Philips Hue has launched the Essential Light Strip in the UK, following its earlier release in the US. This new entry‑level model offers a more affordable way to add smart lighting to your home, with a slightly reduced feature set compared to the brand’s premium options.
The Essential Light Strip is part of a refreshed lineup that replaces Philips Hue’s existing strip light range. Available now at retailers like Very, the 5‑metre (16‑foot) version is priced at £69.99, making it one of the cheapest Hue‑branded strips to date.
Despite the lower cost, the Essential Light Strip still delivers both white and colored gradient lighting effects. Users can adjust brightness and choose from a wide colour temperature range between 2,200K and 6,500K.
Through the Philips Hue app, preset scenes are available for different moods and occasions, from relaxing evenings to festive holidays. The LEDs are rated for around 15,000 hours of use, ensuring long‑term reliability.
When connected to a Hue Bridge, the Essential Light Strip gains access to more advanced features, including integration with other smart home platforms via Matter. This opens up compatibility with a wider ecosystem of devices, though the strip can still be used without the bridge for basic app‑based controls.
Compared to Philips Hue’s more advanced strips, the Essential model has some limitations. It only dims down to 2% brightness, whereas higher‑end models can dim to 0.2%. Its colour blending technology is also less sophisticated, and unlike premium strips, it cannot be extended. However, users can cut the strip to size, making it flexible for different installations.
The Essential Light Strip is already listed on Philips Hue’s global website, suggesting a broader rollout is planned. For now, availability is limited to select UK retailers, and it remains unclear when it will officially launch in countries like the Netherlands, Spain, and Germany.
