The Philips hue bridge uses the Zigbee light link standard, and this makes the hue lights compatible light bulbs and devices. All Philips hue bulbs should be compatible with other lights, but there are some alternatives in the market that are interesting.
Philips hue hub does not seem to work with Sengled bulbs although they all use the same Zigbee protocol. Sengled have indicated that their smart lights work with some 3rd party hubs while Philips also indicate that any Zigbee compatible hub should work with their bulbs, but this is not the case with Sengled bulbs.
Does Sengled work With Apple Home?
Sengled elements have energy-efficient LED bulbs that can be controlled by the smart home system from anywhere and at any time. Sengled bulbs do not work with apple home, but they work with switches, they support Alexa and google assistant.
Sengled cannot use Google Home as a hub due to lack of ZigBee support, but that may change very soon. Sengled are now using the Samsung SmartThings hub but all the controlling is being done by Google home.
Do Sengled Bulbs Need a Bridge?
Sengled do not need a bridge as they work with the Samsung SmartThings, echo plus, wink smart home hubs. They pair up well, and they are very responsive. You do lose some amount of functionality when you don’t use the Sengled hub, just like the other smart light providers. But all the common things you would like to do with Sengled bulbs like color, rooms and control the brightness can still be done without having one.
The limitation id that you will not be able to control color temperature on the element plus if you pair with wink hub, but I would recommend you check the Sengled site. It is also impossible for you to import your own scenes and schedules from your Sengled app to Alexa or any other, but you can create your own groups and automation.
Sengled Pulse Audio Bulbs
Sengled bulbs are not for just lighting; there are a couple of Sengled bulbs that double up as speakers and they also fit in the sockets just like the rest of the bulbs. The only disadvantage is that they only work over Bluetooth, and they cannot be wired into the mesh wifi.
When you don’t want to play your sound through the bulbs, they are still available to be used as 60-lumen bulbs. Sengled also have a Pulse Amp Adapter that you can plug into your existing subwoofer system and they become part of the pulse bulb orchestra.
If you are looking for music, there are the Sengled Solo Plus bulbs that are available in color and non-color variants. These are designed to act better as standalone speakers.
Sengled Security Camera Bulbs
Sengled also has a bulb which doubles up as a security camera. The camera has night vision and two-way intercom in it with a resolution of 1080p and 140-degree field of view. The singled security bulb uses E26 socket though you have to choose the storage plan though you can have the free option where you can view the video in 24 hours.
Can I use Sengled Bulbs Outside?
Sengled bulbs cannot be used outdoor because most of the products that Sengled makes should not be exposed to steam and water directly. The recommendation the Sengled gives is that they should be used only for indoors unless only when you have appropriate protection and fixtures from the exposure of weather.
Can Sengled Bulbs be Used With or Controlled by a Dimmer Switch?
Most of the bulbs made by Sengled cannot be used on physical dimmer switches; the only one is the Element Plus bulb which is made to be controlled by a dimmer switch though you can control smart Sengled LEDs and dim them via their respective Sengled apps or their integrated third-party apps.
List Compatible Dimmers for the Tunable White Smart LED
Dimmer that are embedded in ceiling fan features or in 3-way lamps are not supported by any singled smart LED bulb. Tunable Smart LED is designed to be controlled by most of the wall dimmers that are available in the market.
The following are dimmer models that are compatible with the tunable white smart LED bulbs.
Sengled vs. Philips Hue The Differences
Technology & Connectivity
Philips Hue and Sengled use different technologies for communication remotely. Philips hue smart bulbs use Zigbee technology, and this means they need to have a Philips Hue Bridge for them to connect to your router. The extra piece of equipment could be the reason for the high price of Philips. You must take the expenses into consideration if you want to have any of these.
The Philips hue bridge connects to the router using Ethernet cable and also enabling cool features like the Apple HomeKit support and entertainment.
The Sengled bulbs, on the other hand, use wifi technology, and they connect directly to the 2.4GHz 802.11 b/g/n compatible router. This means that they don’t need a hub or a bridge, and this is why their setup is simple to work with.
Apple HomeKit
This would be the biggest difference when you are comparing the Sengled bulbs with the Philips hue. Apple HomeKit is a convenient way of controlling your smart lights. If you have an iPhone, you will definitely start looking for Apple HomeKit to enable you to control through Siri of Apple HomeKit app.
Having voice control over Siri is very simple, and there is a lot of fun while you adjust the lights to suit the mood of your home.
Philips hue is compatible with Apple HomeKit while the Sengled bulbs do not support their function yet.
Microsoft Cortana
Both the Sengled bulbs and Philips hue work with Google Assistant and Alexa. If you have google home or Echo, you can be able to use either of them.
Sengled bulbs do not offer Microsoft Cortana that makes Philips Hue the better choice because it now supports Microsoft Cortana and Apple HomeKit.
Bulb Base
It is important for you to check the bulb base of the kinds of lights you are going to buy beforehand. This is to make sure that they will fit into your current sockets to save you from disappointments.
When you want to select one from Philips hue, there are many options that you can choose from. Philips hue models here E26, E12, BR30, GU10, and PAR16.
While for Sengled bulbs they only have the basic E26 setup.
This means that if you any other fitting that is beside the E26 setup, then singled bulbs are not what you want o have.
Beam Angle
The importance of beam angle is to help you in choosing how you want the light to fill the room. Sengled bulbs have 240 degrees while Philips hue has 160 degrees which have a big difference.
Even though the Philips hue angle is smaller, this means that it is only in a small sufficient space and the light is more strong and concentrated in that part. This makes them more ideal if you are using a small room that needs brighter bulbs.
The Sengled light bulbs have a larger angle, and this means that their beam travels further, but it is more subdued and is not focused on one area. This makes it not effective.
Geofencing
The Philips app has geofencing that is built in that enabled you to turn on or off your bulbs depending on the location you are in. Geofencing uses the GPS of your phone to know the location you are in, and they adjust accordingly.
This is a good way that will help you to save on energy costs and makes sure that your home id lit up when the car is pulling up.
You can enable the geofencing feature by integrating with IFTTT. This could be like to set the light bulbs to turn the lights on or off automatically when your device connects or leaves the home wifi. You can also set the lights to turn to a particular color when you get a text.
When you get the Philips hue app, you get geofencing as a feature that is already inbuilt, but the Sengled bulbs you must use IFTTT.
Entertainment
Music comes to life in your home when you syn your Philips hue light bulbs to the tunes you like listening to. They will create a fun mood and cool for a party. The Philips hue bulbs take the top spot when it comes to entertainment.
Unfortunately, even the new Sengled wifi bulbs do not offer these features. So for entertainment, Philips hue definitely wins.
Energy stats
This is one of the features where the Sengled Wi-Fi bulbs pull ahead; they offer energy stats. These stats enable you to check on your overall energy consumption from your smart bulbs and on the overall bill of the home. This is a good way to help you keep track of your energy use.
Sengled vs. Philips Hue Similarities
Away From Home Control
All these bulbs connect directly to your router, unlike the other smart bulbs that only work via Bluetooth. This means that you can control the lights even when you are far from home.
You can set the lights to be on just a few minutes before you arrive at home or even make it appear like you are already at home to help in scaring away potential intruders.
Brightness
The Sengled and Philips hue bulbs offer similar options of brightness, and they also have a wide range of color temperatures of about 800 lumens and the brightness is of 2000k to 6500k.
16 Million Colors
Both the Sengled and the Philips hue bulbs have the option for you to choose from 16 million different light tones. The lights can also be adjusted to suit your needs and the mood you want.
Dimming
Both of them have the dimming feature that enables you to set the level of lighting that you think is the perfect one. You can switch from the brighter level for invigoration to the softer setting that suits the mood before bedtime.
Scheduling
This is similar to the geofencing feature, but the scheduling feature allows you to set the lights to turn on when you get home, or they can go off when you leave the house. They enable you to plan the home lighting for the day and ensure that you don’t waste your energy.
IFTTT
Both the lights have the support of IFTTT. This enables the singled and the Philips hue bulbs to change the light scenes with Google Assistant command or have these lights to blink when a text or an email is received.
LED Life-Span
The lifespan of the LED used in Sengeld and Philips hue bulbs from using them on an average of 3 hours per day are 22 years. Though we may use them for a much longer period of time per day, you may still get a few more years from using one single bulb.
What Bulbs Are Compatible With Hue?
Third-Party lights Compatible With Hue
Innr (Europe)
Innr is offering smart lights that have high compatibility with the hue system. They have their own bridges, and their lights can be connected to the hue system also. They have a wide range of lights with even the color lights which are around the price of Philips.
The Innr family has some variety of lights that you can choose from.
- Innr E27 / B22
- Innr E14
- Innr GU10
- Innr plug SP 120 (Euro plug) / SP 222 (UK plug)
- Innr Filament bulbs
- Innr FL 130 C
Dresden Elektronik / Phoscon
Besides only the Hue lights, iConnectHue also supported Dresden Elektronik ballasts, and their software quality is high and perfectly integrates with the Hue system. If you compare them to other ballast offerings, they have constant firmware updates that can be updated with their bridge.
Here are some of the models
- Dresden Elektronik FLS-PP RGBW ballast
- Dresden Elektronik FLS-CT White/Temperature ballast
Feibit
This is from a Chinese company that is relatively new to the ZigBee hardware, but they have already been producing some good ZigBee devices. They have had different firmware revisions of their brands from “FeiBit,” “FeiBit,” “FeeBit Inc. co,” and even “FeiBit.” Their products also are reasonably robust and are marketed under different companies and product names.
Here are some of the products they offer
- Feibit plug
- Ajax Online LED Strip / Controller (Feibit firmware) (the UK only)
- Hommie E27 (Feibit firmware)
- 3A/Nue downlight (Feibit firmware)
Ikea TRÅDFRI
The initial versions of the Ikea TRÅDFRI bulbs did not work with the Hue bridge because of software incompatibilities. They currently only have white bulbs and have decent quality and reasonably priced. The Ikea TRÅDFRI bulbs follow the ZigBee light link standards; in fact, they work with Hue bridges after they made some software update.
You must note that for you to connect your lights to the Ikea bridge and update the software, you must have at least one remote. You will not be able to connect lights to it if you di=ont have a remote.
From the current knowledge, you can know the kinds of bulbs which don’t require an update to their firmware. This can be done by looking at their production number that is printed on their package. The number must be higher than in 1721. If you want to have the color temperature and color lights, you must have the newer square shaped bridge.
Some people may say that adding Ikea TRÅDFRI lights to the lights compatible with the Hue bridge is a problem because you need multiple searches for you to find the lights although this is not what will prevent you from using them.
Here are some few options that the Ikea TRÅDFRI offer.
- Color lights
- Color temperature lights
- Ikea plug (Europe)
Müller Licht Tint
The Müller Licht Tint is a german manufacturer that bought a bunch of lights to german market through Aldi, but the lights are now across Europe. The lights are now compatible with the latest iConnectHue, but there are some reasons why some people would not like to recommend them for now. This is because they currently don’t react to all available color modes, and the lights also don’t seem distinguishable for apps. All their models seem the same to the apps, and this makes it hard to put icons that represent specific lights.
Here are some of the models
- Müller Licht E27
- Müller Licht E14
Paulmann
Paulmann is another german light producer that offers compatible lights with Zigbee 3.0, and this means that you should have a bridge that is the latest version 1801260942 (V2 square bridge) or version 01041302 (V1 round bridge) that will be compatible with them.
You can connect your Paulmann lights to the Hue bridge using the normal light search. Although almost all of their devices that we tested exhibit some noise in some way, especially when they are being dimmed. They can be annoying at some points. Their lights are not as bright like the Philips Hue; their 650 lumens compared to the Philips 806 lumens.
What is good about these lights is that they remember their last color setting when you turn them on through a normal switch.
Here are some of their models
- Paulmann E27 RGBW
- Paulmann E27 tunable white
- Paulmann Dim Controller
Paul Neuhaus
Paul Neuhaus is another german light producer that started to offer ZigBee compatible lights.
The Paul Neuhaus Q plug integrates well with the Hue system if you compare it to the other offerings. It includes a white light which can be turned on and with three dimming steps. The plug has an on/off device that does not allow any dimming. It is now only available in Germany.
Trust
Trust is a new company of lights that is new to ZigBee lights starting from 2017. They have some lights which are compatible with the Hue Bridge. Their GU 10 light that looks like the old Philips GU 10 is only capable of the color range of the Philips old GU. The lights behave well when they are on the system and even when you are using manual color controls although they don’t remember their startup color.
Shenzhen Homa / Amelech
The Shenzhen Homa / Amelech are Chinese controllers that are relatively bulky and work quite well with the Hue system. They integrate easily and don’t have compatibility issues.
Here are some of their models
- Mains dimmer
- Four-channel RGBW controller
Gledopto
The Gledopto is another Chinese manufacturer that is making more and cheaper lights with small controllers which are compatible with the Hue system. The controllers have a nice trick on the sleeves as they plug into normal low voltage PSU with round-wound power plus. They can be wired if you want to.
Here are their models.
- Gledopto 5 channel RGB+CCT light strip controller
- Gledopto 2 channel color temperature light strip controller
- Gledopto E26 / 27 12 Watts
- Gledopto GU 10
- Gledopto E14 / E12
GE Link (US/CA
The GE Link bulbs are now only available I the US and they integrate with the normal search into the system; they are also dimmable. They have a flawless dimming, and they are also found on TouchLink search if you move them to another bridge.
GE Link follows the ZHA standard, and there may be some setup problems the users may encounter. They are some of the least expensive and are only available in white.
Here are some of their models
- GE Link Wireless A19 Bulb (60 Watt eq.)
- GE Link Wireless BR30 Bulb (65 Watt eq.)
- GE Link Wireless PAR38 Bulb (90 Wat eq.)
Cree
The Cree lights are another type of smart lights that can be connected to the Hue bridge. They have a 2700 traditional light bulb or 5000 daylight Kelvin color temperature. The Cree bulbs are the winners when it comes to brightness and comes at a reasonable price. Their design performs like traditional incandescents and emits light even from the sides and the top.
Here are Cree bulb models
- Cree connected A19 bulb 2700 Kelvin
- Cree connected A19 bulb 5000 Kelvin
Osram/Silvania Smart+ (was Lightify)
The Osram/Silvania Smart+ (was Lightify) line of bulbs and smart home lighting products was developed by Osram and sold to LEDVance and marketed under Sylvania brand. The Osram/Silvania Smart+ (was Lightify) bulbs use ZHA standard, they are Zigbee bulbs and will need more work for you to connect them to the home network. They have a wide range of selection which includes both white and color-changing multicolored bulbs with other options for outdoor lighting.
Their color lights are the recommended ones as they are cheaper compared to the Hue lights, but they seem to have some issues in conjunction with the Hue bridge. This is because they don’t shut down depending on the firmware and not following the color submitted, starting up in red and having a bad color transition.
Here are the Osram/Silvania Smart+ (was Lightify) models
- Smart+ plug / Lightify plug
- Osram Smart Plug
How to Pair Third Party Bulbs To Philips Hue
One of the things that I usually emphasize Philips hue bulbs how simple they are to install. The Hue starter kits are shipped when they are already pre-linked their installation is very simple, just like plugging everything in, turning them on and pressing the button.
I have been very curious to see if the same ease of connection between them could also extend to when you have another third party company. Thankfully, I realized that the process of adding third party lights to hue is incredibly easy. You don’t need to run back and forth between your hue bridge to toggle switches and to push buttons.
Pairing Philips Hue to the Cree and the GE Link Bulbs
When you have your hue bridge, setting up other lights is like a snap. If you have the Cree Connected lights, their instructions are quite lengthy. You can ignore the instructions in the box and also do the same for the GE Link bulbs.
Both of these bulbs come with the instructions you can use to pair them to generic smart home hubs and also on how you can download specific apps that can be used with the bulbs. But since we are using the hue app and bridge, you can ignore all there instructions because they are more elegant.
I recommend that you pair these bulbs one at a time so that you avoid having any identification problems or fussing around the app to rename. The following are the instructions that will apply to both brands of lights. When you are now ready to pair the bulbs, you should insert them into the socket and turn the power on.
- With now the bulb on, open the Hue app and click on the Menu button in the upper left corner.
- Then select My Lights in the main settings
- At the top of the My Lights, select Connect New Lights. Disregard the lux entries as they are bulbs that are already connected.
- Turn on the smart bulb. Then when asked by the hue app to select manual or automatic search, select automatically.
- The lights outside the Hue system appear with names like Dimmable Light 1. Press and hold the entry if you want to rename or interact with the bulbs.
- Repeat the same process for the Cree Connected or GE Link bulbs.
Incompatible Devices with Philips Hue
ALL 3rd party switches and sensors that are not named “Friends of Hue.”
There are third party switches that can be added like those made by Lutron, Busch Jaeger or Dresden Elektronik. But the apps not named “Friends of Hue” are not exposed, and they cannot be configured to the hue system. These usually communicate on the Zigbee level and transmit their commands directly to the bulbs instead of using the bridge.
Nanoleaf Ivy
The Ivy light sources are using a different version of Zigbee, and they cannot connect to the Hue bridge.
Belkin Wemo bulbs
Belkin Wemo bulbs can’t connect to the bridge with firmware 01016441 (API 1.4) and are not found by normal and TouchLink search. As per now, there is no Wemo SDK, and the API of Belkin is not public. They are not good lights currently if you want to control them with your app.
Elgato Eve plug
The Elgato Eve plug does not communicate via Zigbee but uses Bluetooth and the HomeKit. This makes them not compatible with the Hue bridge.
Kogeek
Products by Kogeek are also incompatible with the Hue bridge.
Conclusion
When it comes to knowing if Sengled bulbs work with Hue, it’s now clear that the two sets of bulbs have different protocols. Although both of the lights have their good points, if you have the Philips hue, you will get incredible entertainment from their system. This will be by syncing your system with your favorite tunes.
Although you have to pay an extra dollar o have them, their entertainment is still worth it.
Sengled bulbs are the more affordable option when you compare them to the Philips hue bulbs although they miss out of some key features like the entertainment system.
The Philips hue offers some more variety compared to the singled bulbs like their Philips Hue Light Strip, the lamps like Boom, Go or Beyond. These lamps are useful when you want to set the mood in your house.
If you only want to have the hue bulbs, you can then consider having their accessories like the Tap switch, Dimmer and the Motion sensor that will enable you to have even more control of your system.
For Sengled I would recommend that you get Sengled Smart LED with Security Camera or Sengled Smart LED Multicolor Light Strip. There are many to choose from in the collection still.
