Cheaper Philips Hue smart light strip now available

Philips Hue has expanded its smart lighting lineup in Europe with the arrival of a more affordable LED strip model: the Philips Hue Essential Light Strip. This entry-level strip, previously launched in the United States, is now being sold by some retailers in European countries.  

The Essential Light Strip measures 5 metres and is currently listed at around €59.99 in places like Germany. It supports both white and colored gradient lighting, and users can adjust brightness and light effects through the Philips Hue app.  

Brightness and color temperature can be controlled via the app, which also offers pre-set scenes for different moods and occasions. The LEDs are dimmable and are expected to last about 15 000 hours. Connecting the strip to a Hue Bridge unlocks additional smart features — such as compatibility with Matter and broader smart-home integration — beyond the basic Bluetooth controls.  

Compared with the other strips in Hue’s current range, the Essential model has a slightly reduced feature set: it only dims down to 2 % (versus 0.2 % on higher-end models) and uses simpler color blending technology. Unlike some other Hue strips, it also cannot be extended, although it can be cut to fit a particular space. 

At this time, there’s no confirmed release date for all European markets — such as in the Netherlands, Spain, or Germany — but the product is already appearing in stores.