Can I Use Philips Hue Bulbs Outdoors?
Hue started off lighting up the home with its smart bulbs, but you can now create and add smart lights to your garden, driveway and porch with their outdoor range of lights.
Can I Use Philips Hue Bulbs Outdoors? The Hue bulbs can be used outside, however as with any LED bulb it must be used within a waterproof IP44 light fitting designed for outdoor use.
How to use the Philips Hue Bulbs Outside
It is worth noting that in order for the Philips Hue to work, outdoors or otherwise – it does need to be within range of a home wifi network; which would be accomplished by using a bridge included with the bulbs that is obviously hooked up to the home’s electricity. Setup of the bulbs is rather easy and should only take about five minutes.
It consists of putting the bulbs in the fixtures as you would any other light bulb and plugging the bridge in. Once the bulbs are online, you control them via a free app that you get on either the smartphone or tablet that you plan on controlling them with.
Within the app, there is a way to control the color and brightness…it looks a lot like the colors do on a word processor when you go to change the font. The options of colors is almost endless.
Further, Philips created what they call “light recipes” which are settings that can match colors to come up with different effects. It should also be worth noting that within the app, there is a way to create a home security system by automatically setting the bulbs to turn different colors in certain situations. This is a good reason to justify using the Philips Hue outside even though Philips does recommend against it.
Hue Outdoor Lights
This year Philips released a range of outdoor hue lights that come with integrated LED bulbs in color or white only working in exactly the same way as other Hue bulbs and lights.
You can see the range of Hue garden lights below.
Outdoor Motion Sensor
The outdoor motion sensor is a small black sensor that can be wall mounted or positioned and mounted on a corner. The sensor has a detection range of 12 meters (39 feet) as well as an integrated dusk-to-dawn sensor as your lights only come on when it is dark.
Can the Philips Hue Lightstrip be used outdoors?
The light strip is a popular model inside the home and with the new outdoor light strip you can now run them along paths, flower beds or balustrades.
The outdoor light strip can be purchased in a 2m or 5m length. Unlike the indoor strip this cannot be extended as it is an enclosed light to ensure it is waterproof.
Outdoor Use of The Philips Hue
But that does not mean that they cannot be used outside. It just means that their life expectancy may not be as long as it would be if used indoors. So far though, there have been reports of them surviving a winter outside whether it’s been in Nevada or Canada. Also, if something happens to the bridge that controls them…they will revert to being normal light bulbs; albeit expensive normal light bulbs. But obviously that is better than them being completely destroyed.
In conclusion, yes you can use the Philips Hue outdoors if they are still in range of the wifi that is indoors at that location. Just expect that they will not have as long a shelf life if you do use them outdoors.
Bulbs we have used in outdoor fittings:
How to use Philips Hue as a Home Security System
Hue maybe a smart light bulb, however when combined with other smart products, and other Hue products the smart bulbs can suddenly help keep your home more secure and safer when at home or not.
Using Hue smart lights you can help keep your home secure by having lights turn on and off when no one is home, or if needed, turning on to full brightness. Here are a few options to use Hue on its own or with other smart products to help as a security and deterrent measure.
Syncing your lights with a Yale Alarm
If you have a security alarm for your home then some may be compatible with Hue, when the alarm sounds you lights can come on or flash in your home acting as a deterrent and also making your home more visible.
Starting at £299 in the UK, the new Sync Family Alarm kit is a smart alarm, using geo location it can set itself when no one is home, your hue lights can flash to let you know the alarm is set, it also works with Amazon Alexa to issue voice commands, such as ‘Alexa, Goodnight’, to arm your alarm before going to bed, or ‘part arm’, so pets can roam free without triggering the alarm. You can buy the Yale Sync Smart Home Alarm in the UK here on Amazon.
Outdoor Motion Sensor
With the release of the new outdoor hue motion sensor, you can now turn lights on outside and inside the house. If you are out your lights may not be on inside, however if the motion detector goes off, your lights inside and out could all turn on, if it is someone that shouldn’t be there, they may think someone is in and may become visible with all the lights on.
The outdoor sensor can be mounted on a flat wall or a corner giving a better view and area to work.
Hue Security Floodlight
Combining the hue motion sensor with the Hue floodlight you can illuminate your drive if the motion sectors is activated, that can also be done to other outdoor Hue bulbs and lights, so instead of just a floodlight coming on, you can have all your Hue outdoor lights come on adding light to the whole area which will give anyone that shouldn’t be there a shock.
The Hue floodlight can be bought as white only or color light, the casing is the same for both, a black metal casing with a white frosted light section.
Routines and Geo Location
Using routines and geo location you can have lights in your home turn on even if you are not there, if it knows you are away and no one is in, then certain lights could turn on and off at set times to give the impression someone is in. This is ideal is you are away on vacation, or in the darker months when it is darker earlier you can have lights come on in the evening.
How do you use Hue at home?
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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Richard McClure
Are you making a low volt outdoor landscape lights?
Bob
I live in Northwestern Ontario. I have HUE outdoor flood lights in the eaves surrounding our house. The same bulbs are still going strong after 3 years. Our lowest temperature has hit the occasional -40 c that is not uncommon here. The key to these bulbs surving the elements is perhaps the they are close to the house naturally being in the eaves protected by the roof overhang and therefore they do not come into direct contact with rain and snow. They will get wet from time to time, but they are in recessed recepticals which can only be helping. So far no issues and it makes switching the look of the ambiat outdoor lighting simple from season to season especially at Christmas time.
Bill
Which bulbs in particular are you using for outside?
Josh
Which Bulb is being used outside?
Paul
Where do you keep the bridge, indoors? Asking since I keep my bridge in attached (not heated) garage and experiencing some disconnection with lights going out at wrong times. Not sure if due to bulbs location (driveway within only 20’) or too cold temperature for bridge to operate properly. Current average temp ~ -7c.
Mary Meagher
My outdoor fixture is enclosed like the one in the picture above. Can I use the candelabra bulbs in that or will they get too hot?
Hue Home Lighting
I have one in a fitting like this and it is fine. Doesn’t get hot at all.
Jo
Will the Hue lights work in an enclosed outdoor fixture that’s motion control? Meaning will the bulb react to the power being connected or will it flip on and off when it senses motion?
Hue Home Lighting
The bulb would only have power when the motion sensor is activated, at the moment it would go bright white when on until the last state update is released.
Garrett Mineo
I would like to set up out door color hue bulbs in a down light fixture. What would be the best way to make sure the fixture doesn’t block thr WI-FI communication?
Hue Home Lighting
You should be fine as long as the bulb is not to far away from your bridge, or another Hue bulb.
June Acree
Which bulb should I buy to discourage bugs from my downward facing under cover front porch light? I want to make it compatible with my Vivint system, so expect to purchase the bridge also.
Gearoid
Hi,
I have the indoor sensor in my hall, with 3 x lights.
As evening light is getting dark, the light in the hall is much darker than the rest of the house.
I’m using “Sunlight as a switch” lab to turn on the lights when motion is detected, but this is time driven – starts at 9.30pm (when in summer it starts to get dark in Dublin Ireland) and turns off at 05.00am when it’s bright.
I’d much prefer to have the sensor turn on the lights when it’s dark in the hall but only when motion is detected – is this possible??