanny resemblance to the Philips Hue Play Light Bar, and if you like the idea of making your home cinema system more immersive but have been put off by the price tag, you might be tempted to snag a pair of Skaftsärvs instead — but there's something you should know first.

Although the Skaftsärv can shift colors in response to music, and is dimmable, there's no way to connect it to your TV or PC monitor to extend the colors from the screen. It's impressive considering how little it costs, but it's only a decorative lamp, not a smart light.

By contrast, the Philips Hue Play Light Bar can be used to add ambience to a room, or to create an Amblight-style effect around and behind your TV when connected to a Philips Hue HDMI Sync Box. Up to three Light Bars can be connected to the same power supply.

You can control your Light Bars via the Philips Hue app, and like all Philips Hue devices, they are compatible with all the major smart home ecosystems so you can operate them with voice commands, connect them to your other smart devices, and use them in automations. Take a look at our Philips Hue Play Light Bar review to find out more.

Lighting for less

If the Philips Hue light is outside your budget, but you want something that will provide a similar experience, take a look at the WiZ Gradient Light Bars, which cost just $59.99 / £54.99, and work in a very similar way when linked to a WiZ HDMI Sync Box.

Although they use different technologies, both Philips Hue and WiZ smart lights are made by the same company (Signify), so you can be confident that you're getting good quality. In fact, our reviewer Abigail Shannon gave the WiZ Gradient Light Bars a near-perfect four and a half stars out of five thanks to their ease of use, versatility, and smooth color gradient. Check out our full WiZ Gradient Light Bars review for more details.

It's hard to overstate the usefulness of smart lights, and once you have one at home, you'll start to see dozens of different ways to use it— from simply creating a schedule to changing the light temperature to suit the time of day, or even making it blink when someone presses your doorbell.

Smart lights don't have to be expensive either. Sure, outfitting your whole home with top-end Philips Hue color bulbs would be an expensive endeavor, but that's not your only option. There are (literally) brilliant bulbs from other brands that offer impressive features and quality for much less cash, and even Philips has a collection of lights at an entry-level price these days.

Below you'll find the top three smart light bulbs I recommend for your home. I've opted for Hue Essentials in my own apartment, but I'd happily fit either of the other options as well — particularly if I was in a party mood.

Best cverall

Philips Hue Essential

Philips Hue is the biggest name in smart lighting, and has sat at the top of our roundup of the best smart light systems for years, but it's always had one significant drawback: it's expensive. That's where Philips Hue Essential comes in.

Hue Essential, which launched last year, is a more affordable alternative to the standard Philips Hue White & Color Ambiance series, with fewer bulb options and a much lower price tag. You don't get to pick from such a huge array of sizes and styles (at launch, there were only three bulbs and a light strip available), but during my tests, I was thoroughly impressed by how well they performed compared to their full-price counterparts.

Like regular Hue bulbs, Hue Essential lights can be controlled individually via Bluetooth, or through the Philips Hue app. Using the app unlocks a lot more features, including the ability to assign a set of bulbs to a particular room or area and control them together, create automations, apply Scenes (themed color palettes) and link them to other devices such as sensors and switches.

The more advanced features also require a Philips Hue Bridge, which is an extra expense you'll need to consider when budgeting for your new smart lighting system, but it's worthwhile if you're adding them to more than one room, particularly since it also allows you to connect your lights to virtually any smart home ecosystem.

Colors are bright and bold, and in my tests, the Hue Essential bulb proved just as responsive as a White & Color Ambiance bulb costing twice as much. The two bulbs use different color technologies. meaning the more expensive bulb offers a wider palette, but in everyday use, you'll be hard-pressed to tell the difference.

The only real downside of choosing Hue Essential bulbs is that they can't be dimmed quite as low as regular Hue bulbs. That won't matter for most situations, but if you want to use your smart lights to wake you gently in the morning, or for subtle lighting in your home theater, the more expensive bulbs may be the better option.

For everything else, though, Hue Essential bulbs offer a staggering array of features, excellent quality, a well-designed app, and the most extensive compatibility of any smart lights you can buy today.

Read our full Philips Hue Essential review

Party lighting

GE Cync Lighting Dynamic Effects

Philips Hue Essential lights are excellent, but GE Cync Lighting Dynamic Effects bulbs offer something Hue ones don't: the ability to assign multiple colors to a single bulb so you can set the mood with just one light. Better yet, these party-ready smart lights can shift their multiple colors in response to music without the need for extra sensors and accessories. It's a party on your ceiling, and everyone's invited.

"The dynamic effects available here are a treat, especially the ones that respond to audio, and set it apart from the competition," said our reviewer, James Holland. "Get enough of these, and you could probably throw your own rave."

These bulbs link directly to Wi-Fi, so unlike Philips Hue lights (which use the Zigbee wireless protocol), there's no need for a hub to use all their features. If you're planning to equip your whole house with smart lights, then a Zigbee mesh network makes more sense (each light effectively acts as a repeater, giving more range), but if you just want fun lighting for one or two rooms, Wi-Fi will be fine.

During testing, we found GE's bulbs refreshingly simple to connect, and the accompanying Cync app is much better designed than many others we've tried over the years.

"The GE Cync Lighting Dynamic Effects bulb might be a little spendy compared to other models, but its connectivity is rock solid," said James. "In fact, the closest I‘ve had to any issue is a second or two of lag when turning off through the app, but that’s only if the light’s been on for a while."

Want to take the party further? There are also Dynamic effects wall light panels, LED strips, and string lights so you can design a setup to suit your room. These bulbs aren't widely available outside the US though, so if you want to have fun with smart lighting elsewhere, scroll on for my next recommendation.

Read our full GE Cync Lighting Dynamic Effects review

Budget

Nanoleaf Matter Essentials

Nanoleaf has carved a niche for itself in smart lighting for gamers. If you want an illuminated pegboard to hold your headphones and controllers, flexible rope lights that sync with the on-screen action, or stackable light-up storage cubes to show off your collectibles, Nanoleaf has you covered.

It does have a more sensible side, though, including some excellent smart light bulbs that are particularly bright and bold, and are great paired with Nanoleaf's decorative lighting or used alone.

As you can tell from the name, these particular bulbs are Matter-compatible, meaning you can use them as part of a mix-and-match smart home comprising devices from different brands — a significant advantage over many similarly-priced smart bulbs.

We experienced a few connectivity hiccups during setup, but once we got our Nanoleaf bulbs set up, we were very impressed. We particularly liked the way you can easily sync your Nanoleaf bulbs with what's happening on your screen, and the Circadian Lighting feature, which changes the color temperature and brightness throughout the day to help you feel energized when it's time to work, and wind down in the evening. Creating custom color scenes is a breeze, too (and you can even share them with other Nanoleaf users if you're feeling generous).

Like the Hue Essential series, Nanoleaf's budget bulbs don't give you a huge range of shapes and styles to choose from — there's a screw fitting, bayonet fitting, spotlight for recessed ceiling lights, and that's it — but the fact that you can use them with any major smart home platform opens up a world of options if you want to extend your smart lighting further.

Read our full Nanoleaf Matter Essentials review

• The hugely popular IKEA Varmblixt smart lamp has been spotted in stores
• It features frosted glass, shifting colors, and smart home compatibility
• It's scheduled for an April release, but some shoppers have found it already

IKEA's donut-shaped Varmblixt smart lamp was a surprise highlight of this year's CES technology show, and although the company said it would have its official launch in April, it seems some stores have jumped the gun and started stocking their shelves early. The lamp has also appeared on IKEA's Swedish website, where it's described as "a magical sight that catches the eye" — and we're inclined to agree.

The lamp is an updated version of the original Varmblixt LED lamp, which launched in 2022. The classic lamp has a glossy orange finish to fill your room with a warm glow, but it's now had a makeover with softly shifting pastel colors, a frosted finish, and Matter compatibility so you can integrate it with your smart home.

TechRadar's Editor-at-Large Lance Ulanoff got his hands on the new lamp on the show floor, and couldn't stop thinking about it afterwards.

"With each press of the remote, I watched as the color shifted almost imperceptibly, then slowly transitioned to the new, fully-dimmable hue," he wrote after experiencing it in person. "Not only that, but the color diffusion under the molded glass is near perfect. It's simply beautiful to watch, and I loved basking in the glow."

He imagined owning one, calling it a "marriage of hue and form", and it seems that dream might not be too far off. As German site Notebookcheck reports, some shoppers have already spotted the redesigned lamp in their local stores — and posted photo evidence to prove it.

Like its predecessor, the new Varmblixt is a collaboration with Dutch artist and designer Sabine Marcelis, who is known for her use of pastel colors, light, and geometric shapes.

Unlike most smart lights, which let you pick any color on the spectrum, the Varmblixt lamp shifts between a limited palette of hues hand-picked by Marcellis to complement its shape. You can move smoothly between these colors using a remote control, or connect it to the IKEA app to open up a wider selection of 40 shades, but that's entirely optional.

"Most people won't buy this updated Varmblixt because they want a smart device but because it’s a beautiful lamp, where you can change the atmosphere of a room with a click of a button," David Granath, Range Manager for Lighting and Home Electronics at IKEA of Sweden, told TechRadar in an exclusive interview last month.

The lamp hasn't yet been spotted outside continental Europe, but we'll certainly be keeping our eyes open next time we're browsing the shelves. It's listed for 699 Krona on IKEA's Swedish site, and is set to cost $99 in the US, so we'll be tempted to grab more than one.

• The IKEA Ankarlägg is a new battery-operated, motion-sensitive light
• It's fully wireless and self-adhesive, so you can use it anywhere
• It has a battery life of around six months, and doesn't need a smart hub

IKEA has just launched a new motion-sensitive light, which you can stick anywhere and doesn't require a smart home hub to work. The IKEA Ankarlägg (which is shaped like a cartoon light bulb) can illuminate your hallway when you come home, your bedroom if you need to get up in the night, or a closet when you open the door.

The Ankarlägg is cheap, too. As German site Notebookcheck reports, it costs €2.99 in continental Europe, and will hopefully launch in other territories soon. If it follows IKEA's usual international pricing, we can expect it to be around $7 / £4 / AU$5 when it rolls out globally. That's a lot less than a typical smart light bulb and motion sensor bundle, which can easily cost four times as much.

It's more versatile than a lot of other lights and sensors as well. According to IKEA's French website (translated by Google), "this lamp can be installed anywhere because it runs on batteries and requires no wiring." Instead, it has a self-adhesive backing that lets you mount it on any flat surface.

The Ankarlägg light switches off if there's no motion detected for 30 seconds, which helps to conserve power. According to IKEA, it has a battery life of around six months if it's triggered 10 times per day.

No hub necessary

IKEA is making a name for itself in affordable smart home tech, with products like the Bilresa remote control kit, Timmerflotte temperature sensor, and Myggspray wireless motion sensor all promising to automate your home for a bargain price.

However, although IKEA's controllers are cheap, they only work when connected to a Thread hub, which can be a considerable expense. IKEA recommends its own Dirigera hub, which costs $109 / £60 (and isn't yet available in Australia). That's much pricier than a Philips Hue Bridge, which unlocks the world of Hue bulbs and sensors.

The Ankarlägg is a simple device, but hopefully we'll see more standalone devices in future that are great value and don't rely on extra, more expensive accessories to access their full functionality.

• The Philips Hue Lucca lights are tipped to get an upgrade
• These models are set to get brighter and more colorful
• At the moment, prices and launch dates aren't clear

In recent weeks we've seen Philips Hue upgrade some of its existing products, like its Hue Flourish lamp. And it looks like another refresh is on the way for the Lucca series of products, which comprises a wall light, a path light, and a pedestal light.

According to the usually reliable Hueblog (via Notebookcheck), the Lucca lamps are getting a bulb upgrade. These products will soon be fitted with the E27 smart bulb, just about the best that Philips Hue makes at the moment.

Not only will that boost the maximum brightness of these devices from around 800 lumens to around 1,100 lumens, it will also enable a wider range of color effects. Some of the current Lucca models only offer white lighting, but the bulb upgrade should put these devices among the best Philips Hue lights out there.

It seems as though the rest of these products will be unchanged – specifically the design and dimensions. Philips Hue is just upgrading the bulb that's fitted inside, which is after all the most important component in a smart light.

Pricing to be confirmed

At the moment it's not clear if this is going to affect pricing, and we don't know when the refresh is actually going to happen either. Given that the update has now leaked, however, it shouldn't be too long before its made official.

The availability of the current Lucca series seems to be rather limited right now: the Philips Hue US store only has the wall light on sale for $109.99, while the UK store has the wall light for £89.99 and the pedestal light for £114.99. None of the products are showing up on the official Australia store at the time of writing.

That's another indication that a refresh is on the way, together with the previously rumored updates for the Turaco lights and the Flourish table lamp – all getting a boost from the same E27 Philips Hue bulb.

Meanwhile, the Philips Hue Bridge and Bridge Pro hubs continue to get updated with new and improved features, including easier access to automations. Note that you need a Bridge or Bridge Pro in order to make use of the Lucca lights.

Philips Hue bulbs and lamps are among the best smart lights around, and there's a dizzying array to choose from. As TechRadar's smart home tech editor, I've had my hands (and eyes) on all of the main products, and have put together this guide to help you decide which ones are right for you.

If you're new to the world of smart lights and just want to try replacing a few of your existing bulbs, I recommend the Philips Hue Essential series. These are entry-level versions of the brand's standard color-shifting smart bulbs, and are much more affordable. If you want to add ambience to a room or create an Ambilight-style home-theater effect without the hassle of fitting light strips behind your TV, I recommend the Philips Hue Wall Washer, and if you want string lights that will be fun and functional throughout the holidays and beyond, Philips Hue Festavia gets my seal of approval.

Bear in mind that to unlock all the features of your smart lights, you'll need a Philips Hue Bridge. This links to your Wi-Fi router and connects all your Hue lights (plus switches and sensors) in a mesh network. For more details, take a look at our guide about what is a Hue Bridge and how important is it.

Best smart light bulbs

Philips Hue Essential

Philips Hue is the biggest name in smart lighting, but the price can be daunting if you're thinking about trying it for the first time, or like the idea of having smart bulbs in every room. That's where the Hue Essential series comes in. It doesn't include as many different types and styles as the original Hue range, but it covers all the basics with screw, bayonet, and spotlight options – and they're excellent.

I tested a Philips Hue Essential bulb against its premium White and Color Ambiance counterpart, and I could barely tell the difference between the two in most situations. Color reproduction was excellent for both, they're equally responsive to commands from the Hue app, and their maximum brightness is almost identical.

The only significant difference involved dimming, with the regular White and Color Ambiance bulb capable of dropping to a much lower level than the Hue Essential bulb. That might be an issue if you want subtle lighting for your home entertainment area, or you want to fit a smart bulb in your bedroom to wake you gently with a sunrise effect, but for most rooms, it really won't matter.

Hue Essential bulbs work just like any other Hue lights in other respects. You can control them via Bluetooth or use a Philips Hue Bridge to connect them to other devices, including switches, sensors, and smart speakers.

That's all very impressive considering they're less than half the price of standard Philips Hue bulbs, and means they're easy to recommend.

Check out my full Philips Hue Essential review

Best smart table lamp

Philips Hue Play Wall Washer

The Philips Hue Play Wall Washer is the most versatile smart lamp I've tested. Rather than shining light directly into the room, it has a stack of three bright LEDs on the back, which cast a striking, even gradient of color onto a wall – hence the name.

Much like Philips Ambilight, you can use a pair of Wall Washers to enhance your home-theater setup by extending the colors from the edges of your TV screen. Just connect them to a Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box, follow the setup instructions in the Hue app, and settle in for a more immersive viewing experience. Color-matching was impressive during my tests, and each Wall Washer has a surprisingly long throw, so they will even work with larger TVs.

You can also use it to add ambient light to any room (the further away from a wall it is, the more diffuse the glow), and link it to any other Hue smart lights and devices in your home.

Personally, I like to use it as a wake-up light (similar to the Philips Hue Twilight, but not quite as expensive). The Wall Washer casts a warm glow onto your bedroom wall that gradually brightens and shifts from dark blue to red, orange, yellow, and eventually white to rouse you from slumber gently. It's less of a shock to the system than an audible alarm, and beats even the best wake-up lamps when it comes to color and dimming.

Read my full Philips Hue Play Wall Washer review

Best smart string lights

String lights aren't just for the holidays, as Philips Hue Festavia proves. This string of tiny smart LEDs looks stunning gracing your tree, but can also be strung anywhere in your home to add ambient lighting all year round.

Using the Philips Hue app, you can apply themed Scenes to your Festavia lights, and even group them with other Hue bulbs and lamps to create a cohesive theme throughout a space. Thanks to a new feature called Hue SpatialAware, the app can even apply Scenes differently depending on where the lights are positioned, so your Festavia strings add to the ambiance in a way that makes sense for your room.

You can also control them using automations or switches and sensors. For example, you could have them illuminate only when someone enters the room, or on a timer so they shut off automatically at bedtime.

You can even use them to create a welcoming glow around the front of your home when someone approaches. Unlike most string lights we've tested over the years, standard Festavia lights are suitable for use indoors or out, and are rated IP54, meaning they won't be damaged by rain.

As with all Hue lights, you'll need a Philips Hue Bridge to get the most out of them, but if you already have a Hue setup, then they're a great option if you're shopping for lights for the holidays and beyond.

See our guide are smart string lights worth it?

The 'donut' lamp is one of IKEA's best-selling and most popular homeware products. This year, it's had a glow-up, adding extra functionality that the brand hopes will make it even more user-friendly and versatile. I fell instantly in love with the new-look VARMBLIXT donut lamp when I had a chance to check it out at CES.

I wanted to find out more, so I caught up with David Granath, Range Manager for Lighting and Home Electronics at IKEA of Sweden, for a deep-dive into the new features. Here's a run-down of the upgrades, with behind-the-scenes insights…

1. It changes color

The most immediately noticeable change is that the new donut lamp can change color. For this aspect, IKEA worked with Dutch artist and designer Sabine Marcelis, and there's a massive range of color options to choose from.

"We wanted to build on Sabine’s strong sense of color and atmosphere and include her ideas on how the lamp could gradually change between colors in a way that feels smooth," comments David.

2. It's dimmable

"One of the most common notes of feedback we have had since launching VARMBLIXT has been the ability to dim it and change the tone of the light," shares David. The updated version is capable of emitting a range of different white light temperatures (as well as all those colorful options), and it's also dimmable.

"Updating the donut lamp takes us closer to what the original intent was, to not only create a beautiful lamp but also really let the light set the mood of your home," he adds.

3. It's matte

The 2026 VARMBLIXT keeps the same shape as the original, and like that version it can sit flat on a table or be mounted to a wall. However, the finish has been switched up.

"The biggest change between the designs is that the new version has a matte, white surface instead of a glossy, colored one," says David. "This makes the light inside glow in a more soft and diffused way."

It makes sense that IKEA has kept the recognizable, curvy shape of the first version. I asked David why he felt that design struck such a cord with the public, and a lot of it is to do with the form.

"I think it’s a good example of where unique design is combined with an affordable price. It's a very strong design piece, and so simple in its form," he says. "You can put it in any room and it works. And it doesn’t depend on a specific interior style, which I think makes it easy for people to connect with it."

4. It's smart

To enable customers to make the most of all the new control options, the new VARMBLIXT is smart. It's built on the Matter standard, which means you'll be able to integrate it into your existing Smart Home setup.

Hook it up to the IKEA Home Smart app to unlock the full spectrum of color options – there are more than 40 different shades, and you can change the light intensity and brightness here too.

For David, the smart part is a logical next step for the lamp: "VARMBLIXT is one of our most loved and best-selling lighting products, so it felt like a really good place to show how smart features can genuinely improve everyday life."

5. … but you don't have to use the app

One of my favorites of the new features is that IKEA has provided a way to access the additional features without having to use the app. "We decided to include a pre-paired remote in the box, to give customers instant access to the extra functionality, even before choosing to add the product to an app," says David.

Using the remote, you can launch a sequence of 12 preset colors, curated by Sabine. It starts with white light, transitions into warm amber, red, and pink, then to a cool-toned lilac and turquoise, yellow, and then back to white. All the transitions have been meticulously fine-tuned and shift smoothly, without being jarring.

"Most people won't buy this updated VARMBLIXT because they want a smart device but because it’s a beautiful lamp, where you can change the atmosphere of a room with a click of a button," David concludes.

The updated VARMBLIXT is due to go on sale from April 2026. The original version will remain available to buy.

IKEA has updated one of its most loved and best-selling homeware products: the iconic 'donut' lamp – or, to give it its official name, the VARMBLIXT LED table/wall lamp. After getting a preview of the new, smarter VARMBLIXT at CES, I spoke to David Granath, Range Manager for Lighting and Home Electronics at IKEA of Sweden, about the second-gen donut lamp, the driving force behind the changes, and why he thinks this version is going to be even more popular than the original.

"In general, we want to offer well designed, functional home furnishing at very affordable prices. Even when we succeed really well – as in the VARMBLIXT collection – there are always things we can improve," says David. "Updating the donut lamp actually takes us closer to what the original intent was, to not only create a beautiful lamp but also really let the light set the mood of your home."

The original donut lamp, launched three years ago, has proved extremely popular. And the updated version adds new features – it can change color, cycling gently though a broad range of hues, plus there are options to adjust the intensity and brightness of the light.

It's also smart. It's built on the Matter standard, which means it can be connected to a range of smart home ecosystems. For Smart Home novices, IKEA has added a pre-paired remote in the box for instant access to the extra features, and there's also the option to connect up to the IKEA Home Smart app for more precise control.

For David, the smart features are a welcome support to the design elements. "Most people won't buy this updated VARMBLIXT because they want a smart device, but because it’s a beautiful lamp, where you can change the atmosphere of a room with a click of a button," he comments.

"VARMBLIXT is one of our most loved and best-selling lighting products, so it felt like a really good place to show how smart features can genuinely improve everyday life."

A softer option

IKEA purposely hasn't messed with the donut shape, but it has opted for a matte finish rather than glossy, to give this new iteration a "soft and diffused" effect. The new light adjustment options should make it even more versatile.

When quizzed on why the original struck such a cord with people, David had this to say: "I think it’s a good example of where unique design is combined with an affordable price. It's a very strong design piece, and so simple in its form. You can put it in any room and it works. And it doesn’t depend on a specific interior style, which I think makes it easy for people to connect with it."

The updated VARMBLIXT is due to go on sale from April 2026.

• An update to the Philips Hue Flourish table lamp is on the way
• The lumens will be boosted from 806 to 1,100
• It's not clear when the lamp is going to go on sale worldwide

The newly unveiled IKEA donut lamp, part of the Varmblixt series, has been turning heads in recent weeks – but Philips Hue looks set to counter with a new product of its own, based on the existing Hue Flourish table lamp.

Based on a listing seen on Amazon Germany (via Hueblog), the lamp is going to get an upgrade from 806 lumens to 1,100 lumens. That should mean a higher maximum brightness for the Flourish lamp when it's sitting in your home.

If you're new to the product, the lamp doesn't actually have a light fixed inside it, like the Flourish pendant light or the Flourish ceiling light. Instead, it comes with a Philips Hue E27 bulb for full color illumination, which can be replaced as and when needed.

It's that bulb that is driving the upgraded lumens in the new version, and the rest of the lamp looks to be the same: it still measures 26.1 centimeters wide and 17.5 centimeters high, so make sure you've got enough room for it before buying.

The price is right?

Based on the Amazon Germany listing, the upgraded Flourish table lamp is going to be available for roughly the same price as the previous version launched at – though the older model no longer available to buy direct from Philips Hue.

The previous version would have cost you $153.99 / £129.99 (roughly AU$225, though it's not clear what the original price in Australia was). Remember that includes both the E27 bulb and the surrounding lamp, made from glass.

The IKEA Varmblixt donut will set you back $99.99 when it goes on sale in April – that's about £75 / AU$145, though international pricing is to be confirmed – so if you're going for the cheaper option it seems as though IKEA is still the way to go.

Of course, a lot depends on what else you've already got set up in your smart home: if you've already heavily invested in Philips Hue lights and perhaps a Hue Bridge to connect them all together, then the Flourish table lamp makes more sense. Well, either that, or buying a different IKEA light and using a Philips Hue bulb inside it.

• A new Hue Bridge update lays the ground for an automations tweak
• Automations will soon be visible alongside rooms and scenes
• There's no sign yet of the SpatialAware feature we saw demoed at CES

Update: We've had a response from Signify, the parent company of Philips Hue. Its representatives told us –

"Automations aren’t disappearing or being replaced. Instead, we're making them more accessible by surfacing them directly where they're most relevant. Automations will live alongside lights, scenes, and accessories within rooms and zones, so users can interact with them in the context of the space they’re controlling."

Scroll to the bottom for the rest of the statement. Our original story continues below.

--

If you have a Philips Hue Bridge or a Philips Hue Bridge Pro set-up at home, be on the lookout for a software upgrade that's rolling out now, which lays the foundations for upcoming improvements to smart-light automations.

As spotted by Notebookcheck, the notes accompanying the version 1975104000 update (Hue Bridge v2) and version 2071193000 update (Hue Bridge Pro) mention showing automations "within the screens of the rooms and zones they control".

Currently, if you open up the Philips Hue app on your phone, you'll see there's a separate Automations tab where you'll find them all listed – timers for waking up and going to sleep, motion-sensor triggers, preset color cycles, and so on. These automations are why Philips Hue devices are some of the best smart lights in the business.

In the near future, it sounds like these automations will also appear on the same screens where you can access the rooms and zones you've created for your lights, making it much easier to see what's what with a quick glance.

Coming soon

The latest Bridge update doesn't enable this change – but it's apparently arriving "in the coming weeks". We've reached out to Philips Hue parent company Signify to see if it has anything extra to add, and will add an update here if we hear back.

In addition to making preparations for this automations tweak, the update release notes say there are "several small changes behind the scenes" that make the Bridges work better than ever – so expect faster responses and fewer problems in the future.

Though it's not mentioned in this update, we're also patiently waiting for the SpatialAware feature, announced at CES 2026 and exclusive to the Hue Bridge Pro. When you set scenes in a room, it tweaks the output from each light, based on its position – for example, for a sunset scene, the artificial sun effect will set on one side of the room.

You can manage Hue Bridge updates by tapping Settings in the app, then choosing Software update. To make life easy, enable Automatic update, which means your Hue devices will update themselves, without you having to do anything else.

And the rest of that Signify statement in full –

"From those room and zone screens, users will be able to create, edit, delete, enable or disable, and start or stop automations – without having to navigate away. This makes it much easier to find the right automation at the right moment.

At the same time, the Automations tab will remain available. This gives users flexibility: they can either browse automations by context (room or zone) or view and manage the full list of automations across their home in one place.

We're also introducing more personalization in how content is displayed within rooms and zones. Users will be able to reorder sections – for example, placing scenes or automations first, followed by accessories and individual lights – based on how they prefer to control their space.

The change is focused on reducing friction and making everyday actions quicker, especially for users who rely heavily on scenes and automations rather than individual light controls. We'll share timing details closer to rollout."

As the dust settles on the chaos that is always CES 2026 and we take our time to chew on the tech we saw from the 2026 iteration of the Las Vegas tech show, I can’t help but feel like IKEA stole the show.

We discussed the coolest tech we saw on the latest episode of our podcast, and while awesome tech that feels ripped from the future – like the brain-reading Neurable HyperX headset and over-100-inch Samsung Micro-RGB TV – were among our favorites, we all conceded that IKEA’s simple yet effective smart appliances were the true stars.

Watch our latest podcast below, and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Speakers, lights, even air-fryer-microwave-combos, IKEA had a lot of fantastic home gadgetry to showcase – much of which came in dazzling colors, and of course, the brand’s iconic fun Swedish names.

The reason for IKEA’s excellence is a simple one: its tech hit the sweet spot of interesting, useful, and relatively affordable.

Its Varmblixt LED Lamps are beautiful, brightly colored donuts that boast a color representation that even some supposed smart lighting experts can't beat, and they’ll only cost $99 (prices will vary outside the US) when it ships in April.

Our US Editor-at-large saw the light in person, and said that while it "does look like a giant donut," there's "just something so beautiful about it." You can hear more about his first-hand experience with Varmblixt in the episode linked above.

Or you’ve got the tiny, beautiful Kallsup speakers, which are properly affordable at just $9.99. You can connect to up to 100 at once, and there’s a fantastic opportunity here for a delightful audio setup if you’re brimming with creativity.

While it’s arriving a little after CES proper, we’ve also got the three-in-one Gåtebo microwave making its global rollout following its European launch last year. Perfect for smaller spaces, this microwave meets airfryer looks to be a simple yet effective appliance, adding to IKEA’s improved smart home image

We’ll have to see how well IKEA’s tech performs when it lands in front of our expert reviewers, but if it hits the mark with everything it has shown off so far this year, IKEA might have already won 2026.

Every once in a while, you stumble on a gadget that haunts your nights and can pop up unbidden in your daydreams. You imagine it on your desk, next to your best 4K TV, or filling a wall like a vertical box of delicious donuts.

IKEA's quirky, donut-shaped Varmblixt lamp is that product, and I haven't stopped obsessing over the Bluetooth lamp since I saw it at CES 2026.

Varmblixt isn't brand new, but this version represents a significant update, with a fresh glossy finish and a multitude of colors. Let's start with the basics, and I'll try to explain why I'm so smitten with the $99 illuminator.

First of all, IKEA's Varmblixt is shaped like a giant donut (roughly one foot in diameter). At first glance, it has no visible seams and, though I spotted a power cord running out of it, I wasn't sure how IKEA fed it into that perfectly smooth torus shape. Naturally, I flipped the lamp over to see the well-hidden plastic base, which, in addition to the power cord entry, houses a slot for wall hanging.

Varmblixt invites you to touch it. Even before IKEA reps explained the new product, I was running my hands over the smooth glass surface and admiring its glow.

The CES 2026 IKEA setup featured almost a dozen of these lamps, which was fitting since the upgraded Varmblixt now supports 12 distinct colors, including the original orange, and new white, amber, red, pink, lavender, and turquoise, among others.

The other big upgrade here is the Matter over Thread integration, which means Varmblixt now works with virtually any smart home platform, including Alexa, Google Home, and Apple Home.

I'm glad, though, that IKEA chose to keep the tiny physical remote, which means that even if you don't want to hook the lamp up to an app, you can access all 12 colors (app control raises the customization level to 40 distinct hues).

There's the other reason I'm obsessing over Varmblixt: I used that remote. Unlike most other Bluetooth LED-based lighting systems that make hard, almost jarring switches between colors, Varmblixt takes it slow.

With each press of the remote, I watched as the color shifted almost imperceptibly, then slowly transitioned to the new, fully-dimmable hue. Not only that, but the color diffusion under the molded glass is near perfect. It's simply beautiful to watch, and I loved basking in the glow.

Function follows form

None of this would work so well if there weren't such a clear marriage between the design and color choices. Dutch artist Sabine Marcelis clearly designed the pair to be a marriage of hue and form. Even the way the colors change is more like a symphony than a switch, and is the perfect match for the Varmblixt's smooth looks.

Perhaps the other thing that attracted me to the Varmblixt is its fundamental simplicity. No hubs, just a choice to use the remote or the app.

One wonders if the Philips Hue lineup of smart lighting products would be the same kind of sensation if it paid as much attention to design and simplicity.

I remember thinking that Varmblixt would be perfect if it were also rechargeable and truly wireless; then my secret dream of a wall of them could come true.

The other thing I loved is that even though this is a more powerful and smarter version, Varmblixt will still cost just $99 (prices will vary outside the US) when it ships in April.

I know this is just a lamp, but the best technology products are often the ones that do one thing and do it very well. Varmblixt appears to succeed on that level, but it will do more than that because when you have one or more of these donut lamps in the home, they will be instant conversation pieces. And whether you're using your app, voice, or the handy remote to control them, I bet you elicit more than a few 'oohs' and 'ahhs'.

There is, by the way, another Varmblixt option, a large hanging LED pendant light, which looks like a random bunch of hanging 'U's. It currently only supports white light and also ships in April for $149. I do not dream about that lamp.

For the first time ever, IKEA took to the stage at CES 2026, and it was a huge success for the home furnishing giant.

Though IKEA has made its mark on all things interior design, it's also made a name for itself on the smart home front by becoming a great budget alternative to the best smart home devices. Its CES debut provided the perfect opportunity to show smart home enthusiasts what IKEA is all about, and it did just that.

In addition to upgrading one of its most popular lighting products, IKEA unveiled new audio devices and showcased new utility smart home sensors, which were first announced late last year.

Missed out on IKEA's CES appearance? Here are the 5 main announcements you need to know about.

Varmblixt LED Lamp

IKEA's iconic donut-shaped Varmblixt lamp has been a stand-out among the company's range of funky lighting - I even have one of my own. I love how it looks, but I wish I had waited for its new smart light version to drop.

The new Varmblixt smart lamp keeps its iconic design, but packs 12 different color presets that you can control with the new Bilresa remote, so you can smoothly float between different light settings to set the mood and atmosphere. You can also control the lamp by hooking it up to IKEA's Dirigea Wi-Fi hub, where you'll be able to select from a larger spectrum of over 40 hues.

One of its most unique features is that each color is designed to seamlessly blend into the next, which was designed by collaborator Sabine Marcelis. But its smart features don't end there: the lamp is also built on Matter, meaning that it can easily fit into your existing smart home setup. Basically, I'm ever so envious of this upgrade.

Kallsup smart speaker

As well as smart lamps, IKEA is dipping its toes even further into the audio waters, unveiling its tiny but dead cheap Kallsup speaker - which will set you back a mere $10. It's set for an April 2026 launch, with pricing varying in different regions.

Coming in three colorful shades (lime green, pink, and white) the Kallsup speaker is an affordable entry-level speaker that's very light and allows you to get creative by stacking them like building blocks.

Though it doesn't pack a powerful punch on the audio front, which we'd expect from a speaker of this size, it supports Bluetooth 5.3 and has a 20-hour battery life at 50% volume. You can even connect up to a whopping 100 of them - the ultimate way to get the party started.

Teklan Kulglass collection

Alongside its new cheap and cheerful speaker, IKEA showcased a new range of premium-priced audio devices from its Teklan collection, which was first announced in November 2025.

The new collaboration with internet personality Tekla Evelina Severin consists of a number of eye-catching audio gadgets including the portable Solskydd Bluetooth speaker, which can be mounted to a stand or to a wall space. There's also the mushroom-shaped Kulglass Bluetooth speaker and lamp, which packs the handy Spotify Tap function.

Kajplats smart bulb expansion

If there's one thing that IKEA has shown us is that smart bulbs don't have to cost you an arm and a leg. At CES 2026, IKEA announced its expansion of its Kajplats range of smart bulbs (another gadget that was announced in November 2025), showcasing its cheapest one yet at just $6.

But don't think that this price seems too good to be true, this $6 smart bulb still supports Matter-over-Thread and can be controlled through a number of smart home ecosystems including Apple Home, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings.

New smart sensors and control gadgets

Smart bulbs were just the beginning - IKEA is also expanding its utility lineup of smart sensors and control devices that can be integrated across different rooms in your home, which includes the new Bilresa remotes that you can use with the smart Varmblixt lamp.

Additionally, IKEA's new Klippbok water sensor uses sound alerts and phone notifications to let you know when a leakage occurs, while the Alpstuga sensor measures CO₂, particles, temperature, and humidity to determine the air quality in your home. There's also a new smart plug that tracks your energy usage.

We're on the show floor at CES 2026 in Las Vegas, where all the biggest names in tech are showing off their latest consumer products, and smart home brands are vying for a place in your living room.

There have been some interesting developments in the world of smart lighting (such as IKEA's donut-shaped Varmblixt LED Lamp), but one that really caught my eye was a new line of budget-friendly smart light bulbs from Lifx.

These have been on sale for a couple of months already, but this is the first time Lifx has demonstrated them at a major trade show.

We've tested various Lifx products over the years here at TechRadar and been impressed by their performance. However, they tend to lean towards the expensive side, with premium prices more in line with Philips Hue's best smart lights than affordable rivals Govee or Nanoleaf.

Last year, Philips launched the Hue Essential series – a collection of everyday bulbs that work in just the same way as its regular lights, but with more modest specs and much lower prices, so it makes sense that Lifx is following its lead with a more accessible range of entry-level bulbs.

Opting for a cheaper bulb doesn't necessarily mean missing out on features or quality. I put a Philips Hue Essential E27 bulb to the test against a regular Philips Hue White & Color Ambiance one, and was surprised how well the cheaper model compared in terms of overall brightness and color reproduction. The biggest difference was that the regular Hue bulb could be dimmed to 0.2% of its maximum brightness, whereas the Hue Essential one could only drop to 2%.

Depending on how you're planning to use them, that might be something you don't even notice – particularly if you're not mixing the two bulb types within the same room.

So what does the new Lifx Everyday series bring to the table (or ceiling) compared with Hue Essential, and which smart lights should you pick if you're on a budget?

Significant specs

The table below sums up the key similarities and differences between a Philips Hue Essential and a Lifx Everyday bulb. In the interest of simplicity, I'll be comparing the standard E27 screw-fitting bulb in both collections.

I should also point out that although Hue Essential bulbs can be bought individually, Lifx Everyday bulbs are only available in packs of two, so here I'll be comparing the list price for a twin-pack of each.

As you can see, while both these bulbs are in the entry-level price bracket, the Philips Hue Essential is considerably more expensive. If you want to make the most of the Hue Essential bulb's features (beyond simply adjusting the brightness and color) then you'll also need to factor in the price of a Philips Hue Bridge, which connects to your router and links all your Hue devices in a mesh network using the Zigbee wireless protocol.

Using Zigbee does have some significant advantages over Wi-Fi though, and is ideal for low-powered devices like smart lights and switches. Connecting multiple smart lights directly to your Wi-Fi router can cause congestion, and although you can theoretically connect dozens of bulbs to a single router, doing so is likely to slow down other connected devices.

Zigbee-enabled devices also act as repeaters, which can dramatically extend their range compared to Wi-Fi connected devices.

The Hue Essential bulb has a slightly higher max brightness and the Lifx Everyday, plus a wider white light temperature range. The Lifx bulb offers deeper dimming, however, which may be helpful if you want to use your bulb as a wake-up light in the morning.

Into the apps

Both thje Lifx and Philips Hue apps let you choose from a collection of preset lighting scenes or create your own to set a particular mood. However, the Hue app also has an AI-powered assistant to make bespoke scenes for you using typed or spoken commands. Both the Philips Hue app and the Lifx app let you set custom schedules and automations.

Both apps let you connect to their respective brand's switches without using a third-party platform, but the Hue app also offers native support for the brand's huge range of sensors, cameras, doorbell, and other devices. You can not only control your lights, but also create and arm a home security system through the same app. There are also more third-party integrations for Hue products via services like IFTTT.

Conclusion

So which entry-level bulbs are right for you? The answer depends partly on your budget, and partly on what you're planning to do in the future.

The Lifx Everyday bulbs are cheaper to buy outright, and have the advantage of not needing an additional bridge to unlock features like customizable scenes and scheduling. If you want smart light bulbs for one or two rooms, they're a very reasonably priced option, with brightness, dimming, and colors to compete with premium options.

Philips Hue Essential bulbs, on the other hand, are intended as an affordable entry point to the Hue system. If you'd like to gradually change all your lights to smart ones and can see yourself building a system spanning multiple rooms with different sensors and security devices, Hue Essentials will be a better investment in the long term.

• IKEA has launched a set of new smart lights as part of its Varmblixt series
• These include a donut-shaped LED lamp with softly-shifting colors
• There's also a dimmable version of the tubular Varmblixt pendant lamp

We're at CES 2026, where IKEA has just launched a fun, donut-shaped smart lamp with soft, subtly shifting colors. The lamp (which can be mounted on a wall or used on a table) is a new addition to the Varmblixt series, which first launched in 2022 and is a collaboration with Dutch artist and designer Sabine Marcelis.

The original 2022 range included tableware, pendant lights, an illuminated mirror, and the classic Varmblixt LED Lamp, which had glossy orange glass to reflect the ambient light in your room while projecting a warm glow.

IKEA has now revamped the LED Lamp for 2026 with matt white glass and and color-shifting lights. The lamp comes with a Bilresa remote that lets you cycle through 12 preset colors – from pink and lavender to soft yellow. Each hue was picked by Sabine Marcelis, and blends smoothly with the next.

TechRadar's Editor at Large, Lance Ulanoff, has had his hands on the new Varmblixt LED Lamp on the CES show floor. See it in action in the video below.

If you like, you can skip the remote and connect the lamp to IKEA's Dirigea Wi-Fi hub, which will let you control the lamp using the company's mobile app or any other Matter-compatible smart home system. Operating the lamp this way lets you choose from a wider palette of over 40 colors.

If you like the shape of the lamp but aren't interested in smart home tech, worry not – the original orange version without smart controls will still be available to buy.

IKEA is also launching a smart version of the tubular Varmblixt LED Pendent Light, with dimmable white light. Like the LED Lamp it can be controlled using the remote included in the box, or be connected to the Dirigea hub and integrated into a larger smart home system.

Both lights will go on sale in April. The Varmblixt LED Lamp will be priced at $99.99 (about £80 / AU$150), while the LED Pendant Light will cost $149.99 (about £110 / AU$220).

IKEA has become a big name in affordable smart home tech, and in November it released 21 new connected devices, including light bulbs, sensors, and smart plugs. It'll be interesting to see what else its engineers and designers have up their sleeves in 2026, particularly as it bids to catch up with bigger names like Philips Hue. Watch this space...

• Your Philips Hue lights are getting a new feature called Hue SpatialAware
• It applies scenes differently depending on the location of lights in a room
• There's also a long-awaited update coming to the Philips Hue Bridge Pro

Your Philips Hue lights are getting an upgrade that's going to make your rooms look a lot more cohesive. It's called Hue SpatialAware, and it will apply lighting scenes differently depending on the location of smart lights within your room, resulting in a more natural-looking effect.

Lighting scenes are palettes of themed colors that you can apply to all the lights in a particular room or area. They're great for setting a mood, but until now each color in the scene could be applied to any light bulb or fixture, regardless of its location. The result could be somewhat jumbled, as you can see on the left-hand side of the images above and below.

That's about to change though, because now you can use your phone's camera to scan your room and log the location of each light. Hue SpatialAware will then apply the colors within your chosen scene in a way that makes sense. For example, the lights on one side of the room might have a bright, warm glow to represent a sunset, while those on the other are darker. You might also find the lights towards the top of your room are brighter than those lower down, simulating a sunny sky.

Hue SpatialAware is currently available for about half the remastered scenes in the Hue app's scene gallery, and is most effective with nature-inspired palettes. It requires Philips Hue Bridge Pro, which went on sale in September last year, and SpatialAware will be available early this year.

More bright ideas

SpatialAware isn't the only new feature rolling out today. Anyone who currently has multiple Philips Hue Bridges will be pleased to learn that they can now port all their lights to a single Bridge Pro. A single Bridge Pro can support over 150 lights and 50 accessories, and you can transfer data from as many Hue Bridges as you like provided you don't exceed those limits.

The Philips Hue AI assistant is getting an upgrade that will let it create automations based on your requests. For example, you can ask it to wake you at a particular time every day, except for Mondays. The assistant is currently only available in English, but support for Dutch, German, and Spanish will arrive over the next few weeks.

There's good news for Apple Home users too. The Hue Secure camera, video doorbell, and contact sensors will soon work seamlessly with Apple's smart home platform, with support for live streaming via picture-in-picture mode on Apple TV, and real-time alerts in the Apple Home app. This will be available very soon as well.

• Govee unveiled three new smart light products at CES 2026, including the new Floor Lamp 3 and two new ceiling lights
• The new Ceiling Light Ultra encourages you to create your own animated color gradients, while the Sky Ceiling Light leans into natural lighting
• As well as new hardware, Govee announced a slew of new software upgrades including DaySync, which changes your smart lights based on the time of day

Govee’s showcase at CES 2026 showed that not only is the company focussed on evolving its range of smart lighting, but it's dedicated to making the technology even smarter through its new era of smart lights and software updates – and Philips Hue should watch out.

Known for making some of the best smart lights out there, three new products are joining Govee’s range of lighting products. These include the Floor Lamp 3, the Govee Ceiling Light Ultra, and the Govee Sky Ceiling Light – each offering Matter integration and compatibility with Apple's HomeKit smart home platform.

While we don’t have any pricing details for the new range, the new Floor Lamp 3 succeeds the Govee Floor Lamp 2 packing an upgraded LuminBlend+ color system. Its advanced new features now allow you to control a staggering 281 trillion colors and an extensive spectrum of temperature lighting ranging from 1,000K to 10,000K – a feature that’ll be coming to other Govee smart lights this year.

With that said, the Ceiling Light Ultra, and Sky Ceiling Light are new to the Govee family, both of which are 21-inches in size, but offer different, unique functions.

The Ceiling Light Ultra is a more playful take on the smart light, packing a detailed 616-pixel LED matrix which can display intricate animated scenes and gradients with 5000 lumens of brightness. You can even take it a step further and design your own patterns in the Govee app “with up to eight distinct layers of motion, color, and shapes” – or you can select from the 20+ presets that are included – something that even the Philips Hue Datura ceiling light has yet to achieve.

When it comes to the Sky Ceiling Light, this model is designed to emulate natural daylight, with 5200 lumens of brightness and edge-mounted LEDs that mimic the effects of a real skylight window. While the Ceiling Light Ultra provides a more creative experience, the Sky Ceiling Light leans more towards the well-being side of smart lighting, offering realistic blue-sky effects during the day and warm sunset tones in the evening with the help of DaySync – a new lighting feature introduced by Govee.

Govee catches up on customization

We’re very fond of Govee as a budget-friendly smart lighting brand, but until now one of its drawbacks has been the lack of advanced features offered by rivals like Philips Hue. With the new DaySync and AI Lighting Bot 2.0 functions, that could all be about to change.

At CES 2026, Govee announced its new DaySync functionality alongside its range of new hardware. As its name implies, DaySync can alter the brightness and color of your smart lights based on the time of day. It can also pick up on sunrise and sunset times and local conditions and change your lighting accordingly – which is native to the Sky Ceiling Light.

Additionally, Govee unveiled its AI Lighting Bot 2.0, an upgraded version of its scene-changing chatbot feature that adjusts animated scenes in its pixel and graphic smart lights. Instead of using fixed commands, it can now alter your smart lighting by using natural conversations.

Like we’ve stated earlier, we don’t know how much Govee’s new Floor Lamp 3, Ceiling Light Ultra, or Sky Ceiling Light will cost, nor when they’ll be available to purchase. That aside, this is a huge step for both Govee’s smart lighting hardware and software, and 2026 is already looking to be a bright year for one of our favorite smart home brands.

Philips Hue Essential: two-minute review

Philips Hue Essential bulbs are a more affordable version of the company's standard smart lights, and they perform incredibly well considering they're less than half the price. There are a few limitations, though. For example, Philips Hue Essential bulbs offer a maximum brightness of 806 lumens, whereas standard Philips Hue White & Color Ambiance bulbs range from 800 to 1,600 lumens.

In most other respects, the two are very similar, and during my tests there was only one clear instance where the standard bulb really outshone the Essential version.

To see how the two would compare, I set up a pair of lamps – one with a Philips Hue Essential bulb, and the other with an 800-lumen Philips Hue White & Color Ambiance bulb. I added them to the same room in the Philips Hue app, which would enable me to control them simultaneously, and directly compare and contrast their output.

During most of the tests I ran, it was difficult to spot any difference between the two. Both were equally responsive, and produced colors that were identical to my naked eye when I switched between scenes. According to Signify (the company behind the Philips Hue brand), Essential bulbs use different color-matching technology to regular Hue lights; but personally, I had a hard time telling the difference.

Having said that, I did notice a dark band at the top of the Essential bulb, which wasn't present on the premium bulb. This was most apparent with purple and blue light. Note that it isn't something you'll notice if you're using the bulb in a ceiling light, nor in a table lamp, and therefore is unlikely to be a deal-breaker unless you're exceptionally picky.

The two were equally bright (as expected), although if I'd used a higher-output White & Color Ambiance bulb, then it would have been appreciably brighter.

However, there's one important difference that you should be aware of, particularly if you're looking for smart bulbs that will produce a natural-looking sunrise and sunset to help you wake up feeling refreshed, or to create subtle ambient lighting in your living room.

With both bulbs dialled down to their dimmest setting, the Hue Essential bulb was much brighter than the more expensive White & Color Ambiance model, as you can see in the photo below. That's because the Hue Essential bulb can only be dimmed to 2% of its maximum brightness, whereas the regular bulb can drop to just 0.2%.

I also found that the Essential bulb tended to show a slightly warmer cast, due to its narrower white light spectrum (2,200–6,500K compared to 1,000-20,00K for a regular Hue bulb). Depending on your preferred light temperature, the difference could be apparent if you use the two different types of bulbs in close proximity,

I wouldn't mix and match regular Hue and Hue Essential bulbs within the same room. However, they're an excellent option for those wanting to setup a Philips Hue system but have previously been intimidated by the price. They're also great if you're looking to extend your existing system to more rooms in your home, without splashing too much cash.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

Philips Hue Essential: price and availability

• Much cheaper than regular Philips Hue bulbs
• Even more affordable when bought as a multipack
• You may also want a Philips Hue Bridge

The Philips Hue Essential range is designed to be an accessible entry point into the world of smart lighting, with the bulbs coming in at a much cheaper price than standard Philips Hue ones.

One Philips Hue Essential bulb (either screw or bayonet) costs $24.99 / £19.99 (about AU$40). If you want several, you can save money by opting for a multipack. A twin-pack costs $44.99 / £32.99 (about AU$70), and a four-pack comes in at $59.99 / £49.99 (about AU$90).

For comparison, a twin-pack of regular 800-lumen Philips Hue White & Color Ambiance bulbs costs $98.99 / £84.99 / AU$149.25, and a four-pack is $185.99 / £169.99 / AU$290.50. That's the starting price for a maximum brightness of 800 lumens; brighter bulbs cost even more.

There's another potential cost to consider, though. Although you can control the color and brightness of your Philips Hue Essential lights using Bluetooth on your phone, for more advanced features (such as applying scenes, setting schedules, and connecting them to smart speakers or switches) you'll also need a Philips Hue Bridge.

A standard Philips Hue Bridge costs $65.99 / £49.99 / AU$99.95, so factor this into your budget when planning your new smart lighting system. There's also a Philips Hue Bridge Pro, but this would be overkill for a new user with a small setup.

At the time of writing, Hue Essential bulbs only seem to be available in Australia as part of a starter kit, costing $170.08 for four bulbs and the Hue Bridge.

• Value score: 5/5

Philips Hue Essential: specifications

Philips Hue Essential: design

• Only three bulb types available
• All options offer tuneable white and colored light
• Maximum brightness of 806 lumens

Philips offers only a small selection of Hue Essential bulbs, which makes sense for an entry-level option. There are currently three models available – screw, bayonet, and GU10 spotlights – and these should be fine for most fittings around your home. Here, I tested an E27 screw-fitting bulb.

By contrast, regular Philips Hue lights come in virtually every shape and form possible, including candle and "filament"-style bulbs, LED strips, and gradient lamps to name just a few.

All bulbs in the Philips Hue Essential Series are "Warm to Cool White & Color", meaning they can show eight million colours, plus white light at different temperatures (from 2,200K to 6,500K). Regular Philips Hue smart bulbs are available in three versions:

• Warm white, which lets you tune brightness but not color;
• White Ambiance, which lets you adjust the brightness and temperature;
• White & Color Ambiance, which also lets you pick from eight million colors.

For more details, take a look at my complete guide to the different types of Philips Hue smart light bulbs.

All Philips Hue Essential bulbs offer a maximum brightness of 806 lumens. Regular Philips Hue bulbs range from 800 all the way through to 1,600 lumens.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Should you buy Philips Hue Essential bulbs?

Buy them if

Don't buy them if

Philips Hue Essential: also consider

How I tested the Philips Hue Essential bulbs

I tested a Philips Hue Essential E27 screw-fitting bulb alongside a standard Philips Hue Essential White & Color Ambiance bulb in identical table lamps, so I could more easily compare the two. I connected both to my existing Philips Hue setup, and added them to the same zone, which would enable me to control them both at once via the Hue app on my phone, set them to the same colors and brightness, and note similarities and differences.

I also tested them using the "sunset" automation within the Philips Hue app, with various preset scenes, and by tuning the light color and brightness manually.

For more details, see how we test, rate, and review products at TechRadar.

Nanoleaf Smart Multicolor Floor Lamp: Two-minute review

If there’s one thing I’ve come to appreciate about Nanoleaf’s smart lights since the release of the first-generation Essentials Smart Bulb, it's the company’s ability to offer excellent products at an affordable price. And that's been carried over to the Nanoleaf Smart Multicolor Floor Lamp, which was first revealed at CES in January 2025. It’s one of the cheaper smart floor lamps available at the time of writing and performs wonderfully well, which means you get good value for money here.

There’s nothing particularly standout about it – I suppose that might partly explain the lower price point – but it’s still packed full of features, including reacting to sound, screen mirroring and extensive customizable light scenes. There's even AI-enabled customizations here – just type a word and the app will spew out an appropriate light color palette.

It does require some assembly, which I was a little apprehensive about initially, but a little help from a short YouTube video from Nanoleaf had the lamp ready to be switched on in less than 20 minutes.

If you’re new to Nanoleaf, you’ll have an easy time of pairing it via the companion app – available for both iOS and Android – but I should mention that as someone who’s had multiple Nanoleaf products over the last few years, I ran into trouble as I hadn’t used many of them in a long time. I kept getting popup warnings that all my other Nanoleaf lights were offline, and that prevented me from connecting the floor lamp. Trying to pair each one back was a miserable experience, so I ended up deleting them – except for the Nanoleaf Essentials Light Strip that just refused to disappear (I still can’t figure out why) – which then made connecting the floor lamp via the QR code on the product (and its box) a lot easier.

When switched on for the first time, the Nanoleaf floor lamp defaults to a solid color light, but you can change that quickly enough in the app, where a plethora of user-created light combinations (or Scenes) are already available to preview and download. You can also create your own if you’re feeling adventurous.

It’s not the brightest floor lamp we’ve tested at TechRadar, topping out at 1,700 lumens. In comparison, the Philips Hue Signe Gradient lamp sits at 2,500 lumens (but costs a heck of a lot more too), while the Govee Floor Lamp Pro is 2,100 lumens. So while it won’t necessarily light up a large room brightly, the Nanoleaf Smart Multicolor Floor Lamp manages to create a moody ambience, even if you decide that a solid white (cool) or yellow (warm) light is what you prefer.

As with any other smart floor lamp like it, the Nanoleaf is best used as a wall washer – the light facing the wall – that’s what creates the atmosphere in the room and, if you happen to set it to full brightness with a white (or whitish) light, it can be very harsh on the eyes when you look at it directly.

The transition from one color to another is fantastic and I am yet to find a hue that I don't like – whether you prefer vivid and vibrant lights or pastel shades, the Nanoleaf floor lamp handles them just as well as all the other smart lights from the brand. It’s really quite lovely and I can’t complain about anything when it comes to its day-to-day performance.

I’m amazed at how many features Nanoleaf has managed to pack into this lamp. It has 24 color zones with 72 LEDs spread along it (so you can really go crazy with the customizations); it works via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or can be controlled via a Matter smart home hub; and it inherits the Rhythm Mode from Nanoleaf’s light panels that make the lamp react to the beat of the music playing in the room. Screen mirroring is also possible if you already use the Nanoleaf 4D kit on your TV (you’ll need the Nanoleaf desktop app for PC screen mirroring).

While there's no lag when it comes to using the Rhythm Mode or screen mirroring, I will say that the light palette doesn't always shift with the exact beat. And if you happen to be talking loudly over the music, you'll definitely confuse the lamp which will react to the bigger sounds in the room.

There's no arguing that it's a versatile smart light that requires no pre-planning to install (like the Nanoleaf panels) and, once fully set up, is easy to use. What it misses out on is the speaker on the base that you’ll find in the Philips Hue Signe Gradient and the Govee Floor Lamp Pro, but that didn’t bother me at all.

My biggest issue is with the Nanoleaf app. I’ve complained about it when testing the Essentials range and in my Nanoleaf Lines review, saying the app is not intuitive. Sadly that situation hasn't changed in the last a few years and it needs to be a little easier to use. Don't get me wrong, it's got everything you need for smart lights, but how the whole thing is set up could be a touch convoluted for some users.

Take the Routines tab, for example: I wanted to set up a weekday and a weekend routine where it switches on and off at set times. You can easily add a start time for a specific action, but there's no option to add the end time in the same routine. Instead, I found I needed to create a separate routine where the start time was essentially the end time with the action being the light being off. Schedules and routines shouldn't be this hard to do.

The Philips Hue app, on the other hand, is so easy to use, where the same functionality is allows you to add the start and end time within the same pane. Other smart home applications I've used also offer the same seamless scheduling, including TP-Link's Tapo app and Australian company Laser's ConnectSmart app.

The Nanoleaf app is necessary, though, particularly if you want to set up different Scenes (as the mixed-color lights are called) and customization is made easy via the AI Magic Scenes feature that allows you to type a word or short description to get a corresponding palette. You’ll also need it to integrate Google Home, Alexa, Samsung SmartThings or Apple HomeKit control. In fact, I much prefer using the Apple Home app on my iPhone 17 Pro, which also imports my favorite Scenes, while Siri automations makes it easy to control the floor lamp via voice commands.

If, like me, you’re frustrated with the app, there is a physical controller attached to the power cord and can be used to not just turn the lamp on or off, but also cycle through a few Scenes you’ve marked as your favorites. It also allows you to adjust brightness. That said, the controller is best used only after you’ve finished all your customizations on the app, or you may not like the color palettes that are set as default.

Despite my issues with the app, I can’t help but love the Nanoleaf Smart Multicolor Floor Lamp, and I applaud how affordable it is.

• Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Nanoleaf Smart Multicolor Floor Lamp review: price & availability

• List price: $119.99 / £69.99 / AU$149.99 in the US, UK and Australia respectively
• Available now directly from Nanoleaf or authorized retailers

Nanoleaf debuted the Smart Multicolor Floor Lamp at CES in January 2025, but it only became widely available in most major markets much later in the year. While the company announced it would retail for $99.99 in the US, that price has since gone up and it's now listed for $119.99 / £69.99 / AU$149.99.

Despite the slightly higher price in the US, that’s still an affordable amount for most people looking for a smart lamp. In comparison, the Philips Hue Signe Gradient floor lamp will set you back a whopping $362.99 / £279.99 / AU$499.95. The Govee Floor Lamp Pro costs $199.99 / £219.99 (it's unavailable in Australia), but can often be discounted to around $159 / £169, which is still higher than the full price of the Nanoleaf. Even the cheaper Govee Floor Lamp 2 costs more at $159.99 / £149.99 / AU$349.99.

Sure, the Nanoleaf misses out on the speaker base of some of the more premium smart lamps, but that’s about all, which makes it excellent bang for buck.

• Value score: 5 / 5

Nanoleaf Smart Multicolor Floor Lamp review: Specs

Nanoleaf Smart Multicolor Floor Lamp review: Design

• Slim, simple yet solid build
• Easy assembly
• Good height, but lacks speaker base

The Nanoleaf Smart Multicolor Floor Lamp comes in a few individual bits in the box that you'll need to put together. As I mentioned, I was a little apprehensive about that – DIY is not my forte – but Nanoleaf has easy-to-follow instruction videos online that provide better clarity than the diagrams in the user manual.

The main components are the circular metal base, the three sections of the semicircular pole (or stem) and the light strip that fits into the assembled pole. You screw the connectors to the sections of the stem, which then gets screwed to the tiny protrusion on the base.

The base houses a tiny connector, which is where you'll start pushing the bendy light strip into the pole. Nanoleaf suggests you fit the bottom, the top and middle, then push the rest of the strip in and not be afraid to tuck it into the base. It doesn't seem like the light strip will fit, but it surprisingly does.

Also in the box is the power cable that comes fitted with the controller. Once set up, the lamp stands 1.4 meters tall (4.59 feet), which I think is a nice height for a light like it.

I've lifted the lamp by the top of the stem and nothing has shaken loose, and neither does anything wobble despite being multiple pieces screwed together. It looks thin, but it seems quite sturdy to me. I do have to note that the base picks up dusty scuff marks easily, but those can be wiped off. I would, however, be a little concerned about scratches in the long run.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the Nanoleaf Smart Multicolor Floor Lamp

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Nanoleaf Smart Multicolor Floor Lamp review: Alternatives

Not sure if the Nanoleaf floor lamp is right for you? Below are a couple of alternatives that you could consider instead.

How I tested the Nanoleaf Smart Multicolor Floor Lamp

As soon as I opened the box that the lamp came in, I began the assembly process. The user manual has diagrams only to help with the setup, but you can find videos on Nanoleaf's website or its YouTube channel if you're having trouble.

Once powered on, I paired it via the Nanoleaf app and, despite the issues I described earlier, I was then able to choose some light scenes to get me started. That done, I integrated it into the Apple HomeKit app as another accessory.

I created one of my own light scenes, but didn't try another as it can be quite time consuming. Instead, I browsed a variety of user-created options and downloaded about 10 that I really liked.

I was unfortunately unable to try the lamp with my other Nanoleaf lights as I had trouble re-pairing them to the app (due to inactivity), so I tested different features on the lamp alone. I placed it in different spots in my living room, finally liking it beside a console table that houses my Sonos Ikea Symfonisk picture frame speaker, which was ideal to test out the Rhythm Mode.

I finally tried setting up routines on the Nanoleaf app, but ended up setting up schedules via HomeKit instead, which works fine for my needs.

You can read more about how we test products at TechRadar for more details.

[First published October 2025]

After weeks of tantalizing leaks, the Philips Hue Bridge Pro is finally on sale. The new smart lighting hub (in a fetching shade of graphite) is available to buy for $98.99 in the US and £79.99 in the UK, and details of its Australian launch are expected very soon.

The Hue Bridge Pro can support over 150 smart lights (including bulbs and lamps) and over 50 accessories (such as switches and sensors), compared to just 50 bulbs and 10 accessories for the Bridge V2.

It can also turn your existing Hue lights into motion sensors using the Zigbee wireless protocol. The system, called MotionAware, works by detecting interference in the signal being sent between your bulbs and lamps. This data is processed by the Bridge Pro, which interprets it and uses it to determine whether a person has entered the area.

All of this makes it very tempting, particularly if you have too many Hue lights for just one Bridge, and had to go through the hassle of installing several in your home. Having them all linked to a single Bridge sounds ideal - but don't rush in just yet.

Hold your horses

Although the Hue Bridge Pro can support well over 100 lights, it's not yet possible to merge and migrate all the device settings from multiple previous-gen Bridges. You can use the Philips Hue app to port across your data from one Hue Bridge V2, but if you have more than one of the older hubs, you'll need to wait a while before you can transfer all your settings and devices en masse.

The option to merge multiple Bridges and transfer the data is coming, but Signify (the company behind Philips Hue) hasn't said exactly when. At its launch event in Berlin this week (where it revealed over a dozen new products), its spokespeople only said that it would become available before the end of the year.

It should be worth the wait, though. It's understandable that Signify wants to get the merging and porting software working perfectly before launch, because any failure could mean you have to re-add all your lights one by one, re-create your zones and rooms, and make all your automations and scenes again. It would be a bit of a nightmare.

More reasons to switch

If you want to upgrade from a single Hue Bridge V2, however, you can go ahead and do it right now. Other perks of switching include the ability to connect the Bridge Pro to your router via Wi-Fi rather than an Ethernet cable, which means you can put it anywhere.

The Bridge Pro's upgraded processor means your lights and switches should be more responsive too, and it can now store 500 custom lighting scenes. Learn more about all the Philips Hue devices launched at Signify's Berlin event this week.

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Signify, the company behind Philips Hue, has just launched over 10 new products, including the long-awaited Philips Hue Bridge Pro, seamless light strips, a video doorbell, and heaps of smart bulbs. The event took place in Berlin, near the IFA trade show, and according to Signify, it was the biggest launch in Hue's history.

Here you'll find a complete guide to all the biggest launches, but it wasn't just about hardware. Signify also announced a new partnership with Sonos, which will let you use your Sonos smart speaker to control your Hue lights with voice commands.

We also learned about some extra features coming to Philips Hue Secure, including free 24-hour video playback (previously only available to paid subscribers), the ability to recognize smoke alarm signals and respond with emergency light alerts, and (coming next year) AI-powered facial recognition.

Now, on with the products that'll be lighting up your home very soon...

Philips Hue Bridge Pro

What is the Philips Hue Bridge Pro?

The Philips Hue Bridge Pro is a new hub for connecting your Philips Hue devices. It can support three times as many smart lights and sensors as the previous model, and can turn your Hue lights into motion sensors without any extra hardware.

The Bridge Pro can support over 150 lights (compared to just 50 for the Philips Hue Bridge V2) and 50 accessories. It looks set to be a game-changer for people with large houses, who could easily exceed the previous limit, and would require two or more bridges to accommodate all their devices. It can also store up to 500 scenes

The Hue Bridge Pro can also turn your Hue bulbs and other devices into motion sensors, without the need for any extra hardware. This technology (which is very similar to something we saw demonstrated in a video by the Communication Standards Alliance back in January) is called MotionAware, and will work with almost all existing Philips Hue bulbs and lights that are connected to a Bridge Pro, not just new ones.

The principle is quite simple. Like previous Philips Hue Bridges, the Pro uses the Zigbee wireless protocol to connect all your Hue devices in a mesh network. By detecting disruptions in the signal as it's sent between devices, the Bridge Pro can determine whether a person has entered the area. It's recommended that you have at least three Hue lights in the room to allow the system to accurately triangulate your position.

MotionAware can be used to trigger automations (so the lights turn on if you enter a room, for example) or for security (so you receive an alert through the Philips Hue app if unexpected movement is detected).

Another difference between the Philips Hue Bridge Pro and its predecessor is that you no longer have to connect it to your router using an Ethernet cable. That's still an option, but if you prefer, you can use Wi-Fi instead, which gives you more choice about where you use it.

If you already have a Philips Hue setup and want to upgrade to the Bridge Pro, there's good news and (slightly) bad news. The good news is that you can migrate your settings from one Philips Hue Bridge V2 directly to the Bridge Pro, including all your devices, zones, and rooms.

The not-so-great news is that, if you have multiple bridges, you'll have to wait a while before you can merge them all and port everything over to a Bridge Pro en masse. It's likely to be a few months before this is made possible via a software update, but it makes sense that Signify wants to get it right. You don't want to have to add over a hundred lightbulbs back one by one. The update should be released before the end of the year.

(New to Hue and not sure exactly what a Bridge is? Take a look at our guide what is a Philips Hue Bridge and why is it important for your smart lights.)

What does the Philips Hue Bridge Pro cost?

The Philips Hue Bridge Pro will go on sale in the USA and UK in September, priced at $89.99 / £79.99. The release date and price for Australia are yet to be announced.

Philips Hue Essential

What is Philips Hue Essential?

Philips Hue Essential is a collection of smart light bulbs and strips, which offer a more affordable entry point to the world of smart lighting than the company's original lights. Essential bulbs aren't quite as bright as their classic counterparts, and can't be dimmed quite so low.

According to Signify, their specifications are similar to other smart lights on the market, but with the advantage that they're a fully supported part of the Philips Hue system.

Like regular Philips Hue bulbs, you can control their basic functions from your phone via Bluetooth, or use a Philips Hue Bridge to unlock advanced features like scenes and automations, and the ability to trigger lights with timers, switches, and sensors. If you have a Philips Hue Bridge Pro, you can use Hue Essential lights as motion detectors.

Right now, the Essential range includes A19 bulbs, GU10 spotlights, a strip light, and a flexible strip light. These can be bought individually, in multipacks, or as starter kits that also include a Philips Hue Bridge V2. There are also Philips Hue Essential starter kits that include a switch as well as the Bridge.

What do Philips Hue Essential lights cost?

Philips Hue Essential A19 bulbs, Strip Lights, and Flex Strip Lights will be available from September in the US and UK. A19 bulbs will start at $24.99 / £19.99 each, Strip Lights will start at $59.99 / £49.99, and Flex Strip Lights will start at $99.99 / £84.99.

GU10 spotlight bulbs will also go on sale in the UK in September, starting at £19.99 when bought individually.

We don't yet have details for GU10 spotlights in the US, and there are currently no prices or release dates for Philips Hue Essential products in Australia.

Philips Hue OmniGlow

What is Philips Hue OmniGlow?

There are several new Philips Hue light strips, the most interesting of which is called OmniGlow, which Signify describes as its first "perfectly spot-free strip". That means you can't make out individual LEDs along the strip's length, which will be great news to anyone who likes the idea of a gradient light strip but doesn't want to fit a plastic diffuser over the top.

OmniGlow can emit up to 900 lumens per meter, which means it's not just decorative; you could also use it for functional lighting along a staircase, for example. Each strip is packed with tiny high-performance LEDs less than 0.5mm across. They can be dimmed as low as 0.5%, and have the same color accuracy as other Philips Hue lights.

Signify also showed off two new Philips Hue Flux indoor light strips (regular and extra bright), a Flux outdoor strip light, and a Neon outdoor strip light, which you can bend into different fun shapes.

Want regular bulbs? There are new A19 and E27 bulbs in both the White Ambiance and White and Color Ambiance series. Confused? Our complete guide to the different types of Philips Hue lights explains it all.

What does the Philips Hue OmniGlow cost?

The Philips Hue OmniGlow will be available in the US from October, with prices starting at $139.99 for a three-meter strip. It will go on sale in the UK at some point between October and December, and a three-meter strip will cost £119.99.

We don't yet have a release date for the Philips Hue OmniGlow in Australia, but when it does launch, prices will start at $139.99 for three meters.

Philips Hue Secure Video Doorbell

What is the Philips Hue Secure Video Doorbell?

The latest addition to the Philips Hue Secure lineup of cameras and sensors is a video doorbell, which has a 2K resolution and captures head-to-toe footage so you can get a clear view of visitors and any packages they might leave on your doorstep.

Those specifications are typical for a mid-range video doorbell (take a look at my roundup of the best video doorbells to get an idea of what other companies are offering), but the difference with the Hue model is that it integrates seamlessly with your smart lights. For example, you can use the Philips Hue app to trigger your outdoor lights when someone rings the bell, or when it detects motion.

There's also a separate chime available, which you can plug in for an audible alert anywhere in your home when someone calls, and a wired indoor security camera with 2K resolution.

You can watch footage from your doorbell or camera live on your phone, and later this year, Signify will let you review videos from the last 24 hours for free. If you want to store your clips for longer than that, you'll need a paid Hue Secure subscription plan.

What does the Philips Hue Secure Video Doorbell cost?

The Philips Hue Secure Video Doorbell and Smart Chime will be available in the US and UK from October 2025. The doorbell will cost $169.99 / £139.99, and the chime will cost $59.99 / £49.99. Signify hasn't yet released any details for Australia.

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There are some very interesting Philips Hue products on the way, including new Gradient Strips, Festavia string lights, and a Philips Hue Bridge Pro that can support up to 150 devices, but one rumored release has had me scratching my head - Philips Hue Essential.

These appear to be slightly lower-spec versions of standard Hue smart light bulbs, and will presumably have a more modest price tag to match – but why? Who, exactly, is Philips Hue Essentials for?

The budget end of the smart lighting market is already dominated by the likes of Govee, Ikea, and WiZ – and that’s where things get interesting. You see, WiZ lights are made by a company called Signify – the same company that makes Philips Hue products under license. Why would it pit its two brands against one another with a low-cost version of Hue?

Well, it isn’t – not quite. Aside from price, one of the key differences between WiZ and Philips Hue is connectivity. WiZ lights connect directly to Wi-Fi, meaning there’s no need for a hub, and they’re easier to set up. They’re a good option if you just want one or two bulbs and aren’t planning to build a sophisticated lighting system with switches and sensors.

Although you can control individual Philips Hue lights from your phone using Bluetooth, most people will use them with a Philips Hue Bridge, which plugs into your router and uses the Zigbee wireless protocol to create a mesh network that links all your devices together. No Wi-Fi necessary.

Using Zigbee rather than Wi-Fi means you can have a lot more smart lights in your home (a typical home Wi-Fi router isn’t really intended to communicate with more than a couple of dozen devices), with better range without the need for a Wi-Fi extender. (Zigbee devices also use less power, though LED bulbs aren’t huge energy-hogs to begin with, so you’re not likely to notice a huge difference on that front.)

Philips Hue Essential and WiZ bulbs, therefore, aren’t filling quite the same niche. If you only ever intend to own a couple of smart lights, then WiZ would be just fine, but Hue Essential will give you the option to expand your setup much further in the future, should you choose to.

A bright idea?

"Hue stretches across indoor and outdoor, and has different variants of products in all those categories," Giuliano Ghidini, Business and Marketing leader at Signify, told me in a recent interview.

"Hue offers a more comprehensive range so you can cover all rooms, and thanks to the technology it’s based on, Zigbee, with a Hue hub, you have very good coverage indoor and outdoor, and very high reliability without putting too much stress on your Wi-Fi network."

That makes Hue appealing if you have a generous budget and can afford to deck out your entire house, but the high entry price can be off-putting otherwise. A starter kit of two White & Color Ambiance bulbs bundled with a Hue Bridge might cost as much as $140 / £130 / AU$190. When you can pick up four Govee bulbs for a quarter of the price, with no hub necessary, it’s easy to see why homeowners with more modest needs would write off Hue.

The Philips Hue Essential series, depending on how it’s priced, sounds like it could offer the best of both worlds, with a palatable asking price and the ability to expand your smart lighting setup as much as you like later on, or just keep it simple and not feel like you’re under-utilizing it.

Essential? Perhaps not quite, but certainly more tempting.

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If you’ve been looking to upgrade your smart home, it looks like Philips will have you covered with a brand new Philips Hue Bridge Pro that boasts some impressive (in cases almost needlessly so) capabilities.

Signify, the company behind the Philips Hue brand, accidentally leaked the existence of the new Bridge a few days ago alongside spoilers for new lights and a wired video doorbell, but yet another leak – this time via Lowe's – has clued us into what upgrades the Bridge Pro boasts beyond general promises of it being faster and able to support more devices.

Lowe's runs a program called Loop, which gives customers free samples of new and pre-release tech, and it looks like one such item is the Philips Hue Hue Bridge Pro. Several people have shared images and asked questions about the product on social media – with one tester being completely unsure what to do with the new Bridge Pro as they have no Philips Hue smart lights. 9to5Google reports that some people have even taken to Facebook Marketplace to sell their Bridge Pros.

These shenanigans have given us some key details. Firstly, the Bridge Pro can supposedly support 150+ lights – a huge increase from the current limit of 50. That might seem like overkill for smaller homes, but will pique the interest of anyone who's currently using multiple Bridges to cover their whole house.

The Philips Hue Bridge Pro also promises to offer full home control, so you could rely on this Matter-compatible hub to manage more than just Philips Hue technology.

The other, much more interesting addition is Hue MotionAware tech, which promises to turn your lightbulbs into motion sensors. Exactly how this works hasn’t been revealed, so it’s not clear which Hue smart bulbs will support this upgrade, but it seems rooms with three bulbs or more will be able to detect people walking past and react accordingly.

It's possible that it might use something like the ambient sensing technology that the Communication Standards Alliance showed off in a video earlier this year. Ambient sensing is a use case built by a company called Ivani to demonstrate what's possible using the Zigbee wireless protocol (which is used by Philips Hue devices).

Now that would be smart, and might give me a reason to fill my home with smart bulbs.

Even with these serious leaks we should take details with a pinch of slat – though if you ask us it certainly seems it’s a matter of when not if Philips will debut the Bridge Pro.

IFA looks to be a likely event that'll happen – given the Berlin tech show is due in only a couple of weeks and Philips has debuted tech there before – but we’ll have to wait and see.

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• New Philips Hue products have been leaked
• There are 4 new lights plus a hub and a doorbell
• It's not clear when they might launch

We're expecting some new Philips Hue smart lights in the not-too-distant future, and it seems the Signify-owned brand has got so excited about the upcoming products that it's leaked them early on its own website.

Pages listing the new devices were only live briefly, but before they got pulled they were spotted by Hueblog (via Android Authority). There are apparently four new models coming, plus a Hue Bridge update and a new video doorbell.

We've got two new smart lights in the Festivia string lights line: downward-facing lights intended for permanent outdoor installation, and a garland-style strip for decorating spaces with. It's likely both are going to be available in a variety of lengths, with the usual wealth of color and brightness customization choices for the bulbs themselves.

In addition, it looks as though Philips Hue is about to refresh its more basic light strip product, with a gradient function for the outdoor model and boosted brightness. Lastly, there's an updated version of the A19/E27 bulb, bringing with it a broader spectrum of colors and ultra-low dimming, while using 40 percent less energy.

Even more devices

On top of the bulbs, it seems Philips Hue is also going to launch a Hue Bridge Pro: according to the leaked description, it'll be faster, offer support for a greater number of devices, and add some fresh new features as well (quite possibly involving AI). It also promises to turn your smart lights into motion sensors.

Then there's a wired video doorbell, which would seem to be an extension of the Hue Secure series of home security cameras. The doorbell is listed as having a 2K resolution, which usually means 1440p – an upgrade on the 1080p resolution offered by the current cameras. It's a device that's previously been rumored.

What we don't get here are any details on pricing or availability, though it seems the wired video doorbell may launch later than the other bits of kit: it's listed as "coming soon" rather than "available now" on the now-pulled webpage.

One final tidbit from this leak is that Sonos voice control seems to be coming to Philips Hue systems, so you'll be able to use voice commands issued to your Sonos speakers to control the basics of your smart light network.

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I've tested a lot of wake-up lights over the years, and most of them have the same problem: even their lowest illumination level is fairly bright, and they jar me awake the instant they start their sunrise cycle. Some have terrible canned bird noises as well, but mostly it's the sudden change in brightness that has me burying my groggy face in my pillow.

The Philips Hue Play Wall Washer is different, though, and after a week, I can say that it's changed my morning routine for good.

The Wall Washer is a new smart lamp, released earlier this year, and as the name suggests, it's designed to shine colored light onto a wall rather than into your room, creating a diffused, atmospheric effect. It's not advertised as a wake-up light, and as part of the Play series, it's made more with entertainment in mind. Similar to a Philips Hue Play Gradient Strip, it can be paired with an HDMI Box or the Philips Hue Play app to extend the colors from your TV screen, creating a more immersive experience.

It uses a technology called ColorCast, which is essentially a stack of three colored LEDs that overlap in such a way that they create a smooth gradient of color. The image at the top of this article is unedited – it really is that seamless.

It's the same system you'll find in the back of the Philips Hue Twilight, which is designed to sit beside your bed and has a front-facing light for reading, but if choosing between the two, I'd opt for the Wall Washer thanks to its versatility.

Creating a wake-up automation in the mobile app is easy. Once I'd plugged in my Wall Washer and connected it to my Philips Hue Bridge (the hub that connects your Hue Lights devices to one another), I added it to my bedroom, gave it a descriptive name, tapped the 'Automations' button in the app, and selected 'Wake Up'.

There are two options here: you can choose white light that simply increases in brightness, or opt for a simulated sunrise that starts with dim red light, shifts to orange, and eventually finishes white. I wanted an effect similar to the sun shining through the canvas on a camping trip, so I chose the latter, set it to finish its cycle at 7am, and named it 'Rise and Shine'.

Creating this automation is no harder than setting an alarm on your phone, and after a week, I can say that it's a much gentler way to wake. Now I come round gradually, with no shock of noise-induced adrenaline.

I still keep a backup alarm set with some nature noises in case I manage to sleep through the light, but so far that's not happened (touch wood).

The Wall Washer doesn't just wake you gently either; it can also help you drift off at night by playing its sunrise effect in reverse, with warm light that gently fades to darkness over a duration of your choice.

Again, this is done via an automation in the Philips Hue app. This time, though, I didn't want to set a timer. Although experts recommend keeping a set bedtime every night (even on the weekends), sometimes life gets in the way. There could be a deadline, I might be having drinks with friends, or I might need to spend half an hour on Duolingo to avoid being demoted. You know, important things.

Luckily, I happened to have a Philips Hue Dimmer Switch on hand, which is perfect for the job. It has programmable buttons, so I could set one to trigger the simulated sunset, and its self-adhesive mount was perfect for sticking to the side of my nightstand. If my husband wants to use it, he can simply remove the magnetic switch from its mount and use it as a remote.

You could do exactly the same thing with a Philips Hue Smart Button, but the advantage of the Dimmer Switch is that it can also turn the light on and off, or (as the name suggests) adjust its brightness.

I added the switch to my bedroom in the app, then gave it a name, and assigned the Sleep automation to its bottom button. Now, when I'm ready to wind down, I can trigger the light sequence with a single tap.

The video below shows the final few seconds of the sleep automation, and as you can see, the change in brightness is incredibly smooth. I'd set the light to dim over the course of five minutes, which is the shortest possible period. If you choose a longer timeframe, the light will dim even more gradually.

I sometimes have trouble dropping off at night (likely a consequence of testing the best coffee makers too close to bedtime), but the sleep automation on the Wall Washer is like magic. Its dim, reddish light lulls me to sleep like nothing else, somehow helping me relax and silencing the caffeine-induced chatter.

It's incredibly soothing, and after a week, I can't imagine dozing off without it. If I ever did change my mind, though, it's good to know that the Wall Washer could find a new home beside my TV, serving as an Ambilight alternative. It's the most versatile Philips Hue lamp yet, and well worth investigating if you're looking to expand your smart lighting setup.

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Philips Hue Play Wall Washer: two-minute review

When I first set eyes on the Philips Hue Play Wall Washer, I saw it as a more advanced alternative to the Philips Hue Play Light Bars, which are designed to sit on either side of your TV and add ambience to your home entertainment setup. The Wall Washer can certainly do that – and with more atmospheric results thanks to its wider projection area – but it can do a lot more, too.

Like the Light Bar, the Wall Washer is a discreet-looking device that's designed to be positioned with its light source shining against a wall, rather than into the room, producing a diffuse glow that (as the name suggests) washes your room with color. However, unlike the Play Light Bar, which can only show one color at a time, each Wall Washer contains three lights, stacked vertically, which overlap to form a smooth gradient.

As the video below shows, the three lights can also dim and brighten independently to create shimmering effects, which is a nice feature if you choose to use a single Wall Washer as a table lamp to set the mood as part of a larger Philips Hue lighting setup.

You can use the Wall Washer via Bluetooth, but to unlock all its features (and to justify its price), you'll also need a Philips Hue Bridge. This small hub device plugs into your router and uses the Zigbee wireless protocol to create a mesh network that connects all of your Hue lights, switches, and cameras to one another, and to the internet.

Provided you have that, setting up your Wall Washer is straightforward. Just select the "Add" option within the Hue mobile app, scan the QR code on the base of your Wall Washer when prompted and then choose a room or zone for it (you'll be prompted to create an area if none already exist). If you have more than one Wall Washer, you'll need to add each one separately, but that takes only a few seconds.

Once that's done, you can change the color of each Wall Washer by choosing a shade from the app's color wheel. You can also apply a preset color scheme (known as a "scene") from the Hue library; create your own scene by picking colors or importing a picture; or apply an animated dynamic scene such as the shimmering purple effect above.

You can customize your Wall Washer by itself, or apply a scene to all the lights in a room or zone.

Despite its small size, the Wall Washer projects light a long way, and when it was positioned on a table, I found the color reached all the way to the ceiling. If you like the idea of a Philips Hue Signe Floor Lamp, but don't have the space, the Wall Washer would be a good alternative for around the same price. Although there are only three lights in each Wall Washer, the color gradient is totally seamless, as you can see in the image at the top of this review.

As mentioned earlier, the Philips Hue Play Wall Washer can also sync with your TV, extending the colors from the screen in the same way as a Philips Ambilight TV to create a more immersive viewing experience by effectively blurring the edges of the picture.

To do this, you'll need at least one Wall Washer, plus either a Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box, or a smart TV that's compatible with the Philips Hue Play Sync app. The app was initially only available for selected Samsung TVs, but in February 2025, Signify (Philips Hue's parent company) launched a version for LG sets as well.

The advantage of using the app is that there's less to setup, and you can use it to sync your Hue lights with content from your TV's native apps. If you use a Sync Box, you can only sync with content from HDMI sources.

As you can see in the video and images above, there's very little latency when using the Wall Washer lights with a Philips Hue HDMI Sync Box connected to a set-top box, and colors look natural rather than distracting. The lighting is effective, even in daylight, and the gradient means the Wall Washers create a more seamless look than the Philips Hue Play Light Bars, which can only average out the color on each side of your screen.

The main disadvantage of the Wall Washer compared to the Philips Hue Play Light Bar is that it only stands upright, and it isn't designed to be mounted horizontally. As such, it isn't well suited for use underneath your TV. You'll probably want at least two for a home entertainment setup (and possibly another for elsewhere in the room), which will be considerably more expensive.

If you have just one Wall Washer, it also works well as a wake-up light on your nightstand. The Hue app contains automations that are designed to wake you with a simulated sunrise, with the lamp gradually becoming brighter and the light becoming cooler, reaching full brightness by a set time. I'm very sensitive to light at night, and the Wall Washer is the first lamp I've found that doesn't shock me awake by increasing brightness abruptly. It's more like waking gradually as the sun comes through your tent on a camping trip.

At the end of the day, you can wind down with a sunset automation, which runs the same sequence in reverse. The video above shows the last 20 seconds of a five-minute sleep automation, during which the light color shifts from warm white to orange to red, while gradually decreasing in brightness.

Overall, it's the most versatile smart light I've tested to date, and although it certainly isn't cheap, there's no denying its performance, whichever room you're using it in.

• Performance: 5/5

Philips Hue Play Wall Washer: price and availability

• Costs $219.99 / £169.99 for one, or $384.99 / £299.99 for two
• Not yet available in Australia
• Works best with Philips Hue Bridge

At the time of writing, the Philips Hue Play Wall Washer is available direct from the Philips Hue website in the US and UK, and from Amazon in the US. It isn't yet on sale in Australia, but FAQ pages on the Australian Philips Hue site indicate that its launch there is imminent.

A single Philips Hue Play Wall Washer has a list price of $219.99 / £169.99 (about AU$340), and if you're planning to use the lights on either side of your TV (as shown in some of the photos here), you can pick up a two-pack for $384.99 / £299.99 (about AU$600).

That makes it one of the most expensive Philips Hue lights around, but it's also the most versatile, serving as a filler light to add ambience, a backlight for your home entertainment system, and a wake-up light. Most Hue lights only fill one niche, so the Wall Washer's adaptability makes its price tag more palatable.

For comparison, the Philips Hue Play Light Bar has a list price of $89.99 / £64.99 / AU$129.95 each. If you're considering the Wall Washer as a wake-up lamp, the Philips Hue Twilight (which also has a front-facing LED for reading) costs $279 / £249 (about AU$430).

If you want to use the Wall Washers with your TV, you'll also need a Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box and Philips Hue Bridge, so factor these into your budget calculations if you don't already own them.

• Value score: 4/5

Philips Hue Play Wall Washer: specifications

Philips Hue Play Wall Washer: design

Each Philips Hue Play Wall Washer is nearly cylindrical, and measures 6.2 inches / 15.7cm tall and 3.6 inches / 9.1cm in diameter. This is considerably shorter than the Philips Hue Play Light Bars, which stand at 11.5 inches / 29.2cm high; but the design of the Wall Washer and its improved LEDs means that it can throw light over a larger area.

The Wall Washer has an aluminum case (rather than plastic for the Play Light Bars), and has a smart-looking matte finish. It's available in black (shown here) or white, so you can pick an option that will blend well with your décor.

The back of the Wall Washer has a flat surface, and contains three Philips Hue White & Color Ambiance lights arranged vertically. That might not sound like much, but the lights overlap in such a way that they shine a super-smooth gradient onto your wall, with no banding whatsoever.

This technology, called ColorCast, is the same used by the Philips Hue Twilight wake-up lamp – and like the Twilight, the Wall Washer can be dimmed to an extremely low level for use at night.

You can connect up to three Philips Hue Play Wall Washer lights to a single power supply, although they're only sold in packs of one or two.

• Design score: 5/5

Should you buy the Philips Hue Play Wall Washer

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

Philips Hue Play Wall Washer: also consider

If you're not sure whether the Philips Hue Play Wall Washer is right for you, here are two other options to consider.

How I tested the Philips Hue Play Wall Washer:

I connected the Philips Hue Play Wall Washer to my Philips Hue Bridge, and used it in various rooms in my house (alone, and as a pair). First I connected it to a Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box, which was linked to a digital set-top box, and experimented with viewing different films and TV shows to assess color-matching and latency. The screengrabs above show content from TechRadar's YouTube channel for copyright reasons, but I tested the lights with a wide variety of media.

I also used a single Wall Washer as a fill light together with a pair of Philips Hue White & Color Ambiance bulbs in ceiling fixtures. I experimented with applying different scenes to all the lights in the room, and creating new ones.

Finally, I tested a single Wall Washer on my nightstand, using the Wake Up and Sleep automations to assess how smoothly the color and brightness of the light can change, and how dim it can become before switching off. I compared its performance to a purpose-made wake-up light.

For more details, see how we test, rate, and review products at TechRadar.

First reviewed July 2025.

WiZ HDMI Sync Box with TV Backlight: two-minute review

The first step of setting up my WiZ HDMI Sync Box Kit was actually removing my Nanoleaf 4D Screen Mirror Kit, as that was what I had been using for TV accent lighting prior to the test period. Both Nanoleaf and WiZ are among the best smart light brands and so being able to directly compare the two was a valuable asset for the review process.

I’ll admit I was a little sad to put the old Nanoleaf light strip into storage but I really wasn’t going to miss the camera that used to linger above my screen. Luckily, the WiZ HDMI Sync Box Kit doesn’t have any unwelcome distractions like that, and the setup was a good deal cleaner too.

My television is 55 inches, and it was definitely the smallest screen the 55-65” kit could fit on. In fact, I had to readjust my positioning a couple of times to avoid any sections of the LED strip going beyond the TV’s edge. Thanks to the adhesive clips and weirdly ingenious corner sections included with the kit, I was to achieve an application that I was confident would last.

Alongside the included LCD light strip, I also tested the Sync Box’s functionality with other WiZ products, including the Gradient Light Bars. The app has a clever and easy-to-use function where you essentially tell it where your extra lights are in relation to your television and that dictates how its colors shift. Sure enough, the synced lights change in line with the light strip, further expanding the glowing halo around whatever episode of Kitchen Nightmares I happen to be watching.

When it got to actually testing the WiZ HDMI Sync Box Kit, I encountered a bit of a problem: my partner and I are the kind of adult children who own at least one of every current gen console, so the singular HDMI 2.0 port included with the WiZ HDMI Sync Box Kit was just not going to cut it.

Thankfully, the sync box supports the use of switch splitters, meaning you can expand your number of inputs provided you’re happy to spend a little extra. Depending on how many more ports you need, HDMI splitters can set you back about $10 to $50, so keep that added cost in mind if you plan to use the WiZ HDMI Sync Box Kit while gaming across multiple platforms.

Skull and Bones is undoubtedly not one of gaming’s greats, but it happened to be one my partner was playing at the time – and, in its defence, it does have an open world that delivers a good deal of color information for the sync box to work with. As I expected, the deep grey-blue of the game’s sea was reflected really beautifully on the wall behind my screen, but what was particularly impressive was when a blast of lightning cut across the game’s skybox.

This in-game weather phenomenon prompted a localised shock of white light to cut across my walls, adding a fabulous sense of drama to what was otherwise rather goofy game.

On the other hand, playing Dead by Daylight on a map with a grimy, rust colored palette intermittently produced the most random shade of violet. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a sucker for some good bisexual lighting at the best of times, but I’d appreciate it if my light strip stuck just a tad closer to the script.

One mechanic in Dead by Daylight involves the appearance of what’s called a ‘terror radius’, causing a blood-red glow to emit from another player’s character. When the sync box picked up the terror radius, it looked superb and truly enhanced the thrill of the chase. The only problem was, it didn’t activate all that reliably.

Some kind of colored light was always present and enhancing the atmosphere of my media setup, but there were times where I’d pay especially close attention to the WiZ light strip’s output and realise how arbitrary its choices were. I navigated the WiZ app (which as mentioned in my WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp review, is a breeze) and tried to force a firmware update, hoping this would resolve these quirks. Unfortunately, it seems like the WiZ HDMI Sync Box Kit has a tiny rebellious streak that can’t be quashed.

WiZ HDMI Sync Box with TV Backlight: specifications

WiZ HDMI Sync Box with TV Backlight: price and availability

• 55-65 inch kit price: $89 / £79.99
• 75-85” inch price: $109 / £99.99
• Where to buy: Amazon, WiZ (US only)

The 55-65” WiZ HDMI Sync Box Kit costs $89, while the larger 85” model comes with a bit of a premium at $109. Both can be purchased on the WiZ site or on Amazon.

If you’re in the UK, you can browse WiZ products on the website but when it comes to actually popping them in your basket, you’ll have to head to Amazon. Here, you can pick up the 65” kit for £79.99 and the 85” kit for £99.99.

Should you buy the WiZ HDMI Sync Box with TV Backlight

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

WiZ HDMI Sync Box with TV Backlight: also consider

If you’re not totally sold on the WiZ HDMI Sync Box Kit, it might be worth checking out alternatives like the Nanoleaf 4D Screen Mirror + Lightstrip Kit and the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box.

How I tested the WiZ HDMI Sync Box with TV Backlight

• I connected the WiZ HDMI Sync Box Kit to my TV
• I tested the Sync Box using input from my PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X
• I experimented with in-app features and controls

During the two weeks I used the WiZ HDMI Sync Box Kit, I enjoyed a variety of films, tv shows, and video games while observing how the LCD light strip emulated what was onscreen. After assessing the functionality of the light strip alone, I also connected the Sync Box to the WiZ Gradient Light Bars and the WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp. For more details, see how we test, rate, and review at TechRadar.

First reviewed July 2025

WiZ Gradient Light Bars: two-minute review

WiZ Gradient Light Bars are a clear dupe of the Philips Hue Play Light Bars (in fact they're produced by the same parent company, Signify), and like their Philips counterparts, they’re mainly designed to be used alongside a HDMI Sync Box to extend its screen-mirroring light effects.

Alongside the light bars themselves, the kit includes two variants of bracket (standing and mounting), and a separate USB-A plug. That second inclusion won’t mean a whole lot to most people but as someone who is constantly hurting for spare outlets on my power strip, being able to connect the bars’ wire to my TV or games console is a godsend.

Both the mounts and the light bars themselves are light but hardily-constructed, delivering impressive quality considering the $60 price tag. Really, the only qualm I had with the design was the placing of the light bars’ wires: they jut out from one end of the bar and the standing mounts don’t provide a gap for the wire to go through. As a result, you have to bend the wire at quite a sharp angle and press the bar against it. This is fine for now (albeit a little unsightly) but I am a tad concerned about what impact this might have on the longevity of the wire insulation.

This is a small oversight in what is otherwise a cleverly-designed mounting system. The centre of each WiZ Gradient Light Bar is magnetized, allowing them to slot securely into the mount without worry of it falling out. Because of this magnetization, you could even mount them on the top of a TV niche for some effective downlighting. Fair warning: these lights are really versatile, so when you first unbox them, you’ll likely spend a good while experimenting with different placements to find your favorite.

A placement that works best in one layout might not work so well in another. For example, my TV unit isn’t a great deal wider than the TV itself and as a result, the WiZ Gradient Light Bars’ inclusion alongside the HDMI Sync Box Kit’s LED strip felt a tad redundant. Without sufficient spacing between the two light sources, they sort of just blended into each other in a way that made them feel lost in the layout. In that same vein, mounting them on the back of the TV didn’t make much sense either.

For my purposes, I found lying the light bars under my TV a better fit; this also had the added benefit of making up for the slight gap in light caused by the lack of LED strip on my TV’s bottom edge. That said, popping them on a bookshelf nearby produced a truly lovely effect too. Which is a nice reminder that if you don’t have the HDMI Sync Box Kit or just don’t fancy making your WiZ Gradient Light Bars part of your media setup, you really don’t have to.

Alongside the screen-mirroring effects made possible by the HDMI Sync Box, the light bars are capable of all the usual static and dynamic light effects found in the WiZ app, and can even be programmed independently of each other. In each lighting mode, the light bars output a beautifully smooth and vibrant gradient glow that looks wonderful diffused against your wall or enjoyed directly. They can also be used for WiZ’s very rudimentary Music Sync mode (you’ll have to check out my review of the WiZ Gradient floor lamp to catch up on the beef I have with that).

Another activation you (theoretically) can set up in the app is SmartSense, WiZ’s motion detection function. Given that SmartSense requires two Bluetooth-enabled WiZ lights, I assumed that the Gradient Light Bars were the perfect candidate for testing this feature. Unfortunately, as far as SmartSense is concerned, the bars count as one single entity. This is a bit of a shame given they can be placed far away enough from each other to meet the setup requirements, but they likely have a shared Wi-Fi receiver that would make SmartSense impossible and the app recognizes that.

If you’re picking up the WiZ Gradient Light Bars, I’m not sure I’d recommend buying a third light source solely for the purpose of using SmartSense. In my testing (using the Gradient Floor Lamp as my third light), I found the motion detection disappointingly unreliable. After a good deal of troubleshooting, jumping up and down like an idiot, and four recalibration attempts, I resigned myself to the fact that there were a lot of things these versatile little light bars could do — and do very well— but motion detection was not one of them.

WiZ Gradient Light Bars: specifications

WiZ Gradient Light Bars: price and availability

• Price: $59.99 / £54.99 (not sold in Australia)
• Where to buy: WiZ (US only), Amazon

The WiZ Gradient Light Bars have an MSRP of $59.99 in the US, and are available to purchase on WiZ’s site and on Amazon. However, at time of writing, the bars are sold out at WiZ and are 10% off at Amazon – that certainly makes for an easy decision on where to pick them up.

If you’re in the UK, you’ll be able to check out WiZ’s product lineup on their site but when it comes to actually ordering them, you’re better off heading to Amazon. There, you can purchase the light bars for £54.99.

Should you buy the WiZ Gradient Light Bars?

Buy them if

Don't buy them if

WiZ Gradient Light Bars: also consider

If you’re still shopping around, why not consider these alternatives: Govee Table Lamp 2 and Philips Hue Play Light Bars offer very similar functionality at differing price points.

How I tested the WiZ Gradient Light Bars

• I installed the WiZ Gradient Light Bars in my main living space
• I used the lights for two weeks, both independently and synced with my TV
• I tested various settings and customization options

I tested the WiZ Gradient Light Bars for two weeks, while paired with the WiZ HDMI Sync Box Kit. I used them while they were synced to content from my TV and as standalone smart lights. During periods where they were not synced to the TV, I controlled them via the WiZ app and through voice controls made to my Amazon Alexa. For more details, see how we test, rate, and review at TechRadar.

First reviewed June 2025

WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp: two-minute review

First impressions account for a lot, and I think I was expecting far less from the Wiz Gradient Floor Lamp based on its freshly out-of-the-box appearance. As its shaft and base are composed entirely of relatively lightweight plastic, the build has a feel that almost borders on flimsy. Undisturbed, the lamp stands perfectly fine, but if you have a pet or a little one tearing through your living space, it’s not difficult to imagine them sending the lamp toppling. So, keep that in mind when deciding where to place it.

While it may not feel premium, the lamp doesn’t feel so cheap that I’d worry about its lifespan. I reckon the WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp could withstand years of clumsy folks knocking it over. So, unless you particularly value the feel and finish of metal, a plastic smart lamp gets the job done just fine. Actually, it does a lot better than just fine: the seven-segment RGB LCD creates a fabulous wave of color across the room that transforms the mood of the space surprisingly well.

In terms of brightness, the WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp lags behind equivalent products from its competitors. For reference, the Govee Floor Lamp Pro is 2,100 lumens, whereas the Philips Hue Gradient Signe sits at 2,500. Your initial instincts might tell you ‘bigger means brighter means better’, but that’s not strictly true. Given that this variety of floor lamp is meant to be placed in a corner and used as ambient light that washes across the walls, you’re not necessarily going to be looking for an output that’s particularly blinding.

I respect that it’s actually quite difficult to conceptualize exactly how bright 1,000 lumens are, so I'll try to give you some point of reference: it’s enough to provide solid task lighting for an entire medium-sized room. Given that a WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp is very unlikely to be granted the role of ‘big light’ and is instead mainly for localised mood lighting, I’d say 1,080 lumens is perfectly adequate. Maybe those other lamps are compensating for something.

Historically, I’ve not been a big fan of operating smart lights with their associated apps. Obviously, I’ll hop on to do day-one setup and to tweak settings, but by and large, I much prefer importing devices into the Home app or controlling them using my Alexa. But after using WiZ’s app, I was struck by how few ‘smart home app sins’ it actually committed. The UI is clean and easy to navigate, and there aren’t any obtrusive popups, unsubtle attempts to get you to buy more products, or superfluous social features.

In fact, the sole problem I had with the app was when trying to pair my device for the first time. When you set up a device manually, it prompts you to define your device type. Apparently, the WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp falls under the category of a luminaire. Listen, I’m big enough to admit it: I had no idea that luminaire was just a synonym for light fixture. And so, when I saw that category on the app, I assumed it referred specifically to the WiZ Luminaire Mobile Portable Light – and I feel like the icon of a stout little table lamp just led me further astray. This might be a me-specific problem, and maybe I just should pick up a thesaurus more often, but I really wouldn’t be surprised if you also spend 10 very confused minutes trying to register your lamp as a LED strip.

Alongside the usual combination of static and dynamic light displays, the WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp also has a music sync feature. Well, it does with a little help. The device doesn’t have a microphone of its own, so it relies on you to open your app and use your phone’s mic instead. Crucially, that means that your music has to be coming from another audio source than your phone. Placing my phone beside a speaker to control my lamp felt a tad too much like a Rube Goldberg machine for my liking, and frankly, the whole process felt a bit silly.

But if I’m being honest, I think music sync can afford to be silly. After all, it – at least in my experience – is a sort of novelty that you might pop on during a house party or to be particularly annoying to the people you live with.

WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp: specifications

WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp: price and availability

• Price: £79.99 / $92.26 (not available in Australia)
• Where to buy: WiZ website (available in the UK only), Amazon

You can pick up the WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp on Amazon US for about $90. Unfortunately for stateside folks, it seems like the gradient version isn’t available on the WiZ site at the moment (don’t get it confused with the dual-tone floor lamp!). In the UK, the WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp is available to purchase directly from WiZ and on Amazon for £79.99.

If you’ve been in the market for smart lights for any amount of time, I’m sure you’ve come across products from Philips Hue. After all, the brand delivers a premium ecosystem that consistently tops best smart lights lists. However, forking out $50 for a single colored smart bulb really isn’t for everyone.

As a more budget-friendly alternative to Philips Hue, I’m well familiar with Nanoleaf and Govee products – they’ve taken up some serious real estate in my apartment up to this point – but they aren’t the only company developing cut-price options for folks who love smart lighting. In fact, WiZ (whose products are made by Signify, the same parent company as Philips Hue) sits one rung further below those competitors in terms of price, dropping the barrier of entry to having a beautifully illuminated, smart living space impressively low.

Should you buy the WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp: also consider

While you’re shopping around, you’ll probably want to check out some alternatives. The Philips Hue Gradient Signe and Govee Floor Lamp Pro are sort of like the bougee cousins to the WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp: sporting very similar features and form factors, albeit at a more premium price.

How I tested the WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp

• I trialled both automatic and manual setup methods
• I operated the lights using voice commands, Apple’s Home app, and the Wiz app
• I tested the device’s music sync and automation functions

For three weeks, the WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp sat pride-of-place in my home office, where it illuminated my walls with both dynamic and static light effects almost daily. My primary means of operating the lamp was through voice commands to my Amazon Alexa, but I also activated it using the WiZ app and Apple Home app.

In evaluating the WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp, I made a direct effort to compare it to other floor lamps on the market, as well as to the broader array of experience I had with smart lights in general. For more details, see how we test, rate, and review at TechRadar.

First reviewed June 2025

Leveling up your lighting is one of the easiest ways to start building a smart home, and it can have a lot of benefits. For instance, you can control smart lights hands-free using voice commands, or set them to turn on and off when you're away on vacation and so deter thieves.

That's only scratching the surface of what they're capable of, though, so we spoke to Giuliano Ghidini, Business and Marketing leader at Signify, to find out more about the benefits of installing smart lights at home, and where the tech is going next.

Signify is the parent company of Philips Hue and WiZ, which are the brands behind many of the best smart lights we've tested here at TechRadar. Hue is the one that comes to mind when most people think of smart lights, while Wiz is a more budget-friendly option.

"Hue stretches across indoor and outdoor, and has different variants of products in all those categories," says Ghidini. "Hue offers a more comprehensive range so you can cover all rooms, and thanks to the technology it’s based on, Zigbee, with a Hue hub you have very good coverage indoor and outdoor, and very high reliability without putting too much stress on your Wi-Fi network."

Wiz came later, and is a more affordable brand with a smaller range of lights, which connect directly to Wi-Fi.

"We wanted to bring high quality at a more affordable price point. It allows us to finally bring smart lighting to more houses in the UK and the world," says Ghidini.

Why smart lighting?

Ghidini says a lot has happened in the seven years since he joined Signify, with smart lighting shifting from something seen as very technical to products you'll find in ordinary department stores.

Once sold exclusively by retailers specializing in computer hardware, Hue has now gone mainstream and even has a dedicated space in the flagship John Lewis shop on London's Oxford Street.

"So first of all, it’s very important to talk about smart lighting knowing it's not only the light bulb," he says. "For some people it's still a connected bulb, but when you look at Philips Hue and Wiz, we have products in all categories, both indoor and outdoor, and we have other products as well.

"So when you talk about convenience, you can talk about how we use lighting for security, outdoors and indoors. For example, you can have lights flashing red if there is an intruder or motion is detected where you don’t expect it.

"You can set scenes depending on the time of the day to change the mood for a party, for instance. And lighting can sync with music, or for wellness. For example, you can wake up with the right light and that helps you to have a more relaxed and better start of the day. You can use it for entertainment, integrate the lighting that you have in the living room with what happens on your TV.

"It all started with just a connected light bulb, and what you can do now is quite amazing."

What's next

So what's coming up next in the world of smart lighting? Ghidini isn't giving anything away just yet, but it sounds like convenience is going to play a big role.

"Smart lighting is basically connected lighting," he says. "With that connectivity, you can do many things – connect your lighting to other smart home systems to make your home more secure, for instance. You can connect to a specific scene to help your general wellness, or in order to improve the ambience of your living room, bedroom, and kitchen – all the different rooms in your house."

It's not just about the technology, though – smart lighting is also about making your life easier, and there are exciting developments afoot on this front.

"The integration of these products with other platforms is very important – for example, Google, or Amazon Alexa. Then you have access to an extended number of use cases as well, where you control lighting not only with your phone but also with your voice. In some cases the control is done on your behalf because you have intelligent systems. We just launched an AI system that will do it for you."

Ghidini isn't giving anything else away for now, but promises something exciting is coming soon. We'll keep you updated as soon as we know more.

You might also like

• 3 cool things you didn't realize your Philips Hue lights could do
• I tested the wireless Nanoleaf Solar Garden Lights, and they're a fun way to light up your yard all night long
• Philips Hue is launching a stylish new smart light to 'wash' your walls with color – early Amazon listing reveals all

Philips Hue lights are great for setting a mood during movie nights, waking you gently with a natural-looking sunrise, welcoming you when you return from home, and making it look like someone is home when you're on vacation – but even if you're using them for all that, you're still only scratching the surface.

One of the joys of smart home tech is the ability to link together products from different brands, and linking your bulbs, lamps, and LED strips to other apps and services can make the best smart lights even better.

Below you'll find just a few examples of how your Philips Hue lights can make your life more convenient in ways you might not have considered before – plus a brand new feature in the Hue app itself that will let you get more creative with custom scenes.

1. Silent notifications (for anything)

If you've just put your baby down for a nap, your partner is trying to sleep after a night shift, or you've got a headache, the last thing you want is noisy chimes and alerts. That's where your Philips Hue lights come in, letting you know about incoming calls, app notifications, and visitors at the door with blinking or color-changing lights rather than anything audible. These automations could also be helpful if you or someone in your family is hearing-impaired.

IFTTT (If This Then That) is a service that makes these automations easy, connecting different apps and smart devices, and letting you use one to control another without any coding. It's available as an app for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Android, and you can use up to two automations (known as 'applets') for free.

Install the IFTTT app, then search for 'Philips Hue' to see a huge list of options. There are applets that will make your lights blink when you receive a WhatsApp notification, make them flash when someone presses your Ring doorbell, and make them change color if you get a call.

2. Weather updates

You're about to leave the house, but should you pack an umbrella, and do you need to take the laundry inside before you go? Your Philips Hue lights can tell you, with a bit of help from IFTTT.

Browse through the many automations available for your smart lighting system, and you'll find several options that connect to a weather service and use your GPS location to determine whether it's about to rain near you. If wet weather is on the way, they can turn your Philips Hue lights blue to let you know.

There are also automations for snow, which are a particularly nice option if you have kids who are excited by the prospect of the white stuff (and possibly the chance of a day off school to play in it).

You'll need to permit IFTTT to access your location through your phone in order to use these particular automations.

3. AI-generated scenes

This is a new feature for Philips Hue lights, and was first teased at CES 2025 back in January. Signify (the company behind Philips Hue) has created a Philips Hue AI assistant that can process commands spoken or written in natural language and then use them to find a suitable scene from the Hue app's gallery of presets or create something brand new.

For example, you could tell it "I want a sunrise theme", "Give me a scene for a horror movie", or "I'm throwing a Halloween party", and the app will pick out something that fits the bill, or even make something from scratch for you.

It should be a great time-saver, helping avoid the need to scroll through to find the scene you want or spend time adjusting colors manually.

The AI assistant is available now for users in Benelux countries with their app set to English, and it will launch in the UK in July. Signify expects the global roll-out to be complete in August.

You might also like

• I review smart lights for a living – and this is the brand I'd recommend if you don't want to pay Philips Hue prices
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Philips Hue Dimmer Switch: two-minute review

The main function of the Philips Hue Dimmer Switch, as its name suggests, is to adjust the brightness of your Philips Hue lights without the need to use a mobile app or smart speaker command. However, it can also do a lot more thanks to its customizable buttons (particularly those above and below the main dimmer control).

It's not quite as flexible as the Philips Hue Tap Dial Switch, but it puts scenes and time-based controls at your fingertips, and is one of the best smart switches for your home lighting setup.

Setting up the switch is a piece of cake. Like almost all Philips Hue accessories, it has a QR code printed on the back, which you scan using the Hue app to identify the device. You'll then be instructed to hold the top button for three seconds until the status light on the switch blinks orange, and within a few moments the switch will be added to your home.

Once that's done, you'll be asked which lights you want the remote to control. Signify (the company behind Philips Hue) recently added a new feature that prompts you to create a room or zone when adding an accessory if you haven't done so already, which prevents an issue where some users found themselves unable to use all of the switch or sensor's features later on.

With that done, it's time to configure the buttons. The brighten/dim controls can really only be used for that purpose, which is what differentiates the Dimmer Switch from the Tap Dial. However, you have a lot more choice when it comes to the top 'power' button and the 'Hue' button at the bottom.

As standard, the top button lets you turn your selected lights on or off, but you can choose different settings depending on the time of day. For example, you might want your lights to turn on fully during the day, but have them come on at a lower brightness level at night to avoid jarring you or your partner awake.

The bottom button cycles through a set of scenes. The default option includes a selection of different light temperature and brightness settings, but you can choose any scenes you like – either presets from the gallery, or custom-made. You can also decide the order in which your favorites should appear as you tap the Hue button to scroll through them.

It's all very simple to configure, and once it's set up, all members of your household will be able to access use and settings with a familiar physical control. Smart lighting just got a lot more accessible.

Philips Hue Dimmer Switch: price and availability

• One of the cheaper Philips Hue smart switches
• Available globally from Philips Hue and third-party retailers
• Often sold at a discount or as part of a bundle

The Philips Hue Dimmer Switch is widely available, and can be bought direct from the Philips Hue store, or from third-party retailers.

The Dimmer Switch is one of the cheaper controllers in the Philips Hue range, with a list price of $27.99 / £19.99 / AU$39.95. For comparison. the Philips Hue Smart Button (which can perform just one function when pressed and another when held) costs $32.99 / £19.99 / AU$49.95, and the four-button Philips Hue Tap Switch Mini is $49.99 / £44.99 / AU$79.95.

The Dimmer Switch is often available at a discount, and is frequently included in bundles with the Philips Hue Bridge and a selection of smart light bulbs. You'll find all of today's best offers below.

Philips Hue Dimmer Switch: design

• Can be used as a remote or mounted on a wall
• Lightweight and comfortable to hold
• Can be mounted with screws or no-drill options
• Only available in white

The Philips Hue Dimmer Switch is a lightweight rectangular device that can be used as a handheld remote, or attached to a backing plate for use like a regular light switch. It's held on the plate with a magnet, so you can easily remove it if you want to control your lights from your sofa.

The plate offers a choice of mounting options: there are holes in the back so you can attach it to the wall using screws (not supplied), it has two strips of strong 3M tape so you can stick it up in seconds. I used the adhesive tape to attach it to the wall near my blinds and it didn't budge, even when knocked.

The buttons have a pleasing click when pressed, and the handheld device weighs just 70g, including the button cell battery that's preinstalled.

My only criticism of the design, and it's a small one, is that the Philips Hue Dimmer Switch is only available in white. Many other Philips Hue accessories are also available in black, so it's a shame not to have that as an option.

Philips Hue Dimmer Switch: also consider

Should you buy the Philips Hue Dimmer Switch

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

How I tested the Philips Hue Dimmer Switch

I connected the Philips Hue Dimmer Switch to the smart lights in my living room, and mounted it on a painted wall using the 3M tape provided. I experimented with different options for controlling my ceiling and entertainment lighting within the Philips Hue app, assigning various functions to the switch's buttons. My partner, who isn't familiar with the Hue app, also used the switch to control the lights and shift between different lighting scenes.

First reviewed June 2025

Whether they're automated to help you wake up in the morning or colorfully curated to supply a little dopamine boost, smart lights make a fabulous addition to any home.

When it comes to considering which smart lights to buy, Philips Hue is often the first brand to come to mind, and understandably so, as it makes some of the best smart lights around. Its quality products and overall market presence have made it immensely popular, so it’s not all that surprising that its prices are at the premium end of the scale.

While brands like Nanoleaf may be the first to come to mind for many when considering a Philips Hue alternative, I’m here to sing the praises of another low-cost manufacturer of smart lighting loveliness – Govee.

Founded in 2017, Govee offers a huge range of both fun and functional smart lighting products, and regularly releases exciting new products that leave me wanting to rearrange my lighting setup so that I can incorporate newer pieces without looking like my home belongs in Cyberpunk 2077 (not saying I wouldn’t enjoy that, mind you). Aside from all the pretty lights, Govee produces some other great smart home essentials, including sensors, air purifiers, and fans, too.

I could waffle on for hours about my favorite Govee features, but to save us all some time, I’ve summarised my top three reasons why Govee makes a perfect lower-cost alternative to Philips Hue.

1. There’s something for everyone

Whether you want to go big and bold with vivid and colorful displays or want practical lighting solutions that you can automate to suit your schedule, their impressive range of products means that Govee will likely have something that ticks your boxes.

One product that’s equal parts fun and functional is the highly rated Govee Table Lamp 2. This RGBICWW lamp boasts over 60 scene presets, a load of customizable settings, and is Matter compatible, too. I have two of these lamps at home, and I love how easily I can switch up the mood with this little light, moving from a brighter, cooler white light for working hours, to mood-brightening colorful scenes for the evening, before finishing the night on a warm-toned white.

Even the reasonably priced Govee RGBIC LED Strip Light has a satisfying amount of customizable features. These include brightness adjustment, AI scene creation, and color palettes that can be applied across the entire strip or fine-tuned segment by segment.

2. The companion app is reliable and user-friendly

It’s all well and good having a fancy bit of kit capable of impressive lighting effects, but if the companion app is overly complex, clunky, or lacks features, it’d quickly dull any sparkle. Fortunately, the Govee Home app isn’t guilty of any of these; instead, it provides a delightfully straightforward and engaging user experience. It’s simple to navigate between different features, and I really liked that I could streamline the layout by arranging the modes for easy access. Another customizable element I appreciated was the quick action button that sits at the top of the page, giving me easy access to a choice of functions, including color and effect sections, auto-play, and a timer, amongst others.

3. Their prices are more palatable than Philips Hue

I think I’ve made it clear already that there are savings to be made when opting for Govee over Philips Hue, but to demonstrate my point, I’m going to lay out a couple of examples of the cost difference between similar products from both brands.

Say you’re thinking of upgrading your ceiling lights, a two-pack of 800 lumen RGBWW smart bulbs from Govee costs around $24.99 / £18.99, whereas the same from Philips Hue could set you back around $89.99 / £84.99. The price difference is pretty vast straight off the bat, and the chasm widens further when you factor in an additional $59.99 / $49.99 for a Philips Hue Bridge, which you’ll need if you want to use the full suite of features, such as controlling your lights away from home, something which Govee offers for free via the Govee Home app.

So, if you’re keen to get started on your smart lighting setup, but have been put off by the cost of building a Philips Hue system, then Govee is well worth considering, not just because their products are more affordable, but because they’re feature-packed and efficient, too.

• The long-awaited Philips Hue AI assistant is now available in some countries
• It will be launched in the UK in July, and globally by the end of August
• The Philips Hue Play Wall Washer light is on sale today in the US and UK

If you want to have more fun with your smart lights, there's good news – the long-awaited Philips Hue AI assistant is finally here, letting you pick lighting scenes or create brand new ones with simple voice commands. Signify, the company behind Philips Hue, first teased the assistant back in January, and last week a few iPhone users found themselves with early access, but the launch is now official.

The assistant is available now for users in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg whose app is set to English, and will be rolling out to Hue users in the UK in July. According to Signify, the global rollout is planned for the end of August.

With the AI assistant, you can either say or type what type of lighting effect you'd like to see, or what mood you want to set, and the app will either suggest something from its existing gallery of presets, or create something brand new if there's nothing that quite fits the bill.

Clean sweep

That's not all – Signify has also launched a new lamp that bathes your walls with a gradient of light. We got our first peek at the Philips Hue Play Wall Washer earlier this month when it was listed on Amazon ahead of its official release date.

Now it's available to buy, and despite measuring just 3.6 x 3 x 6.2 inches / 9.1 x 7.6 x 15.7cm (that's even smaller than the Philips Hue Play Light Bar), it promises to drench your whole wall with a smooth gradient of colored light that you can customize via a 3D drag-and-drop interface in the app, allowing you to set the direction and brightness of the light to suit your room.

The Wall Washer works with the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box or Hue Sync desktop app for PC, allowing you to synchronize lighting effects with movies, TV shows, and games.

Alternatively, you can use it alone, or synced with other Philips Hue smart lights to help create a mood. It uses the same ColorCast light system as the Philips Hue Twilight lamp (one of the best smart lights we've ever tested), projecting a smooth gradient onto nearby surfaces. The video below gives you an idea of the overall effect.

The Wall Washer also looks appealing when switched off. Unlike the Hue Play Light Bar, which has a plastic case, the Wall Washer is finished in black or white matt aluminum.

The Wall Washer is available now in the US and UK, priced at $219.99 / £169.99 for a single light, or $384.99 / £299.99 for a pack of two. It's due to launch in Australia in September, but official pricing has yet to be announced.

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• Details of the Philips Hue Smart Wall Washer have appeared on Amazon
• It will work like the Philips Hue Play Light Bar, flooding your wall with color
• It uses the same ColorCast system as the Philips Hue Twilight lamp

Amazon has published a listing for an unreleased Philips Hue lamp that promises to flood your walls with color. The Philips Hue Play Smart Wall Washer, spotted by Hueblog.com, is currently listed on Amazon's UK store, though there's no release date or price available yet.

The Smart Wall Washer combines the best features from two of our favorite smart lights: the Philips Hue Play Light Bar and the Philips Hue Twilight.

Like the Light Bar, it can be synchronized with an HDMI source to project colored light onto the walls behind your TV, or be used by itself to help set the mood. If you have other Philips Hue lights, you'll be able to group them together with the Smart Wall Washer and apply the same scene or automation to all of them.

Look at the back of the Smart Wall Washer and you'll notice a setup very similar to the LED panel on the back of the Philips Hue Twilight. Like the Twilight, the Wall Washer features a system called ColorCast that uses "precisely-arranged LEDs" to create a striking, smooth color gradient on the nearest wall.

When we tested the Twilight, ColorCast was one of our favorite features. "The LEDs point slightly upwards, which enables them to spray a wonderful cone of light up walls," said Josephine Watson, Managing Editor of Lifestyle. It looks like the Smart Wall Washer will deliver the same results, but over a larger area.

Twice as bright

The Smart Wall Washer measures 3.6 x 3 x 6.2 inches / 9.1 x 7.6 x 15.7 cm, which is even smaller than the Light Bar. However, with a maximum of 1035 lumens, the Wall Washer is twice as bright.

The UK listing is for a single lamp, but some of the lifestyle images show a pair of Smart Wall Washers linked to a TV via an HDMI Sync Play Box, so it's possible that they'll be sold in multi-packs as well.

The case of the Smart Wall Washer has a matte finish to help avoid unwanted light reflections, and judging by the images in the Amazon listing, it appears to be available in black and white.

Signify has yet to officially announce the Smart Wall Washer, but I'll keep you updated as soon as I have more details about pricing and availability.

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• The Philips Hue AI assistant is now rolling out for iOS users in Benelux
• If you live somewhere else, you can use VPN to try it early
• The assistant lets you make custom lighting scenes with voice commands

The new Philips Hue AI assistant is starting to roll out now, letting you create custom lighting scenes to set a mood using natural language.

Signify (the company behind Philips Hue) revealed that it was working on an AI tool for its smart lights at CES 2025 in January, and promised that the new assistant would make it easy to create "personalized lighting scenes based on mood, occasion, or style".

The company has now got the ball rolling with an initial launch in the Benelux countries, but if you live elsewhere, then you can get around the geographic restriction by using one of the best VPNs to relocate yourself virtually in Belgium, Luxembourg, or the Netherlands.

Make it personal

Fabian over at Hueblog.com, who is based in Germany, managed to get the assistant working by using a VPN to switch his IP address to one of the supported countries and changing his language setting to English.

With that done, he was able to use simple voice commands to look for existing lighting scenes or create whole new ones. That'll be music to the ears of anyone who's struggled to track down seasonal lighting schemes for their best smart lights at Christmas or Halloween, or doesn't want to spend time flicking through the presets to find something suitable for the moment.

The only drawback is that, for the time being, the AI assistant appears to be exclusive to iOS. Despite attempting the same for all three Benelux countries, I was unable to access the tool on Android, and a Hueblog reader based in Belgium reported the same problem.

The Hue AI assistant has only just started to launch, though, and I expect Android owners won't be left in the dark for long. I'll bring you more news about its availability over the coming weeks.

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• A new update for the Philips Hue mobile app is rolling out now
• The app now suggests adding new sensors and switches to a zone during the setup process
• This avoids a problem where lighting scenes are unavailable later on

If you've ever struggled to set up new sensors and switches for your Philips Hue lights, help is at hand. A new app update is rolling out now that automatically suggests adding accessories to a zone when you connect them for the first time, so you don't miss out on any features later on.

A zone is a set of lights and other accessories that you want to control together as a group. They don't necessarily have to be in the same place or include all the lights within a room. For example, you might want to create a zone specifically for your home entertainment lighting, or one that includes all the lights on a particular floor.

Previously, assigning new devices to a room or zone was an optional step within the Philips Hue app, which you might miss if you were in a hurry. If you did, you wouldn't be able to use all of the switch or sensor's functions afterwards. For example, you may be unable to view all the available scenes (ready-made lighting profiles).

The new app update was spotted by the editor of Hueblog.com, who says he's often contacted by readers stuck in this frustrating 'accessory trap'. From now on, the app will suggest creating at least one zone during the setup process so you don't suffer that problem, and will note that you can always hide zones in the future if you prefer.

Simpler setup

There is also a change to the setup process when you're installing a new Philips Hue security camera. As Notebookcheck explains, the app now offers you the chance to set up motion-controlled lighting during the initial setup process.

Both of these are relatively minor changes, and there's still no news about the upcoming Philips Hue AI assistant. However, they address some common problems that you might face when extending your Philips Hue setup and make your best smart lights even better.

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• Nanoleaf has added two new color-shifting smart lights to its collection
• The Rope Light can be bent into any shape and mounted on an interior wall
• The Solar Garden Lights resemble tulips and are made for use outdoors

Nanoleaf has launched two new smart lights to liven up your home indoors and out: the Nanoleaf Rope Light, which you can position on your wall in any shape you like, and which can be set to your choice of colors and gradients, and the Nanoleaf Solar Garden Lights, which add a little glow to your yard after dark.

Although Nanoleaf makes smart bulbs to fit your ordinary ceiling lights and lamps, the company is best known for fun and funky products like the Nanoleaf x Fantaqi EXPO illuminated display cases for showing off your collectibles, the Nanoleaf Ultra Black Shapes that can be arranged on your walls in any way you see fit, and the Nanoleaf Smart Holiday String Lights, which add festive cheer indoors or out.

The latest addition to Nanoleaf's collection of fun interior smart lights is the Rope Light – a five-meter LED string that you can bend and twist into any shape, and attach to your wall.

The Nanoleaf Rope Light has 420 LEDs and 70 addressable color zones, allowing you to create smooth gradients and animations. It's compatible with the Nanoleaf app, which allows you to apply scenes or make your own custom color palettes by drawing with your fingertip.

You can also use the Rope Light to mirror the colors on your PC monitor via the Nanoleaf desktop app. We'll be testing it soon to see how it compares with the best Ambilight alternatives, and whether it deserves a spot in our guide to the best smart lights.

It costs $69.99 (about £50 / AU$110), and is available now direct from Nanoleaf.

How does your garden glow?

The Rope Light looks great, and I look forward to testing it, but personally I'm most excited by the Nanoleaf Solar Garden Lights. These weather-resistant smart lights resemble a bunch of tulips and can be staked into the ground wherever you like.

As the name suggests, each cluster of lights is connected to a solar panel, which you can position to catch the optimum amount of sunshine, and has a subtle black and gray finish to blend in with the plants and ornaments in your garden.

Although they'd look striking lining the edge of your garden path, judging by Nanoleaf's photos, the Solar Garden Lights look particularly striking when placed right beside a plant, where the lights seem to be growing out of it organically. Unlike most garden lights, I can imagine them working well in a pot, so you can enjoy them even if you only have a balcony or paved yard.

They aren't compatible with the Nanoleaf app (which is perhaps a bit of a shame), but their daylight sensors mean you can sync them so they only turn on after dark, and they come with a remote control that lets you change their colors, apply scenes, and set timers.

The Solar Garden Lights are also available today direct from Nanoleaf, and cost $49.99 (about £40 / AU$80) for a set of two light clusters.

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So you've decided that you want to install Philips Hue lights at home? It's a great idea (they're the best smart lights around according to our expert reviewers), but there are so many different types of bulbs, and at very different prices, that it can be hard to know which ones are right for you.

That's where we come in. We've put together this guide to help you understand the three main types of Philips Hue lights – White, White Ambiance, and White and Color Ambiance – so you can pick the one that's right for each corner of your home.

Remember, you're not limited to one type of light within a room; you can have fun mixing and matching to create a setup that's both functional and atmospheric. For example, you might like to install White Ambiance bulbs in your living room's main ceiling lights, but add White and Color Ambiance LED strips to your coving to add a touch of drama for movie nights.

First though, a word on controls. If you're only planning to fit one or two Philips Hue bulbs and you're happy to operate them from your phone, there's no need to buy anything else. Just select the Bluetooth option in the Philips Hue app, follow the instructions to connect them, and you're ready to go.

If you want to install a lot of lights, or you want to trigger them using devices like cameras, sensors, or a camera, you'll need a Philips Hue Bridge. This is a small hub that connects to your router and creates a mesh network that links all your Philips Hue devices to one another.

The Hue Bridge also lets you connect your lights to the major smart home ecosystems, so that you can control your lights using one of the best smart speakers.

Philips Hue White

These are the simplest and cheapest Philips Hue lights, but they're the perfect choice for a lot of rooms. They don't change color at all, but give a soft, warm white light, and can be triggered or dimmed remotely using the Philips Hue app, or devices like switches and sensors if you have a Philips Hue Bridge.

There are Philips Hue White bulbs for all the most common light fixtures, including screw and bayonet bulbs, and spotlights. I find them particularly useful for cupboards (triggered by a contact sensor when I open the door) and bathrooms. They're great for hallways too, particularly when triggered by a motion sensor – no more fumbling for a wall switch when you get home at night.

Philips Hue White Ambiance

This is where the confusion can creep in. White Ambiance bulbs are similar to the White bulbs above, but with one important difference: they let you change the 'color temperature' of the light. You can't make it purple or lime green, but you can pick a shade of white from cool (blue-toned) to warm (yellow-toned).

These bulbs are a particularly good choice for bedrooms, because you can set them to shift from cool light during the day to warmer tones in the evening, helping you wind down and relax ready for bed. They also work well with the Philips Hue Tap Dial Switch, which you can program to shift your smart lights from warm to cool as you turn the knob.

If you want to give your light fittings a vintage look, check out the Philips Hue Filament collection, which are White and Color Ambiance lights designed to resemble old Edison bulbs. They look particularly chic in table lamps, or in feature lights without shades.

Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance

This is the type of smart lighting that usually comes to mind when you think of the name 'Philips Hue'. These lights can be set to millions of different RGB colors, which you can define manually or set by choosing a 'scene' using the Philips Hue app.

You can also use them like White Ambiance lights, picking a warm, cool, or neutral shade of white. This makes them practical for everyday use, as well as for setting the mood for parties and movie nights.

Almost all Philips Hue bulbs are available in White and Color Ambiance versions, with the exception of Filament bulbs (having a pink or blue Edison bulb would break the illusion somewhat). White and Color Ambiance bulbs are also used in most of the company's lamps, such as the Philips Hue Twilight wake-up light.

White and Color Ambiance lights are the most expensive way to illuminate your home, but placed carefully they can look stunning.

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• WiZ has launched a new device to rival the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box
• The WiZ HDMI Sync Box uses the same tech, but is less than half the price
• It comes with an LED light strip, and can be synced with extra lights too

WiZ makes some of the best smart lights for home owners on a budget, and now it's taking the fight to Philips Hue with a new Sync Box that mirrors the colors on your TV screen, and mirrors them using a connected light strip or bars.

It's the same principle as Philips Ambilight technology, and effectively 'blurs' the edges of the screen for a more immersive movie or gaming experience.

The Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box is the best Ambilight alternative around today, but it's also the most expensive. The Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box 8K, which launched in September 2024, has a list price of $349.99 / £299.99 (about AU$520), while the 4K version is $249.99 / £229.99 (about AU$390).

That's before you add the cost of the lights themselves, whether that's a set of Philips Hue Play Light Bars, or a Gradient Light Strip to stick on the back of your TV.

There are several affordable options available from brands like Nanoleaf and Govee, but even the best Ambilight alternatives struggle to match the performance of the Philips Hue Play system. That's because most budget-friendly color-mirroring systems use a camera mounted on top of your TV to monitor what's being displayed on the screen, then replicate those colors.

Although this can work well, it often results in more latency than using HDMI, and can be affected by reflections and lighting conditions in the room. That can break the immersion, or even become a distraction.

More immersion, less cash

The new WiZ HDMI Sync Box uses HDMI input instead, which eliminates these problems and means there's no need to spend time calibrating the system either.

The WiZ HDMI Sync Box supports HDMI 2.0 and video formats up to 4K, and unlike the Philips Hue Play Sync Box 4K it comes with a light strip included. To extend the lighting throughout the rest of your room you can also pair it with the WiZ Gradient Light Bars and Gradient Floor Light.

The WiZ HDMI Sync Box with TV backlight is available in two sizes. The kit for 55-inch to 65-inch TVs is $89.99 / £79.99 (about AU$170), while the version for 75-inch to 85-inch TVs is $109.99 / £99.99 (about AU$210).

The smaller kit is available now in the UK and Europe, while both the 55-65 inch and 75-85-inch kits will be available in the US this month.

We'll be testing the WiZ HDMI Sync Box very soon, and will bring you a full review so you can see how it compares with the pricier Philips Hue alternative, and decide which is the best companion for your home entertainment setup.

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• A new Philips Hue Smart Button is likely to launch in the coming months
• Testing documents suggest it'll have a similar design to the original button
• The button might work with the forthcoming Philips Hue AI assistant

It looks like Signify – the company behind Philips Hue – is preparing to launch a new smart button to let you control your lights with a tap from anywhere in your house.

The news comes from Fabian of Hueblog.com, who spotted a listing for a new device from Signify on the website of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). All devices capable of sending radio signals have to be registered with the FCC before they can be sold in the US, so it's often a good source of early info on products that'll be hitting the shelves soon.

Although there are no photos, we can glean several details from the FCC filing. The product is classified as a 'digital transmission system', and supporting documents (including the location of its FCC approval label and its testing report) reveal that it will be a small, circular device using Zigbee technology, with specifications very similar to the original Hue Smart Button.

"There will be no functional differences to the previous model and the form factor will basically remain the same," concludes Fabian. "However, the second-generation Hue Smart Button will be slightly larger and more angular, and the overall design will be a little more sophisticated."

What to expect

We're big fans of the original Philips Hue Smart Button here at TechRadar. When he reviewed it back in 2023, our reviewer Alistair Charlton appreciated how easy it is to install using either its wall-mounting plate or small adhesive disc. Whichever one you choose, the button itself just snaps into place magnetically, and can be removed and used as a remote whenever you like.

The Smart Button can perform two functions of your choice – one when it's pressed once, and another when it's pressed and held. It's much simpler than the Philips Hue Tap Dial Switch, which works as a dimmer with four programmable buttons in the center, but the Smart Button is a convenient and affordable way to operate your smart lights without using voice commands or an app.

What interests me is the timing. We know that Signify will soon be introducing an AI assistant for Philips Hue lights, which will use generative AI to create custom lighting schemes. It will be interesting to see whether we can use this assistant to program the button, or tap the button to cycle through AI-generated scene options.

Hopefully it will come in black as well. The Tap Dial Switch is available in a choice of colors, and a darker option would make the tiny button an even more discreet way to operate your lights.

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At CES 2025 in Las Vegas, Signify (the company behind Philips Hue) announced that the Hue ecosystem will soon have its own generative AI assistant to make lighting your home easier.

Details are quite scant so far, but we know that it will be possible to control the tool using typed or spoken commands, and that it will create "personalized lighting scenes based on mood, occasion, or style." You'll also be able to give feedback to help improve the assistant's output in the future.

There's no word on exactly when the assistant will be released, but late last month, the editor of fan site Hueblog.com noticed that the usual magnifying glass icon in the Hue app's search box had been replaced by the cluster of stars that typically represent AI features.

The launch could happen at any time, but what exactly will it bring? Will it just focus on changing the colors of your lights, or will it change how you use your whole Philips Hue system?

As someone with a complete set of Hue lights at home, I'm intrigued to see what's coming, and I've got a wish list of things I'd love to see when the assistant eventually lands.

1. No subscription fee

This might be too much to ask, considering the time and cost of developing and running AI tools. Even so, Philips Hue products are already among the most expensive smart lights on the market, and adding an extra subscription fee for AI features might put off some potential customers - even if those tools are optional.

The backlash against the AI-powered Garmin Connect+ subscription demonstrates how angry customers can become if new features are locked behind a paywall after paying for the hardware.

I won't hold my breath. After all, the Philips Hue ecosystem already has various subscription options for those who want extra features, including Philips Hue Secure for security cameras and an optional monthly fee for the Philips Hue Sync app on LG and Samsung smart TVs (as an alternative to a one-off payment).

The fact that the default search icon changed to an 'AI' symbol without any payment being made gives me hope that it will be available free to everyone. However, a free AI assistant might be very limited in scope, so i'm a little torn about this.

2. More than moods

The Philips Hue ecosystem includes some of the best smart lights around, and they can do a lot more than just create mood lighting. So, it would be great if the upcoming AI assistant could capitalize on that.

For example, if you could tell the assistant "I'm going away for a week", it might enable a seven-day 'mimic presence' automation that switches lights on in different rooms throughout the day to create the impression that someone is home.

A more sophisticated assistant might also be able to create a full morning routine that gradually wakes you by increasing the brightness of your lights and an evening routine that dims them (and changes the colors to sunset tones) after dark and turns off your smart plugs and switches, all without tinkering with settings manually.

3. Compatibility with cameras and more

Signify says that the upcoming AI assistant will be able to control your lights, but it would be even better if it also worked with other Hue devices. After all, the ecosystem includes some of the best smart switches and best home security cameras, so it makes sense to incorporate these.

If the assistant worked with devices other than lights, you could also use it to arm and disarm your security devices. For example, telling it, "I'm going to work," might arm your security system and turn off all lights until you're due home (or it senses that you're back).

4. Simple search

A few weeks ago, Ring announced a new feature for subscribers: the ability to search their video recordings for specific events using AI. The Smart Video Search function lets you find a specific moment using natural language. Just type your request into the app (such as 'show me when the package was delivered' or 'show me the deliver driver in the brown uniform'), and the tool will find and display that snippet of footage.

If you already have a Philips Hue Secure subscription, something similar would be a great addition that would save you time scrubbing through footage to find out when something happened.

5. Energy-saving suggestions

The fourth-generation Nest Learning Thermostat monitors how you heat and cool your house and uses AI to suggest changes that you could make to reduce your energy consumption - so why not something similar for your lights and devices connected to Philips Hue smart plugs?

Granted, lights use much less energy than an HVAC system, but it would still be nice if your bulbs, sensors, and cameras worked together to determine optimal times to turn off your lights to conserve a little power.

It's even possible that one day your Philips Hue light bulbs may be able to act as presence sensors, so you wouldn't even need any extra devices to determine whether you're in the room, or you've left and it's fine to switch off the lights.

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• Signify has released a firmware update for the Philips Hue Play Sync Box 8K
• The update will particularly benefit PS5 and PS5 Pro owners
• It also adds "seamless" compatibility for 3D content

If you have a Philips Hue Play setup at home, there's good news – a new software update is rolling out now for your Sync Box, and it's packed with features and fixes to improve your multimedia experience.

As Hueblog.com explains, firmware version 2.5.0 makes several changes that should be music to gamers' ears. For example, the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box 8K now works with Display Stream Compression (DSC), allowing 8K resolutions at 60Hz for the PS5 Pro.

In its release notes, Signify (the company behind Philips Hue) also promises optimized input source switching, which should reduce latency if you're using a PS5 connected to an LG TV.

3D content can now also be routed through the Sync Box 8K, with Signify promising "seamless compatibility" in case you're still holding onto your 2011 collection of 3D Blu-rays.

Bug patching

Signify has also fixed a bug that caused "issues with CEC power on/off functionality and auto off after 20 minutes" when the Sync Box's HDMI cable was connected to the second output of an AV receiver.

Automatic light syncing now works properly when the box is used in this configuration, too.

There is also new firmware for the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box 4K. This makes "general bug fixes and improvements," though Signify hasn't provided more specific details. Both updates are rolling out now, and you should receive the new firmware in the next few days (if you haven't already).

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• Signify has released eight spring-themed scenes for Philips Hue lights
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Want to give your home a quick makeover? Signify, the company behind the Philips Hue lighting system, has released an update for the Hue app that adds eight new lighting scenes that you can apply to a whole room with a single tap.

Scenes are themed presets that use a palette of colors to create a particular mood. The latest collection are all designed around the theme of springtime, with fresh floral shades of pink and yellow alongside fresh greens.

Fabian, editor of Hueblog.com, has shared a screenshot of the new scenes in the app's German language edition. Seven appear to be standard scenes, while the eighth (named 'Die Farben der Natur', or 'The Colors of Nature') is one of Signify's new 24-hours scenes, which shifts to different shades depending on the time of day.

AI is on the way

It looks like we'll have to wait a little longer for Signify the launch the Philips Hue AI assistant that it announced back in January, but it could arrive any day now. Just a couple of weeks ago, the search button in the Hue app changed from a magnifying glass icon to the cluster of sparks that's typically used to represent AI.

For the time being, the change is only cosmetic and the search bar still works the same as before. However, the new icon suggests that the assistant may launch imminently.

According to Signify, the upcoming feature will let you create "personalized lighting scenes based on mood, occasion or style", so you won't need to tinker with colors by hand, or wait for an app update to add a theme that you particularly want.

The Philips Hue system already holds the number one spot in our roundup of the best smart lights, so it'll be interesting to see whether the addition of AI will make it an even more compelling choice.

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• Nanoleaf has launched a new screen-mirroring light system for gaming PCs
• It connects to your PC via USB-C instead of using a camera on the screen
• This should mean less latency and better color reproduction

Nanoleaf, maker of some of the best smart lights we've tested here at TechRadar, has launched a new light strip designed to make PC gaming more immersive, by bathing the wall behind your monitor in a wash of color that shifts to mirror what's happening on screen. And it's much cheaper than you might expect.

The idea is that, like an Ambilight TV, the light strip effectively blurs the edges of the screen by extending its colors, helping you feel more involved in the action.

Many of the best Ambilight alternatives (such as the Nanoleaf 4D and the Govee Flow Pro Wi-Fi TV Smart Bars) can do this with any screen, including TVs and PC monitors, but these usually work by using a camera to monitor the changing colors. This can work fine in optimum lighting conditions, but reflections on the screen can throw things off, and there's always a slight delay before the lights behind your TV change color to match.

With Nanoleaf's new PC Screen Mirror Lightstrip, that should no longer be a problem because the system connects directly to your PC via USB-C, and picks up the data being sent to your monitor. It's very similar to the way a Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box intercepts the HDMI signal being sent to your TV, and uses it to provide real-time synced backlighting.

How to order

As Notebookcheck explains, the system also does away with the awkward brackets that make many light strips tricky to fit onto the back of TVs and monitors. Instead, it has a zig-zag shape that lets it easily bend around corners. It's compatible with monitors up to 32 inches, and can be cut to fit smaller ones.

The PC Screen Mirror Lightstrip is controlled using Nanoleaf's desktop software, which is available for Windows and macOS, but at the time of writing it's not compatible with the Nanoleaf mobile app.

It's available to pre-order now direct from Nanoleaf for $49.99 in the US, £39.99 in the UK, and orders should be delivered by the end of March so you won't have to wait long. The company hasn't yet announced pricing or a launch date for Australia.

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