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The short answer: If you want the broadest ecosystem, reliable performance, and don’t mind paying a premium, go with Philips Hue. If you’re on a tighter budget, want to avoid a hub, and use Alexa or Google Home, Get Smarter Lighting offers a compelling, cost-effective alternative that’s worth considering.
Philips Hue is the veteran of smart lighting. It uses Zigbee, a wireless protocol that often requires a Hue Bridge (hub) to connect to your Wi-Fi and control your lights. This hub enables advanced features like remote access, automation, and integration with many third-party devices. The Hue ecosystem includes a massive range of bulbs, lightstrips, and fixtures, and its app is polished and feature-rich.
Get Smarter Lighting, on the other hand, is a newer player that focuses on simplicity. Most of its bulbs connect directly to your Wi-Fi, which means no hub is needed. You control them through the Get Smarter app, or via voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant. This approach makes setup quicker, but it can put more load on your Wi-Fi network if you have many bulbs.
When it comes to color accuracy and brightness, both brands offer tunable white and millions of colors. However, Philips Hue tends to have slightly better color consistency across its range, while Get Smarter bulbs offer solid performance at a lower price point. If you’re a home theater enthusiast, you might appreciate Hue’s deeper integration with entertainment features like Hue Sync, which syncs your lights with movies and games.
Philips Hue is the winner in terms of ecosystem depth. It works with Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and even has a dedicated HomeKit integration that allows for advanced automations without the need for the Hue Bridge (using Bluetooth, but limited). Hue also integrates with IFTTT, SmartThings, and many other smart home platforms. You can use Hue bulbs with motion sensors, smart switches, and even control them via your TV remote if you have a Hue Play HDMI sync box.
Get Smarter Lighting is more limited but covers the essentials. It works with Alexa and Google Assistant natively, but there is no HomeKit support or Zigbee compatibility. This means if you’re building a HomeKit-centric home, Get Smarter isn’t for you. However, if you rely on Alexa or Google, it’s fine. The Get Smarter app is straightforward, allowing scheduling, scenes, and grouping, but it doesn’t have the depth of Hue’s app or ecosystem.
Setting up Philips Hue is straightforward but involves an extra step: plugging in the Bridge and connecting it to your router. After that, you pair your bulbs by turning them on and letting the app discover them. It’s reliable, but if you move to a new home, you need to re-sync the Bridge. Hue also offers Bluetooth bulbs that work without the Bridge for single-room control, but you lose remote access and advanced features.
Get Smarter Lighting is even simpler. Screw in the bulb, download the app, turn on the bulb, and connect to its Wi-Fi to set it up. No hub, no extra hardware. This is a huge plus if you’re not tech-savvy or if you want to take a bulb to a vacation rental and control it with your phone. However, if you have many bulbs, the setup process can be repetitive, and you must ensure your Wi-Fi is strong enough to handle them all.
Price is a major differentiator. Philips Hue bulbs are significantly more expensive, often two to three times the cost of Get Smarter bulbs. A single Hue color bulb is in the premium range, whereas Get Smarter color bulbs are budget-friendly. If you’re outfitting a whole house, the savings add up quickly.
But value isn’t just about upfront cost. Philips Hue bulbs are known for their reliability and longevity, and the ecosystem offers features that can justify the premium for some users. Get Smarter, while cheaper, might have occasional connectivity hiccups and a less polished app. Also, consider that Hue’s Bridge allows for more advanced automations and local control, which can be more stable over time.
If you’re looking to start small or want to experiment with smart lighting without a big investment, Get Smarter is a low-risk entry point. If you’re all in on smart home tech and want the best possible performance and integration, the premium for Hue might be worth it.
Both systems support voice control via Alexa and Google Assistant. With Philips Hue, you can use the Hue app for detailed control, set up routines, and even use the Hue Labs for experimental features. The app is intuitive and regularly updated. Get Smarter’s app is simpler, but it covers the basics: on/off, brightness, color, schedules, and scenes. It lacks the polish of Hue but is functional.
One issue with Get Smarter is that if your internet goes down, you might lose remote access and some voice commands, unless the bulbs have local processing. Philips Hue with the Bridge can still operate locally for many functions, even if your internet is down, because the Bridge communicates directly with the bulbs via Zigbee.
Yes, you can use the Get Smarter app on your smartphone to control the bulbs directly, no speaker needed. The app lets you turn lights on/off, change colors, and set schedules.
Yes, some Hue bulbs are Bluetooth-enabled, allowing you to control up to 10 lights in one room without a Bridge. However, to use advanced features like automations and remote access, you’ll need the Hue Bridge.
Philips Hue has a specific line of outdoor lights and fixtures that are weather-resistant. Get Smarter has some bulbs that are suitable for outdoor use in covered fixtures, but for exposed outdoor lighting, Hue is generally more reliable and offers more options.
Your decision ultimately comes down to budget, ecosystem, and complexity tolerance. If you want the most extensive smart home integration and are willing to pay for it, Philips Hue is the gold standard. If you’re looking for an affordable, no-hub way to enjoy smart lighting, especially for Alexa or Google users, Get Smarter is a smart choice.
Before you decide, consider your long-term smart home plans. If you’re likely to expand with smart sensors, switches, and maybe a hub, Hue will grow with you seamlessly. If you just want to replace a few bulbs in your living room and control them by voice, Get Smarter might be all you need.
For a broader look at the best smart bulbs on the market, check out our best smart bulbs buying guide to see how these two brands stack up against others.
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