Add a touch of vintage elegance to your home with a Philips Hue Filament Bulb.
The Hue filament bulbs come in four classic shapes: Standard, Candle, Edison and Globe. They’re more expensive than regular smart bulbs with prices starting from £29.99 on the official Philips Hue store, but if you shop around you can get them for cheaper.
The filament bulbs come in two colour ranges: soft white and warm-to-cool white. The latter provides greater versatility, albeit at an extra cost. The maximum brightness of the bulbs ranges from 300 to 580 lumens, which may not be particularly bright when LED bulbs are available that can output 1,600 lumens. Therefore, if you intend to illuminate a large space with only one or two of these bulbs, this should be taken into account. However, when used in a chandelier or cluster pendant, multiple bulbs should provide sufficient light for most rooms.
Key Features
- Vintage design with coiled inner filament
- Available in 4 classic shapes
- 300 – 580 lumen brightness (equivalent to a 25 – 40 watt incandescent bulb)
- 15,000 hour lifetime
- Bulbs emit either a soft white or warm-to-cool white light
- Works without a hub via Bluetooth
- Available for lamps with a B22, E27 and E14 fittings
Connectivity
Despite their vintage looks, the Hue Filament Bulbs packs some neat technology. The bulbs have Bluetooth built in, so they work without a hub using the free Bluetooth app. However, the number of bulbs that you can control is limited to ten in a room and they must be within a 10m range. For more advanced features, such as the ability to control up to 50 lights, even when you’re away from home, you’ll need a Hue Bridge. The bulbs can also communicate with other smart devices using Zigbee or Matter (Hue Bridge required).
Life and Warranty
Philips quote a lifetime of up to 15,000 hours and 50,000 switching cycles for their filament smart bulbs. So, if you were to use these bulbs 4 hours a day, you’ll get about 10 years of use before you have to change them. Obviously, this figure is just a guide, and the actual life of each bulb will vary. All Hue smart bulbs come with a 2-year warranty, which is the minimum that we’d expect.
Energy Rating
Philips Hue Filament Bulbs have an energy efficiency class of G and consume up to 7 W of power. Older incandescent bulbs with the same brightness use considerably more power, so these bulbs are still energy efficient despite their low energy rating.
Note: UK and EU energy labels and energy efficiency classes were revised in 2021. The new energy labels are easier to understand and products have been re-classed to make room for higher energy efficient products in the future. As a result, many products that had a high energy efficiency class before 2021, may have seen their rating drop.
Philips Hue Filament Bulbs: Final Thoughts
There’s no denying how elegant and unique these Hue Filament Bulbs are. In the right type of light and surroundings, these bulbs will make a stunning addition. They do cost more than your average smart bulb, but if you’re aiming for a particular look, the difference in price will be worth it.
Pros
- Stylish looks
- Build quality
- Dimmable
- Easy to set up
- Works with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, IFTTT, SmartThings
- Bluetooth or Zigbee control
Cons
- Expensive compared to other smart bulbs
- Style not suitable for all types of decor or light fitting
- Limited to white light only
- Advanced features require a Hue Bridge
- Connection to Apple HomeKit and SmartThings require a Hue Bridge
Standard Filament Price
- A60 bulb, 550 lumen, 7 W max power
- B22 and E27 fittings
- 60 (dia) x 115 (l) mm
- White: Soft white (2100K)
- Ambiance: Warm-to-cool white (2200 – 4500K)
| White B22 | £19.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| White E27 | £19.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| Ambiance B22 | £29.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| Ambiance E27 | £29.99 | Buy on Amazon |
Candle Filament Price
- Candle shape bulb, E14 fitting
- White: 300 lumen, soft white (2100K), 4.5 W max power, 39 (dia) x 117 (l) mm
- Ambiance: 350 lumen, warm-to-cool white (2200 – 4500K), 4.6 W max power, 39 (dia) x 129 (l) mm
| White Single | £29.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| White 2-pack | £49.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| Ambiance Single | £39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| Ambiance 2-pack | £59.99 | Buy on Amazon |
Edison Filament Price
- Edison shape bulb, B22 and E27 fittings
- 7 W max power
- ST64: 60 (dia) x 135 (h) mm
- ST72: 73 (dia) x 171 (h) mm
- White: 550 lumen, soft white (2100K)
- Ambiance: 550 lumen, warm-to-cool white (2200 – 4500K)
| ST64 E27 | £29.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| ST72 B22 | £34.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| ST72 E27 | £34.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| ST64 B22 | £39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| ST72 B22 | £44.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| ST72 E27 | £44.99 | Buy on Amazon |
Globe Filament Price
- Globe shape bulb, B22 and E27 fittings
- 7 W max power
- G93: 95 (dia) x 150 (h) mm
- G125: 125 (dia) x 192 (h) mm
- White: 550 lumen, soft white (2100K)
- Ambiance: 550 lumen, warm-to-cool white (2200 – 4500K)
| White G93 E27 | £29.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| White G125 B22 | £39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| White G125 E27 | £39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| Ambiance G93 E27 | £39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| Ambiance G125 B22 | £44.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| Ambiance G125 E27 | £44.99 | Buy on Amazon |
