After releasing a line of new outdoor lights earlier this year, Philips Hue has returned with some new lights better suited for indoor use including an updated Lightstrip Plus and Hue Bloom lamp, along with a new 1600 lumen bulb which is now the brightest smart light out of Hue’s entire portfolio.
Following the launch of the Hue’s Bluetooth-enabled smart lights last year, the updated $110 Lightstrip Plus is now following suit giving users the option to connect their lightstrip to their standard Hue bridge, or opt for a more streamlined Bluetooth-only setup. But perhaps more importantly, Philips Hue will now let you reuse pieces trimmed off of the lightstrip (which can be cut to fit your needs), which should offer a bit of extra value, especially when it comes to the less expensive $36 one-metre extension strips.
As for the updated $100 Hue Bloom, Hue says it has been enhanced with richer colours and a significantly brighter 500-lumen output (up from just 120 lumens on the previous model), which means the Bloom can now be more of an all-purpose table lamp instead of just being used to throw around some accent lighting. And like the Lightstrip Plus, the Hue Bloom is also getting built-in Bluetooth connectivity, which means you can skip buying a Hue Bridge in setups with 10 or fewer total Hue lights.
However, if you want a truly bright smart light, Hue’s new White A21 bulb is the one you want. At 1600 lumens, the Hue A21 bulb is twice as bright as a standard Hue E26 bulb, which makes it good for places like a workshop or garage where you want extra visibility. Unfortunately, while the new A21 does support dimming, unlike Hue’s White Ambiance bulbs, it doesn’t seem to support any other colour temps, so pure white is all you get. That said, priced at around $30, the Hue White A21 bulb does costs $7 less than a standard Hue White Ambiance bulb, though it would be nice if there was a bulb that was both super bright and had adjustable colour temps.
Both the White A21 bulb and the new Hue Bloom are slated to go on sale in late July in the U.S. while the new Lightstrip Plus goes on sale this week at Target U.S. Expect an Australian release to follow soon after.