Philips Hue vs. LIFX Color A19 | Differences Explained

Philips Hue vs. LIFX Color A19

When it comes to smart lighting, there have never been more options than there are today. It’s great as a consumer to have so many choices, but it can sometimes be difficult to dig through all the noise and find a smart bulb that is truly perfect for your needs.

Below we’re going to go over the Philips Hue vs. LIFX Color A19, and it really comes down to whether you value a higher quality bulb or quality entertainment options.

Let’s dig into the details about what each bulb has to offer to make your decision easier when choosing between these two smart lighting ecosystems.

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Philips Hue vs. LIFX Color A19 — Easy Comparison Chart

  Philips Hue Gen 3 LIFX
Lumens 806 Lm. 1100 Lm.
Color Temperature 2000K-6500K 2500-9000K
Colour Range 16 million colors 16 million colors
Dimming N/A 1% — 100%
Night Vision No Yes (LIFX +)
Technology ZigBee WiFi
Requires a Hub Yes No
Wi-Fi Router Requirement Ethernet Port for Hue Bridge 2.4Ghz 802.11b/g/n
App iOS, Android iOS 9+, Android 4.1+, Windows 10
Apple HomeKit Yes Yes
Amazon Alexa Yes Yes
Google Assistant Yes Yes
Microsoft Cortana Yes Yes
Full Brightness 10 Watts 11 Watts
LED Life-Span 22.8 years (based on 3hrs/day) 22.8 years (based on 3hrs/day)
Bulb Types E26, E12, BR30, GU10, PAR16 E26, E27 Screw or B22 Bayonet
Beam Angle 160 degrees (A19) 135 degrees
Security N/A WPA/WPA2
Outside Use No Yes
Product Dimensions LxWxH 2.4 x 4.3 in 2.48 x 2.48 x 4.52 in
Weight N/A 0.46 lbs
Warranty 3 years 2 years

Last update on 2024-03-28 at 09:34 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Philips Hue vs. LIFX Color A19 — What’s Different?

Philips Hue - Ex - 01

  1. Brightness – One of the primary differences between the Philips Hue and LIFX Color A19 is in their brightness. The LIFX light is much, much brighter at 1100 lumens vs the 806 of the Philips Hue. The color temperature range of 2500K–9000K also offers you more options in terms of the feel and ambiance of lighting, with deeper, colder whites available with the LIFX than you’ll get with the 2500K–6500K of the Philips Hue.

    All in all, when it comes to providing well-rounded and bright light, the LIFX model clearly has the edge.

  2. Connectivity – Another method of differentiating the two bulbs is through their connectivity.

    The Philips Hue bulb uses Zigbee technology to connect to the internet and interface with other smart devices. This frequency has an advantage in that there is less interference and it’s generally faster, but it also requires a hub in order to function — specifically the Philips Hue Bridge. This is an extra expense that should be accounted for when comparing the two bulbs, as you won’t get access to any of the smart features without connecting to the bridge.

    The LIFX Color A19, on the other hand, connects directly to your router via WiFi. The bulbs work on a standard 2.4Ghz 802.11b/g/n connection, and are incredibly easy to get up and running. The Zigbee technology of the Philips Hue has an advantage in terms of connectivity, but it isn’t nearly as convenient to set up as the simple installation process you’ll enjoy with the LIFX.

  3. Light Bulbs Color & Base Options – This comparison may be starting to seem a little one-sided, but the Philips Hue has the advantage in terms of light bulb color options. While the LIFX bulb is available solely in color, the Philips Hue comes in three different options: White, White Ambiance, and White & Color Ambiance.

    The Philips Hue offers more options to people who are more interested in smart lighting than they are in the 16 million available colors, but the LIFX product family also has an option for people in that boat — LIFX Mini.

    The two bulbs also differ in the types of sockets they support, with the Philips Hue working perfectly with E26, E12, BR30, GU10, and PAR16 setups and the LIFX better suited for E26, E27 Screw or B22 Bayonet.

  4. Beam Angle – While brightness is the primary consideration to keep in mind when it comes to lighting up a room, beam angle also has significant implications on the reach of a single bulb. The Philips Hue may fall behind in brightness, but it does have an advantage in beam angle with 160 degrees vs. the 135 degrees of the LIFX. This doesn’t quite make up for the discrepancy in brightness between the two bulbs, but it may mean you can illuminate an area to some degree with fewer Philips Hue lights.

  5. Entertainment – We discussed the fact that the Philips Hue bulbs need a bridge in order to function, and it’s easy to see how this might be a disadvantage for those who want easy setup. However, having your bulbs connected to the Hue Bridge also allows you to take advantage of Philips Hue Entertainment features through the Hue Sync App. This app essentially allows you to sync your lights up to your favorite media like video games, movies, and music — dynamically adjusting colors to suit the mood.

    The LIFX has no such support, although there are select third party apps that can accomplish a similar things using their bulbs.

  6. Outside Use – With the Philips Hue bulbs, you’ll want to make sure that you have them located in areas that are completely dry. The LIFX bulbs aren’t weatherproof, but they are designed to support use in humid areas. This makes the bulbs perfect for adding a splash of color to your patio, bathroom, or any other area in or outside of your home that could potentially get damp.

    With that said, Philips does have several light bulbs that are suited for outside use, as well as a line of outdoor lighting that is specifically designed for the purpose such as the Philips Hue Calla, Ludere, Inara, and Lucca lamps. So, while the Philips Hue is not the best bet for bringing color outdoors, there are some options within the ecosystem that will get the job done just fine.

  7. Warranty — Whether you’re buying a single bulb or outfitting your entire home, you’re making an investment in lighting that is intended to last far longer than a traditional bulb. With a three year warranty, the Philips Hue Gen 3 is guaranteed for longer than the LIFX’s bulbs that only carry a two year warranty. Both product lines have a reputation for being pretty reliable, but the longer warranty does add some peace of mind that your investment is well-protected.


What do Philips Hue and LIFX Color A19 Have in Common?

  • 16 Million Colors – While the Philips Hue and LIFX Color A19 are part of different smart lighting brands, they do share some key commonalities. One similarity between the two brands is their support for 16 million colors. It’s incredibly simple to adjust the bulbs to suit your needs, and you’ll have ample choice to find the perfect ambiance for any mood.

  • App Control – These smart lighting solutions are primarily controlled through smartphone apps. As long as you’re connected to the internet, you can control the various settings and colors from wherever you happen to be. Whether you’re sitting at home, at work, or headed out on vacation, it’s easy to control pretty much anything related to your lighting as long as you can get online.

  • Works with Existing Switch – Both the Philips Hue and LIFX work with existing switches, but they do differ in how they interface with your existing traditional lighting. With the LIFX, your bulb will essentially function like any traditional light bulb when you turn it on and off at the switch. This allows you to keep the room lit up even in the absence of an internet connection, but to control the various smart settings and colors you’ll need to be online.

    The Philips Hue, on the other hand, requires that you always have the light switch in the “on” position for the majority of the features. The bulb gets all of its power from the socket, and in order to use the lighting at all you’ll need to control the settings from the app or other smart equipment. If you turn off the lights at the switch and turn them back on, however, the bulb will default to a bright warm glow — giving you some basic control from the switch itself.

  • Voice Assistants – While the most robust method of controlling your smart lighting will always be through the smartphone app, both smart lighting solutions offer a large degree of control through popular voice assistants. The LIFX and Philips Hue bulbs interface seamlessly with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, and Microsoft Cortana, allowing you hands-free control regardless of your preference in ecosystem.

  • LED Life-Span – Like most LED bulbs, both the Philips Hue and LIFX are rated to last for 25,000 hours. This works out to almost 23 years based on three hours a day worth of usage, and even if you have your lighting on for far longer than that you should get a good many years out of a single bulb. Considering that you’re making a significant investment should you decide to outfit your home in smart lighting, it’s nice to know that your bulbs will last for years to come.


Philips Hue and LIFX Color A19 in a Smart Home Environment

Philips Hue vs LIFX - Ex 02

We’ve already talked a bit about how the Philips Hue and LIFX Color A19 bulbs support voice controls such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, and Microsoft Cortana. However, the smart home integration doesn’t end there — far from it, in fact!

The “friends of Hue” lineup contains some of the most popular smart home brands like Nest and Logitech Harmony. The Entertainment feature can also be expanded further by investing in some smart Razer products, and a whole host of other products can be accessed with support for smart home controllers like SmartThings, Xfinity Home, and Vivint.

LIFX supports a lot of the same features, allowing you to take advantage of integration with your Nest products or Logitech remotes regardless of your smart bulb choice. Xfinity Home and SmartThings are also supported, and the Flic system allows you to expand control of your smart lighting even further with heavily customizable switches.

Last but not least, both the Philips Hue and LIFX bulbs offer support for IFTTT — an incredibly popular conditional trigger program. Essentially, you can set up your bulbs to respond to certain events with near-limitless potential. Change up your lighting scheme when you fire up your gaming PC, or automatically dim the bulbs when it’s time to go to bed with unprecedented control of your Philips and LIFX products.


How to Make Philips Hue and LIFX Even Better?

Hue vs LIFX - Acc - 01

There’s no doubt that a Philips Hue or LIFX Color A19 bulb is an excellent smart lighting option on its own, but part of the magic of investing in either product is the ability to expand it with additional accessories.

If you opt for the LIFX bulbs, consider expanding your setup with an LIFX Z Light Strip or the all new LIFX Beam and LIFX Tile.

The Philips Hue lighting ecosystem is particularly comprehensive, and you have a lot of options when it comes to customizing and tweaking your smart lighting situation. Consider adding in a Philips Hue Light Strip, or perhaps the Go, Bloom, or Beyond lamps for the perfect ambiance for your next meditation session.

If you find yourself content with just the Philips Hue bulbs, you can also add on accessories like a Dimmer, Tap Switch, or Motion Sensor to really exercise complete control over your new setup.


Which Would We Choose for Our Home?

LIFX vs Hue - Ex - 01

It’s easy to see from this comparison that there are both benefits and drawbacks to either smart lighting setup.

The LIFX bulbs offer brighter options, don’t require an extra cost from buying a hub, and support integration with cool products like the LIFX Tiles that can add additional ambiance to your home. When it comes to high-quality light bulbs that are part of a lighting ecosystem that is truly unique, you can’t do much better than the LIFX Color A19.

With that said, the Philips Hue offers a lot of the same features and is also a bit more fun. As a light bulb on its own, it probably isn’t as good as the LIFX alternatives, but the Philips Entertainment options are really neat and offer something you can’t really find anywhere else.

Long story short, we’re big fans of the LIFX Color A19 when it comes to its performance as a lighting fixture. We do have to admit, however, that the Philips Hue offers a little bit more integration and is all around a little bit better for entertainment purposes.

Last update on 2024-03-28 at 09:34 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API


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