Together with the Bridge Pro, Philips Hue introduces new affordable lighting with the Philips Hue Essentials. With this new product line, Hue offers a more affordable option A 4-Pack GU10 Essentials costs €59,99, while a 3-pack of original White and Colour Ambiance costs €159,99. Of course there are some differences in features, like the colour quality and transition. The bulbs with be available immediately, while two lights strips will be available at the end of 2025. The bulbs will also support Matter over Thread, next to the regular Zigbee and Bluetooth support.
Philips Hue Essentials
The Philips Hue Essentials will be the new affordable product line from Philips Hue. While Philips Hue is a popular and well-known brand when you talk about smart lighting because of lifespan and the absence of connectivity issues, it is one of the most expensive brands out there. This will now change, as Hue presents a new, more affordable product line. Of course, some concessions need to be made to make this happen. Some notable differences:
- Dimming the lights is possible to 2% in stead of 0.2%
- The colour quality
- The colour transition
The colour quality and transition of the original product line will be a bit more premium compared to the Essentials line. The white spectrum has a smaller range and the brightness of the bulbs will be a bit less high compared to the regular bulbs. Reviews need to show whether this will really be noticeable in practice. Dimming is possible to 2%, instead of the current 0.2%. This will mean that your light will be a bit brighter if you dim it as much as possible. Otherwise, the Essential lights will be fully compatible with all other Hue products and features, like light scenes, buttons and Matter support via the Hue Bridge.
Philips Hue with Matter over Thread
Next to the introduction of the Essentials, Philips Hue will also support Matter over Thread. This is the case for the new Essentials line, expect the lightstrips, as well as a new version of their regular E27 bulbs. These all work with Zigbee, Bluetooth and Thread. The advantage of adding Thread is the possibility to directly connect the bulbs to your Smart Home hub, like a Google TV Streamer or Nest Hub 2 for Google Home or an Apple TV or HomePod for Apple Home. This allows you to use the lights directly in the Google Home or Apple Home apps, without the need for a Philips Hue Bridge in between.
Available options Philips Hue Essentials
The Philips Hue Essentials are available in different versions. It offers a E27 (or similar, based on the country) and GU10 variant. They will all support both white and colors, which is called White and Colour Ambiance. Multi-packs and Starter Kits with a bridge are also available. You can find several options below. As you will notice, prices are noticeably lower compared to the regular light bulbs from Hue, which adds up especially if you need a lot of them. Given compatibility with all other products, you can of course also opt for a combination of the Essentials and original products.
