LIFX Vs Philips Hue: What Are the Differences & Which to Buy?
When you think about Smart Lighting, it seems to be almost magical. Smart lighting provides you with many amenities such as: convenience, safety, saving energy, or creating an elegant setting.
You have many aspects to consider before purchasing your Smart Lighting system. One of the most important decisions you make is choosing the one that meets your needs.
LIFX vs Hue – Comparison & Differences
A quick search on the internet reveals that two smart bulbs appear more often. You are facing the challenge of The Philips Hue vs. LIFX Smart LEDs Compared.
Well, let’s see how these two stack up against each other. This table is a quick comparison of the two and the key differences.
Philips Hue Gen 3 | LIFX | |
---|---|---|
Lumens | 1600 | 1000 |
Color Temperature | 2000K-6500K | 2500K-9000K |
Bulb Lifespan | 25,000 Hrs | 36,000 Hrs |
Beam Angle | Around 160° | 130° |
Can be dimmed? | ||
Works with Amazon Alexa? | ||
Works with Google Assistant? | ||
Works with Apple Siri? | ||
Bluetooth? | ||
Hub Required? | ||
Warranty | 2 years | 2 years |
The Differences between Philips Hue and LIFX
We compare the two smart bulbs and looks at the good and bad of each to see how the stack up.
Philips Hue
The Philips Hue makes home automation simple and easy. It puts you in control by connecting with the web from a Smartphone or tablet. Examples of what you can do with the Philips Hue bulbs include programming your lights, control your lights from anywhere, and configure the lights to show your creativity. Depending on the specific light, you can also program your lights for effortless home automation and even sync the lighting with your favorite music.
The Philips Hue has functions that allow you to control many aspects of your home. You are able to program your lights for safety purposes. You are able to make your house appear that it is occupied while you are away. This helps to deter theft and vandalism. If an alarm is triggered, then the lights start flashing. Owners are able to control the automated lights to correspond with their schedules. You have ultimate control of your lights. Raise or dim any light in the room or the entire house with a single touch. The Philips Hue allows for individualization. You can customize your lights in order able to set a calming ambience, or you can change it for a fun setting that amazes guests.
Remember that a starter kit is required. It includes three bulbs and one bridge which is capable of controlling fifty light bulbs. The bulbs usually fit standard size bases, lamps, and hanging lights. The most up-to-date kit is compatable with Alexa and Siri for voice control. You will need to download specific apps on your phone or tablet in order for the system to operate.
Pros:
- Capable of producing millions of color hues.
- Outdoor lights to choose from.
- Lots of third part apps.
- Works with other smart gadgets such as Nest, Google Home and Alexa.
Cons
- Need a starter kit or separate Hue bridge for Wi-fi connectivity.
- Not as bright as other bulbs.
- Not the cheapest smart bulbs on the market
The Philips Hue is so much more than a timed light dimmer. Philips is recognized as being the pioneer in Smart Lighting. The Philips Hue offers outstanding options for showing creativity. The use of voice control is an advanced feature. All of these interesting features contribute to an expensive price, but you are provided with an awesome experience.
LIFX
The LIFX Smart LED provides you with a simple and easy way to begin home automation. In 2012, the LIFX (pronounce as life) is the first Smart LED. One bulb contains all the technology needed to needed to start home automation which is basically controlling your lights. With the addition of more hardware and apps, you have almost everything you need for total home automation.
The LIFX Smart LED combined with other Home Smart products provide you with functions that allow you to feel safe and relaxed. If the Nest Protect indicates that there is smoke or carbon monoxide in the air, then the LIFX LED flashes red to alert you. This is a signal that especially benefits the hearing impaired. The Nest Thermostat and LIFX LEDs work together and make it appear that you are at home even if you are on vacation. When it is time to sleep, the Nest Cam dims your LIFX lights to allow you to sleep peacefully.
Since the LIFX has all the technology built into the bulb, do not expect a box full of electronic components. All you receive is the lightbulb. In order to experience the effficiency and fun aspects of the LIFX, connect with your Wi-Fi, and use your Smart device such as a tablet, phone, or Smartwatch and explore the possibilities.
Pros:
- Do not need to connect to a separate bridge or hub for internet connectivity.
- Energy efficient.
- Easy to install.
- Integrates easily with other Smart products.
Cons:
- Not as bright as other bulbs.
- Not as much choice in terms of bulbs
- No fittings or outdoor lights
In summary, the LIFX Smart LED is a simple and smart lightbulb that contains all the technology you need to begin home automation. It is ready to access other Smart Home products. This enables you to control almost anything in your home by voice control or features on available apps.
How they Stack Up?
First up is the hubs that are required to run these light bulbs. The LIFX doesn’t require a specialty hub. You just need to simply download the required app, screw in the bulbs, and you are ready to start enjoying your new smart bulbs. The Hue lightbulb, however, does require a specialty hub. The hub needed costs about $60. A pro of this is that your house can be smarter. The hub can communicate with other devices, therefore making your house smarter.
The second thing to consider when purchasing one of these light bulbs is the lighting option that both of the light bulbs offer. In this category, if you want more options, I would recommend the Hue lightbulb. The Hue company not offers an impressive array of light bulbs, but they also have products like light strips and ambient lamps. The LIFX company, I think, is more focused on less products at a higher quality. They offer quite a few standard light bulbs in different sizes. Overall, if you want more options of lighting and lighting accessories, I would recommend the Hue light bulb. If all you care about is getting a high quality lightbulb, I would recommend that you buy the LIFX bulb.
The next category, which I think is the most important, is the apps and software that is required to have these light bulbs. The LIFX bulb offers a more user friendly design and color wheel, but the Hue bulb offers more third party apps, which allows for even more lighting control options. Additionally, both the LIFX and the Hue bulb allows you to set up schedules, which you can use to automatically turn lights on and off. If you are a technology geek, which I assume some of you are, I would recommend the Hue lightbulb in this category because of all the customization options you get. For those people wanting a more simple lighting experience, I would recommend you prchase the LIFX bulb because of its simplicity.
The second to last category that is one of the most important things to consider is smart home compatibility. If your bulb is not compatible with your house, it simply won’t work. The LIFX bulb is compatible with Nest, Logitech Harmony, Scout Alarm, and Flic. Additionally, the LIFX bulb works with Alexa, Home Kit, and Google Home. For those of you with Wink 2, the LIFX bulb is not compatible, so I would recommend not purchasing the LIFX bulb. The Hue bulb is compatible with Nest, Logitech Harmony, Scout Alarm, Flic, and Singecue Gen2. The Hue bulb also works with Alexa, Smart Things, Wink2, HomeKit, and google home. Both bulbs also offer an IFTTT channel for extra control.
Another thing to consider when purchasing a bulb is the brightness. You don’t want to buy a bulb that is too bright or too dim, rather one that is just right. The LIFX bulb is 1,000 lumens, whereas the newer Hue bulbs go up to 1,600 lumens, however this can range depending on the type of bulb and light.
Pricing and lifespan is just as important as all of the things listed above. The LIFX bulb lasts nearly 36,000 hours and costs $30 for the plain white color, but $60 for the multicolor option. The Hue lightbulb lasts only 15,000 hours which is less than half of what the LIFX bulb lasts. The white option for this bulb is cheaper than the LIFX bulb, coming in at $15.00, and the multicolor option costs the same as LIFX, $60.
The Differences – Hue Vs Lifx
Now I will talk about my personal choices for a winner in each category listed above. First off, in the Hub category, I would say that the winner is the Hue lightbulb because it can connect to other smart devices in your home. In the lighting option category, I would say that Hue wins again! With a plethora of additional lighting options, Hue is the obvious dominant winner. Next up, the apps and software category. I think that LIFX easily takes the cake in this category, simply because of its simplicity. The smart home capability category is a tie, in my opinion. If you own the Wink2 system, I would recommend the Hue lightbulb because it is the only lightbulb compatible with the Wink2 system.
The brightness category is a tie. Really, its a personal choice. If you want a brighter bulb, get the LIFX bulb. If you want a dimmer bulb, get the Hue bulb. Again, the cost is a tie, but the lifespan has a clear winner. The winner is the LIFX bulb. It lasts more than twice the length of the Hue bulb.
Can LIFX and Hue Work Together?
It’s a conceivable dream to create a home that has both Hue Bulbs and LIFX. Since these bulbs have different specs, they can be used for various purposes. Therefore how can these tow bulbs work together? Although Hue and LIFX can’t work together via their apps, you can control them together through a smart home hub like SmartThings, Homekit, or Alexa.
Since both manufacture apps with a wide range of excellent features but can’t control each other, thus the only option would be to use third-party apps.
The smart home third party app that you’ll use will rely on the smartphone apps you use.
Using third-party apps to control both LIFX and Hue bulbs
Smart home hubs are an excellent innovation that allows you to control several smart devices using a single app.
Hue bulbs and LIFX feature native support with major smart home systems; this is possible since smart hubs work as both a communicator and as a translator. It offers instructions to any supported device or bridges linked to the network. This technology is superb since it allows you to control your home via a single app rather than switching between countless apps on your phone.
Any of the above-mentioned lists will offer you complete control over both Hue and LIFX bulbs. This allows you to group and control the systems at the same time as if they were of the same make.
Some hubs feature Zigbee inbuilt support, for example, the Alexa Plus. This indicates you don’t have to purchase or use a Hue bridge. Instead, Alexa will work similarly.
This is the perfect choice if you don’t want to have scores of smart home hubs.
But remember, the original apps should remain installed. The third-party apps may not be able to control some native features like slow-fading wake-up routines. At the same time, they may not update the firmware or diagnose the bulbs when they malfunction.
Why Hue and LIFX aren’t compatible
Although third-party apps come in handy to control these bulbs simultaneously, the question of why these bulbs aren’t natively compatible still lingers.
Hue uses Zigbee, to communicate while LIFX uses your home Wi-Fi network.
Zigbee is a communication protocol that emanates from the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.15.4. This standard is related to personal area networks. The Zigbee standard has been around for more than a decade.
Zigbee is a substitute for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and it’s mainly used in low bandwidth and low power gadgets similarly to our Hue Smart Bulbs. It functions as a mesh network; thus, it can use other bulbs to communicate to bulbs that are distant from the hub.
This indicates Zigbee is better than Wi-Fi due to low power consumption and its capability to act as a mesh network, thus making Zigbee have a wider control of other lights in the system.
Hue and LIFX use different protocols to communicate, but this doesn’t mean the manufacturers have locked these bulbs but is a case of communication incompatibility.
Even if these two brands are incompatible, this doesn’t mean other brands can’t work together. For example, Hue can work with a wide range of similar products since its products communicate via the Zigbee protocol; thus, there’s no barrier limiting their communication.
Due to this fact, most bulb manufacturers brand their smart products as “works with hue” this locating light that a compatible with the Hue ecosystem is made easier.
Controlling LIFX light via Hue switches relies on the ecosystem in place. For example, you may not achieve your desired level of control using Google Home and Alexa systems.
But several systems such as Apple Homekit will provide the desired level of control, including the ability to allocate functions on buttons on various Hue light switches.
Which to buy – Hue or Lifx?
So in summary, buy the LIFX light bulb if you simply want to try out a few smart bulbs, or just want a super bright light bulb. Buy the Hue Light bulb if you would rather buy a whole set of light bulbs and want to have super diverse lighting in your home. Overall we have created the Hue bulbs system as the best smart lighting system for the home and it is a great choice that is constantly expanding and evolving.
In the challenge of the Philips Hue vs. LIFX Smart LEDs compared, it is almost impossible to choose which one is better. You need to consider your specific needs before purchasing. Both bulbs provide an outlet for your creativity, and they sync with your music.
Both offer fun and functionality. If you are looking for creativity in your lighting, then the Philips Hue is the better choice for you. The Philips Hue allows more access for functions. If you have problems setting up electronics, then the LIFX is probably the better option for you.
If you prefer clear, bright, and vivid colors, then you would most likely be more satisfied with the LIFX. Both use technology in a wonderful way. This is a difficult choice, but you can not go wrong with either one.
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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