Philips Hue Go vs Bloom – What’s the Difference?
Philips offers a growing range of portable lighting that you can buy to enhance your living space. Among the most popular choices you have is the Philips Hue Go and Bloom, which are direct competitors by the estimates of many people.
Philips Hue Go vs Bloom – Differences
It might be difficult to make a decision between the two when you are looking to buy as they both offer awesome features and dependability. However, there are a few differences that could inform your decision to choose one over the other.
Hue Bloom left, Hue Go right.
If you are looking for a premium lighting solution, then this comparison should help you choose the most suitable between the Philips Hue Bloom and Hue Go.
Hue Bloom Review
Well before giving the Philips Hue Bloom a review, let’s take a look and what it does and how it works. Hence figuring out if we want one in the process of that. Philips Hue Bloom is a lighting system that is designed to focus on specific furniture or features in your house at any given point. The first thing you will notice about the Philips Hue Bloom is that it looks sort of like a big mushroom and sits at an awkward angle. But it is very portable and can be moved anywhere.
There are sixteen million colors to choose from. Whether you want to light a room with a certain color or just amuse yourself with an effect bouncing off of a wall; you can do it with the Philips Hue Bloom. Should you choose to download the app for the Hue Bloom, you can at that point do things such as sync the lights to movies and music (or in the other order if you prefer). The one pain about this is that it does require both to be by a wall socket because it does need electricity and it requires what is called a bridge. There are starter kits that include it though so it’s not the end of the world.
Features
What is great about the Philips Hue Bloom is that it will last for quite a long time. There are claims of lasting twenty thousand hours or eighteen years. But even a fraction of those years would still make it a worthwhile investment. The point is, it’s not something you are shelling out money for only to need to replace it in one month, three months, six months or a year. It is also worth noting that both the setup of the Philips Hue Bloom and its unit as well of the setup of the smartphone or tablet app that is necessary to control the Philips Hue Bloom is easy.
Now for what is bad about the Philips Hue Bloom. It is expensive. Granted this is not a deal breaker for everyone as some things are worth investing in (and maybe this is for you depending on what you are looking for…); but be aware it is expensive enough that you don’t want to buy it without being sure you want it and then just have it sitting around as some of us do with stuff.
The next problem is the app, as of right now is only designed to work on iOS. In case anyone is unfamiliar that means Apple products; in this case iPhone 4 and IPad 2 and above (to be more technologically precise it runs on iOS 8 and higher). It does support some Android devices…but the Android equivalent of what the app will work on is more high end than the Apple equivalent as it needs windows 10 mobile to maybe be compatible.
This sort of feeds back to the previous point of it being expensive. Maybe it isn’t if you are technology hip enough that you own a compatible device (which granted a lot of people that would appreciate something like the Philips Hue Bloom are). But not everyone…the Philips Hue bloom is a decent product that does what it is designed to, but keep in mind if you need to upgrade your smartphone or tablet so that it even works to begin with…that is going to be another expense.
A couple of final annoyances are…it is not as bright as other Philips products. So if you purchase the Philips Hue Bloom expecting the same amount of brightness as other bulbs from them, you are going to be disappointed. Also, while the starter kit comes with two…the effect most people are looking for needs at least double that in order to be achieved. Once again, goes back to is it worth the investment for you?
How to use it?
The Bloom is great for creating mood lighting on walls or shining up corners of rooms. Add it to a sideboard and shine against the wall, or place in the corner of the room and shine light up a dark spot and corner of the room.
One really great way to us the Bloom is with Hue Entertainment, placing one either side of the Tv makes a great way to produce ambient lighting that syncs with the on screen action.
The hue is designed to sit at an angle like a chubby toadstool, and the best part is that you can control the light from your smartphone. Just pointing the light at a wall will bounce nearly 16 million programmable colors around the room, and this creates an awesome ambience. However, the unit is powered and as a result should always be near a wall socket. To use the Hue Bloom, you will need a Hue Bridge, but you could also go with some starter kits available.
Additionally, the Hue Bloom can be customized to produce lighting based on the music you are playing on your phone, or even while watching a movie on your big screen. Just like with many Hue lights, the Hue Bloom can be controlled remotely for additional home security. It allows scheduling at different times and can be managed from your smartphone.
Pros of the Hue Bloom
Saves energy. The Hue Bloom is made using LED technology that is able to deliver at least 70 percent energy savings when you compare it with standard bulbs.
Lasts longer. Philips also claims the Hue can go up to 20,000 hours, which should be about 18 years of use.
Safety. The Hue Bloom comes in an Aluminum casing that does not get hot while in use. This is a positive trait as it also includes a power lead that is about 2 meters long, which means it is flexible and can be placed at different locations in your room.
Easy setup. You don’t need technical skills to successfully program the Philips Hue Bloom. Its settings are pretty straightforward and it allows you to customize lighting preferences depending on your needs.
Awesome app control. In addition to manual setup, the Philips Hue Bloom gives you mobile applications from which you can control the setup. The apps are available in both Android and Apple devices, and it is an attractive app that is easy to use.
Cons of Hue Bloom
With all the benefits highlighted, the Hue Bloom also comes with some shortcomings. Here are few you might want to know about.
A bit expensive. You need a high initial investment to get the Bloom. It’s not cheap as the starter kit that includes two lights retails at $190 or thereabouts. However, for those aready having the Bridge, you may just buy a single unit, which will cost you about $60.
Not the brightest. It comes as a good way to play around with lighting, but the fact is this is not the brightest you could get in the range. The light measures about 13 cm across, so it releases about 120 lumens. Compared to other Philips lights like the Iris, it lags behind a bit.
Should you buy?
In closing, it needs to be noted and stressed that this is good for ambient lighting. It is not meant to be a source of primary lighting. To me, it sounds like an awesome gadget, but you are looking at $200 just for the starter kit; never mind if you want more than one or need to upgrade your device that it is controlled on. The expense of it is the biggest problem with it; to each their own on whether or not they believe they can afford it.
Hue Go Review
The Hue Go is one of the best lights out there you might consider. It includes a table bowl and this is an interesting product from Philips you should consider getting for your home. The benefit it has over the Hue Bloom is that it is portable and beautiful as its illumination fills the bowl thereby creating awesome lighting.
It has an in-built battery that you can use, and this goes for about 3 hours. It helps you to create an environment you adore and you can easily control the lighting from your smartphone or tab. Additionally, the light gives you endless customization options that allow you to tune your environment to suit your mood.
Pros of the Hue Go
Elegant design, The design of the Hue Go is elegant and ideal for someone who would like to add some exquisite beauty in their living space. It allows easy placement and the light rests on flat surfaces pretty well.
Many color options. Like its competitor the Hue Bloom, the Go offers you 16 million color options. This means you can take advantage of the availability of many colors to customize your home to look the way you prefer.
Easy controls. It also includes some on-lamp controls that are easy to operate, and this is besides allowing you to control the light from your smartphone or tab.
Portability. This is one of the biggest advantages of the Philip Huge Go. It is greatly portable as you don’t need to have it plugged to a power source while using. It comes with an in-built battery that helps it to function while not plugged to a power source.
Cons of the Hue Go
Short battery life. This is probably the biggest shortcoming of the Hue Go when you compare it with the Hue Bloom. The battery can go up to a maximum of three hours, which is pretty low if you consider
Plastic material. The lamp is made of plastic material that can get scratches easily. It may not be the best for the kind of lamp when you consider what the Bloom offers.
Philips Hue Go vs Bloom – Verdict
With all the mentioned features, both lamps have their best uses and you would need to choose one that best suits your needs at any moment at your home. These two are good options of lighting.
Our verdict is the Philips Hue Go, it is a better choice because the light is brighter and it also has a useful rechargeable battery feature. The battery option makes it much more versatile than the Bloom and can be used anywhere where there is no power socket, makes it great for use as a table lamp, or a corner of the room without a socket nearby.
The Philips Bloom works well and is at a lower price, if you don’t need anything that is battery powered and are on a budget then this is still a good light to buy.
Founder & Editor
Mike is the founder of Hue Home Lighting, a huge Hue fan with far too many lights, covering home and garden. A smart home gadget addict and also enjoys the odd bit of DIY
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