The smart home is a big, big investment, and one of its biggest stars is the Philips Hue. One of our readers, Ibzan, wonders if the Hue system (and in particular, the Hue LightStrip) is worth the steep price.
I see them on sale a few times but the price point is never low enough to entice me to purchase. Part of it is it’s a minor aesthetic upgrade; being able to sync the strips behind my monitors with my Razer keyboard, mouse and cloth.
I want it but don’t need it and could use the money on other things. Plus the $20 strips are doing the job.
So, Buy Committee (that’s you), scroll down to the comments to share your experiences with your Philips Hue lights. Help Ibzan figure out whether to actually make the leap and invest in smart lighting.
Look, I’ve invested a lot of money and time perfecting my smart home room. I have four Hue RGB bulbs, a LightStrip behind my TV, and I’ve been using a pair of Hue Play bars with my gaming desktop for the past few months.
The latter is easily my favorite RGB accessory. Not only does it look great when you first boot it up, but unlike the rest of my setup, I see the lights working in-game. I’ve used the Hue Play bars with both Razer Synapse, which displays game-specific lighting effects (e.g., flashing green when a Set item drops in Diablo III or a blue glow when my shield is up as Reinhardt in Overwatch), and with the Hue Sync app, which samples and reflects whatever is on your screen. (Of course, this is also possible with the LightStrip.)
Additionally, I love the fact that I can change the mood my room with a touch of a button. So I’d say, either just wait for another sale or buy refurbished.
But if money is a concern, I’d recommend picking up a cheaper lightstrip and, if necessary, a smart plug to add some smarts to it. (And spend the difference on cable management.)
Of course, we’re looking to help you decide on more purchases. So, if you’re still agonizing over something, email deals@gizmodomedia.com with the subject line “Buy Committee” or tweet us at @ItsTheInventory.