Philips Hue has launched the Essential Light Strip in the UK following an early launch in the US. This new entry-level model has a slightly more limited feature set compared to the brand’s premium options, but offers a more affordable way to add smart lighting to your home.
The Essential Light Strip is part of Philips Hue’s updated lineup that replaces their existing strip light series. The 5m (16ft) version, currently available at retailers such as Very, costs £69.99, making it one of the cheapest Hue-branded strips to date.
Despite its low cost, Essential Light Strips offer both white and color gradient lighting effects. Users can adjust the brightness and choose from a wide color temperature range from 2,200K to 6,500K.
Through the Philips Hue app, preset scenes are available for different moods and occasions, from relaxing evenings to festive holidays. The LED has a lifespan of approximately 15,000 hours, ensuring long-term reliability.
When connected to Hue Bridge, the Essential Light Strip has access to more advanced features, including integration with other smart home platforms through Matter. This broadens compatibility with a broader ecosystem of devices, but you can also use the strip without a bridge for basic app-based control.
Compared to Philips Hue’s more advanced strips, the Essential model has some limitations. Brightness is only reduced by 2%, but higher-end models can reduce brightness by 0.2%. The color blending technology is also less sophisticated and, unlike premium strips, cannot be extended. However, users can cut the strips to the required size, providing flexibility for different installations.
The Essential Light Strip is already listed on Philips Hue’s global website, suggesting a wider rollout is planned. For now, it’s only available at select retailers in the UK, and it’s still unclear when it will officially go on sale in countries such as the Netherlands, Spain and Germany.
