Unbiased, Honest & Comprehensive

Don’t get me wrong, these DO cost a great deal of money but I really like them. I was absolutely 100% unsure if I would have buyers remorse right away and I think that anxiety stems from the fact I don’t have a great deal of disposable income so I like to make sure I get the best bang for the buck. At first, this did not fall under that category. That being said, I saw a deal on a refurbished set for around 108 bucks so I pulled the proverbial trigger. If you can get these refurbished, I think they are an absolute great value! Here is what I found:

The setup was particularly easy as it consisted of plugging in the bridge (I got the first generation kit) and then downloading the app to my phone. I also have a Wink hub but when I first looked, I did not see an option to combine them (recently I just did so maybe an update?). After I got the app on my phone, I was then able to make an account (this is required for remote access to the lights) and then search for the lights. The lights were found much quicker than the GE Link bulbs I bought previously but those were good as well.

Here is a quick rundown of setup:

Screw in bulbs (I have mine in a candelabra to A26 adapter as I wanted them in the living room and the fan only had the small sockets)

Plug in bridge with Ethernet cable (it is not wireless) and power

Download App to phone

Make sure bulbs are turned on

Create an account or sign in with Google (I’d recommend making an account as my IFTTT is having issues and I think its related to the Google signin)

Press button on bridge

Search for lights

Name lights and/or group for rooms

Have fun! Or if you have an Echo or FireTV, ask to search for smart devices and you will need to press the Hue bridge button again right after asking and they should all be found. From what I have found, there isn’t a very easy way to change colors via Alexa but you can absolutely easily turn on, off and dim each or a group of bulbs. It is truly great if you can get them at this price point.

Is it necessary? No. Are there cheaper options? Yes…not a lot cheaper though as Osram Lightify RGBW bulbs are 39.99 each and I see deals for Hue bulbs about 10 or 15 more. If they lower the price on those or a brand called “Qube” comes out of crowd funding, I would check those out.

One of the last things that I will mention is that I really like how easy it is to schedule lights to turn on and off via the native app. It is a little more intuitive than Wink but Wink is still evolving (still my favorite so far, though).

Overall, I would probably not like these at 200 for 3 bulbs but for 100 and some change, absolutely! Also, if you do not like them, they seem to hold their value pretty well!