Hue, Eglo and LifX: a comparison of smart lighting systems
1.2.2021
Translation: machine translated
If you want to control and automate your lighting remotely, you need to decide on a system. In addition to Philips Hue, there are other manufacturers that provide smart lighting solutions via the ZigBee, Bluetooth or WLAN wireless standard.
With all the functions, colours and effects, bridges, sensors, standards and advertising promises, it's hard to keep track. What can the smart lamps from the various manufacturers do? And what do you really need? I have repeatedly had the opportunity to try out the relevant products over a longer period of time. That's why I'd like to give you a brief summary of the advantages and disadvantages of the different systems that you can find in our range.
Philips Hue: the market leader
The best-known system comes from Philips and the smart products bear the Hue suffix. The fact that Philips Lightning is no longer a subordinate division of the company demonstrates just how large and important the division has become. Since 2016, it has been a listed company in its own right, which now goes by the name of Signify and has around 30,000 employees. A real giant that is still responsible for the Hue products and offers the largest ecosystem. Light bulbs, motion sensors, elegant remote controls, various apps and, of course, voice control via Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, Google Home & Co. provide almost limitless possibilities.
For a long time, it was only possible to enter the world of Hue via the Hue Bridge. You connect this small additional device to your router and it sets up an additional network. It uses the ZigBee wireless standard. More than 230 companies worldwide have agreed on this standard and are developing it further so that all the smart devices in your home can speak the same language and communicate with each other. The wireless network is energy-efficient, stable, easy to manage and opens up numerous options. For example, you can integrate many lights and devices from other manufacturers that use the same standard.
I've had the bridge installed for several years and have never had any problems with it. You simply integrate new products, otherwise you don't have to deal with it any further. As the additional device is a barrier for beginners and other suppliers have been offering bridgeless systems for some time, Philips has now followed suit and launched lamps that can also be controlled via Bluetooth. You can recognise them by the BT suffix in the product name. You can operate up to ten of them without a bridge, but you still need one for the full range of functions and a serious introduction to home automation. These basic functions are available to you via Bluetooth:
- switch on and off
- dimming or brightening
- Select colours and white tones (depending on the selected light source)
- create the right mood using preset scenes
- Control lamps with multiple users simultaneously
This is definitely an interesting offer for beginners who can familiarise themselves with the Hue world and upgrade their system later if necessary. I still wouldn't want to do without the bridge. The motion detector alone, which I have installed in the kitchen, makes me happy several times a day. When I come through the door, the light switches on. When I'm out, it's off again a short time later and at night it works with the app to dim the light if I stray into the kitchen. As ZigBee consumes very little energy, I haven't had to change the batteries in this sensor or my dimmer switches yet.
Because I don't want to do without physical switches, the discreet and high-quality Hue switches are another plus for me. The light sources themselves also leave little to be desired, the selection is large and is regularly expanded. My favourites are the Hue White Ambiance, which should only be a little brighter. And Hue Play cuts a fine figure as an Ambi light.
Advantages:
- Largest ecosystem
- very reliable
- high-quality products
- Motion detectors and switches available
- Light sources from other manufacturers can be integrated
Who will be happy with it: The options are so varied and sophisticated that there is actually something to suit everyone. The app is good, the range of functions is regularly expanded via updates and the many third-party apps allow you to do pretty much anything you can do with light. The product range is constantly growing and many products that also use the Zigbee standard are compatible. For example Ledvance Smart+, Trådfri or Innr. The only grumblers will be those who want to save money, as other manufacturers are cheaper.
Eglo Connect: affordable and usable offline
I have been using two lights from Eglo Connect for about a year now. The system relies on Bluetooth and uses mesh technology to create a network in which the lights pass commands to each other. This means that you only need to be within Bluetooth range of one lamp to be able to control the others if the distance between them is no more than 15 metres. You can connect up to 50 Eglo Connect lights in this way. The system also works well, all light sources can emit coloured light and very bright models with up to 1300 lumens are available. There is also a remote control and a motion detector.
Overall, the appearance is not as high-quality as Hue and the options are more limited. But you can expand them. Voice control, for example, can only be realised via the Connect Plug Plus. If you are serious about the smart home, I would still recommend Philips Hue. Eglo also masters the basic functions almost flawlessly. The only thing I find annoying is the short waiting time until the connection is established in the app and you can control the lamps. I now only use the remote control, which works without any problems. The system is an interesting solution for a holiday flat. You don't need a network and you can time it to simulate presence. The commands are stored on the lamps and run automatically. Eglo Connect makes my children's rooms colourful. I compared the system in detail with Philips Hue a year ago. At that time, however, Philips did not yet have a Bluetooth version, which could now challenge Eglo's market share.
Advantages:
- works offline with up to 50 light sources
- No bridge required
- closed system, no access from outside possible
- all bulbs can be coloured, with Hue the colour versions are more expensive
Who will be happy with it: If you're not looking for endless possibilities, but just want to control a few lamps offline and without a bridge, Eglo Connect is the right choice for you. It works well with the remote control, which you can use to call up your favourite lighting scenes and set everything else you need. Don't get the wrong idea: This system also has countless extensions, effects and automations. But what I particularly like about Eglo Connect is that I don't have a screen in front of me all the time to optimise settings.
LifX: the colour champion
This autumn, I had my first encounter with the products from LifX. The brand's LED lights are particularly interesting for those who want a variety of colours. With their high-quality look and feel, brightness and intense colours, they certainly impressed me. I say that even though I'm not a fan of overly colourful light. For me, the LIFX Mini Day & Dusk offers almost the perfect spectrum of what I want. From a glowing red sunrise to daylight and a dim evening mood.
LifX is controlled via Wi-Fi, so you don't need a bridge. My experiences with it are mixed: as much as I like the design and the light output, I had my problems with the system. Integrating new light sources is complicated by the fact that you have to be in a 2.4 GHz WLAN. Many routers set up a second network at 5 GHz, which you have to leave with your mobile or tablet in order to set up and control LifX. In some cases, it still took me several attempts before I was able to register the lamps in the app. I also lost the connection to the lamps when a baby monitor interfered. There is no remote control with LifX, but you have an appealing app and can also issue commands to your lights via Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, Nest, IFTTT, SmartThings or Logitech Harmony.
I like the brand. Considering that LifX only has a few dozen employees, the products are really impressive. If the connection is stable (and it usually is), the lamps are brighter and more colourful than Hue. Although it does get too colourful for me at some point.
Advantages:
- beautiful colours
- very bright with up to 1100 lumens
- interesting design, stands out from the competition
- Alexa, Assistant, Apple - many integration options
Who will be happy with it: Colour lovers and individualists will get their money's worth. Speaking of costs: the price is rather high-end, but so is the lighting experience. Beautiful moods and more brightness than with Hue are possible. If the system works smoothly, everything is great. If there are WLAN problems, you will curse it. It's not possible to make a generalised statement about this; there are fans and desperate people. I would miss a physical switch and would therefore combine LifX with Logitech Harmony.
Yeelight: the price tip
I have one more thing. My lighting experience with Xiaomi has so far been limited to the Desk Lamp. This experience was positive. What the Chinese company produces is usually high-quality and affordable. I haven't yet tried the smart Yeelight, but I don't want to withhold it from you. Like LifX, it works via Wi-Fi and is compatible with Android, iOS, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and IFTTT. The price is low and user satisfaction is high. User mattsrules sums it up in his five-star rating: "Apart from the fact that you have to create an account with Yeelight and the Chinese now know which lamps I have installed in my home, I see no reason why I should buy a much more expensive Philips Hue."
Who will be happy with this: The thrifty ones who have grumbled about the Hue products and are looking for a simple WLAN solution.
Whatever you decide - I hope I've helped you a little with my experiences and look forward to your comments on the topic. You can find more light and shade from me here.
Happiness is fleeting, so I keep moving. On the bike, on the ball (size and color do not matter) and in everything that comes from the imagination of two children. I love to live out my play instinct and give coincidences a chance.
