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Shiny gadget of the month: Philips Hue white ambiance lights

By April 21, 2016April 23rd, 2019Article


PHILIPS, United States

Not long ago, we experienced the fun of adjusting our clocks for the time change. If you’re anything like me, you had gotten used to morning light starting to shine when your alarm went off… and then the dreaded “spring forward” happened and we went back to darkness in the mornings. It’s finally starting to lighten up again, but that won’t last forever.

What if there was a way you could consistently wake up to the soft light of the morning every day? Well, Philips Hue white ambiance lights are your answer. While the concept of “smart” lights is not new even for Philips, the white ambience light is. It is built to deliver all the shades of white light from cool daylight (6,500 k) to warm white (2,200 k). This means that these lights have the ability to wake you up to more natural, higher-tone light, as well as help you fall asleep to warmer tones like that of a sunset. The light can be controlled by a mobile app or dimmer switch, giving you access to different shades of light.

Light naturally impacts us psychologically and physically. When you wake up to soft light, it’s easier to get out of bed. When light starts to fade in the day, you get sleepier. With the Philips white ambiance lights, you can select your ideal settings based on your activities or time of day. If you choose the routine modes, your light will shift in color throughout the day, mimicking the natural light patterns to aid you in waking up and going to sleep.

Smart lights are a nice little addition to any smart home. In fact, there are more and more devices coming out to help you operate your smart home. The Amazon Echo lets you use your voice to control your lights and iOS 9.3 from Apple adds the ability to tell Siri to control your Philips lights. The lights are due Spring 2016, with a price yet to be revealed.

I personally think the white ambiance lights might be what gets me to try a smart light—if simply to help me wake up in the morning. What do you think?