Philips Hue White Ambiance BR30 Bulb (1200 lumens)

A shade for every mood

Sometimes when I'm light bulb shopping, I can't decide whether I want a warm or cool white light bulb. With this White Ambiance Bulb from Hue, you don't have to choose — you can get a wide range of dimmable white light. Experiment to find your favorite shade of white, or choose from four preset “Recipes” — relax, read, concentrate, and energize — that change the color temperature based on your mood or task.

These bulbs (available in packs of one or two) have a standard E26 fitting, so the part that screws in will fit in most standard fixtures. But their wider BR30 form factor means they're perfect for spots where you need more directional lighting, especially for those recessed cans in your ceiling.

No Bridge required

One of the only complaints I've heard about Philips Hue bulbs is that you have to have a separate Bridge to control them. Well — not anymore. These bulbs connect to your mobile device using Bluetooth. You can then use the Hue mobile app to control up to ten lights in one room of your home.

Use your voice

You can also control these bulbs hands-free if you've got an Amazon Alexa or Google Home device. That means you can turn your light on or off, dim it, and recall your favorite presets just by asking.

Add wall control

Operating your lights with an app or your voice is fun, but you might find that some members of the household prefer a good old fashioned wall switch. If so, you can pick up a Hue dimmer to add a wall-controlled option to your Bluetooth-based system.

Expand your system with a Bridge to do more

If you want to do even more, you can add a Philips Hue Bridge (sold separately). Then, you can control up to 50 Hue devices — even when you're not at home. The Bridge also adds compatibility with other Hue accessories — like the Tap Dial — and voice control via Apple HomeKit and Microsoft Cortana.

You can also set timers and create routines. For example, a “wake up” routine gradually increases the brightness in your bedroom to mimic the effect of sunrise. That sure beats the buzz of an alarm clock. And if you want to move from shades of white to your choice of 16 million colors, check out Hue's collection of White and Color Ambiance products.