How Bright are the Philips Hue Bulbs?

Smart bulbs are great and can be dimmed adjusting to your mood and helping you relax in the evening, but how bright are the bulbs when you want to use them as a task light and maximum light is needed. 

What is the brightest Hue Bulb?

This table shows the brightness of the current Hue bulb range and the different bulbs.

What is the brightest smart bulb?

So, which Hue bulb is the brightest? The Philips Hue White Ambiance A21 bulb is the brightest with an output of 1600 lumen and is equivalent to a 100 Watt incandescent bulb.

The new A21 bulb is wider and taller than the A19 bulb, and it also much brighter. When looking for this bulb ensure you buy the newer version which stats 1600lm on the box. 

The Hue white bulb is brightest with the color bulbs and GU10 spotlight bulbs following. The White and Color GU10 Ambiance has an output of 350 lumens, while the White smart bulb is slightly brighter at 400 lumens. Filament bulbs tend to be darker and are therefore not as bright as standard LED bulbs. 

As smart LED bulbs they use less energy than the older rational bulbs, and all can be dimmed using the Hue app or a Hue dimmer switch. 

Compared to Lifx the brightest bulbs is the Color A19 at 1100 Lumen, however this is a coloured bulb compared to the A21 which is white only and 1600 lumen.

What is the measurement Lumens?

Lumens is the measurement used for the total output of visible light from a light source. So the more lumens a bulbs has the brighter it would be. 

How bright are Philips Hue light strips?

As well as bulbs there are the Hue light strips, the Light strip Plus base V4 2 meter in length has a high output of 1600 lumen and has a color temperature range of 2,000-6,500K. The Outdoor Hue Lightstrip that is 2 meter in length is less at 850 lumens.

How can I make my Philips Hue brighter?

To increase the brightness first ensure you are using the brightest bulbs possible, then ensure they are set to their maximum brightness and a bright white light via the Hue app. Finally to increase the brightness in a room, use more bulbs, fixtures that allow for more than one bulb can increaser the overall brightness given off in the room and total lumens. 

Can Philips Hue bulbs be dimmed?

Yes, there are a number of ways to adjust the brightness of your bulbs and dim them down, this can be done via the Hue app or using a Hue dimmer switch, or via voice using a Google Home or Amazon Alexa if you have one. 

Mike Ford

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