Philips Hue White Ambiance Downlight (1100 lumens)

Spice up your downlights

Okay, those recessed can lights in your ceiling might not be something you think too much about. But what if you could easily change their color temperature and brightness? This White Ambiance Downlight from Hue makes doing just that easy and fun. 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.

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. This new bulb connects 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 this bulb 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 — 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.