Philips Hue White E27 Starter Kit

In-Depth Look

The Philips Hue White Starter Kit pairs two white E27 bulbs with the Hue Bridge. It gives electricians and homeowners a base to add more Hue lights and accessories to later.

The Hue Bridge

The Hue Bridge connects to the home router by Ethernet and talks to Hue bulbs over Zigbee. It supports up to 50 lights and 12 accessories. Hue bulbs can also be controlled by Bluetooth from a phone in range, but only a limited number of lights, and some features, such as control away from home, timers, schedules, routines and many accessories, need the Bridge.

E27 Bulb Specification

The White bulbs give warm white light at about 2700K and are dimmable. They are not colour changing; for tunable white or colour, look at the White Ambiance or White and Colour Ambiance ranges. Lumen output and wattage differ between versions of this kit, so check the pack.

Voice Control and Automation

Hue works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit. In the Hue app, scenes, schedules and automations can be set up without another smart home platform.

Expandability

Hue makes other fittings, such as GU10 spotlights, LED strips, outdoor lights and switches, which can be added to the same Bridge and app.

Summary

The kit contains two white E27 Hue bulbs and the Hue Bridge, which supports up to 50 lights and 12 accessories and works with Alexa, Google Assistant and HomeKit.

How It Compares

The Philips Hue White starter kit contains two white E27 smart bulbs and the Hue Bridge. The bulbs give warm white light at 2700K. For lumens and wattage, check the pack, because listings show different figures for different versions of the kit.

The bridge connects to your router with an Ethernet cable and talks to the Hue lights by Zigbee, a low-power wireless system used by smart home devices. It supports up to 50 lights and 12 accessories. Voice control works through Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit.

Many Hue bulbs also have Bluetooth. That means they can be set up and controlled from the Hue app without a bridge, within Bluetooth range and with a smaller number of lights. Retailers, reviews and Philips Hue’s own guidance put this at about 10 lights. Away-from-home control, timers and schedules, routines and wider accessory support need the bridge.

For a Wi-Fi alternative, see the TCP smart Wi-Fi LED bulb E27. Our smart home setup guide covers how the pieces fit together.

Common Questions

Do I need the Hue Bridge? Not for basic Bluetooth control from the app. You do need it for scheduling, away-from-home control, more lights and more accessories.

Why does the bridge plug into the router? The bridge connects to the router by Ethernet cable, and it talks to the lights by Zigbee.

How many lights can the bridge control? Up to 50 lights and 12 accessories.

Are these bulbs colour changing? No. This kit is white only, with warm white light at 2700K. Other Hue ranges exist.

Will the bulbs work in my fitting? They have an E27 screw cap, so check that your fitting takes that type. Check the pack for any warning about enclosed fittings. Use an electrician for fixed wiring changes where required, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

What can I do with Bluetooth only? You can set up and control the bulbs from the Hue app, within Bluetooth range. Retailers, reviews and Philips Hue’s own guidance put the limit at about 10 lights. Features such as timers, schedules, routines and control away from home need the bridge.

Does the kit work with voice control? Yes. Voice control works through Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit.

The kit gives you the bridge and two bulbs as a starting point. Further Hue lights can be added later, up to the limit the bridge supports.