Philips Hue offers different ranges of brightness in its smart bulbs so that you can get the perfect amount of light for any room in your home. Use this guide to learn more about lumens and smart bulbs, how to convert from lumens to watts, and how to choose the right brightness.
What are lumens?
Lumens measure how much light the human eye can see coming from light source — the brightness of a light bulb, for example. The higher the lumen rating, the brighter the light appears. This measurement is different from watts, which indicate the input power of a light bulb rather than its light output.
Philips Hue smart bulb ranges
You may see the numbers 270, 300, 400, 470, 550, 800, 1100, and 1600 when shopping for Philips Hue bulbs. Some will reference 4000 K, which is a bright white light. Others will reference 2700 K or 2100 K, both of which are warmer and more golden.
Philips Hue White ambiance bulbs and White and color ambiance bulbs will show both values, since they can shine warm-to-cool white or color light. Philips Hue White bulbs will only give the 2700 K value, as that’s the shade of white light they offer.
Some bulbs may also state that they’re the “equivalent to a 75 W bulb” or “just as bright as a 100 W bulb.” Before we started talking about lumens, smart bulbs — or any bulbs, really — were described with their wattage to determine how bright they were. Smart bulbs consume far less power than incandescent bulbs, so talking about their wattage doesn’t make sense when you want to know their brightness.
For example, a 100 W incandescent bulb emits about 1521 lumens. We have smart bulbs just as bright — but they only consume 16 W.
Model 1600 : Up to 1521 lumens
The brightest smart bulb from Philips Hue, this range comes in White, White ambiance, and White and color ambiance. Light up larger areas of your home, such as the garage or kitchen, with bright light for functional tasks, or dim down to set the mood. This range comes in standard A60/A19 bulbs with E26/E27 bases.
Looking for 100 W? If you want a bulb that’s as bright as a 100 W incandescent bulb, this is your pick.
Model 1100 : Up to 1055 lumens
This range offers powerful light inWhite,White ambiance, orWhite and color ambiance that fully illuminates medium-sized spaces, such as hallways — yet can still be dimmed to a low glow. You’ll find this range in standard A60/A19 bulbs with E26/E27 bases.
Looking for 75 W? When converting lumens to watts, this bulb is the equivalent to a 75 W bulb.
Model 800 : Up to 806 lumens
The most common Philips Hue brightness, the 800 range of Philips Hue bulbs are available in White,White ambiance, andWhite and color ambiance. You'll see this in the standard shape (A60/A19) and base (E26/E27).
Looking for 60 W? This bulb is equal to how many lumens are in an incandescent 60-watt bulb.
Model 550 : Up to 550 lumens
You'll generally find this range in the Filament collection in both the White and White ambiance color families. This is because of the shape of the LED inside the bulb — and the intended vintage effect they’re designed to offer.
Model 470 : Up to 470 lumens
You'll see this range in Philips Hue candle bulbs. Made for smaller lamps and fixtures, they’re a smaller bulb — meaning they emit fewer lumens.
Model 400 : Up to 400 lumens
Most commonly found in White and White and color ambiance GU10 bulbs, which are designed to fit into spotlights, this range is lower in lumen output to let you light areas of your home with multiple bulbs grouped together.
Model 300 : Up to 300 lumens
Perfect for accent lighting, this range emits fewer lumens. Found in some White Filament bulbs and some bulbs with smaller fittings, such as GU10s or candle bulbs.
Model 270 : Up to 270 lumens
This range has the lowest lumen output of Philips Hue smart bulbs. You’ll see it in some smaller Philips Hue bulbs.
Choosing the right smart light bulb
Philips Hue smart lights offers this wide range of brightness levels to fit different needs. The smart bulb brightness you need depends on the size of your space and what you use it for, as well as the lamp or fixture in which you want to use the bulb.
Smart LED bulbs consume very little power, especially when compared to incandescent bulbs. An incandescent bulb uses 60 watts to emit 806 lumens. However, a Philips Hue smart bulb delivers the same amount of light using just 9.5 watts.
Bright bulbs for larger spaces
If you’re lighting a large, functional space — a kitchen or garage, for example — choose a bulb with a brightness higher than 800 lumens, such as the Philips Hue White A21 bulb. Our brightest smart bulb yet, it offers up to 1521 lumens and is equivalent to a 100 W incandescent bulb.
This powerful, bright white light can illuminate an entire room — but with wireless dimming, you can adjust the brightness of the White A21 bulb for different activities and moments throughout the day. Go from full brightness while cooking dinner to a soft, warm white light for gathering around the dining table to enjoy your culinary creation.
Bright bulbs for smaller spaces
Some spaces are better suited to a lower light output. A Philips Hue E14 smart bulb has a maximum light output of 470 lumens, which makes it perfect for creating soft accent lighting when paired with other lamps in your living room or bedroom.
There’s a Philips Hue smart bulb, lamp, lightstrip, or fixture to suit every brightness need — and each can be dimmed to create the right light for every mood and moment.
