Cheaper Philips Hue smart light strip now available in Europe

The Philips Hue Essential Light Strip is now available in Europe. This is one of a line-up of products replacing the brand’s existing strip light range.

The Essential Light Strip is the entry-level model in Philips Hue’s new range of smart strip lights. Following its launch in the US, you can now buy the 5 m (16 ft) version of this product at some retailers in Europe, like OBI in Germany. Here, it is priced at €59.99.

Philips Hue’s Essential Light Strip delivers white and colored lighting effects, covering a color temperature range of 2,200 K to 6,500 K. In the brand’s app, users can choose from a range of preset scenes, tailored to various moods and holidays. The color gradient light is dimmable, with the LEDs estimated to last for around 15,000 hours. Plus, by connecting the product to a Hue Bridge (Pro curr. $98.99 at Amazon), you can access more features, including a wider range of smart home integrations thanks to support for Matter.

Compared to the other light strips in Philip’s Hue latest range, the Essential model only dims to 2%; the regular products can dim to 0.2%. The Essential product also has less advanced color blending technology. While it cannot be extended, users can cut the light strip to the desired size. It is unclear when the Philips Hue Essential Light Strip will officially launch in countries like the Netherlands, Spain and Germany.