Philips Hue Bulbs with and without Bluetooth: Differences, Pros and cons

Is it better with Bluetooth or without Bluetooth?

The first thing you should know is that none of the bulbs is better than another. Both models will work just as well, and the only thing you should take into account is how big your collection of light bulbs will be that you have distributed around the house. And this is basically due to the fact that depending on the model we can handle more or fewer units from our phone and need or not additional accessories to manage the entire installation.

Depending on your needs and the level of installation that you plan to distribute at home, you will need one model or another, although as we will see later, today we will find practically a single model in stores.

Zigbee vs Bluetooth

In the market you will find two types of Hue. Those that work with Zigbee and those that work with Zigbee and also with Bluetooth. The first are the original Philips models, which used the low-power wireless communication protocol to interact with their bulbs.

This method of communication is very effective, however, it requires the use of the famous Bridge (Bridge) of the brand, a device that acts as an intermediary between the bulbs and your mobile phone. Thus, the bridge is capable of sending orders to all the bulbs you have at home, also allowing remote interaction from outside the home thanks to its internet connection.

On the other hand, the models with Bluetooth (and also Zigbee, eye) allow direct connection with your mobile phone thanks to the well-known wireless connection. Thus, you can control your light bulb without having to purchase a separate Bridge. The problem is that through Bluetooth you can only control a maximum of 10 bulbs, so if you want to have more smart bulbs spread around the house, you will be forced to buy a Bridge to control them all.

An application for each case

Another detail to keep in mind is that depending on the model you have at home you will have to use one application or another. Aesthetically and at the level of functions they are similar, but you will have to download an application if you have Bluetooth models, and another application if you have Zigbee models.

• Philips Hue Bluetooth bulb app (Android)
• Philips Hue Bluetooth bulb app (iOS)
• Philips Hue bulb app (Android)
• Philips Hue bulb app (iOS)

Which one do I buy?

To this day, Philips only distributes Bluetooth + Zigbee models, however, it is very possible that you will continue to find previous stock of models with only Zigbee. If you are going to buy or have bought the older version, you will only have to worry about acquiring a Bridge as well. The advantage is that with a little luck you will be able to find these models at a better price, and that may not be bad for you.

Our recommendation is that you go for Bluetooth, since you will get the same functionalities as the previous model, in addition to Bluetooth and a more updated product. In the same way, if you are going to use a bridge, you can mix both versions without problems, so it will be a matter of finding availability and getting the best possible price.

Remember that you can always buy the bridge later, but it will always be mandatory if you want to control more than 10 bulbs or need to turn them on from outside the home, for example, when you are traveling and you want to pretend that someone is at home.

Compatibility with Alexa and other assistants

Another detail to keep in mind is that the Bridge’s connectivity makes it easy to use with smart assistants. Thanks to the bridge we will be able to contact the bulbs with a simple voice command, so if you are thinking of telling Alexa to turn on the bulbs, you must have a bridge installed.

But with a bit of luck, you could have the solution at home. And is that some Amazon Echo speakers, such as the Echo Plus, already have Zigbee 3.0 connectivity, so you can control the bulbs without the need for a bridge, since the Echo itself will act as a bridge by default.