We’ve had a blast using our new Philips Hue wireless light bulbs and Hue Go portable light for the past week.  I’ve heard about Philips Hue wireless light bulbs but didn’t understand how much a light bulb can change your life until using them.  I can change the mood, decor, and ambiance of myself, the kids, and my home instantly by adjusting the color of a light bulb from my iPhone or iPad!

The Philips Hue family of wire-free bulbs breaks free from traditional illumination by infusing domestic lighting with the added dimension that is the Hue ecosystem.  The innovative Philips home lighting solution is an evolved form of illumination, one capable of altering the brightness and color of specially designed light bulbs. New possibilities suddenly appear on the smart home horizon thanks to the WiFi connectivity built into Hue products.  Potent automation features combine with iOS and Android Apps to deliver exciting ways of playing with lighting.   My kids love adjusting the color of light bulbs from their iPhones.  For example, Philips Hue enables a user to pair light fixtures with smartphone notifications, meaning you can program a light to blink, dim, or change color when a Tweet or an email pops up on your smart device.  Pretty exciting, right?  Third party Apps extend this functionality, letting the kids bridge the gap between a music collection and lighting. In short, the wireless lighting will dim and dance in response to the rhythm and tempo of music, all thanks to a growing collection of user-friendly Apps.

The problem with past smart lighting solutions is that separation existed between the technology and the user, an issue the Philip’s solves by employing a starter kit.  It’s this grounded approach to blending state-of-the-art mobile tech and familiar home electronics that makes the difference, easing the frustration of configuring complex components by turning the experience into a user-friendly experience.

Experience a new world for home lighting and transform the way you use light by adjusting colors, timers, alerts and more from your phone or mobile device.

The starter kit packs three WiFi enabled bulbs into the box and includes the Hue bridge, and a number of accessories, including cables and a power supply. On the smartphone side of things, iOS and Android devices play host to an expanding selection of Apps. These include the feature-loaded Philip’s App and a number of fun third-party applications.

The extensible Hue series begins with the starter kit, with features that include out of home light control, Apple Homekit compatibility, scheduled security lighting, and advanced dimming settings, but this is only the beginning. The hue Go, for example, cuts the cord and personalizes your lighting. Place it on a table and simulate warm candlelight during a romantic evening or use a brighter color to energize the kids while they’re doing homework.  Pack the hue Go in a backpack and use it for mood lighting on a dark night during a camping trip.  Below is a photo of Madelyn sleeping with her hue Go.  Yes, she sleeps on top of her comforter.

Furthermore, conditional statement versatility is insured within the Philips Hue domain, its wandering cousin, the hue Go, and other Philips smart bulbs due to IFTTT services. The IF/THEN commands bring time and social media interactivity into the wireless lighting equation. Of course, if all you want is to sit down and watch a DVD, position your new lights around the television and let Hue illumination immerse you within the movie.

We love our Philips Hue wireless lighting and Hue Go portable light.  Madelyn enjoys sneaking in a color change while I’m cooking dinner or reading.  It’s pretty entertaining.  I use the ‘concentrate’ setting in my office lamp and the ‘relax’ setting in my nightstand lamp, most of the time.  When I really miss the beach, I turn on the ‘beach’ setting to imitate the beautiful hues of beach scenery.

You may be questioning if your router can handle all this activity.  Your family likely already has 4+ devices on your WiFi connection at at time, will adding wireless light bulbs slow down your network?  Not with the new Netgear® Nighthawk™ DST Router and DST Adapter (with Geek Squad included).  This router provides consumers with an easy, all-in-one solution to support your home’s connected devices. As the number of Wi-Fi dependent products increase in a home – the average US household has 7 “connected devices” – from smart phones (often several in a home), to tablets, to laptops, to computers, and Wi-Fi printers, this puts a strain on your home’s network, especially your router. Streaming shows from Netflix or hulu places even more demands on your network. Your home may experience slow Wi-Fi, dropped calls, or experience “dead zones” – which could be improved upon with an “AC” router, Wi-Fi extenders and expert help.

The Netgear® Nighthawk™ DST Router AC1900 comes with one DST, or “Dead Spot Terminator,” adapter – to eliminate the Wi-Fi dead zones in your home.  Place it in an area where you get little/no reception to improve Wi-Fi access.  Best Buy makes it easy to set your new router up with the included Geek Squad Set Up and Support via phone & web, for one full year.   See how easy it is to manage Philips Hue wireless lighting!

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free